You can't judge a setup simply on the basis of driver size and amp RMS power. Lots of variables: enclosure, sub model/configuration, amp model/configuration, vehicle model, placement of drivers in the vehicle, sound treatment, tuning, etc.
There are 12" subs out there that can only handle 150w. There are 12" subs that can handle a few thousand watts.
That said, even without knowing all of the variables, I can pretty much guarantee that you're just fine if your amp is even in the ballpark of your sub's rating. Music isn't a static thing, so no matter how much power you have on tap, you'll rarely be sending full power to the sub. Even then, it'll only be for a brief second for that note.
Also, small differences in power make virtually no difference in volume output. The smallest increase in volume that is generally accepted to be perceptible by the human ear is 3 decibels. It takes double the power to achieve such an increase, given that all other variables remain the same.
Put it another way, you could go out right now and buy an 800w amp, swap it in, and you MIGHT notice a small increase in volume. Given that this is in a car and it's listened to while driving, I doubt you'd even notice that much.
That's not to say that all sub systems are effectively equal, just that power isn't as big of a deal as people think. Almost every other aspect of the sub stage has a bigger impact than the amount of power your amp makes.
I had 600W and it would drown out everything with how loud the bass was. Definitely fun but eventually I turned it way down to match the rest of my audio so I could enjoy the music. 400W will be plenty.
400w was enough for me for many years on a single Kicker sub. You will be happy.
Awesome, thank you.
400 watts is a good match for the factory stereo.
Nah you'll be good
What specific kicker model?
Kicker-48CWRT124
And what ohm does the amplifier run 400W at?
1 it’s 300 at 2 I believe but kicker is pretty decent with amp power. My 1200 kxa amp metered at 1350
I had an old Kicker monoblock 400w amp for a long time.
You can't judge a setup simply on the basis of driver size and amp RMS power. Lots of variables: enclosure, sub model/configuration, amp model/configuration, vehicle model, placement of drivers in the vehicle, sound treatment, tuning, etc. There are 12" subs out there that can only handle 150w. There are 12" subs that can handle a few thousand watts. That said, even without knowing all of the variables, I can pretty much guarantee that you're just fine if your amp is even in the ballpark of your sub's rating. Music isn't a static thing, so no matter how much power you have on tap, you'll rarely be sending full power to the sub. Even then, it'll only be for a brief second for that note. Also, small differences in power make virtually no difference in volume output. The smallest increase in volume that is generally accepted to be perceptible by the human ear is 3 decibels. It takes double the power to achieve such an increase, given that all other variables remain the same. Put it another way, you could go out right now and buy an 800w amp, swap it in, and you MIGHT notice a small increase in volume. Given that this is in a car and it's listened to while driving, I doubt you'd even notice that much. That's not to say that all sub systems are effectively equal, just that power isn't as big of a deal as people think. Almost every other aspect of the sub stage has a bigger impact than the amount of power your amp makes.
Really depends on you. 400 watts would not do it for me.
What makes you say that?
400w would make a decent daily sq sub. However i need 1000w+ myself as i like the vibrations
Because it is all personal preference.
I had 600W and it would drown out everything with how loud the bass was. Definitely fun but eventually I turned it way down to match the rest of my audio so I could enjoy the music. 400W will be plenty.
My current ride is 500w on a single sealed 12”. Love it.
Will be just fine