what is HeadRoom?

[rickybobby]

i have seen/read topics on SQ here when someone mentions HeadRoom, but never found the real meaning. from what is mentioned it is, choosing an amp with lots of headroom? right? so would there be more power available from the amp than the rated RMS of the comonents being used? but not necessarily overpowering the front stage.

[bmxscion]

I would describe headroom as the ability to have more power available than you need so you can keep your amp gains lower in order to be more efficient, thus allowing more "headroom".

[HHR Ed]

My speakers are rated to handle 100W rms.

I use an amp that is rated to put out 120W rms.

I now have 20W of head room.

But I tune the amp to play with no distortion and I end up keeping power levels below 100W.

This lets the system run cooler, more efficient, and cleaner and more reliable.

[Keith77]

I would describe headroom as the ability to have more power available than you need so you can keep your amp gains lower in order to be more efficient, thus allowing more "headroom".

You hit the nail on the head.

[bmxscion]

This lets the system run cooler, more efficient, and cleaner and more reliable.

^^^ YES, of course I was speaking in terms of running the amps at full tilt, 100% efficiency, with using numbers as factory rated. It is imperative to set them up properly so you are producing max power with no distortion which won't be near full tilt if you allow yourself plenty of headroom which coincides with what HHR Ed said.

[alaskanzx5]

Headroom can also mean having a bigger amp then need but wired to a higher impedance. Then you can add more speakers wire to a lower impedance and power more speakers with the same amp.

I have 2 tweets rated at 50rms and 2 6.5 mids at 100 rms each. I use a 400.4 so I have extra power I could use by doubling my tweets and mids then wiring them to a higher impedance. Now that all won't get rated rms but it would be more cone area with close to 3/4 rms so it would still increase my total output.

Save money by only buying the 1 amp with out having to buy a bigger amp later to upgrade.

[HunterJohnson]

I agree with HHR additionally I have headroom with my electrical. I have a 320 amp alt and 3 batteries for my 2000 watt system which never actually plays at 2k lol. Especially when everything is running at 4ohms

[rickybobby]

thanks people. i wasnt thinking of of efficiency of the amp or heat.

[Colin - STAPUFT]

I see you lurking Cableguy.

I am scared to post anything lest you make me look foolish. lol

[Colin - STAPUFT]

I've got my system much like HHR Ed said. For my mids and highs, my amps are rated at 1.25x to 1.5x what the speakers are rated for. Then when running the O-Scope on the RCAs and on the Amps themselves- I don't set things up to a "soft clip" - I set them down where they can never clip, and then turn them down some more. And even with that, the speakers still get plenty of powa.

Everything plays clean, amps aren't stressed, speakers are happy, everything happy happy.