power handling question

Taco Supreme · Post by **Taco Supreme** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 4:57 pm

ok, im gonna try to word this so you guys can understand what im asking...
when im lookin at subs, im lookin at the RMS power handling it says 400 watts. if it's a dual voice coil sub, does that mean that it's 400 watts combined? or 400 watts each, cuz the amp i was lookin at had an RMS of 200X2 channel

sub-either the Kicker CVR122 or the Diamond Audio D312D2
amp- Hifonics Titan TXi 4006

thanks guys

smoker · Post by **smoker** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 5:01 pm

it means that however you wire the voice coils it will take that much power into the ohm load you have represented....

geolemon · Post by **geolemon** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 6:33 pm

Don't think of a dual voice coil sub as having "two voice coils" - you don't use it that way, and technically it doesn't. It's just one voice coil, that happens to be tapped in the center to give you more wiring options.

The advantage of a DVC sub isn't higher power handling - it's that it gives you the option of wiring it one of two ways, opening up more doors for amplifiers that are compatible with it.

That being said - a 400w sub is a 400w sub. That's 400w for the whole voice coil... or if you want to think of it this way (which I wouldn't personally, for risk of confusing yourself), 200w per each half of that voice coil. OK, call it "each voice coil".

It works like this:
If it is a dual 4 ohm voice coil, you can wire that to create either a 2 ohm or an 8 ohm speaker out of it.
If it is a dual 2 ohm voice coil, you can wire that to create either a 1 ohm or a 4 ohm speaker out of it.

Technically, you could use a 2 channel amp, with one channel going to each voice coil - but why would you? It would involve a more expensive, less efficient, stereo, class A/B amp, to power one single, heavy and inefficient subwoofer - which doesn't make sense really.

Also, if it is a dual 4 ohm sub, you wouldn't be getting full power out of the stereo amp. If it were a dual 2 ohm sub, it would make more sense to wire the sub to 4 ohms and then run the amp bridged, emulating a mono amp - which removes any risk that one voice coil might receive power or a different signal than the other voice coil.

What impedence is the sub, and what is the stereo amp you are looking to buy - and why are you looking at a stereo amp to power a sub?

Taco Supreme · Post by **Taco Supreme** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:09 pm

i was looking at either one of these subs...

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_3406.html

or

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_5351.html

and this amp

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6552.html
or one step up from that http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6575.html

Ryan from Ohio · Post by **Ryan from Ohio** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:44 pm

http://shop2.outpost.com/product/476909 ... IN_RSLT_PG

Nopt 12's, but will be louder and sound better than the ones you posted

Taco Supreme · Post by **Taco Supreme** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 2:59 pm

to use with one of the amps i was lookin at, or would i be better off gettin a different amp for that one? and maybe the square version? http://shop2.outpost.com/product/476853 ... IN_RSLT_PG

JeremyC · Post by **JeremyC** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 3:22 pm

Yeah the Kicker L series subs rock. High Failure rate, Extream loss of SQ at high volume.

Sorry couldn't resist. Stick with the round subs, they are alot better design.

Bwcad1 · Post by **Bwcad1** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 3:41 pm

JeremyC wrote:Yeah the Kicker L series subs rock. High Failure rate, Extream loss of SQ at high volume.
Sorry couldn't resist. Stick with the round subs, they are alot better design.

i disagree with you on this one. just because the new l series are vastly improved. much lower failure rate. sq is improved although there still not that great. if your going for sq u deffinatly dont want a kicker l7 if your going for spl / sql the l7 isnt a bad choice but there is better out there. if you want squares look at the hifonics atlas/brutus subs great sq and great spl. the Atlas is actually louder than the l7 direct drop in tests and sounds much much better.

smoker · Post by **smoker** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 3:56 pm

i said it before ill say it again, if low notes were better reproduced with a square sub then our buttholes would be square too.......

Taco Supreme · Post by **Taco Supreme** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 3:22 pm

i would start a new thread for this, but its related to the amp in this forum, i that if i get a mono channel amp, it would only be power the sub. but is there anything to power my speakers now other than the h/u? im just not sure how it all works, cuz the speakers would also require MUCH less power than the sub would