Should I use more than 800 watts?

[snb778]

After doing a lot of research and reading all of your threads, im looking to solve and unanswered question. If i were to run 2 15" Brahmas, is there any point in running more than 800 watts per speaker since they hit their Xmax at 800 watts in a big ported box. If so, will it do any good to put more than 800. Same situation with the XXX

[TFFantasy44]

Nope. If you can size the box right, you won't need more than 800W. That will be plenty.

[snb778]

thanks, any more opinions? And then why is this sub rated to max out at 4800watts, if it only needs 800 to max out? i know 4800 will toast the sub but...why not rate it at 1500 then?

[TFFantasy44]

Simply because you won't gain anything by giving it more watts if its in the appropriate sized box. If you have a big enough box (and I'm assuming you do, as you did the math) there will be no need for more than 800W. The Brahma is rated at 1600RMS because thats all it can handle - if you get too small a box and need more watts than that, you can damage the driver, but you'll be fine where your at (great actually).

Btw, good choice on the Brahma =D I've got a NINe.1 that should be here today (I hate waiting at school) and am looking at getting a 15' Brahma. Not sure if I'll go ported or sealed.

[Haibane]

TFFantasy... run the nine.1 2 ohms or 4 ohms. I would love to see it still cleaning up at 2 ohms... since at 2 it did a good 1000watts

[sr20de4evr]

800 would work fine

they're rated at 1600 because that's what they can handle thermally without problems. The actual amount of power that it takes to hit full excursion is completely box dependent, which is why they have a chart that shows how much power it will take to hit full excursion in each box. If you need to put it in a smaller box, you'll know how much power you need to give it, and unless you put it in a tiny box and give it loads of power the sub will be able to handle the power thermally without a problem.

I wish more companies would do this, as opposed to some other sub that's just rated at say 300rms. Is this 300rms thermal or mechanical? If it's thermal then how much power does it take to hit full excursion? If it's mechanical, then what size box is it for, and how much power would it take to cook the coil? It just leaves a bunch of questions unanswered.

[TFFantasy44]

Originally Posted by Haibane

TFFantasy... run the nine.1 2 ohms or 4 ohms. I would love to see it still cleaning up at 2 ohms... since at 2 it did a good 1000watts

Okay...I'll probably do 2 cubic foot sealed for it, though I'm still thinking of going ported. I've got a while to decide, payday is still a ways away. Right now I've got a 12O.44 that'll I'll finally be able to put to good use. Also, I'm thinking I'm gonna go for their component set with the NINe.2 aswell, money permitting.

[pac4eva5]

snb: is 2 15s gonna fit? if ur puttin 2 15s in a ported box in your trunk, im guessing u will need more than 800 watts because the box wont be big enough.

[CBFryman]

IMO ported is 110% better than sealed. if propery tuned and the port properly built the sound clarity is nearly identical and has an avarage of 3dB gain over sealed of same size and same power. but 2 cubes is quite small for even 1 15 ported. 3-5 cubes is adiquite for 1 15. and the larger the box the less is needed to reach maximum xmax (this has already been explined above). so no if the box is large enough more than 800w isnt needed if at 800w maximum xmax is reached then the sub will only get louder through distortion. which is how you kill your suspension and make your stereo sound like crap....

[snb778]

I have about 6 cu. ft. now in my trunk, so im guessing that if I get my seats to fold down that will give me a little extra space for a box, maybe 6-7 cu. ft. tuned to about 33-35 hz have the subs face me, and mount the amps right on the back of the box so you see them right when you open the trunk

[TFFantasy44]

That'd be great IMO. Let us know how it goes.

[CBFryman]

a little advice. never mount your amp on the enclosure. amps dont like vibration and even if an enclosure if overly braced it will vibrate. ont top of of anyone where to steal your enclosure they would get a free amp along with it with out the extra work.... best way to keep your amp is to build an amp rack that is covered so you can see the amp in the first place. run fans so it stays cool, and then molly bolt it to where ever you are going to bold it....the makes it very hard to get them amp out. and as for hte enclosure, bolt it down to where ever you are going to have it so that it can just be taken out. and if possible make an enclosure to where the part of the basket which is screwed to the wood is covered. do all that and even with out an alarm system it will take the SOB hours to get everything. remember, if done right for every hour you put into the actual install should take a theif that is uneducated to your system 2...

[snb778]

Im trying to get a box with 6-7 ft^3 into a 1998 toyota avalon, If I did that, i really would not have anywhere to mount the amp BUT on the box, or under the back seats (but that would make them heat up) The only thing I can think of is have the ssubs face the back of the trunk and have the amps mounted on the back of my seats??? Think that would work?

[snb778]

CBFryman (do you watch aqua teen) this is my car with a box that is 5-6 ft^3 i believe, so a bigger box will not leave me much room to work with as you will see here....-------->
http://www.sounddomain.com/member_pa...5&cat=25&val=1

[sr20de4evr]

Originally Posted by CBFryman

a little advice. never mount your amp on the enclosure. amps dont like vibration and even if an enclosure if overly braced it will vibrate.

that's a myth, you'll get more vibration in the chassis of the car than on the sub's box. If vibration was a problem for amps then you would actually be better off mounting them to the enclosure vs mounted solidly to the chassis.