Re: Amplifiers… What’s in a Number?
The Kappa 10's are a good speaker, if you can get a good price on them then I say "go for it". Also, I agree, one 10" sub will do the trick.
I'm using one 10" AlumaPro speaker in my RAM. It'll kick the bass out with low distortion. If you decide to use one, buy the dual voice coil version for lower distortion.
I opted to use a 1kW (peak) Nakamichi amp, it has built in features to channel the bass from the left and right channels to one subwoofer. It also provides a few other features that lower distortion. (I'm a BIG fan of low distortion audio).
One of the advantages of using the stock amp in the CF is that it's tied into the speedometer, so the faster the CF goes, the higher the volume. Of course the volume goes back down when the CF slows down.
Here's a little factoid regarding power and speakers. For a one octave decrease in frequency, the power requirement for the same volume is 8X.
Consider midrange speakers generally cut off at 320Hz just due to their physical size. The next lower octave is
Then 160Hz
Then 80Hz
Then 40Hz
Then 20Hz
Now 20Hz is the lower limit of average human hearing (I can't wait for the theory to begin flying regarding this little fact!).
Anyway, that's 8 to the forth, or 4,096 times the same amount of power to reproduce 20Hz at the same volume level as 320Hz. Fortunately, we can hear a mere 10 watts worth of 320Hz easily. So to reproduce 20Hz we need 4,096W. That's ALOT of heat, ergo most music wont go that low (some rap does, and Reba McIntire too).
This is why the dish thumpers like the multi kilowatt systems.
But to reproduce 40Hz only requires 512 watts, much more cool IMHO, and still quite low. The 1kW Nakamichi I'm using provides 2X for headroom (peaks), providing lower distortion. It won't, however, thump any dishes, and it sounds best when the engine is off. I can listen to complete, low distortion bass at low volume levels. Quite pleasant, I might add. I can turn up the volume and listen to bass at higher power levels, but now that I've done that I'm required to drag out one of the AlumPros I have stashed away and replace the one I've managed to burn up over the past several years. I'm also more deaf now than I used to be.
Some of that power will be converted to sound energy, the rest will be converted to heat. And that heat will be dissipated INSIDE the enclosure. So a small, sealed box will literally cook the voice coil if you like to play bass, LOUD, alot.
Besides, to minimize distortion requires the volume of the box to be exact for each specific speaker (Theil/Small parameters), so that the speaker is "critically damped", as us nut cases like to say. I have a speaker design program and can help you out with that if you want to be a nut case too. Just something to consider.
Hope some of this info helps.
Last edited by polywave; May 8, 2007 at 11:14 PM.