posted
It sounds sooo simple in title lol. I realize the amp will put out less power but lets talk about if you could use a 800 watt rms amplifier at 1 ohm or a 4 ohm amp that does 800 watts rms. You would think NO. But listen to my theory here.Most people that have ever really measured an amplifier with a clamp on meter and volt meter know you take the volts and divide the amps into it. example 40 volts and 20 amps would give you imp rise to two ohms. Now I know the 1 ohm and 4 ohm example will have imp rise but rounding to 1 and 4 ohm for simplicity. Now at 1 ohm the amp if it was doing 800 watts would be 28.28 amps and 28.28 volts. now at 4 ohms it would approx 14.2 amps and 56.8 volts. Now to my knowledge amps is what cause heat. So in theory couldn't a sub handle considerably more power at a higher ohm?
SORRY FOR THE LONG POST> THIS IS TECHNICAL THOUGH THANKS FOR OPINIONS
-------------------- KING KONG aint got **** on me. WOW have been gone a long time. But I am back baby. Former 2003 meca MR5 world record holder. UGLY 1991 brown explorer, BUT was able to do 151 on cert. lin x at the head rest at 42hz!(with cheap audiobahn 15s with about 60 percent of the power allowed that year. lol) Posts: 1124 | From: Indianapolis, In, USA | Registered: Jul 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Technically, it is watts that cause heat, not amps. That is why amplifiers and subs get hot, lost wattage. The sub will tchnically handle the same power at 4 or 1 ohm.
If you could convert the lost energy thru heating of amplifiers and subs, into usable wattage at the voice coil, on average you would get an increase of about 30% - 50% of power (depending on brand of sub and amp).
-------------------- WHERE'S MY POP-TART???!!!
Distortion doesn't kill subs, idiots do.
Ahhh, the sweet smell of burnt coils.
original competitor ID #41 Posts: 697 | From: Jackson, Mich. | Registered: Nov 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
DERRRR yeah sorry tired wattage I dunno what I was thinking. I apologize
-------------------- KING KONG aint got **** on me. WOW have been gone a long time. But I am back baby. Former 2003 meca MR5 world record holder. UGLY 1991 brown explorer, BUT was able to do 151 on cert. lin x at the head rest at 42hz!(with cheap audiobahn 15s with about 60 percent of the power allowed that year. lol) Posts: 1124 | From: Indianapolis, In, USA | Registered: Jul 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
So you guys are saying a 4-ohm 2000 watt subwoofer system is better than a .5-ohm 2000 watt subwoofer system, given the same type of amp and same subs with different impedances?
-------------------- 98 Cadillac Deville
Premier TS-C504s Cadence SeAqua amps 12" Kicker L7
lets say you have a 1kw rated sub and are planning to burp it using 2500w. if it can mechanically handle 2500 in the current enclosure, then the only limitation you have is thermal. running it @ 4 ohms will greatly increase voltage and decrease amperage (which causes heat).
now trying to burp it @ .5 ohms kills you efficiency and now it goes the opposite direction. more amperage (more heat) and less voltage to create the same amount of power.
if your going to be running 1kw to a 1kw sub then i wouldnt worry whether its at 4 ohms or 1 ohm, unless your electrical is lacking a bit and you want more efficiency (in this case run it at 4 ohms. but lots of power at 4 ohms usually = big money)
hope that makes sense.
Posts: 36 | From: blank | Registered: Jun 2007
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by H JACK: Technically, it is watts that cause heat, not amps. That is why amplifiers and subs get hot, lost wattage. The sub will tchnically handle the same power at 4 or 1 ohm.
If you could convert the lost energy thru heating of amplifiers and subs, into usable wattage at the voice coil, on average you would get an increase of about 30% - 50% of power (depending on brand of sub and amp).
Watts are directly related to amps however, and amperage is the energy that causes damage... the more amperage you have, the more wattage.
And doesnt lower ohm load directly relate to signal quality?
-------------------- 15" Fi SSD *copper coil* Hifonics BXI1206D @ 1ohm 3.75ft^3 box (thanks AZ_SS) with 33 OR 46 hz tune Optima 34 Red Top Big 3
142.5 Db's Outlaw 3rd place first ever competition. Player started skippin 5 seconds in... who knows if its louder. Well see next time :/ Posts: 481 | From: Az | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
-------------------- KING KONG aint got **** on me. WOW have been gone a long time. But I am back baby. Former 2003 meca MR5 world record holder. UGLY 1991 brown explorer, BUT was able to do 151 on cert. lin x at the head rest at 42hz!(with cheap audiobahn 15s with about 60 percent of the power allowed that year. lol) Posts: 1124 | From: Indianapolis, In, USA | Registered: Jul 2001
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by H JACK: Technically, it is watts that cause heat, not amps. That is why amplifiers and subs get hot, lost wattage. The sub will tchnically handle the same power at 4 or 1 ohm.
If you could convert the lost energy thru heating of amplifiers and subs, into usable wattage at the voice coil, on average you would get an increase of about 30% - 50% of power (depending on brand of sub and amp).
Watts are directly related to amps however, and amperage is the energy that causes damage... the more amperage you have, the more wattage.
And doesnt lower ohm load directly relate to signal quality?
Lets say you have a 4 ohm load on amplifier A producing 2.5kw and a 1 ohm load on amplifier B also producing 2.5kw.
Both amplifiers are producing the same wattage on the output stage, but using Ohm's law, amp A only has 25 amps on its resistive load (woofers) where as amp B has 50 amps on its load. So, it is not true that the more amperage you have, the more power you have.
Usually, yes the higher the resistance, the lower the THD%. This also depends on the processing inside the amplifiers (class A, AB, BD, D, etc...)
-------------------- WHERE'S MY POP-TART???!!!
Distortion doesn't kill subs, idiots do.
Ahhh, the sweet smell of burnt coils.
original competitor ID #41 Posts: 697 | From: Jackson, Mich. | Registered: Nov 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
An amp's power supply classfication isn't processing.
And the higher the resistance doesn't automatically make for a lower THD. Plus, you can't hear the factions of a percent most amps claim, expecially on subs. Full range speakers like mids and highs, you couldn't hear 2-3% distortion...subs, probably 10% distortion since subs are for the most part high distortion devices. And the ear isn't sensitive to distortion at those frequencies.
Basically you get power from having a high impedance load and a high voltage. This normally gets you better damping factor.
Or you have a low impedance system with a high current amp. These normally have a lower damping factor.
With class D amps, the way the outputs are wired, you will for the most part have a much lower damping factor over a class a/b amp.
-------------------- Team Image Dynamics/Werewolf Team Second Skin Audio Sick Bastard Audio SQ Who feels it knows it Posts: 8009 | From: Charlotte,NC USA | Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by H JACK: Technically, it is watts that cause heat, not amps. That is why amplifiers and subs get hot, lost wattage. The sub will tchnically handle the same power at 4 or 1 ohm.
If you could convert the lost energy thru heating of amplifiers and subs, into usable wattage at the voice coil, on average you would get an increase of about 30% - 50% of power (depending on brand of sub and amp).
Watts are directly related to amps however, and amperage is the energy that causes damage... the more amperage you have, the more wattage.
And doesnt lower ohm load directly relate to signal quality?
Lets say you have a 4 ohm load on amplifier A producing 2.5kw and a 1 ohm load on amplifier B also producing 2.5kw.
Both amplifiers are producing the same wattage on the output stage, but using Ohm's law, amp A only has 25 amps on its resistive load (woofers) where as amp B has 50 amps on its load. So, it is not true that the more amperage you have, the more power you have.
Usually, yes the higher the resistance, the lower the THD%. This also depends on the processing inside the amplifiers (class A, AB, BD, D, etc...)
I had this nice drawn out post, but it died on me... F it
-------------------- 15" Fi SSD *copper coil* Hifonics BXI1206D @ 1ohm 3.75ft^3 box (thanks AZ_SS) with 33 OR 46 hz tune Optima 34 Red Top Big 3
142.5 Db's Outlaw 3rd place first ever competition. Player started skippin 5 seconds in... who knows if its louder. Well see next time :/ Posts: 481 | From: Az | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic