Help with matching an amp and speakers!!!????

Question

ok, so i have four infinity speaker with a power rating at 60 watts rms each. should i get an amp that exactly matches them like this one (kicker puts out 60 watts rms x4 channels):

http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=16883

or should i get one like this that puts out more power, and just don't turn the gain up all the way?(infinity amp puts out 111 watts rms x4 channels):

http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=18746

will an amp be more likely to clip if the gain is put all the way up? is the kicker amp or infinity better to go with?

Answer 1

that kicker will put out more than you need anyways, kickers always put out more than what they're rated for

Answer 2

Check this site out...it is a good reference.

http://www.bcae1.com/

http://www.termpro.com/articles/articles...

Answer 3

60 watts rms would be perfect

so go with that one

that logic cannpt be proven wrong no matter what

Answer 4

the amp will clip regardless of where the gain is set (high or low) if its not set correctly, and with either amp you would have to set the gain

i love Kicker but i would go with the Infinity because it matches the speakers and has more wattage, they are both CEA-compliant so they will both put out their advertised wattage or more with minimal distortion

If you send too much power to your speaker, you risk damaging it. The cone of the speaker and the mechanical parts that make it move may break under the stress. Surprisingly, too little power can also damage your speaker — in fact, it's actually more common than damage caused by overpowering.

When the volume is turned up and the amp doesn't have enough power, the signal becomes distorted, or "clipped." This distorted signal can cause parts of the speaker to overheat, warp and melt. Not good!

You don't have to match speaker and amp wattage's exactly. An amp with a higher output than the speaker's rating won't necessarily damage the speaker — just turn the amp down a bit if you hear distortion from the sub and don't run the speaker at extremely loud volumes for lengthy periods. Likewise, you'll be OK with a lower powered amp if you keep the volume down and don't feed a distorted signal to the sub.

here's how to set your gain by ear (you could also use a multimeter)

Set the input sensitivity controls of your amplifier to their minimum level (counter clockwise).

Put in a CD and turn the receiver's volume control up (you might have to raise the amp's gain just a bit to hear the music).

When you hear distortion, stop. Turn the volume down until it disappears. As much signal as possible is passing from the receiver to the amp. This maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio, and leaves your system less prone to engine noise problems. Keep the volume setting here.

Now turn the gain controls on the amplifier up until it's as loud as you'll play it. If you hear distortion, slightly decrease the gain settings.

Now you've optimized the amp's output with the receiver's volume set near maximum. You can turn the volume almost all the way up and not damage your speakers or amplify distortion.