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View Full Version : Correct wattage to power a 10" sub



blackteg2
05-12-2009, 06:50 PM
<noob>

Would a 360watt amp power a 10" sub sufficiently? Would the bass cutting out be a sign that the amp is not powerful enough? Or would that have something to do with the gain/power settings on the amp?

TE4MFaint
05-12-2009, 06:56 PM
It depends on the wattage of the subwoofer, what ohm load it is wired to, etc etc. It could be wired wrong, or the amp could be throwing itself into protection mode because it does not have enough power to push the sub so it clips out so it doesn't fry itself.

What kind of subwoofer. What kind of amp. Model numbers. Anything would help so we can help you instead of guessing.

blackteg2
05-12-2009, 08:01 PM
Ok, this is what my manuals say (bear with me, I am a noob)

Subwoofer:

10" Phoenix Gold Octane ZR

Peak Power: 500 watts
RMS Power: 300 watts

It is either a 3.92 ohms or 7.35 ohms

Amp:

JBL GTO 3501

225 watts @ 1 channel @ 4 ohms
360 watts @ 1 channel @ 2 ohms

Bass cuts out frequently. The protector light does not come on though.

jonny_q13
05-12-2009, 08:52 PM
check what size of wire u have running, u are under powering the sub a bit. also it depends upon listening preference. if u want a ton of boom u may need to upgrade to meet ur needs or look at a ported box instead of a sealed. also if u are in a hatchback civic vs a benz(built like a tank) the sound will be able to carry a lot easier. it all adds up to ineffeciencies and losses.

TE4MFaint
05-12-2009, 11:01 PM
Check to see how your sub is wired. It may be wired to 8 ohms instead of 4 like it needs to be. So obviously the subwoofer is a dual voice coil. Ensure its not wired to 8, that would cause the sub to cut in and out.

blackteg2
05-13-2009, 07:44 AM
Originally posted by TE4MFaint
Check to see how your sub is wired. It may be wired to 8 ohms instead of 4 like it needs to be. So obviously the subwoofer is a dual voice coil. Ensure its not wired to 8, that would cause the sub to cut in and out.

Wiring it to 8 as opposed to 4.

Is this the type of wiring I am running? How would I do this?

Thanks fellas

blackteg2
05-13-2009, 04:01 PM
Bump :thumbsup:

chkolny541
05-13-2009, 04:09 PM
im assuming you had this wired in a shop, go there and tell them your problem

and if you didnt have this done professionally, judging by your knowledge i would say there could be hundreds of things you potentially fucked up on