s2k_PikeStyle

No, thats not what i was saying. Im saying Amps are underrated. Numbers are generated Generally at 12 volts. Your car does not run at 12, it runs at closer to 14 most of the time. When its a 14volts, that can raise the power that the amp makes from 85-110. You buy an amp rated at 85watts because of that. Not because you only want 85 watts, but because you know it is rated at 12.4 volts instead for 14.4.

MacGyver

True, as long as you know that only holds true while the car is running. If you're sitting in a parking lot and cranking it up, you're not getting that extra power (although if you're sitting in a parking lot listening to your stereo at full volume, don't expect to be able to start your car for very much longer ).

PJK3

here's a great article on 'too little power':

http://www.bcae1.com/2ltlpwr.htm

my rule of thumb is to generally try to land amplify no more than 125% above the speaker's rated RMS power, unless you're experienced enough to do otherwise.


the amp's you've listed: MTX, Alpine, etc. are generally NOT underrated. generally speaking, only high end amps are underrated.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by MacGyver
This is a bit of an odd statement, too.

s2k_PikeStyle

MTX is always underrated. I have never seen an MTX amp not be underrated. They are all tested as there made, check one out sometime.

oneaudiopro

I hope I can shed some light on some of the myths and misinformation that has been written in this post regarding car amplifiers. First, any amp can blow any speaker........regardless of its manufacturer or power rating. Second, not all amps deliver more power @14.4 volts than they do @12.0 volts.............if the amp utilizes a regulated power supply, then it will put out the same power at 14.4v as it does at 12.0v. On the other hand, if it uses an UNregulated power supply, it will deliver more power at 14.4v than it did at 12.0v. Another problem arises when your electrical system can't deliver the voltage necessary to power the amp correctly..........ie 2000 watt amp hooked to a factory alternator...............in this case, someone might have a 2000 watt amp hooked to a subwoofer rated @3000 watts, and wonder why it blew when in fact the amp actually might have only been putting out 500 watts with alot of distortion because it was starved for voltage. And remember............watts is merely Voltage X Current...............and usually some of the higher end 50 watt amps that a couple of people made mention of in this post might actually perform better than some higher wattage amps out there soley because of their higher current capability. If I can leave you all with this one final thought.....................If you want to go fast, it's not how "Big" a motor you have under the hood, it's how much horsepower (current) you have.......................but then........we should all know that driving s2000's . Bob

NFRs2000NYC

MacGyver

This is a pretty open ended statement. If you mean an amplifier that has a shorted output stage can ruin a speaker, then I would agree with you...with the condition that the amp is rated near or above the power of the speaker. A 5W amp in a walkman is NOT going to hurt a 50W speaker, I don't care WHAT world you live in.

However, if you're trying to say that any amplifier will ruin any speaker due to distortion, then I wholeheartedly disagree with you, particularly for the example I just mentioned.

While I agree that not all amps deliver more power with a higher supply voltage, the reason is not necessarily because the supply is regulated. If a switching supply is used (any high power amp will use one), a higher voltage WILL result in more power. As the available voltage is increased, so will the available power (up to the current limits of the supply).

On the other hand, a higher supply voltage will NOT necessarily result in more power in system with UNregulated supplies, but it COULD result in higher levels of distortion. How many amplifiers do you know of that use unregulated power supplies? It's a moot point...

First off, a 2000W amp with major distortion is not going to blow a 3000W speaker (we're talking bass here, since tweeters run into other issues with higher order harmonics). Even if the output stage was locked up, it's only putting out around 2,800 W of power, and the speaker is going to survive that being rated at 3,000W.

Second, while an amp will distort heavily if truly starved for voltage/power, the levels of distortion are NOT going to be strong enough (especially at 500W) to even annoy the speaker. I just calculated the worst power rating above.

I have absolutely no Earthly idea what this means...what has a higger current capability, the 50W amp? And higher current capability than what?

[QUOTE]If I can leave you all with this one final thought.....................If you want to go fast, it's not how "Big" a motor you have under the hood, it's how much horsepower (current) you have.......................but then........we should all know that driving s2000's .

oneaudiopro

Macgyver,
While you might be good at building the light gizmos and such from your previous posts, I hope you give me a little more respect when it comes to audio issues. Statements like this quote from your last post make me wonder if you have any experience with audio at all. I've tried to be cordial to you in the past to no avail. Everything I wrote in my previous post was true, regardless of your narrow minded opinions. I have 30yrs experience in the audio industry.............you???? I hope we can be friends in the future and have a little more mutual respect for each others knowledge and experience.........deal?.......................... .................................................. ..........Bob

MacGyver

Bob,

I have respect for anyone to hold an opinion, because any reasonable person realizes that is all it is. I rarely take attacks on here personally, nor do I think many others do, either. So it's not like I consider us either friends or enemies, merely acquaintances who have not yet met. However, I believe you are asking me to give creedance to your statements about audio, which I cannot do. This is not out of meanness, or spite, or jealousy, but out of the mere fact that you have yet to show me how you are truly knowledgable in said subject.

You have proclaimed in more than one thread to be an "expert" in the audio field, yet when asked to back up such a bold statement, your reply fell significantly short of qualitative proof. If memory serves (which I'm perfectly willing to admit is REALLY bad...I have to keep reteaching certain subjects to myself..."Use it or lose it"), your "experience" in the audio field consisted of 5 years as a salesman for an audio company, etc. etc. As I stated in that thread (wish I could remember which one it was), handing out literature about a component systems HARDLY qualifies them as an "expert". My qualifications, however, are WELL documented. For anyone who's curious, check out this thread where you're proven wrong countless times...

oneaudiopro's a self-proclaimed expert on speaker distortion

In tht thread, you and modifry shook hands at the end and all seemed kosher, but the fact remained that you were way off base in what you said time and time again, but to call yourself an "expert" while being so easily proven wrong was outrageous. If you make claims, you had BETTER be willing to back them up with cold, hard facts. You have no training that you've made us aware of in the electronic arts, yet you would have us believe you know what you're talking about.

As if that wasn't enough, you came back later spouting all kinds of INCORRECT info on how a crossover should be set up and what type, what the output capabilities of an amplifier should be, how you thought EQs affect the amplifier...and yet AGAIN, you were called to the mat for being WRONG. See here for a blow by blow account...

Incorrect EQ info, crossover info, output capability info, etc....just wrong all over the place

I found threads where you posted totally wrong information (yet again), but they passed under my radar, so I never had a chance to refute it. I could post more threads, but I think anyone could read the above two threads and see why you are hardly the "expert" you claim to be.

I'll give you respect as a person, I'd probably value your opinion OVER mine when it came to choosing a quality amp, as I'm sure you've heard quite a few in your day. But I simply cannot give you respect as an "audio expert" when you have so clearly shown an ineptitude at the basics of how audio components work.

Cordiality has little to do with the subject at hand...you believe I hold no experience at all in audio, yet on the second page of the first thread I linked above clearly lists my qualifications an experience with audio. I believe you hold no real experience with audio, and so far, not only have you not been able to produce any real quallifications (sorry, salesman doesn't cut it), but you haven't been able to produce much "knowledge" that wasn't easily proven dead wrong. You continually call my knowledge into question, all the while spouting incorrect info, and you expect cordiality to play into things? Sorry, but why should I sugercoat it?

And how are my opinions narrowminded? I believe what you mean to say is "You don't agree with me, therefore you're narrowminded." I'm not stating opinions when I argue against you, I'm stating facts! There's a huge difference. Feel free to disagree with my opinions, as that really doesn't matter at the end of the day, and doesn't make a speaker work any differently, but you can't argue with physics, something you've attempted on more than one ocassion, and the results didn't look promising.

oneaudiopro

Here's another statement of yours Macgyver...........................Hmmmmmmmmmmm... ......................I think I'll let others in here decide for themselves. And yes I really am an "expert" in the audio arena............30yrs worth. I won't make another reply..............you're just not worth my valuable time arguing with, or trying to split insignificant hairs with.............................................. .....................later