If I underpower my car speakers, do I run the risk of damaging them?

[Subject]
If I underpower my car speakers, do I run the risk of damaging them?
[Question]
I was at a store picking out speakers for my new (to me) car, and the guy attending the area told me that running 80W RMS speakers via my 50Wx4 stereo would damage and possibly blow the speakers in less than a year....



Personally, I find it odd that underpowering speakers can damage them, but I really don't know much about it. He said you need to find an amp that will power your speakers within 5-10W tolerance, RMS.

I'm sure it would sound better or louder with an amp, but seriously, do I HAVE to get one now for those speakers?



The stereo is a Pioneer DEH-1100MP, and produces 30W RMS per channel, 50W max.

Matt @ 2009-03-13 09:39:35

[All Answers]
The guy was wrong.



You can't blow speakers by running less power through them.



Here, look at it this way.



Lets say your car has a top speed of 140. That would be max output of your speaker.



RMS, would be average cruising speed, of 70.



Do you think it will hurt your car to drive 40mph? No.



It won't hurt your speakers in the slightest to run less than RMS power.



Find a different stereo store, those guys don't know what they're doing.

Vipassana @ 2009-03-13 09:43:44

Lol i do not know why this is "common knowledge" But its not true...

If it were the case turning your volume down you blow your speakers beacuse turning them down would be "underpowering" them

Dont worry man you dont have shit to worry about the guy is buying into a common hype with more supporting evidence against it.

Yes it would sound louder and better with an amp but your basically just turning down the "possible" volume to them.

Nothing to worry abt man the guy doesnt know his shit.

Hope this helped

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AubKMl0WxWIWa8NC38TvbIoAAAAA;_ylv=3?qid=20080803190234AAIQvJ2

Thats another question thats similiar to yours also containing excellent relivant information

EDIT:

JAMES... .WRONG



First you must know that under powering is just too little power. This in no way can harm a speakers as it's no different than having the volume down on a correctly power matched system.



Having the gain (or level control) maxed out and incorrectly set is the ONLY thing that will cause an under powered sub to be damaged. This would cause clipping which is really OVER POWERING, not under powering.



Clipping is asking the amp to push power beyond it's limits for those that don't know.



As always, see my site for more info http://spkrbox1.spaces.live.com Pay especially close attention to the link in the middle of the page.



Your equipment will thank you.



Some more unknown truths:



I can drive speakers with a 100% clipped square wave signal all day long with no problems as long as the thermal and mechanical limits of the speaker are not exceeded.



I can feed a speaker 100% distortion all day long with no damage as long as the thermal and mechanical limits of the speaker are not exceeded.



I can exceed the thermal and/or mechanical limits of a speaker and watch it fail in short order.



These are electrical and physical truths and anything else is a myth.



I will add these two sites to back up my claim:



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



http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/scripts/r...



The later is from Rockford Fosgate and has a lot of good info on the matter - they don't even mention under powering as an issue.



This has been another Public Service Announcement

Patrick @ 2009-03-13 09:46:00

Lol, Thats so funny. I agree with the others who said that he was wrong. I think he might have also been trying to get you to spend more money, You know how them salesmen are lol

Lil Snoopy @ 2009-03-13 09:55:45

Generally speaking, believe it or not under powering a speaker can damage a speaker faster than overpowering a speaker. I know this sounds strange to a novice in the car audio field but bare with me. I am a veteran in car audio so I will try and explain it the best I can. If you under power a speaker such as subwoofer, it will begin to distort faster as you turn the volume up. Distortion is the absolute worst for a speaker to handle. If say however, you had more than enough power, you could turn the volume up to the same level with little or no distortion. It is always better to have too much power than not enough because you can always reduce the power coming out of the amp.



The good news is, in your case with running a decent pioneer deck on a set of 4 speakers that only require 80W RMS, you are just fine. this is not a big enough difference to make a difference. Just know that when you start to hear some distortion not to turn the volume up any further. What an external amplifier would do for you, however, would unlock some more of the potential that your speakers have that's all.

James @ 2009-03-13 09:56:01

The closest thing I can think of to justify that is, by having less power available from the amp (or head unit in your case), cranking the volume up to where you want it is going to be more than what the amp is capable of, and you'll get a lot of distortion. If you had a higher power amp however, you could get that same loud volume, and still be in the amp's comfort zone, with no distortion. You won't blow the speakers with that distortion, but avoiding it will sound so much cleaner.



80 watt speakers on a 30 watt amp (or head unit) sounds ideal anyway. You always want your speakers to be able to handle slightly MORE than the source that feeds them.



Your speakers will sound fine and be perfectly safe on that head unit you have. If you find while using it that cranking it loud causes the sound to distort too much, that's the head unit's built in amp trying to hard, and distorting. That's where an aftermarket amp helps out. If you do get an amp later on, try to stay around the 80 watts RMS your speakers are rated for. Pay no attention to PEAK watt ratings. Always compare RMS. Peak basically means how much power it delivers while distorting, which is not what you want to judge by.

travis m @ 2009-03-13 10:31:10

Simply put, it's a myth. Lots of people believe it, but it's not true. The only thing that damages speakers is over-powering. Distortion doesn't damage speakers, unless the distorted signal contains more power than the speaker can handle safely.



A speaker power rating is meant to be a guide of the maximum recommended input power. It does not, in any way, imply that there's a minimum required power. It's based simply on the speaker's ability to dissipate excess heat, and how far the cone can move before it strikes the back plate or becomes separated from the basket.



If you believe the myth, ask yourself this: say you have a 30-watt amp connected to a 30-watt speaker. If you upgrade the speakers to 80-watt speakers, does it make sense that you're more likely to blow them than you were the old ones?



By the way, the continuous power rating of your Pioneer head unit is 22 watts/channel, not 30 watts/channel.

KaeZoo @ 2009-03-13 11:11:57

[Subject]
How would an 18" Fi BTL with a Orion 2500 w amp sound in comparision to 2 12" JL audios with kenwood 1800 w?
[Question]

Harrison H @ 2009-03-13 09:58:02

[All Answers]
the 2 JLs would hit ALOT cleaner.

But personally i dont like either of those brands look into a company called RD audio

they compete with FI and personally i think make WAY better products with way higher capabilities

http://www.rdaudio.net

Patrick @ 2009-03-13 10:01:49

alpine is way cleaner then any audio equipment out there.. go alpine an you will not be disatisfied

guywithquestions @ 2009-03-13 10:28:10

18's are massive..and the power and the upgrades required to your vehicles electrical system to operate them is also incredible. Not too mention building a box with the proper amount of bracing...as so the box will not flex..and or blow apart !!! ...yes it can happen and i have seen it happen.



if $$ is no object go for it!!



however....I suggest the JL's although not a fan of them...for ease of installation and less complicated and versatile installations



Edit well NO Sh* t travy...electrical upgrades depend on actuall power being used.. the post compared the 18 w/ 2500 and the 12's / 1800 lets not forget to take into account impendance the amps running at and if you think a piece of MDF bracing in a box with 18(s) is enough...re think..



Let me know next time if you want to me to write a book in proper sytem design and planning for the next question...tht most wouldnt understand anyway

Reaper-Racing @ 2009-03-13 10:41:02

Stay clear of any sub over 12" if you want anything resembling clean sound. A pair of JL 12's (I'm assuming W7's for the amount of power your talking about) will be crazy loud, and still sound nice and clean. A single 18" might get real loud, but its going to sound sloppier than hell doing so.



Go with a pair or JL 12W7's, feed em each 1000 clean watts RMS, and you'll never regret it. At least, you'll never be able to HEAR yourself regretting anything, that is....





*EDIT* For Reaper's post, the amount of reinforceing and electrical upgrades will be the same for a hard hitting pair of 12's as it would be for an 18 of equal power. Whatever electrical upgrades you make depends on how much power your amp makes, has nothing to do with one sub versus another. And reinforcing? If your talking about reinforcing the sub box, then yeah, an 18" box will take more to strengthen than a 12" box, but that's nothing a piece of MDF inside the box won't fix. And if your talking about reinforcing the car (sound deadening and such), two 12W7's are going to shake the crap out of a car as hard as that 18 would, if not more.

travis m @ 2009-03-13 10:42:27

Patrick knows what is going on and Reaper seems to know the general area.



The rest of you guys do nto have a clue. Alpine again you say. Alpine can not compete with top brands period. PLEASE, show me ANYTHING Alpine has done in the competition circuit SQ or SPL. I can show you ALOT RD has done.



Now Travis, your answer is very typical of someone who knows NOTHING about audio. Depends on the engineering and design of the sub what it is capable of. Considering you knwo nothing, all you know is Kicker and such and yes they sound like crap. That is why you learn and research more. I got an 18 that will sound as good with as quick response as a 10. Want to know why? BECAUSE SOME COMPANIES DO NOT SPEND THOUSANDS ON MARKETING AND DOES NOT BUILD CHINESE CRAP! Some companies spend thousands on designing and engineering subs.



You should learn these thins before making false statements.



To the poster, I can help you but only in email where I can speak direct. If you want my help, email me.



lowhz01@yahoo.com

wooferman @ 2009-03-13 11:22:06

[Subject]
Why does my stereos memory erase everytime i take my key out the ignition?
[Question]
I can save stations and the time into it but as soon as i take the key out. can anybody explain why and how i can fix it?
thanks for the answers, i looked but the red and yellow wires look like they're connected right. on the yellow one, theres a bit where it connects but it has an extra place for another connection, i dont suppose that has anything to do with it?

Mark H @ 2009-03-13 11:11:44

[All Answers]
If it's an after-market head unit, it probably means that the red "accessory" power wire and the yellow "constant" power wire are reversed.



If it's a factory radio, then you probably have a blown vehicle fuse that supplies memory voltage to the radio. Some factory radios will work without this power source, but they won't retain station or clock settings.

kaezoo @ 2009-03-13 11:16:39

The continuous feed wire has come off or was not attached. This is an unswitched power wire that feeds power to the stereo when the ignition is off to keep the clock running and to maintain power to the memory circuit.

LAB RAT @ 2009-03-13 11:18:17

you have losed the permanent live feed to the unit

martinkeith20 @ 2009-03-13 11:22:11

I think Kaezoo nailed it. The head unit has two power wires coming in, the yellow wire is constant, so the radio can save your presets when the car is off, and the red one is switched, so the radio knows when to turn itself on and off. Sounds like the head unit's getting "switched" power where it expects constant.



I don't think its going to be a blown fuse though, because if that constant wire was hooked up correctly, but blew a fuse, the radio wouldn't come on at all using only its red wire "switched" input. If the radio comes on when the key is on, and off when the key is off, then your getting power from both inputs, red and yellow, they're just hooked up backwards.

travis m @ 2009-03-13 11:22:40

VooDoo or possibly aliens. Either that or the power and accessory wires are switched like the first guy said.

John S @ 2009-03-13 12:06:27

[Subject]
what do you need to power a cb radio?
[Question]
i am looking to buy one for my truck

Robert D @ 2009-03-13 08:29:06

[All Answers]
12 volts

David A @ 2009-03-13 08:32:33

If you have a cigarette/accessory outlet, you can buy one of those adapters at Radio Shack that will convert the bare wires to a plug. Works great and you can remove the unit and transport it from car to car.

The Wizard @ 2009-03-13 08:33:57

che sei il mio sovversivo...il mio sovversivo amoreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

non c'è torto o ragione......

lele 9/11 @ 2009-03-13 08:36:32

a bike with the chain connected to a dynamo then connected to the cb radio .cycle as fast as you can and you will get a 10-4 for a copy

bozini @ 2009-03-13 08:38:32

To Power a CB...Positive switched 12volts and a ground, also a temporary mounted Antenna...or permanent mounted antenna

Reaper-Racing @ 2009-03-13 09:36:23

[Subject]
i need something to keep my speaker boxes from sliding around in my truck?
[Question]
i do not want to mount the boxes yet as i am still adding to my system i need something temporary or permanent it doesnt really matter as long as i dont have to drive like an old person to keep my boxes from sliding

tsixe_sneila @ 2009-03-13 07:24:09

[All Answers]
Apply the hook side of Velcro tape to the bottom, it will hold to the carpet.

cardinal @ 2009-03-13 07:33:08

best route would be to throw some bolts in the box and mount it where ever you want it to stay...but if you're still adding to it i understand not wanting to do that yet...you might be able to get a friction mat at a hardware or auto supply store...almost like a rubber material that is flat and grabs a hold of almost anything...or just try and wedge something in to hold it but i'd try to find the mat..you'll be able to use it later when you work on your truck

lucky_ba85 @ 2009-03-13 07:33:35

Maybe some velcro or putting some rubber under it, rubber will grip.

sl0wm03 @ 2009-03-13 07:33:47

Rubber mats are cheap or rubber strips (they have them for bed liners)

Velcro is also cheap... my favorite way is mounting it to the frame though with bolts!

Clint @ 2009-03-13 07:38:00