I bought a JVC S580 HU about a year ago. ITs 180 watts peak (45x4). I blew my first set of speakers so i bought some rockford 5x7's(120 watts max/60 rms). I blew them within a year so i got a second pair about 3 weeks ago. These ones are sounding blown already....I think it is because my head unit only pumps out 17 watts rms to each of the back and front speakers...Does this sound right? can ne one help me with this problem? thanx

 

underpowing speaker shuoldnt blow out good speakers, but trying to have them up to full volume without the power to suport them will make the speakers inefiecient, overheat the coils, then burn them up. thats just my opinion, but im stupid. so dont listen to me.

 

First are you playing the radio past 3/4 of max volume? Either your clipping the radio or there is something wrong with the radio/ wiring. A new set of speakers and small amp would be perfect if you just want clean sound. As a temperary replacement I am using 35watt pioneer 5x7's with about 125watts rms going into them and they sound great. Now obviously I can't play them at 125watts but I do play them at about 40-50watts rms. Amping your front speakers are they way to go.

 

LOL underpowering speakers will not damage them If the coils are not recieving enough power to damage them how would they burn up?

Tempe

 

Well, Tempe, he might very well be clipping the hell out of the signal. basketball346, do you have bass boost on? Or the loud feature? Or (please say no..) both?!?! Also, what is the bass setting on your deck? If it's maxed out, you are using bass boost, and have activated the loud(ness) feature, I'm pretty certain the speakers are seeing a horribly clipped signal. How high do you normally crank the volume?

We all know underpowering in and of itself doesn't do any harm to speakers. Clipping the hell out of a signal, because you're trying to make up for a lack of power, can.

 

the volume goes up to 50 max, i play it around 25 or so...and the bass goes up to 6, i play it at 2. I also do have the loudness feature on....because i dont have my amp running to my speakers so i'm using the factory amp

 

It's true, a Crutchfield tech told me the same thing last night. If you don't have adequate power going to your speakers, DO NOT turn the volume up loud.

 

blah blah blah...crotchfield is as useful as...nevermind but u CANNOT damage a speaker by underpowering it. i am still very unclear on the clipping thing myself after reading some very in depth things about it. only way u can damage a speaker is thermal or mechanical or puntching it with a screwdriver or crushing it...but anyway...dont worry about it. just keep the bass setting on the HU down so u wont introduce distortion and u'll be fine.

 

Well, it's similar to amateur radio. We know that if our antenna is not matched properly to the radio, all that energy becomes "trapped" because it's not being sent out efficiently and builds up as heat which eventually will toast the system.

I assume what the Crutchfield tech was explaining to me is the same principle. If you have an underpowered head unit, then you have to really crank it up to get a decent amount of sound out of the speakers. In other words, the HU works harder than it should have to, and the result is uncommon amounts of heat building up at the speaker which can toast the internals on the speaker. Makes sense to me.

Only thing is, I have ran amps on all my vehicles before, and I am sick of the job involved in wiring one up to look nice. I really hate to fool with that on this new truck. That's why I paid more for the "premium" system, but it sucks. So I think I'll try another head unit first and see if it'll push the speakers OK.

 

sorry im still kinda new to car audio, but i have some freinds that know everything{according to him,} and i have had simalar problems with my system and he set me striat, and i worded my first post a little off. i meant over volumeing without the power to back it up. the system i have in my aerostar is a pioneer head unit pushing two 6x9 and two 4'' dash speakers. i recently burned up my rear and front speakers becuase of simalar reasons{not a big loss, the 6x9s were pioneer 120 watt dual cone, and the dash are ford factory.} they burned up and blew becuase my head unit was 180 deh-12 model, and didnt have the watts to power those speakers, so i turned it up louder till i got the sound i wanted, still not great but decent till i giot the money to get better equiptment, but a month ago the rears started cutting out and fuzzing ect ect ect. then the fronts went. my freind says they blew out becuase i turned up the volume really lound and overheated the speakers. with more power i wouildnt have to turn up as loud for the same sound wich keeps things cooler. hence no blown speakers. please corect me if im wrong about this, im still learning and gladly accept any wisdom you are willing to give.