Question i am looking to buy 2 12 for my car and would like to know what size amp to get if the subs are 350 power RMS; 700-Watts maximum power. is the a way to find out what size amp to use.
Thank you
adam
AnswerPower ratings on speakers are very subjective. There is no standard that is universally accepted for their ratings and the manufacturers tend to fudge the figures they publish.
Further, the amplifier should be sufficient to produce the loudness you want to achieve. And it is a subjective game because you don't know the sensitivity of the speakers; most of the manufacturers don't give it or if they do it is not always accurate.
In any event, the sensitivity figure, as accurate as you can get it, is the most important spec to obtain. You did not give me the make and model of the speaker drivers so I cannot look up the spec sheets on them.
On the other hand, amplifier power is cheap, relatively, and if you get one that is too big you just have to keep the volume down; but if you get one too small you have to replace it or suffer the amplifier clipping when it is over driven - and so on.
The amplifier feeding each speaker should be at least as great as the so called speaker rating (continous power, not peak; there is no such thing as rms power - it is a technical misnomer used by many manufacturers whom I don't trust because of it) or more.
If the speakers can handle 350 w continuously get an amp that will hit it with 500w so you can have some margin.
Good Luck,
Cleggsan
PS: You can get 500w amps at $150 and up. 350w units are about the same.
