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Thread: Should I run subs to 4 ohms or 2 ohms? |
    
Bronze Member Username: Stamant
Pensacola,
FL
USA
Post Number: 98
Registered: Sep-04
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| Posted on Friday, February 10, 2006 - 11:39 pm: |
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Should I get an amp rated at 1500wx1 @ 4ohms or 1500wx1 @ 1 ohm. Will it not be more efficient and less of a drain on my electrical system to pick an amp which I gan run with great power at 4 ohms. Isn't SQ better at 4 ohms? |
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Gold Member Username: Rovin
Trinidad & T...
Post Number: 5453
Registered: Jul-05
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| Posted on Friday, February 10, 2006 - 11:53 pm: |
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most nowadays mono amps are rated 2 put out power @ either 1 or 2ohms stable . Finding an amp that does 1500wrms @ 4ohms would be extremely hard & VERY expensive .
Look @ PPI dcx1500 or mmats D2000.1 - both are 1ohm stable ........ |
Bronze Member Username: Stamant
Pensacola,
FL
USA
Post Number: 99
Registered: Sep-04
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| Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 12:00 am: |
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Rovin, Directed audio has the 2400D rated at 2400w@ 2ohms and 1400w@ 4ohms. Is the any advantage to use an amp I can run at 4 ohms? |
Silver Member Username: Blainew
Post Number: 909
Registered: Nov-05
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| Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 12:20 am: |
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you want to run at the lowest ohms you can, as long as the amp can handle it |
Silver Member Username: Blainew
Post Number: 916
Registered: Nov-05
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| Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 12:36 am: |
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you want to run at the lowest ohms you can, as long as the amp can handle it |
Bronze Member Username: Stamant
Pensacola,
FL
USA
Post Number: 100
Registered: Sep-04
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| Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 10:37 am: |
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Can you explain why I should run at the lowest ohms possible. I heard, and it may be wrong, that running the subs at 4 ohms compared to 1 ohm will be more efficient. Thus, less strain on my electrical system. |
Silver Member Username: Blainew
Post Number: 920
Registered: Nov-05
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| Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 12:16 pm: |
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running subs at 4 ohms will be less strain on your amp bc it is more resistance and the amp wont put out as much power.
but if you have an amp that is stable at one ohm, it was made to play more power at one ohm. playing at lower ohms always gives you more power, and although the amp is puttin out more power, and you would think it would be bad fo rthe amp, its not. the amp was made for it
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Silver Member Username: Blainew
Post Number: 921
Registered: Nov-05
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| Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 12:20 pm: |
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if you have a car that is a few years old, and you put a 3000 wattt RMS @ 1 ohm amp in your car, and wire your subs to 1 ohm, your electrical system will for sure die.
but lets say at 4 ohms the amp plays 1000 watts RMS and you wire your subs to 4 ohms there will be much less less of a current draw from trhe electrical system
i n the post before this i esplained the strasin on the amp..not electrical system sorry
but if you want 1500 RMS....get a 1500 RMS amp at ONE OHM |
Silver Member Username: Blainew
Post Number: 922
Registered: Nov-05
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| Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 12:21 pm: |
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and one more thing sorry
1500 watts is 1500 watts
an amp that is doing 1500 @ 4 ohms
or an amp that is doing 1500 @ 1 ohm
is the SAME EXACT strain on the electrical system
but you will never be using all 1500 watts so your alterantor may be fine |
Silver Member Username: Stamant
Pensacola,
FL
USA
Post Number: 101
Registered: Sep-04
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| Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 06:41 pm: |
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O.K. So if I want less drain on my electrical system it would be better to run the subs at 1500w@ 4 ohms. Right? Thanks. |
Silver Member Username: Blainew
Post Number: 927
Registered: Nov-05
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| Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 08:13 pm: |
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no if your running 1500 watts RMS no matter what you could have a million ohms and itd be the same strain |
Platinum Member Username: Glasswolf
Wisteria,
Lane
USA
Post Number: 11043
Registered: Dec-03
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| Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 08:35 pm: |
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I disagree with blaine on this one, respectfully.
if money is a concern, you get moe power per dolalr running at a lower ohm load, but that's your only real advantage, aside from taking up less pyisical room by having a smaller amplifier.
advantages to running an amp at 4 ohms as opposed to 2 or 1 ohm are as follows, to name a few:
less heat
more dynamic headroom
lower THD
better damping
better SNR
more efficient conversion of DC to AC for output (less loss to heat)
overall for the best SQ go with a 4 ohm load.
if you're into SPL and need to squeeze everything you can out of an amp, then go for the minimum load you can get a the burping frequency for the speakers.
(since remember, 4 ohms is a nominal or average load, and the actual load varies with the frequency being played by the speaker.)
as for current drain on the charging system though, he's right.
1500 watts is 1500 watts period.
watts = amps * volts. voltage is a fixed value. current varies based on impedance, but if you're putting out a fixed wattage (RMS) then Ohm's law pretty much defines the current draw as being that of 1500 watts, which on your class D amp is about 150A at full volume with a tone generator and non inductive load.
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Silver Member Username: Stamant
Pensacola,
FL
USA
Post Number: 102
Registered: Sep-04
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| Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 10:58 pm: |
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Glass, thanks alot for giving your opinion. It is much respected. I have two 12" Arsenals and plan on using a Directed Audio 2400d amp rated at 1400w@4 ohms and 2400w@ 2 ohms. The Arsenals are rated at 750 WRMS. Do you think this is a good choice for an amp. I plan to run the subs to 1400w@ 4 ohms. What do you think? Thanks. |
Platinum Member Username: Glasswolf
Wisteria,
Lane
USA
Post Number: 11045
Registered: Dec-03
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| Posted on Sunday, February 12, 2006 - 12:22 am: |
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sounds like a terrific match there.
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Silver Member Username: Blainew
Post Number: 928
Registered: Nov-05
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| Posted on Sunday, February 12, 2006 - 01:12 am: |
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glasswolf i know i had it kinda mixed up up there but what i really meant was that 1500 watts is 1500 watts on the charging system |
Platinum Member Username: Glasswolf
Wisteria,
Lane
USA
Post Number: 11052
Registered: Dec-03
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| Posted on Sunday, February 12, 2006 - 08:59 am: |
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I know. that I agreed with. I was more just pointing out that running an amp at 4 ohms versus 2 does have advantages even if both considered setups give the same power.
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Bronze Member Username: Teddy21
Ann Arbor,
MI
USA
Post Number: 23
Registered: Feb-06
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| Posted on Sunday, February 12, 2006 - 09:15 am: |
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hey and plus if you go with the dei amp you can always upgrade later down the line if you wanted to... |
Silver Member Username: Stamant
Pensacola,
FL
USA
Post Number: 103
Registered: Sep-04
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| Posted on Sunday, February 12, 2006 - 10:29 am: |
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Why, is the DEI 2400d not a good amp? |
Gold Member Username: Tjmutlow
Post Number: 1442
Registered: Sep-05
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| Posted on Sunday, February 12, 2006 - 02:27 pm: |
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I ran one on 2 orion p15s and was not impressed at all. you can get better unless it is dirt cheap.... |
