Image Dynamics guys help me!!
Image Dynamics guys help me!! How are these subs when it comes to taking power? I'm gonna be running about 450 watts rms to an image sub that's only rated for 250 watts rms. Is it gonna blow? FWIW, the sub is a V.3 10" and the amp is an mtx 801D.
Those IDQ subs are one of the best sounding subs I have ever heard. I know a guy running them with 300w a piece and the sound was just incredible. You might be pushing them behond their limit at that power.
Turning down your gains is the most cost effective and the way I would do it. The down side is it is a little hard to do correctly. One way to do it right is to use an oscilloscpe and measure the output voltage without it connected to the sub.
You can turn the volume to a point where you can hear distortion in your speakers, and then turn down the gain on the amp until you hear no distortion in the sub. It might not please your neighbors though do to the volume.
Another way is to just turn the gain down to 300/450 or 2/3 of full. Unless you have it crank all the way up, this should serve you fine.If your box is sealed, the extra 50 watts shouldn't be an issue at all.
You can also email Image Dynamics. They have very helpful and knowledgable people. I know one of their techs hangs out on the CarDomain.com.
You can turn the volume to a point where you can hear distortion in your speakers, and then turn down the gain on the amp until you hear no distortion in the sub. It might not please your neighbors though do to the volume.
Another way is to just turn the gain down to 300/450 or 2/3 of full. Unless you have it crank all the way up, this should serve you fine.If your box is sealed, the extra 50 watts shouldn't be an issue at all.
You can also email Image Dynamics. They have very helpful and knowledgable people. I know one of their techs hangs out on the CarDomain.com.
Thanks alot Gregg-98ta. So would any good car audio install place have an ocsilliscope (sp)? I'll try the image dynamic guy on cardomain and i'll email image to see what they have to say.
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Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Thousand Oaks, Ca
OK you guys are making this harder than it has to be. First off, you are more likly to damage a woofer buy under powering as apposed to over powering them, reason being that if u clip and amp ( trying to go loud but dont have the power ) then the AC coming out of the amp ( yes sound is AC not DC ) becomes DC and frys the speaker coil. power is directly connected to sound level. so if you have an amp rated at 10000watts and one rated at 100w and you are playing at the same volume, guess what, the wattage coming out of both amps is the same, athough the more powerful one normally will be doing it with less THD and will have more headroom for better dynamics.
Also, turning down the gain does NOT turndown the wattage ( ie 2/3 gain would not be 300/450 watt amp ) the gain adjusts the sensitivity of the amp.
so if with gain turned up took 2 volts to output full power then with it turned down it might take 4 volts coming from the HU to put out full power ( which is why its nice to have HI volt pre outs so u can turn down the gain to get a lower noise floor, ie less hiss ).
OH btw you are never hitting ur subs with RMS power unless ur playing a sine wave and no one does ( unless ur testing the amps rms ) its normally way below rms but its the peak power ( dynamic power ) that gives huge thump to subs, and subs can handle huge peaks as long as the power is clean ( ie not clipping ) and Higher rms amps normally have a higher peak value to. so more dynamics and more thump.
So basicly just hook up ur sub, adjust the gain to match the volume to the rest of ur system and let it rip.
oh and if u want to correctly adjust ur system on all the gains do it like this ( if ur using amps for all speakers, modify the steps if ur not )
Turn down the gain on all amps and crank up the HU until the sound distorts ( HU clipping ), then set volume right before this happenes( its best to use a loud cd like system of a down or somthing simaler to reach the maximum out put for that volume setting ), now with it there go to each amp ( doing on at a time so u can hear each one ) and turn up the gain till hair before clipping ( as u did with the HU ) and un hook its rcas so u can hear the next amp accuratly
Do this to each amp, when done hook them all up and the re adjust the gains on louder speakers down to match the one thats playing the lowest. now you have a completely matched system.
Note: if ur system doesnt play loud enough that means u need more powerful amps and or more efficent speakers.
Also, turning down the gain does NOT turndown the wattage ( ie 2/3 gain would not be 300/450 watt amp ) the gain adjusts the sensitivity of the amp.
so if with gain turned up took 2 volts to output full power then with it turned down it might take 4 volts coming from the HU to put out full power ( which is why its nice to have HI volt pre outs so u can turn down the gain to get a lower noise floor, ie less hiss ).
OH btw you are never hitting ur subs with RMS power unless ur playing a sine wave and no one does ( unless ur testing the amps rms ) its normally way below rms but its the peak power ( dynamic power ) that gives huge thump to subs, and subs can handle huge peaks as long as the power is clean ( ie not clipping ) and Higher rms amps normally have a higher peak value to. so more dynamics and more thump.
So basicly just hook up ur sub, adjust the gain to match the volume to the rest of ur system and let it rip.
oh and if u want to correctly adjust ur system on all the gains do it like this ( if ur using amps for all speakers, modify the steps if ur not )
Turn down the gain on all amps and crank up the HU until the sound distorts ( HU clipping ), then set volume right before this happenes( its best to use a loud cd like system of a down or somthing simaler to reach the maximum out put for that volume setting ), now with it there go to each amp ( doing on at a time so u can hear each one ) and turn up the gain till hair before clipping ( as u did with the HU ) and un hook its rcas so u can hear the next amp accuratly
Do this to each amp, when done hook them all up and the re adjust the gains on louder speakers down to match the one thats playing the lowest. now you have a completely matched system.
Note: if ur system doesnt play loud enough that means u need more powerful amps and or more efficent speakers.
Last edited by Visionxorb; Jun 7, 2004 at 03:18 PM.
