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Stupid amp question

5K views 30 replies 10 participants last post by  Good Old Rebel 
#1 ·
For those of you who blazed this trail years ago, this is going to sound pretty dumb, I'm afraid. I bought the audio unit with my fairing and am very pleased with the performance. Here's the dumb amp question part: Why would I need an amp with the head unit? The sound quality and volume seem fine to me without an amp. What is gained by adding an amp to the setup?
 
#4 ·
however, if they're not self powered speakers, then your speakers are being only powered by the audio device you're using. the amp will give it a lot more push, and produce better sound quality. and if your speakers are being under powered, you have a chance of blowing them. so you may want to read up on the speakers you got and see if they're self powered or not.
 
#13 ·
Bingo....An amp allows higher volume levels without "clipping" which is what a low powered head unit does when pushed to it's limits..Basically sending a distorted signal to the speakers...It's better to have more power than you need, than just barely enough...Not enough power ruins far more speakers than too much power...


As an example....For years I was powering my bass stack (Peavey bottom cab with two 10's and a single 18", and top cab with four 10's) with a 150 watt Peavey head....Upgraded to a 400 watt Peavey head a couple years ago and the speakers "breathe" much better, sound louder, and the tone is MUCH cleaner with all the extra wattage headroom in store...I was really pushing the little 150 watt head to the point of clipping at every gig and it didn't sound anywhere near as good as it does now...




BTW...I've never heard of "powered" car speakers....Seen and used powered PA speakers, but all car audio is "passive" type...
 
#6 ·
My speakers aren't amplified. All 4 are powered by the head unit. I know that the number indicated as I crank the volume is meaningless, but am I to understand that I am risking "blowing" the speakers by cranking the volume without an amp? In the garage, the unit is loud at "10" on the volume dial. A 70 mph, I'm up to "35" on the dial. Am I risking damage?
 
#8 ·
With an amp, it would "go to eleven, man" :) Seriously, though. If it is loud at "10", then aren't you risking hearing damage playing it at 35 with your head only 2-3 feet from the speakers?

G'day,

Vinish
 
#7 ·
i'm a musician. i have a lot of experience with audio equipment. when a speaker is under powered, it vibrates the cone in a way that is not good for it. it wont blow it like if its over powered, but it will eventally cause a lot of ware to the cone, which will then need to be replaced. it is recommended to power it with as close to the amount of power that the speakers are rated for to prevent this. plus it will make it sound even better.
 
#9 ·
Think of it this way...Would you rather have a six cylinder engine working as hard as it can to pull a load up a hill or a Cummings diesel just chugging along with power to spare.

If your amp doesn't have enough power to drive the speakers then you start getting distortion and clipping and this puts just as much strain on your speakers as too many amps.

I'm no expert either, because I always thought by having an under powered amp you would have a safety cushion to keep from blowing the speakers, but you actually need the extra power to drive the speakers to get the cleaner sound. I'd rather have a little more power than too little.
 
#14 ·
Thanks, guys. I have a better grasp lof the whole amplification concept.... Bill, that's a real coincidence. The pictures you included in your post are exactly like the speakers in my fairing!! (My fairing is 9 feet wide).
 
#16 · (Edited)
I just ordered the Nitro 300w 4 channel amp. Thanks for all your help. :cheers:

Is mounting an amp a tricky proposition? Not the wiring, but mounting location, etc...
 
#18 ·
Mine is zip tied to radio and taped to fairing, hasn't moved yet.
You'll need short RCA cables for hook up too, I found some 2ft cables at best buy.
 
#19 ·
I don't want to beat this question to death, but I just want to make sure I don't screw something up when I install the amp. Heat isn't a consideration? Putting the amp too close to the head unit isn't a no-no?
 
#21 ·
Nope, not an issue...

I don't know about the reckless, but on the woody, you can't mount the amp on top of the headunit. The amp hits the outer shell. Give me a call when you get it and I'll try and find the time to come up there and help you out.
Mine is an Invicta, and I played hell getting it to fit anywhere in the fairing...Those 6x9's take up alot of room and it just BARELY fits where I have the amp mounted...
 
#23 ·
I'll find out about the room thing when I get the amp next week. At least I know that I don't have to worry about the heat factor. Epi, you do realize that I'm doing this so I can hear my tunes when I ride within a hundred yards of your pipes?
 
#30 ·
That's the one. I've been real happy with the quality and fit. The volume is good at speed, but I don't want to damage the head unit or speakers by cranking it "too" high. Hope you two get to see it up close and personal soon!
 
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