This may be a bit of a noobish SQ question but I think it's the right area to ask.

Now, here's a hypothetical scenario:

Lets say I have a DVC dual 2 Ohm sub (1 and 4 Ohm wiring options).
The sub is rated at.... hmm... 600 RMS (Pick any sub with this kind of power handling)
It's running off a Focal 1.800 (400RMS at 4 Ohm or 800RMS at 1 Ohm)

Now, purely from a SQ point of view would it generally be better to run it at 4 Ohms for the greater damping factor and underpower the sub OR run it at 1 Ohm and have more overhead but less cone control? Would it make any audible difference and could it impact your SQ score?

Sorry, its just been on my mind for a while, need to know



Thanks

with a sub, it would be unlikley you would hear the diffrence in damping factor, but you would notice the power diffrence. you already have the amp and the sub, so just wire it up one way for a few days then change it over. if u notice a diffrence with it wired to 4ohm's, then run 4ohms.

sub bass doesn't count for very many points in an sq comp

- Stooge007 out

Unless you forget to turn it down, then it COSTS points significantly...

It's amazing how many competitiors have forgotten to do this once or twice after the drive to the comp.. Im one of them.. lol

if you lack subbass, then you get penalised as well..

its worth more than most people give it credit for

Dampening factor is most important for sub bass IMO. Sub bass that is controlled sounds better than sloppy bass, though this has more to do with the subs enclosure.

When you compare dampening levels from the same amp over 1ohm, 2ohm, and ,4ohms for you personal use you will get more of a gain out of having the extra power in your instance its double, than the extra dampening from running the amp under more resistance.

Although when running in a comp in SQ I would wire the sub to 4ohms this will aid in a higher dampening factor (minimal and probably cannot be heard), but also keeping power that is being fed to the sub under wraps.
400rms is alot of power and the induced noise that having the gains slightly higher running at 4ohm compared to 1ohms(maybe but not necessarily for SQ) will be non-existent if installed properly, also headroom will still be there

Damping factor is the biggest crock of $hit that is ever blasted around any Car Audio circle. Damping Factor means nothing, because it is a theoretical number that doesnt actually pertain to your ACTUAL system.

What do people honestly think it does? Enclosure Qtc defines acoustic damping properties, and impulse response defines time until settling for the drivers. Take these two (very) important points out of the picture, and what does damping factor give you?

In reality, its a theoretical relationship between source and output impedance. It has no bearing on 'response time', 'faster decay' or 'snappier bass'. Effective Damping Factor however, gives you a more realistic picture of what you are looking at, because it takes into account everything that actually sits within the scope of your system. Cable, driver resistive loads, driver reactive loads, amplifier output impedance, the works. And Effective Damping factor sits anywhere between 1 to 1.333. Have a look at the various whitepapers available on the net, and some of the tests set up to prove/disprove the marketing hype.

A speaker running off the damping factor's of 5000 will NOT settle noticeably quicker or slower then one with a DF of 200 (all other things being the same).

I run my subs at 10ohms. Only reason I did this was for amp life, heat generation and because running at 2.5ohms would have fried my little subs. Higher Impedances is always better for SQ. Headroom is great, but not worth dropping down to 1ohm for. The extra heat alone causes WAY to many problems with the driver and the system (for pure SQ)

Best post in a long time.



Thanks ~thematt~