Green (Minimum):
From a reliability standpoint, this zone represents a very comfortable operating power range for each driver. This level of power will not stress the woofer but will not extract all of its performance potential, either. Use of less than the minimum power level will not damage the woofer, but may result in unsatisfactory performance.
Yellow (Optimum):
This zone represents the best compromise between long-term reliability, high-output and low-distortion performance. This power level is lower than the woofer’s continuous power rating(as published in its specifications), but you will still be taking advantage of the woofer’s low-distortion performance range without undue risk of failure.
Red (Danger Zone):
Slightly more SPL will be gained by pushing the power into this zone, but typically not more than 2dB, compared to the yellow zone. The subwoofer driver is designed to operate safely up to this power range, but not beyond. Operate with caution.
Black (Warranty Void):
We do not recommend operating woofers at this level of power. In this zone, there is a very high probability that the driver will fail due to excessive heat and/or mechanical stress.
Subwoofer drivers operated at these levels of power are NOT covered under warranty.
JL Audio offers an extensive line of high-performance subwoofer drivers to fit a wide variety of enclosure and power applications. When designing systems with our drivers, it is very important to achieve a good power match between the subwoofer amplifier and the subwoofer driver’s capabilities. The power levels listed in the above chart represent continuous (RMS) amplifier power per woofer and assume that the user will regularly make full use of that power without drastically overdriving the amplifier(s). Make sure you factor system impedance and the total number of subwoofers into your calculations. Adhering to these power recommendations will result in systems that are both reliable and enjoyable.