Quick question.

If speakers have a high RMS power capability (for example about 90 watts rms) and you power them with a normal head unit (about 15 watts rms) are they going to sound really distorted in the lower frequencies?

I would imagine they wouldnt be capable of their real potential but i wouldnt have thought they would distort a ton.

Anyone have experience with this?

5/31/2007 4:51:22 PM

They'll be fine.

5/31/2007 4:56:16 PM

^These do distort with my sony h/u. The speakers are Alpine Type R's.

Trying to decide if the speakers are bad, or if they are just underpowered.

5/31/2007 4:57:35 PM

what is the response on them, thats the important figure, as to how much power they need

5/31/2007 5:02:21 PM

65 - 27,000 Hz

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-d9Qq1UG3DVn/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?search=alpine+type+r&i=500SPR17C

[Edited on May 31, 2007 at 5:06 PM. Reason : linky]

5/31/2007 5:05:52 PM

Any speakers are going to distort on a head unit when you turn it way up. The same holds true for speakers on cheap amps. You basically add more power (amp) so that you don't have to turn it up all the way to get the volume that you want.

5/31/2007 5:17:18 PM

These are distorting at a lower volume than my factory speakers did with the same head unit.

5/31/2007 6:02:18 PM

Low power is causing the speakers to be under driven. Also, a coax is sacraficing low end for more mid leveled treble.
An amp will help your problem. The power handling, RMS, is a thermal handling in a speaker, which is different than an amp output RMS

5/31/2007 8:33:39 PM

MaximaDrvr since from what i can remember your the resident car audio guy.

what rms amp would you recommend for such high powered coax's? ive heard varying opinions from 40 % of the speakers rms to 100%

5/31/2007 8:39:14 PM

Quote :

" power range: 2-100 watts RMS (300 watts peak power)"

Quote :

"These are distorting at a lower volume than my factory speakers did with the same head unit."

turn the bass down.

[Edited on May 31, 2007 at 10:00 PM. Reason : -]

5/31/2007 9:59:24 PM

if the speaker says it is 100W RMS, then I would look for an amp that is 120W RMS.
The top RMS rating only happens when the volume is all the way up, which I am sure you don't listen to it at.
The speaker will be fine as long as you aren't sending it a clipped signal from having volumes too high.

Also, adding sound deadening to the door will help bass production.

5/31/2007 10:22:09 PM

^ thanks for the help

6/1/2007 6:20:18 AM