I've decided on a 12 in sub to put in my 2000, the sub puts out 1400 watts max power and 350 watts nominal power. Now, what confuses me is the amp wattage. I was looking at a 2 channel legacy amp that puts out 1600 watts when bridged but only 800 watts when it isn't bridged. So I was wondering if that amp would be a good match for the sub or if the wattage is way off or what?
That amp is completely useless!!! It's rated in max power, and it probably only puts 150-200 nominal watts of the worst quality imaginable. Choose a different amp. Find an amp that will put out 300-500 rms watts that will match the impedance of your sub.
Subs don't put out power they comsume it, so you should be looking at how much power they can handle (which is propbably where you got your numbers from) Max power on the amp (and sub too) is what the power (or dynamic headroom) it can put out for short cycle bursts. (or ''handle'' in the case of the subs) You should be looking at the numbers for RMS (root means squared) power. this is the power it can sustain all the time. When you bridge a 2 channel amp that is providing power at 4 ohms, it becomes a 1 channel amp @ 2 ohms. So be careful with your math. Nominal power is the least amount of power that will drive the speaker. (speakers should be rated this way but not amps) I find it hard to beleive that the speaker needs 350 watts just to Operate. Just about any amp bridged to 1 channel, 2 ohm, mono should make the sub pound. You did say 1 sub right? If you have 2 subs you cannot bridge a 2 channel amp. It will become 1 channel when you do. That other guy is right. The legacy amp is garbage. Legacy make amazing home audio, but mobile garbage (so much so that I wonder if they are the same company) That said, even that amp bridged mono will thump the hell out of a single 12'' sub.
__________________
97 Cobra-03 Cobra t56 and alum DS, SPEC111 clutch, FRPP 4:10,T&J Performance Forged 4v(8.9:1), Manley rods, Novi 2000 w/ Fast Track A/A I/C, Barry Grant Fuel syst., BBK longtubes and H-pipe, MSD ignition, Detroit True Track, Magnaflows, 315 NT01's on 17 x 11's, KB BAS, SCT tune and about a million other things. 575 RWHP. Going into the shop this winter, looking for 650 RWHP.
So tell me if I'm wrong but the RMS power is the minimum amount of power that the amp can sustain?
hahah yeah I've never really been good with electrical measurements and matching at everything haha. At first I was just going to buy the amp and sub and wire it up and hope it didn't fry either of them. I figured it would cost less in the long run to do it right the first time hahaha.
So tell me if I'm wrong but the RMS power is the minimum amount of power that the amp can sustain?
hahah yeah I've never really been good with electrical measurements and matching at everything haha. At first I was just going to buy the amp and sub and wire it up and hope it didn't fry either of them. I figured it would cost less in the long run to do it right the first time hahaha.
Anything you read will tell you that RMS power is pretty much BS. Is is an average which would be ipossible to know without knowing what kind of music is being played and at what volume. It is a measurement made up by marketing executives to sell products. A good name product probably won't even rate their products in RMS power, simply max power. Like i said; any amp bridged to 1 channel, 2 ohms will give you plenty of power to run a single 12'' sub. There is no danger of damage if speaker wattage handling capability doesn't match perfectly with amp output. The worst case is that you will get audible distortion when you turn it up. Unless you turn it up to 11, but even still it will begin to ''break-up'' before damage. I knew a guy who ran two 15's on a legacy amp and that thing was loud as thunder and didn't break up and those were ''free-air's'' which no one even uses anymore. Bandpass and enclosure subs are much more efficient and will perform with much less power.
__________________
97 Cobra-03 Cobra t56 and alum DS, SPEC111 clutch, FRPP 4:10,T&J Performance Forged 4v(8.9:1), Manley rods, Novi 2000 w/ Fast Track A/A I/C, Barry Grant Fuel syst., BBK longtubes and H-pipe, MSD ignition, Detroit True Track, Magnaflows, 315 NT01's on 17 x 11's, KB BAS, SCT tune and about a million other things. 575 RWHP. Going into the shop this winter, looking for 650 RWHP.
HPMcGee, I disagree with you completely. I can't think of a single company that makes a quality product that is rated in max watts. The amp he was looking at is a 2 channel amp that isn't stable bridged to 2ohms. Also, you can use as many subs as you want on any amp as long as the impedance matches up and you have the power to push the woofers. BTW, Free-air (infinite baffle) is by far the most effecient set up for a sub, though not all subs have the correct t/s parameters to function correctly in that "enclosure". Efficient being that it takes less power to play the sub to its full potential. However, a bandpass, transmission line, folded horn, ported, or sealed enclosure would be louder in many cases. There are still quite a few subs around that can be used in an infinite baffle.
+1, I'll take RMS power rated @ 12.5 volts from 20 Hz to 20 kHz any day over something rated @ max power! If only garbage amplifiers rate at RMS, then I guess that means that Tru Technology, Genesis, Brax, and Sinfoni are "junk" when compared to Boss, Profile, Legacy, DEI Orion, and Pyramid who rate their products at MAX power
The only problem with RMS power these days is many manufacturers cheat and give you the CEA 2006 rating for 4 ohms only and provide estimates for 2 and 1 ohm loads. Also, CEA is rated at 14.4 volts and I can almost guarantee with certainty that if your electrical is under load, you will NOT be seeing 14.4 constant volts out of it!
Most every amp of decent to good quality I've ran had and RMS rating. Besides the things others have mentioned one thing I look at on an amp is the THD (if the mfgr list it), reason being is that not all wattage is clean wattage. I'd rather have 300 watts at .03-.05 THD then 800 watts at .15 THD.
__________________
Christopher J "The breeze you felt going by...that may have been me" '08 Red Fire GT, Polished 18's, Roush Axlebacks, Spoiler Delete, FRPP CAI & Tuner.....more to come
I don't think I've ever seen a high end amp with its max out put written across it. Take a look at JL, their amps saw nominal power measured at 12.5 volts.
Second, I would never by a bandpass box. They slam at the frequency they are tuned to, but are kind of 'one hit wonders' in the sense they only hit that one note really well. I'm more of a fan of the regular ported boxes.
__________________
2006 Black Premium Convertible, Gray Leather, Pony Package, Shaker 500 with Clarion MAX385VD DVD Head Unit, JL Audio 10" W7 powered by a JL 500/1, TintedTail Lights
I don't think I've ever seen a high end amp with its max out put written across it. Take a look at JL, their amps saw nominal power measured at 12.5 volts.
Second, I would never by a bandpass box. They slam at the frequency they are tuned to, but are kind of 'one hit wonders' in the sense they only hit that one note really well. I'm more of a fan of the regular ported boxes.
He's exactly right, if they have the watts written all over them believe me they are over rating them selves. When you are reading JL and American Bass you'll notice they are trying to impress you with numbers. I have a 6000watt setup and I tell everyone who asks there are only (2) 80.1watt amps in the back.
Confused about amp watts! 
