Amp and Sub question

[black-sxi14]

Right i know this is a stupid question, and im sure i already know the answer but....

Ive got an vibe CBR 12 ACTIVE enclosure, its already got an amp, but this is 300watt max, so the sub is running at well under its capasity its rated at 1600watt max!!

My sub is loud, but you can hear that when bass kicks in and is turned up it sounds restricted, also to look at it doesnt move much.

So my question is, is it safe for me to buy a 1600 watt max amp and run it or will this blow the sub? So do i need a 1600watt amp (same as sub) or less watts than that 1400 or 1200?

Please help people!

[SimonP]

better off with a 1400 watt mate just to be on the safe side dont want to be pushing the sub to its full limit!
ive got 2 12" 1000watt each subs powered by only 1 1000watt amp and its good and powerful :thumbs:

[black-sxi14]

Yeah thats what i was thinking, have the amp a little lower than the sub.

Am i right in thinking it would be the amp thats making the sub sound restricted or would it be the sub?

[SXi-Dan]

your better off getting an amp more powerfull that the sub and keeping the gain down meaning your not stressing the amp and you wont get a clipped output that could damage the sub and will get distortion.

quite a few people set the gain by guess work or ear - not a good idea, i melted one of the coild on my sub this way, since then i have always set the gains using a multimeter, this means i can set it to exactly its rated power.

[tollmanuk]

What he said :doublethumbs:

Plus dont use the max power as a means of comparing which one is more powerful, Find out the RMS figures!

[jacko103]

Please please PLEASE do not look at max figures, they mean the square root of F.A..

If you were to look at the RMS power figures then you can match them up and that would be cool.

[black-sxi14]

Yeah i know that the max figures dont mean much, but if i have an 1200watt or 1400watt amp, then ther rms should be spot on to the sub.

But i will look into having the rms figure the same? or the amps slightly less?

[eddie_sxi]

no
you have it wrong
its 300w rms
and that 1600 pmpo!
so find both the rms ;)

[partridge_88]

Yeah i know that the max figures dont mean much, but if i have an 1200watt or 1400watt amp, then ther rms should be spot on to the sub.

But i will look into having the rms figure the same? or the amps slightly less?

WRONG! They don't mean anything at all!

[jacko103]

Yeah i know that the max figures dont mean much, but if i have an 1200watt or 1400watt amp, then ther rms should be spot on to the sub.

But i will look into having the rms figure the same? or the amps slightly less?
But they probably won't be.
The sub could be 300rms 1200peak and the amp 600rms 1200peak but they would be most definitely NOT matched.