Over powering subs? (Q Series)

[BryanTheCEO 59]

I am selling my MD2, and I have a 40.1 sitting there for when my 2 other Q15's arrive and get installed. My questin is...

If I am careful with the gains, is it ok to run only 2 Q15's on a 40.1(rated @ 3600w rms @ 1ohm)? Or should I just wait until I get the 4 pack installed?

[Lord Baccus 1]

i ran 3000rms through a sub rated @ 1000rms without problems...

gain control is key & turn the bass boost down VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

[JimJ 11]

Bass boost should be off anyway.

Just turn the gains down.

[BryanTheCEO 59]

Thanks for the responses. I have been doing this long enough, that I should know, but I tend to 2nd guess sometimes.

[BryanTheCEO 59]

WOW! I would say that adding the additional power of the 40.1 from the MD2, made at least a 1-2 db increase in my output. Now I REALLY can't wait until Wednesday when I can finish teh 4 pack!!!!!

[Lord Baccus 1]

this is just my opinion but the things to be conerned about killing a sub is as follows:

under powering it... running power through it but not enuff to move the cone properlly, to keep the coil cool

distortion.

amp clipping.

poor box construction i.e. leaking air everywhere but the port...

and my personal all time favorite ... playing way below the ported frequincy....

Edited September 2, 2007 by Lord Baccus

[JimJ 11]

under powering it... running power through it but not enuff to move the cone properlly, to keep the coil cool

No speaker has ever been destroyed by "underpowering". None. Zilch. Nada. Squat. Go tell that to my Klipsch Forte II's that I was running, had them for two years and mysteriously never blew them with only 8 watts to a 100W-rated speaker...hmm

Likewise with distortion, if the signal is under the thermal rating...assuming the thermal rating is accurate...no harm, no foul.

Clipping is only dangerous when the average thermal energy exceeds the rating...no mystery there, notice a pattern?. You can run a very low powered amp into full clipping and have a sub take it. Wouldn't be very pleasant to listen to.

The last two you mentioned are mechanical issues that I'll agree with.

[almond 0]

well shoot if we can't underpower a speaker then we need to listen to them at full tilt all the time then right??

[BryanTheCEO 59]

While I was playing with the gain a little bit, I could smell what I assume was the subs, so I turned it back down and it seems to play fine still. If I smelled the coil burning or what ever would burn on a sub (this was an electrical burning smell) Is it too late for the sub and it will continue to get worse, or will they be fine at the proper settings?

[George 0]

you can kill a speaker by "underpowering" it....

but its not because of underpowering per say...its because of someone underpowering the sub and expecting more then turning up the gain to compensate...then poof. underpowering leads to clipping by the user

i think thats thats what he was getting at...if he wasnt, then id like to know how he happens to keep his sub running @ its rated impedance through every freq it plays...because im sure all competitors would like to know how to get rid of impedance rise....

Edited September 3, 2007 by George

[JimJ 11]

It's a lot easier to say that you can't kill a speaker by underpowering. Because you can't. Ever. Unless there's a mechanical or QC issue.

Clipping that leads to thermal damage is overpowering, period...doesn't matter if the user didn't intend for that or not.

[George 0]

your misunderstanding me lol

edit: just caught your edit. yes its confusing. thats why i went back to put quotes around underpowering . but IMO thats why people who are new to this say "i sent 500w to a 1000w sub and killed it. piece of chit cant even take 500w".

Edited September 3, 2007 by George