2001CamaroGuy

iTrader: (6)

I want to bi-amp my system and need an amp to run the tweeters. I'm running a pair of Alpine V12s now (pushing 150watts RMS into a pair of Infinity Kappa Perfect 6.1s right now) and will use them for the mids. Now usually the idea is tweeters only need about 5% of the power as the rest of the range so that would be about 7.5watts RMS. Well the lowest amp I can find (that is still good) is 40watts per channel. So what do I do? Does it matter if I have that much "extra" power for the tweeter amp? Never done anything this "far out".

2MuchRiceMakesMeSick

What is bi-amping?

You want to add another amp?
Alot of people, that dont want to put alot of money into another amp, so they run it off the head unit with a high pass filter.

If it was me with your setup. I would run a wire from the kappas to the tweeter with a high pass.

Snootch

iTrader: (3)

I'm running 100 watts into my tweeters right now. Tweeters are like any other speaker, you can burn them up if power handling limits are exceeded, or they are played out of their frequency range even with a moderate amount of power. Ensure your crossovers are set correctly, and your amplifiers are not clipping.

Frontman

iTrader: (3)

The way i understand it, it doesn't matter how many watts you have going to a speaker as long as your gains are set correctly. Let me say that again, CORRECTLY. I would have a shop set the gains using an ocsilliscope (sp).

2001CamaroGuy

iTrader: (6)

then I should be good....thanks

2MuchRiceMakesMeSick

Tweeters are unlike conventional speakers in the sence that they do not get progressively louder with more amplification like a regular transducer. 7 watts on average has been said for a tweeter to reach within its root means squared (RMS) operating range. Most tweeters contain ferrofluid, liquid form of iron, (or equivilant) to help them take the heat buildup accociated with more electrons flowing throught the voice coil after that point is reached.

Snootch

iTrader: (3)

True, but what I meant is that they can be burnt up as easily as any other type of speaker, play it out of it's frequency range with more than it's RMS power rating and the voice coil will open. BTW, there is an extreme likelihood that 7 WRMS from a head unit is going to clip the tweeter at one point or another due to musical transients. What i'm doing is running my 100 WRMS tweeters with an amp capable of delivering 100 WRMS, then turning the gains way the hell down, and I checked the output with an o-scope between it's xover points. What you say scientifically is true, as tweeters have high input sensitivities, but in practice they need more power than that to sound good. I say give the speakers 1/2 the rated clean RMS power or more. Trust me, i've went thru 3 pairs of tweeters figuring how to feed them the most power and sound good. I am using active crossovers at 12dB/Oct, and no passive filters or protection. The last set of tweeters I went through lasted 6 months. So I then turned the gain down slightly, and I haven't had a problem since. And with 1400 WRMS on tap, I often like to play it loud.

Snootch

iTrader: (3)

No, IT DOES matter how much power you are feeding a tweeter, you must be within it's power handling limits, AND especially at higher power ratings (1/2 or more) the gains must be set appropriately to not allow the amplifier to clip at all.

Snootch

iTrader: (3)

I Just looked at the manual for the Infinity Perfect 6.1s, and the crossover is not bi-ampable. Do you just want to get louder highs? I would keep your components the way they are (with 150 RMS input) and purchase another pair of the Kappa C.M.M.T tweeters, (which is what the system tou have uses, power handling is 50 WRMS) and power them with the 40 WRMS per channel amp you mentioned earlier. I would put either a active or passive crossover on it set at 6Khz, 24dB/Oct. that would give you the extra highs you are looking for.

2MuchRiceMakesMeSick

some simple advice on blowing those tweeters. when they sound distored....turn em down

I personally would never put 100 true watts into a single tweeter. They sound much better at a lower wattage. Instead of blowing so many tweeters, split the wattage with another set. They wont sound as harsh and last you alot longer

2001CamaroGuy

iTrader: (6)

I would be pulling the speaker level crossover that came with the 6.1s and installing a 24db/Oct, 3 way active crossover in the RCAs that run to the amp so as to split the signal before the amp (<150HZ, 150-3.5KHz, <3.5).

yes/no/perhaps?