Matching RMS
10-08-2007, 11:19 PM
#32
Here's my opinion.
Speakers are capable of handling more than their rated RMS power. But, for how long ? RMS is just the safe power that it can sustain on average for an indefinate period of time. Depending on speaker construction and how it's set up and what not, you can probably give it peaks of 2X, maybe 3X or more of it's RMS rating, and it'll be fine.
The RMS rating just how much heat the voice coil can continualy dissipate over a long period of time. Now, if you give your speaker half of it's RMS power, and it's already in overexcursion, don't think it's safe just because it's not getting full power. It can still damage the speaker's mechanics, but, the voice coil should be unharmed.
Back to a speaker's power handling. Let's compare your speaker to cooking ! (I'm hungry... so food analogies galore !). Say, you're cooking something in the oven that requires a temperature of 350 degrees. That would be comparable to your RMS power. Average needs to be around there. Now, you're oven would be kinda like your amp. So, your amp (oven) would need to produce, say, 350W RMS (or 350 degrees to cook your food proper). But, we all noticed that an oven's elements always go on and off. They can't be heated at exactly 350 degrees (nor can an amp produce 350W all the time). The oven heats the elements to who knows how hot ? 1000 degrees ? So, say your amp can spew out 1000W (peak power). Chances are, your speaker can handle it... but, for a very short period of time as the temperature of the voice coil won't have time to go high enough for it to burn. And, your turkey won't burn if your oven's elements heat up to 1000 degrees. As long as it's for a short period of time. (Yeah, we're cooking turkeys now). But, if it was always at max, your turkey would end up burnt to a crisp, just like your voice coil.
So, no, there's no magical formula for how much power to give to a speaker. As long as your peaks stay below what the speaker can handle as peaks, and that these don't everage out over the RMS power of your speaker. How to tell ? Distortion is a good hint, overexcursion, smell of heated electronics, etc... But, it's all a game of balance in the end. Be kind to your speakers, give them what they want, but not too much of it, and you'll be rewarded with a long lasting, good sounding system.
Speakers are capable of handling more than their rated RMS power. But, for how long ? RMS is just the safe power that it can sustain on average for an indefinate period of time. Depending on speaker construction and how it's set up and what not, you can probably give it peaks of 2X, maybe 3X or more of it's RMS rating, and it'll be fine.
The RMS rating just how much heat the voice coil can continualy dissipate over a long period of time. Now, if you give your speaker half of it's RMS power, and it's already in overexcursion, don't think it's safe just because it's not getting full power. It can still damage the speaker's mechanics, but, the voice coil should be unharmed.
Back to a speaker's power handling. Let's compare your speaker to cooking ! (I'm hungry... so food analogies galore !). Say, you're cooking something in the oven that requires a temperature of 350 degrees. That would be comparable to your RMS power. Average needs to be around there. Now, you're oven would be kinda like your amp. So, your amp (oven) would need to produce, say, 350W RMS (or 350 degrees to cook your food proper). But, we all noticed that an oven's elements always go on and off. They can't be heated at exactly 350 degrees (nor can an amp produce 350W all the time). The oven heats the elements to who knows how hot ? 1000 degrees ? So, say your amp can spew out 1000W (peak power). Chances are, your speaker can handle it... but, for a very short period of time as the temperature of the voice coil won't have time to go high enough for it to burn. And, your turkey won't burn if your oven's elements heat up to 1000 degrees. As long as it's for a short period of time. (Yeah, we're cooking turkeys now). But, if it was always at max, your turkey would end up burnt to a crisp, just like your voice coil.
So, no, there's no magical formula for how much power to give to a speaker. As long as your peaks stay below what the speaker can handle as peaks, and that these don't everage out over the RMS power of your speaker. How to tell ? Distortion is a good hint, overexcursion, smell of heated electronics, etc... But, it's all a game of balance in the end. Be kind to your speakers, give them what they want, but not too much of it, and you'll be rewarded with a long lasting, good sounding system.
10-09-2007, 11:53 AM
#35
if you hook up 2 4 ohm speakers to the same channel then you will either have a resulting 8 ohms ot 2 ohms running on your amp. can it support 2 ohms? if not then you will fry something.
10-09-2007, 06:40 PM
#36
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 98
MAX Power (4 ohm) : 500W x 1
MAX Power (2 ohm) : 800W x 1
Continuous Power (4 ohm) : 250W x 1
Continuous Power (2 ohm) : 360W x 1
Load Impedance : 4 Ohm (2~8 Ohm allowable)
so it'd be (RMS/MAX) 180/400 to each?
that sucks =P
PS: what if i wanted 4 speakers (4 ohm) to get around 55 RMS and 165 Max what ohm would that be? or would i have to do 2 to one channel and 2 to another channel?
Last edited by masterstone; 10-09-2007 at 06:42 PM.
10-10-2007, 06:25 AM
#37
AMP: Premier GM-7150
MAX Power (4 ohm) : 500W x 1
MAX Power (2 ohm) : 800W x 1
Continuous Power (4 ohm) : 250W x 1
Continuous Power (2 ohm) : 360W x 1
Load Impedance : 4 Ohm (2~8 Ohm allowable)
so it'd be (RMS/MAX) 180/400 to each?
that sucks =P
PS: what if i wanted 4 speakers (4 ohm) to get around 55 RMS and 165 Max what ohm would that be? or would i have to do 2 to one channel and 2 to another channel?
MAX Power (4 ohm) : 500W x 1
MAX Power (2 ohm) : 800W x 1
Continuous Power (4 ohm) : 250W x 1
Continuous Power (2 ohm) : 360W x 1
Load Impedance : 4 Ohm (2~8 Ohm allowable)
so it'd be (RMS/MAX) 180/400 to each?
that sucks =P
PS: what if i wanted 4 speakers (4 ohm) to get around 55 RMS and 165 Max what ohm would that be? or would i have to do 2 to one channel and 2 to another channel?
10-10-2007, 08:16 PM
#39
or a 4 channel.....you should put a nice system in a sweet ride like that anyways....
I love that era of Caddy sedans....lots of room to install toys, and a heads-up for the young guys the ladies like 'em too......
I love that era of Caddy sedans....lots of room to install toys, and a heads-up for the young guys the ladies like 'em too......
10-10-2007, 08:24 PM
#40
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 98
I'll figure out the specifics of it all later but ill still be on here askin questions
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