2007-04-23 14:59:34 · 8 answers · asked by drummrkid90 2 in Consumer Electronics ➔ Home Theater
This is actually a hotly debated topic. I have read conflicting views on this from equally respected sources. Put in an oversimplified way, the theory that under-powering can damage speakers says that when an amplifier is driven far past its ability in trying to supply a speaker with power, the tops and bottoms of the sound waves are "clipped" off (the phenomenon known as "clipping"). This kind of distortion can cause the speaker's drivers to move irregularly in such a way that the voice coil can overheat and warp. Most people who believe that clipping from under-powering can damage speakers say that the clipping must be "severe." Severe clipping only occurs when the person using the amp tries to compensate for the lack of volume by turning the amp's volume extremely high. Many audio experts say this is a myth and the debate goes on. My posture on this is that since I have heard the damage from under-powering theory from some respectable sources I would not excessively under-power speakers and I would certainly not turn the volume extremely high on a low power amp that is being used to drive power hungry speakers.
2007-04-23 16:12:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
RMS is simply a rating for the max output your speakers can handle. It's always best to get speakers that are rated over what your Reciever or amp is cabable of.
In some rare occasions there are speakers that require a minimum power rating to operate correctly.
2007-04-23 15:27:34 · answer #2 · answered by pappy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As far as the cabinets themselves are concerned, they are not affected by this issue. Only the speaker drivers themselves are affected. It's primarily the tweeters that you have to be careful of blowing when the amplifier "clips" with bad distortion. That distortion is warning you that not enough "clean power is getting to the speaker. It's hard for me to explain in real detail.
2007-04-24 13:33:15 · answer #3 · answered by davj61 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi.Speakers are fairly rugged and can handel all signals(usually) the amplifier sends .There is a theory that driving them with an underpowered amplifier at full volume can damage speakers due to the distorted single from the amplifier overloading (clipping) .It is best to have an amplifier whose rated output is higher than the loudspeakers' maximum continuous input as long as you keep the volume at a reasonable level.The speakers will sound better and the amplifier will have plenty of headroom.
Cheers.
2007-04-23 17:17:15 · answer #4 · answered by ROBERT P 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can damage a speaker (particularly tweeters) if you overdrive the amplifier, that is, make it clip. As long as you stay under its rated output, you will be okay.
2007-04-23 15:10:56 · answer #5 · answered by piano guy 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes, if you dont have enough power and you push your speaker hard it will destroy it heres how, when you push a speaker harder than your amp can power it heats up your amp and your speakers distort causing bad quality sound this disottion turns into excess heat in the voice coil of your speaker to burn out ruining your speaker.
2007-04-23 17:09:50 · answer #6 · answered by dddd 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
fake. i in my view do unlike being hugged. possibly explains why i'm nonetheless unmarried. BQ: on no account. i might desire to have danced at a marriage reception, yet then extremely everybody else there recognised like a Canoe, it wasn't merely me.
2016-10-28 19:34:18 · answer #7 · answered by arshad 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, but it will not push to its full or at all.
2007-04-23 15:03:09 · answer #8 · answered by dim 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋