Watts rating on speakers?

[cowpoos]

200w is peak power, in terms of volume it does not mean much. Greater volume is determined by greater RMS value. RMS is basically 'the level of heat that will be generated by the device if using Direct current (like from a batter). Speakers use Alternating current signals (like your house mains is AC).

In short RMS is the value you look at, peak power doesn't mean much, but its a bigger number so used for advertising.

No...RMS is short for Root Mean Squared...it is a calculation. Used for describing a single value...for a function that is constantly changing. A far far more accurate one than PMPO [Peak Music Power Output]...which I believe to be completely fictitious.

In the Interests of volume...Increasing RMS is not the most efficient way of increasing volume...buy speakers based on sensitivity is...sensitivity is rated in decibles [db] and is rated at one watt and one metre...so a speaker with a sensitivity of 85 db is Half the volume of a speaker with the sensitivity of 95 db. The normal range of speaker senitivity is 89-95 db.
Those ratings are worked out with one watt and one metre...now if we double the watts supplyed [to two watts] and read the result on a Sound pressure level meter..it would increase the speakers volume by 3 db...and so forth...so if your 90 db speaker is feed 32 watts, it would be producing 105db at one metre. out of interest...add another speaker...you only get another 3 db. But you can quickly see the gains in volume you can achieve with a more efficient speaker.

If theres some you don't quite get...ask.

Not if you want to beat the shit out of it - you will heat the headunit up badly and probably break it.



Steve

Steve you really do still talk through a hole in your arse...why do you try and give people bad advise all the time...you seem to just make shit up out of the blue!!


I'll answer that question for you...

It debends on the impedence or load as its call...rated in Ohms of the speakers and impedence from the head unit...you can run as many speakers as you like of a head unit or amp without damage to the unit if you do not exced the Ohms ratings. If your head unit is rated at 4 ohms...and you have two 4 ohms speakers...You can wire them in series and achive a 8 ohms load...which will have the effect of less distortion [by halving the load] and better for the amp. do not wire them in parallel...as you will double the load to 2 ohms and will over heat the amp in the head unit. parallel is when the positives of both speakers are wired to the same sorce and negatives to the same source. Series is when source positive is wired to positive of first speaker and the negative side of that speaker is wired straight to the positive of the second speaker...and negative of that speaker is wired straight to the source on the negative...simple

[CookMySock]

Steve you really do still talk through a hole in your arse...why do you try and give people bad advise all the time...you seem to just make shit up out of the blue!!


I'll answer that question for you...

It debends on the impedence or load as its call...rated in Ohms of the speakers and impedence from the head unit...you can run as many speakers as you like of a head unit or amp without damage to the unit if you do not exced the Ohms ratings. If your head unit is rated at 4 ohms...and you have two 4 ohms speakers...You can wire them in series and achive a 8 ohms load...which will have the effect of less distortion [by halving the load] and better for the amp. do not wire them in parallel...as you will double the load to 2 ohms and will over heat the amp in the head unit. parallel is when the positives of both speakers are wired to the same sorce and negatives to the same source. Series is when source positive is wired to positive of first speaker and the negative side of that speaker is wired straight to the positive of the second speaker...and negative of that speaker is wired straight to the source on the negative...simple

Just to clear up some confusion, all power amplifiers are rated "safe" at some load impedance. The problem with most automotive headunits is they operate in a bridged configuration so as to get a marketable power output level, so they are generally not "2 ohm safe" and almost definitely not at sustained high listening levels.

As for the suggestion that an 8 ohm load would be suitable - this will push the output stage well out of its' operating point causing a large distortion, and on top of that you will get a quarter of the power available (not half) P=V*V/R. Half the volts = quarter the power. Not useful.

The real answer to your question is "yes it will work reasonably well wired either in series or parallel, but it will sound like shit if you pump it, which you are probably going to, but it may not work for long."

Cowshit, you are a rude loudmouth dolt.

Steve

[cowpoos]

Just to clear up some confusion, all power amplifiers are rated "safe" at some load impedance. The problem with most automotive headunits is they operate in a bridged configuration so as to get a marketable power output level, so they are generally not "2 ohm safe" and almost definitely not at sustained high listening levels.

As for the suggestion that an 8 ohm load would be suitable - this will push the output stage well out of its' operating point causing a large distortion, and on top of that you will get a quarter of the power available (not half) P=V*V/R. Half the volts = quarter the power. Not useful.

The real answer to your question is "yes it will work reasonably well wired either in series or parallel, but it will sound like shit if you pump it, which you are probably going to, but it may not work for long."

Cowshit, you are a rude loudmouth dolt.

Steve

No you twit...the source will see 8 ohms and produe half the power...you could try and argue that each speaker will get quater. but that would be a long winded argument!
And your calculation proves my point ya dork... P=V*V/r [power = Voltage x Voltage / resitance] eg: 12v x 12v = 144 / 4ohms [resistance] = 36 or 12v x 12v = 144 / 8ohms [resistance] =18 ....which last time I check was HALF of 36????

So you just get your facts right matey!!

And as for distortion...your wrong....the lower the load, the harder it is for a Amp to drive speakers without distortion.

[CookMySock]

Alright, maths aside, the question was asked is it a good idea, and will it work. Yes, it will work, yes it will operate at a lower power in series, no its probably not smart wired in parallel if you are going to punish it - simple.

The question was asked about phasing - yes if you hook them up backwards you will lose 3/4 of your bass. It will be easy to just check the wiring polarity is correct, but it will be difficult and time-consuming to do a proper phase check (never rely on the +- markings for proper polarity.

Stop being a cunt cowshit.

Steve

[davereid]

No you twit...the source will see 8 ohms and produe half the power...you could try and argue that each speaker will get quater. but that would be a long winded argument!
And your calculation proves my point ya dork... P=V*V/r [power = Voltage x Voltage / resitance] eg: 12v x 12v = 144 / 4ohms [resistance] = 36 or 12v x 12v = 144 / 8ohms [resistance] =18 ....which last time I check was HALF of 36????

So you just get your facts right matey!!

And as for distortion...your wrong....the lower the load, the harder it is for a Amp to drive speakers without distortion.

A perfect amplifier could be considered to have a zero ohms output impedance in series with a resistance, typically 4 or 8 ohms.

We will consider a 4 ohm output impedance, and assume our "perfect" amplifier has a terminal voltage of 10 volts.

Case 1 : An infinite load resistance - 10 volts is developed across the load, but no current flows. You have 10 x 0 = 0 watts power to listen to, and no power produced or dissipated.

Case 2 : A zero ohm load resistance. Your perfect amplifier sees only its own 4 ohm series load so 2.5 amps flows. 25 watts of power is dissipated in the amplifier, and no power is dissipated in the load. You have zero watts to listen to, and a very hot amplifier. At least for a short time.

Case 3 : A four ohm load resistance. Your perfect amplifier sees 8 ohms, and a current of 1.25 amps flows. 12.5 watts of power is produced, with half it it available to the speakers, the other half dissipated in the amplifiers internal resistance, i.e. 6.25 watts for each.

Case 4 : An eight ohm load resistance. Our amplifier sees 12 ohms and 0.833 amps flows. A total of 8.333 watts is available, 5.55 for the speakers, and 2.77 dissipated inside the amplifier.

An amplifier that sees its design load will produce full power, and will (should!!) have been designed to be stable and safe at that power output.
A lower resistance load will increase the amplifiers internal heat dissipation. This is bad.
A higher load will reduce the power the amplifier can deliver.

[Ferkletastic]

Cowpoos (and Davereid above) explained it correctly, DB on the other hand talks a lot of half informed shit.


Phasing doesn't cause you to 'lose 3/4 of your bass' it will cause frequency response issues across the spectrum as sound waves interact with each other causing amplification and attenuation (and other exciting psycho-acoustic effects). Basically it'll sound shit yo. Wire your speakers correctly, it's really not that hard as has been mentioned, one wire has a stripe, the other doesn't, stripe to - side, no stripe to + side = happy ears.

[CookMySock]

Phasing doesn't cause you to 'lose 3/4 of your bass' it will cause frequency response issues across the spectrum as sound waves interact with each other causing amplification and attenuation (and other exciting psycho-acoustic effects). Basically it'll sound shit yo. Wire your speakers correctly, it's really not that hard as has been mentioned, one wire has a stripe, the other doesn't, stripe to - side, no stripe to + side = happy ears.

I have fixed a number of car installs where the sound system sounded like a stone in a tin can just because one speaker was wired backwards. After a while you can pick it just by listening to it.

On high-end installs we would set the the system up correctly and then do phasing tests. More than once we found phasing errors that completely wrecked the audio quality, and not on cheap shit gear either.. One alpine amp and speakers, and another denon and energy speakers.

ferkle talks a lot of abusive crap. This is a forum, not a fight club. Cut it out.

Steve

[Headbanger]

Cowpoos (and Davereid above) explained it correctly, DB on the other hand talks a lot of half informed shit.
.

Really?

I find that hard to believe......

[Ferkletastic]

Actually, those guys below are right.

Like a wise man once said, winning an arguement online is like winning gold at the special olympics. Sure you won, but you're still a retard.


Accidentally took myself a bit seriously there. Oops.

[bogan]

wtf are you guys arguing about, you all gave him the same advice

[Headbanger]

I didn't understand a word of it.

Well, apart from the wiring thing.

[bogan]

I think I understood pretty much all of it, just nit-picking to get one up on DB was my take on it.

[Jantar]

I think I understood pretty much all of it, just nit-picking to get one up on DB was my take on it.

I didn't see it as nit-picking. Once again DB was giving poor advice, and it needed clarifying.

[CookMySock]

I didn't see it as nit-picking. Once again DB was giving poor advice, and it needed clarifying.

It is normal to disagree, distill opinions for facts, and to point out errors in logic, but on KB it is also normal to be intentionally derogatory and be as rude as one pleases with little or no comeback. I find it fucking disgusting, and moderators' selective use of the infraction system based on social standing is even more fucking disgusting.

Steve

[Jantar]

..... and moderators' selective use of the infraction system based on social standing is even more fucking disgusting.

Steve

What???? I've checked, and you haven't received any infractions for months, and the last full infraction from me was in 2008. I posted on this thread as a KB member, not as a moderator, so what has this rant about moderators got to do with speakers?