Soundstream rsm1.2000d paired with kicker 6.75 (can I do that?)

Musician235 said:

After reading many of the audio upgrade threads, I am finding that some of the mono block amp and sub upgrades are no longer sold or out of stock, so, at risk of beating a dead horse am hoping to get some thoughts on whether its wise or unwise to use a soundstream rsm1.2000d mono subwoofer amplifier to power one two or four ohm dual voice coil 6.75 kicker subwoofer in the center console. As I understand audio, this amp is overpowered as it puts out 480 watts at 2 ohms but the speaker handles 150 rms .. wondering if it is still OK to pair them up since I already have the amp. Thinking it will be OK as long as the volume isn’t cranked to blow the subwoofer.

Is exceedinglythe 150 RMS recommendation on the kicker a no no ? Any audio experts willing to weigh in?

• 360 watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms
• 480 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms
• 600 watts RMS x 1 at 1 ohm

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Mike_H said:

Its better to over power the speaker than have the speaker handle more power than the amp can give...

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Jerry Bransford said:

I wish I could agree it's better to overpower the speakers but it's always better if the speaker has a little more wattage capacity than the amplifier can give so the speakers won't blow out if someone cranks it up too loudly. Some will claim the amplifier will start clipping (distorting) the sound when you turn up the volume but that won't happen when you properly match the speaker and amplifier together by choosing the speaker properly and that it has a sufficient Sensitivity rating together with a reasonably powered amplifier.

Of course a 12 RMS watt per channel amplifier will clip if you connect it to 250 watt speakers with 80 dB Sensitivity ratings and turn it up so you can hear it. However that's a totally mismatched combination. For a Jeep, an amplifier rated, for example, 50 RMS watts per channel connected to speaker rated to say 150-250 watts but with a 92 dB sensitivity will work extremely well and will play louder than our ears can survive with no danger of the amplifier clipping or blowing the speakers out. Kicker and Polk speakers used in our TJs are commonly rated to 250 watts but with their high Sensitivity ratings they certainly don't need (nor would it be desirable) to drive them with amps rated to 300 RMS watts. Amps rated 25-50 RMS per channel will drive speakers with 90 dB or higher Sensitivity ratings so loudly with no clipping it'll make your ears bleed.

I spent time working in the very high-end audio industry providing sound systems to large venues like auditoriums, churches, theaters, and even sports arenas. My company even provided the sound system for AT&T Stadium the Dallas Cowboys play at. For safety reasons speakers always had more wattage capacity than the amplifiers could put out but we always made sure the amplifiers were up to the job too. The amps were BIG like 2500 to 6000 watts RMS with racks of them putting out 25-30,000 watts or even more at times but the speakers could always handle more than that since we didn't want them blowing out. They all had proper Sensitivity levels so they could be adequately driven.

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