Can I run a 100 watt subwoofer with a 50 watt amp? Will I get the amount of performance out of the sub as if I ran it with a 100 watt amp? how much of a difference is there?
Subwoofer and amp wattage
- Thread starter joer1212
- Start date
Solution
- May 29, 2013
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Can you do it? Yes. Will you damage the speaker? No, the 100W rating is a maximum, not a minimum. Might you damage the amp? Unknown. It would depend on the amp. Subwoofers require a lot of amperage to move the large cone. You could overheat the amp. Will you notice the difference? Hard to say for sure, but probably.
I also have the option to use a 80 watt subwoofer or 50 watt subwoofer with the same 50 watt amp. The 80 watt sub is the same size as the 100 watt sub but has a higher frequency limit. The 50 watt sub is much smaller, of course, with the same frequency response as the 100 watt sub.These both don't have anywhere near the same db as the 100 watt sub. However, would I get better performance out of the 50 watt sub compared to the other two since I am using a 50 watt amp? I am also budgeting this project and, surprisingly enough, the 50 watt sub is the most expensive. What might you suggest?
MERGED QUESTION
Question from joer1212 : "Subwoofer wattage and Amp wattage"
Can I run a 100 watt subwoofer with a 50 watt amp? Will I get the amount of performance out of the sub as if I ran it with a 100 watt amp? how much of a difference is there? I also have the option to use a 80 watt subwoofer or 50 watt subwoofer with the same 50 watt amp. The 80 watt sub is the same size as the 100 watt sub but has a higher frequency limit. The 50 watt sub is much smaller, of course, with the same frequency response as the 100 watt sub.These both don't have anywhere near the same db as the 100 watt sub. However, would I get better performance out of the 50 watt sub compared to the other two since I am using a 50 watt amp? I am also budgeting this project and, surprisingly enough, the 50 watt sub is the most expensive. What might you suggest?
Question from joer1212 : "Subwoofer wattage and Amp wattage"
Can I run a 100 watt subwoofer with a 50 watt amp? Will I get the amount of performance out of the sub as if I ran it with a 100 watt amp? how much of a difference is there? I also have the option to use a 80 watt subwoofer or 50 watt subwoofer with the same 50 watt amp. The 80 watt sub is the same size as the 100 watt sub but has a higher frequency limit. The 50 watt sub is much smaller, of course, with the same frequency response as the 100 watt sub.These both don't have anywhere near the same db as the 100 watt sub. However, would I get better performance out of the 50 watt sub compared to the other two since I am using a 50 watt amp? I am also budgeting this project and, surprisingly enough, the 50 watt sub is the most expensive. What might you suggest?
MERGED QUESTION
Question from joer1212 : "Subwoofer wattage and Amp wattage"
Can I run a 100 watt subwoofer with a 50 watt amp? Will I get the amount of performance out of the sub as if I ran it with a 100 watt amp? how much of a difference is there? I also have the option to use a 80 watt subwoofer or 50 watt subwoofer with the same 50 watt amp. The 80 watt sub is the same size as the 100 watt sub but has a higher frequency limit. The 50 watt sub is much smaller, of course, with the same frequency response as the 100 watt sub.These both don't have anywhere near the same db as the 100 watt sub. However, would I get better performance out of the 50 watt sub compared to the other two since I am using a 50 watt amp? I am also budgeting this project and, surprisingly enough, the 50 watt sub is the most expensive. What might you suggest?
Question from joer1212 : "Subwoofer wattage and Amp wattage"
Can I run a 100 watt subwoofer with a 50 watt amp? Will I get the amount of performance out of the sub as if I ran it with a 100 watt amp? how much of a difference is there? I also have the option to use a 80 watt subwoofer or 50 watt subwoofer with the same 50 watt amp. The 80 watt sub is the same size as the 100 watt sub but has a higher frequency limit. The 50 watt sub is much smaller, of course, with the same frequency response as the 100 watt sub.These both don't have anywhere near the same db as the 100 watt sub. However, would I get better performance out of the 50 watt sub compared to the other two since I am using a 50 watt amp? I am also budgeting this project and, surprisingly enough, the 50 watt sub is the most expensive. What might you suggest?
Rocky Bennett
Respectable
- May 25, 2016
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Post a link to the sub-woofer because most sub-woofers have built in amps. It is very rare that a sub-woofer would not have a built in amp.
Dragos Manea
Estimable
- Mar 30, 2015
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It does not matter as long as the subwoofer has higher power then the amp, you can use a 10W amp on a 100W subwoofer, there is no problem in that, you will get a SPL according to 10W power but the most important thing and that can cause damage if it is done wrong is the impedance, be really carefull to connect the correct impedance, for example if the amp says to connect a speaker of minimum 4 ohms dont connect a speaker with 2 ohm impedance, you will burn the amp.
Would I still be able to get the same performance as if I used a 100 watt amp, or is that what you were saying doesn't matter? I have seen some people say that if you were to use an amp that has a much lower wattage output that the speaker you are using wouldn't be as loud. They even said that if you are using a subwoofer, it wouldn't perform well because they need more power to move the bigger cone. These speaker projects are expensive and I just want to be sure that I am ordering the right parts before I spend a ton of money.
Dragos Manea
Estimable
- Mar 30, 2015
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You cannot get as loud as a 100W amp with a 10W amp, if was so then why buy a 100 amp instead of 10W? I said it does not matter the difference between the amp and subwoofer as long as the subwoofer has higher power. You will get a spl according to the power the amp has. Ok on short you can use any amp with any subwoofer with 2 conditions, subwoofer must have a higher power then amp and impendance must be correct. You will get SPL (loudness) as much as what power has the system. You want loud, use a 5000W subwoofer with a 4800W amp. As i said you use a 10W amp you will get a SPL according to 10W.
I think you should update the thread into: "Is 50W ok for a subwoofer" because from what i see that is what you want to know. In my opinion 50W even 100W is a little to low for a subwoofer. i Would go with a minimum of 150W, in present i got on my home cinema a subwoofer of 450W RMS (with a 415W RMS amp) and the mids and highs has in total 375W RMS. Everything depends on room space, where you are living, i dont have much information about you to recommend a power for your system.
I think you should update the thread into: "Is 50W ok for a subwoofer" because from what i see that is what you want to know. In my opinion 50W even 100W is a little to low for a subwoofer. i Would go with a minimum of 150W, in present i got on my home cinema a subwoofer of 450W RMS (with a 415W RMS amp) and the mids and highs has in total 375W RMS. Everything depends on room space, where you are living, i dont have much information about you to recommend a power for your system.
Rocky Bennett
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- May 25, 2016
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Thank you, that makes a lot of sense. My goal for this project is to make a small portable speaker that has both a subwoofer and a full range driver that I can use both for in-home use and elsewhere. Therefore, I understand what you are saying about having at least 150 W, but for what I am trying to make I can only use a 2x50 watt amp. I have decided to use an 40-80 watt max subwoofer for this application. I am no expert, but from what I know and from what you have said, I think this subwoofer will perform better than the 100 watt sub. Am I correct? They both have the correct ohms as well. Also, I am buying from Parts Express out of Ohio in the United States. Are there any other areas or online sites that you could suggest to buy from? Thanks again!
Dragos Manea
Estimable
- Mar 30, 2015
- 139
- 1
- 4,660
Dragos Manea
Estimable
- Mar 30, 2015
- 139
- 1
- 4,660
Dragos Manea
Estimable
- Mar 30, 2015
- 139
- 1
- 4,660
- Status
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