Is 250 watts enough??

[09civic 5,000+ posts]

Untrue statement. You can hurt the sub underpowering or overpowering it. You can clip a signal even if your running at less than the subs recommended RMS. Depending on the sub you can also supply more power than recommended and not damage the sub if its a clean, unclipped signal.

That is what my last sentence was referring to.

 

[jolly_26 10+ year member]

Untrue statement. You can hurt the sub underpowering or overpowering it. You can clip a signal even if your running at less than the subs recommended RMS. Depending on the sub you can also supply more power than recommended and not damage the sub if its a clean, unclipped signal.

yeah I really wouldn't say you can blow a sub by under powering it, that's not technically correct. You can blow a sub by giving it a clipped signal that is less than it's power rating, yes, but a clean signal that is less than it's power rating is also under powering it, and will NOT blow the sub. It is the clipping that will cause damage, not the under powering. I'm sure you understand this, you're no learner, but the way you phrase it may need looking at so that people who are new to this don't get confused.

Also OP start reading a lot of stickies etc on this forum, it will help you to learn a lot.

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

yeah I really wouldn't say you can blow a sub by under powering it, that's not technically correct. You can blow a sub by giving it a clipped signal that is less than it's power rating, yes, but a clean signal that is less than it's power rating is also under powering it, and will NOT blow the sub. It is the clipping that will cause damage, not the under powering. I'm sure you understand this, you're no learner, but the way you phrase it may need looking at so that people who are new to this don't get confused.
Also OP start reading a lot of stickies etc on this forum, it will help you to learn a lot.

It is technically correct. Subs can be over rated just like amps.

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

Class D is a type of amp not a brand, you do Not want to use a class a/b amp on a subwoofer because of those amps are designed for your mids and highs. Class D amps are designed to optimize subwoofer performance and efficiency. What voice coil configuration is your sub? You need to know this when picking your amp...it is probably either dvc 2ohm or 4ohm, you can only wire your amp to certain ohms and they depend on your subwoofer's voice coil configuration. Your amp will make different amounts of wattage at different impedances.

ive used a/b amps on subs for years...never have had any issues..use currently..no issues..still would like for you to pull out that sub,and get the model # on to be sure what ohms they are,to be sure? but attatch says dvc4..more power would be ideal for sure than what you currently run..2 ohms stable,and at least 500 rms is what id run myself

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

don't get a a/b class amp for sub use all those amps are not going to make you happy in the end look on CL in your area for a class D and talk them down, you can do a lot with 100 bucks!

Class D is a type of amp not a brand, you do Not want to use a class a/b amp on a subwoofer because of those amps are designed for your mids and highs. Class D amps are designed to optimize subwoofer performance and efficiency. What voice coil configuration is your sub? You need to know this when picking your amp...it is probably either dvc 2ohm or 4ohm, you can only wire your amp to certain ohms and they depend on your subwoofer's voice coil configuration. Your amp will make different amounts of wattage at different impedances.

The only reason Class D is better is efficiency on higher powered setups. Class D is getting very close to the sound signature as well, but for a sub stage you wont here the difference. However its still perfectly acceptable to use Class A/B on a sub stage. I run a Class A/B on everything in my car.

 

[Fi-brations 10+ year member]

The only reason Class D is better is efficiency on higher powered setups. Class D is getting very close to the sound signature as well, but for a sub stage you wont here the difference. However its still perfectly acceptable to use Class A/B on a sub stage. I run a Class A/B on everything in my car.

I stand corrected hahaha

 

[jolly_26 10+ year member]

It is technically correct. Subs can be over rated just like amps.

didn't realise that's what you were getting at. Maybe should have phrased it that way, that's all I'm saying really.

 

[av83 10+ year member]

I have been thinking about upgrading my amp to somewhere around 600 to 800 watts, im looking for a cheap amp for somewhere under $100 dollars though, since im not really running any high end dollar stuff at the moment. I was thinking about Amazon.com: Lanzar VCT2010 800-Watt 2-Channel High-Power Mosfet Amplifier: Car Electronics

I also know that lanzar, boss, and pyramid are not the best stuff for audio but it a cheap two channel. what do yall think?

1000 wrms @ 2 ohms for around 100 bones.... Audiopipe APSM-1500 1500 Watt Mono Mini Amplifier : APSM1500 : VMInnovations.com

 

[goingdef 10+ year member]

The only reason Class D is better is efficiency on higher powered setups. Class D is getting very close to the sound signature as well, but for a sub stage you wont here the difference. However its still perfectly acceptable to use Class A/B on a sub stage. I run a Class A/B on everything in my car.

I never said you can't run them for a sub stage , but when ran at there lowest impedance at max output for long periods they will go thermal protect, and in the summer in a trunk that will usually take about 30 min.

 

[SSS 18734 5,000+ posts]

Those are great subs and can take definitely take 1000 wRMS daily. 250 wRMS won't drive the sub to its potential but will get it moving. Just make sure you set your gains accordingly - As others have mentioned, you can blow a subwoofer regardless of under or overpowering. You can find this information in the stickies section.

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

I never said you can't run them for a sub stage , but when ran at there lowest impedance at max output for long periods they will go thermal protect, and in the summer in a trunk that will usually take about 30 min.

Also not true if you run quality equipment. I run mine at 2 ohms bridged on channels 5/6 and it runs cool all day long.

 

[ancorp 10+ year member]

That is a Champion Series, not a Champion Pro.

It is 400w RMS.

See if its dual 2 or dual 4 ohm on the back. That looks like either a Pioneer 307D2 or a 307D4.

I wouldn't give it over 500w clean. They're great subwoofers for what they are, I used to run a pair in a ported box that was a bit on the small side and they played great.

 

[zako 10+ year member]

Also not true if you run quality equipment. I run mine at 2 ohms bridged on channels 5/6 and it runs cool all day long.

I don't think quality has a lot to do with this. What matters more is the size of heat sink and where the amplifier is installed. Ideally, the amplifier should be installed horizontally on a flat solid surface, not upside down or on a side wall, with air allowed to circulate around it. Class A/B amplifiers are more sensitive to this with their efficiency being lower than that of Class D amplifiers.

 

[zako 10+ year member]

I have just bought a 12" Pioneer Champion Series Subwoofer in a ported box for around $40.00 I am powering it with a 250 Watt JL Monoblock amp (JX 250/1 watt) I have heard the sub can handle up to 3500 watts? but on the actual sub it only says a little over 1000?

Is my 250 watt amp under powering this sub too much? i dont want it to crap out on me..

I was running a 12" Audiobahn Natural Sound sub in a ported box with half the coil burned up and it never blew. i also have my db and frequency nobs turned all the way up on my amp.

thanks!

In my opinion, yes it's enough.. You got a bargain basement subwoofer. Do you really expect that it can handle say 500 watts? It'd be great if it can handle the power you have without sounding sloppy. As long as you don't overdrive your amplifier, the subwoofer should work fine. If you don't overdrive the amplifier, then it shouldn't matter how much power your subwoofer can handle. If you're in doubt, use the DMM method to set amplifier gain. I have powered 300 and 350 watt (RMS) subs with 250watt amplifier with no problems. Please read the documentation of the amplifier. I assume the frequency knob controls the subwoofer's low pass frequency. This usually should not be at the max. Start with 80Hz, and don't go higher than that. I assume the db knob is bass boost. It's useless. Usually it boosts the wrong frequency (40-50Hz, this already has a huge natual boost in a closed cabin). I suggest to set it to zero. Amplifier gain knob is the one that's hard to set with precision. I listen the kind of music where the subwoofer only plays the sub bass portion of acoustic (kick) drum and the deepest notes of bass guitar, so it really doesn't matter much how much power I can send to the sub. I just set gains by ear. If you listen rap or similar and want to drive your subwoofer at the maximum output possible but without overdriving it or amplifier, then you must use the DMM method.

 

[goingdef 10+ year member]

Also not true if you run quality equipment. I run mine at 2 ohms bridged on channels 5/6 and it runs cool all day long.

Well I guess RF power series equipment isn't good quality, and I would hope if your only using two out of six channels the amp wouldn't heat up that much I'm talking about running a two channel amp bridged at it's lowest rated impedance, there's no way around them getting hot at full tilt unless you check in with the $1000 cooling system that's being offered on here!