If the amp isn't clipping but it is rated far less than the speaker, can it still blow the speaker?
Good question. And yes - you destroy speakers by under-powering them. Here is how it works: Speakers consume power to start the magnet moving out. Then it consumes more power to break and reverse direction. There is a spring involved, but it only does part of the job. If you under-power the speakers - the speakers will slam into their mechanical limit. You hear this as clipping. .but it is rated far less than the speaker Power ratings on the speakers are almost useless. These are maximum power ratings and do not give you a clue about what normal power requirements are. You would be best advised to ignore the power ratings on a speaker. It causes more confusion than help. Since you said you are not hearing clipping - you are probably fine. Just take care if you crank up the volume.
It cant blow the speaker but it may blow your amp, underpowering a sub does nothing but hold it back. What usually blows subs is distortion, so as long as there isnt a large amount of distortion going to your sub you should be fine
No, it can't. But as soon as it starts clipping, your tweeters are at risk.
There are two factors to look at when powering a speaker. The amount of power and the ability of the amplifier to drive the impedance load the speakers present. The only real issue of under-powering a speaker is the possibility of the amplifier running out of power on dynamic peaks of the music and clipping; sending a distorted signal to the speaker. This can damage ether the speaker or the amplifier if done at extreme levels or for any extended period of time. The other issue is making sure the amplifier is capable of driving the impedance load the speakers are presenting to the amplifier. As impedance rises or drops above or below 8 ohms it puts a demand on the amplifier requiring more current. All speakers impedance will vary with frequency its having to reproduce, some speakers are more demanding then others. Most receivers do a vary poor job of driving wide impedance swings, as many do not use discreet output stages or good quality power supplies. Also some amplifiers will clip harder than others, meaning it can send a very distorted output to the speakers when over-driven. Yamaha amplifiers are one example of this when they clip they clip very hard sending a very distorted signal to the speakers. Tube amplifiers on the other hand clip soft and even when driven into distortion are much less likely to damage speakers. So its important to select a amplifier that can drive the speakers to adequate levels your wanting to achieve and that its able to drive the speakers properly. Kevin 40 years high end audio video specialist
