I have wired a JVC 12" sub rated at 350W RMS (1200W peak power) to my Audison LRX 1.1k which produces 420W at 4 ohms, 800W at 2 ohms, and 1090W at 1 ohm. I have wired the voice coils of the sub in parallel, therefore presenting the amplifier with a 2 ohm load. I am wondering this: does the wiring of the sub to 2 ohms have any effect on its total power handling?


PS: I know my amp can easily overpower my sub and this is just a temporary setup until I get more money. :P

 

The subs rms handling is the same regardless of wiring options...in this case 350 watts is the thermal power handling. Mechanical power handling is a different story.

 

Okay, thank you.

 

Wait a second, what do you mean by mechanical power handling?

 

Every speaker has a physical excursion limit due to it's suspension, voice coil length, etc... So, many times the thermal limit (the max rms power to the voice coils over a long period) is not the same power as that which would drive the speaker to it's mechanical limit. Some can handle significantly more power mechanically than they can thermally like spl drivers.

 

thermal power handling refers to a speakers ability to dissipate a given amount of heat.

this particular speaker can take 350watts of continous power without burning up.



say you have a 100w rms 4" speaker. if you put 75watts into it and play a 20hz tone, you are going to exceed it mechanical limits far before its thermal limits.

the little 4" will max out its excursion well before it burns up.
when you hear a sub bottoming out, this is what you are hearing.

 

Bottoming out.... as in distortion?

 

As in flapping sound when the the speaker has maxed out.

 

Would this be audible from the front of the vehicle? Or only from directly in front of the sub?

 

all depends on how bad it is bottoming out.

most of the time it is masked when sitting in the front seat. so when you tune it make a trip to the trunk and evaluate the sub as well.
any kind of popping sound, flapping sound. or any other kind of mechanical noise is unwanted. if you hear this, back it down, you've reached the subs limits.