Hi guys,
I'm trying to decided which amplifier to go with and have 2 dumb questions.

Is it true that a 4 channel amplifier can always be bridged for a single sub when needed to just powering two front speakers and the sub?

The reason for the question is, I was looking at a 4 channel amp, a Performance Teknique ICBM-774, but was told by someone that I must get a amp that says it's capable of 2/3/4 channel configurations in order to use the amp the way I wanted to, is it true?

Another dumb question of the day is: The rms power output of my front speakers says 60-130 watts, what happens when I get a amplifier that outputs at 160 watt rms, does it mean I may blow the speakers too fast?
The same question goes for the subwoofer, if the bridged output says 800 watt but I already got a sub that outputs at 330 watt rms, am I going to blow the sub too? This question actually was for another amplifier I was looking at that's at 1600 watt.

Thanks for pointing me to the right direction each time guys.

I.F.

 

Not all amplifier channels can be bridged. Check with the manufacturer.

You can blow a 300 watt subwoofer with a 200 watt amplifier as long as you're willing to drive the samplifer into clipping. I've seen more +100 watt speakers blown up by cheap "40 watt" amplifiers then the other way around.

I find that most people lack the self control to not put their amplifier to volume "11" for long periods of time and leave it there long after their speakers have stopped yelling for them to be turned down.

My home subwoofer is rated to 250 watts and I drive it with an 800 watt amplifier ... and have done so for the last 10 years or so with out problem. But then I practice safe sound. I have an 800 watt subwoofer amplifer, a second self-powered 525 watt subwoofer, 140 watts worth of surround amplifer times 6, and 600 watts worth of main channel amplifier yet I rarely drive them over 2 watts most of the time - when I really want to drive a movie to THX reference levels (as calibrated) I might need 10 to 20 watts out of the mains and a couple of hundred out of the subwoofers. And that's to feet a room of over 20,000 cubic feet.

And there are people here putting a couple thousand watts worth of sound energy into their 50 cubic foot 350Z. Their ability to hear is going to be short lived.

 

Thanks for the answers Paul.

by the way you posted pictures of your amplifiers set up while back: I need to ask, what kind of fan did you use? did you use the remote wire port for power, if so what kind of power does the fan need?

I don't have any problem with turning down the gain as I'm not the type who abuses my ears or other's ear, just as long as the loud speakers have ample powers it requires to drive. I was more worried that I may need to turn up the gains more so in order to hear the speakers if my amplifier was under-powered.

I have to admit I'm going with a pretty cheap amplifier here for that 1600 watt of power, ever heard of soundstorm?