under powering subs?

Question

if i have two subs that have 380 rms and a 2 channel amp that only puts out 200 x2 rms...both 4 ohms, is that gonna be bad? i no it wont destroy it but its not gonna sound good right?

whats is clipping?

Answer 1

if your getting a clipping noise it is because of the installation. Your box was not made to sub standards.

Answer 2

The 200 watt amp should drive the speakers just fine. Depending on how loud you want to play it. If you max it out the amplifier will hit its power limit and that's when clipping and distortion occur. Clipping will burn out speakers. I'll try to explain it. The audio signal is a varying electrical voltage that changes from a negative to positive level thousands of times per second. Low frequency signals like bass notes cause the signal to change slowly, higher signals like horns or vocals make the signal change a lot faster. The power amplifier makes the speaker cone move in and out with the electric audio signal. A positive voltage makes the cone move out, a negative signal voltage makes the cone move inward. In the ideal situation the signal peaks are curved as the voltage changes from positive to negative and vice versa. This make the speaker cone run in and out in a smooth manner. When you over drive the amplifier it hits its power limit and the signal peaks flattens out. This is called clipping and is always a bad thing. With a clipped signal the speaker cone will drive all he way out and stay there for a bit instead of running back in. It will do this on both the positive and negative clipped peak. You will hear the distortion. This can damage and overheat the speaker coil. So, just don't try to blast the system at full power.

Answer 3

The difference in output between 200 watts and 380 watts is not as much as you might think. There's a good chance that the subs will sound fine at that power level. You're not running any more risk of damage to the subs with a lower-power amp than you would be with a higher power, provided that you set the gains properly and don't abuse them.

Clipping is a form of distortion that occurs when an amplifier is trying to deliver more power than it's capable of producing. When your speakers start to sound strained or distorted, it's time to turn down the volume.

Answer 4

Set the gains right and you'll be fine.

The purpose of the gain is to match the signal volts RMS of the source (head unit, etc.) to the input of the amp to prevent clipping.

Here is a guide to help you set the gain correctly:
http://www.datafilehost.com/download.php?file=6d26c621

You'll need Microsoft Excel, a multi-meter (AC volt meter) and a way to burn an audio CD from an MP3.

If you don't have Excel let me know and I'll send you a condensed version. [e-mail]

Answer 5

believe it or not UNDER powering a sub is worse than over powering them. say you have a 1000 watt peak sub with a 200 watt amp... the amp has to work harder to try and move the sub which creates distortion. distortion is what kills the sub because it heats the voice coil. the coil becomes too hot and it will lock up inside the former and then no more sub.