Car Stereos: stereo system wattage, bass output, wattage output

Question
hi Brian I have a stock 2000 dodge Dakota infinity stereo.what is the wattage output? replaced speakers with 50-65 watt and they have no bass ...installed correctly but maybe too many watts to push???

Answer
Hi Tom,

I don't have any information on the power output of the Infinity amplifier; this type of rating isn't usually published with OEM audio equipment. However, I can tell you that a mis-match between an amplifier's rated power and a speaker's rated power will NOT result in a loss of bass output. (Look at it this way:  even if the amp's output was identical to the speaker's rating, you'd only get that power level when the volume was turned all the way up.  You'd still expect to hear some bass output at half volume; similarly, you'd still expect to hear bass output with a lower-powered amplifier).  

Try this:  adjust the balance all the way to the left, and then to the right.  Do you hear more bass when only one side is playing, compared to when the balance is centered?  If so, then your problem is a wiring polarity error:  one of the speakers has its positive and negative connections reversed.  This doesn't hurt the speaker, but when two speakers are playing in opposite polarity, the result can be a lack of bass output.

Another possibility is an obstruction of the speaker cone; if the speaker is a tight fit under the door panel, the panel might be pressing on the speaker cone, preventing it from moving effectively.  

Hope this helps!

Brian