Originally Posted by brandon11983

We are listening to a classical recording at a volume of X. At the end of the recording, we get two big whacks on the timpani at X+2 for good measure. Depending on the listening volume, your 200w amp may or may not have the power to accurately reproduce it at the proper relative volume to the rest of the recording. Say you get lucky and you had the volume on the head unit low enough to still be within the amp's power reserve. Trouble is, most people don't listen to music like this (*especially* classical). Call me crazy, and I like screamo, hardcore, and metalcore as much as the next guy... but there is no musical experience as visceral as a loud and dynamic classical recording. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra circa 1950's comes to mind... Most car audio people don't listen at comfortable volumes. So now we're jammin along at elevated levels on your little 200w amp. Now (obviously) the level of the background symphony is louder, we'll call it X+2 and so must be the subsequent whacks on the timpani at the end. The reference level for the timpani is now X+4. Here is where the 200w just can't cut it anymore. The recording calls for X+4, but your amp can only take it up to X+3, so it clips. The amp produces a square wave until the recording drops back to within the capabilities of the amp. A square wave causes the woofer to stay "locked" in mid excursion, and because the cone is not moving, no air is flowing over the voice coil and it cannot cool itself. Granted an instance like this will only produce a square wave for a brief second, bass music that is soooo sought after by car audio fans will. With 1000 watts, you can (virtually) never ask for too much out of the amp, and it will never clip and put your woofers at risk. I have never seen a blown woofer due to overpowering. Not one. Ever. Ever. I have, however, seen more than a few (dozen) that went kablooey because they were trying to serve up the latest offering from Lil John with a shitty couple hundred watt amp. Few brief anecdotes here regarding "over" powering woofers:

1. I ran my 750w RMS rated 12W7's at 1000 watts (each) with never so much as a hiccup out of them.

2. I later ran my 300w RMS rated Alpine Type R's at 1000 watts (each) with the same result.

3. My friend Andy ran his 1000w RMS rated 13W7 at 2000 watts (JL 1000/1 on each coil... rawr) with no problems. He is a fan of rap and bass music. It also *barely* moved off a JL 500/1.

If you ask me anyone who runs a subwoofer off a head unit is a retard. The amp in that deck is 100%, without a shadow of a doubt, clipping to beat the band. And I know NO ONE would turn down 1000 hp over a paltry 200.