Subwoofer use in the real world

[Leo71]

This thread concerns about the amount of power used in subwoofers for everyday use - not for shows/competitions

I own a PowerAcoustic BL-10 subwoofer that can handel up to 500watts.
Also, a PowerAcoustic G420 2-channel power amplifier. My original plan is to make it bridgable - even though it is going to be a stereo input and a mono output.

Since I have not actually installed them in my car yet, I am seeking advices from you:

-Do I really need that kind of power to drive such a subwoofer?
-Does the stereo input and mono output make sense to you?
-Can I do stereo subwoofers from the same G420 and still receive the good'n'loud low-range sounds?

Give me as much details as you can. I'm just looking for the best solution(s) before I start installing.

[swtaccord]

about the power thing... my first daily driver system was 600 watts rms... my friend has a dd system thats 1000watts rms... it all depends on what u want... there are people that are true audiophiles that have $2500+ systems in their daily drivers that will push 140db...

also its always a stereo input into amps isn't it? the amp then used its crossover to take out the fq. it doesn't want to play and then sends the signal to the aubs...
might be wrong..

but like i said before the amount of power ur system runs is completely up to u and how loud u want to be

[correctu]

The audio industry is notorious for overinflating power ratings. At this current time, there are no standards to how an amplifier is rated. When these companies rate there amps, they are tested in the "perfect" environment. They have continual voltage with no dips or peaks that an amp sees in an auto. The input voltage is often higher than what any car can even produce. Also, the power output is measured on a meter. In the real world, your output power is always fluctuating. This happens because the impeadence or ohm load is variable contingant on what frequency or sound is playing. Always look at the RMS rating. Our amplifiers will rarely output there max rated power, and if it does, its for a very brief period of time. We're talking seconds, this is becasue of the impeadance flux in regards to frequency. A subwoofer does require greater power to to the design of the sub, and the evironment we place them in. Your amplifier is responsible for moving and stopping that 12 inches of speaker playing very wide sound waves or low frequencies. The stereo input is needed because of how audio is recorded. The amp needs to see the music from both channels so that it can replay the bass from the left and right through the mono channel subwoofer. Because most sub bass in not "heard" and is omni-directional it is allowed to be played back as one channel. So from the last question you can relate that a stereo sub setup will not allow your amp to make as much power. This is due to the bridging of the amplifier. It is better to have a perceived "500" watts to one subin mono, than what 2 subs in steroe wiring would yield. Dont think of 2 subs as stereo, becasue most always they are bridged on the amp which makes a mono signal.




This thread concerns about the amount of power used in subwoofers for everyday use - not for shows/competitions

I own a PowerAcoustic BL-10 subwoofer that can handel up to 500watts.
Also, a PowerAcoustic G420 2-channel power amplifier. My original plan is to make it bridgable - even though it is going to be a stereo input and a mono output.

Since I have not actually installed them in my car yet, I am seeking advices from you:

-Do I really need that kind of power to drive such a subwoofer?
-Does the stereo input and mono output make sense to you?
-Can I do stereo subwoofers from the same G420 and still receive the good'n'loud low-range sounds?

Give me as much details as you can. I'm just looking for the best solution(s) before I start installing.