What is the ideal amp to speaker power ratio?
 

If I install these 110 RMS (330 peak) components Car Audio Direct - Alpine SPR-17S - Speakers will this 2 channel 250 max/4 ohm: 50w x 2 amp Car Audio Direct - Alpine MRP-T222 - Amplifier be too weak for the speakers?

Or should I buy this 4 channel 360w max/4 ohm: 100w x 2 (bridged) amp? Car Audio Direct - Alpine MRP-F242 - Amplifier

Or would this be better: Bridged 4 ohms: 150w x 2 (all figures RMS)? Car Audio Direct - Alpine MRP-F300 - Amplifier

Am I right in thinking that too low a power amp will produce clipping? Is a much higher power rating than the speakers better with the gain adjusted to avoid distortion?

Cheers

Sal :) (With headache :freak3: :D)

C'mon good people of Scoobynet, surely someone must know :D

Peak power ratings for speakers are largely meaningless - efficiency is more important. With a sensitivity of 87db (presumably at 4 ohms, it doesn't actually say), they should be pretty easy to drive. Just about any half-decent amp will do the job.

The first amp you mention should provide ample power, 50w at 4 ohms is more than enough to drive those speakers. As for clipping, that depends on how loud you are planning to have the volume. I wouldn't have thought it would be a problem, unless you want to play music at daft levels.

Having said that, using the second amp you mention in bridged mode should give a better sound and, for £20 more, it's what I would go for.

The last amp is probably overkill, although I don't think it's too powerful for the speakers you have in mind. :)

Daryl thank you :notworthy

The second one was the one that felt 'right' to go for but I just needed some clarification, cheers :king:

well said but allways better to over power speakers then underpower remember once you hear distortion then it is to late the damage has been done the second amp would be better. but if the budget can stretch go for the third you would use alot less gain on the amplifier thus it will not work as hard as well