About to dive in and replace the factory stereo. Got my eyes on the Pioneer Premier DEH-P600UB head unit, and the Polk db6501 component speakers.

Can this head unit sufficiently drive the component set, or do I risk damage from underpowering them? My basic understanding is that if I were to crank the volume on that headunit, I could blow the speakers out.


DB6501 specs

Pioneer P600 specs

 

need an amp or else youll be hearing distortion

 

You CANNOT damage due to underpower....speaker damage is from mechanical or thermal damage from too much power.

Read comments from industry experts : (copied fropm www.the12volt.com)
Link to great discussion on this topic from some respected industry experts, including people like Manville Smith of JL Audio, Mark Eldridge of JL Audio and multi IASCA world champion, and Andy Wehmeyer of Harman Kardon. : http://www.audiogroupforum.com/csforum/sho...=clipping+blown


I think these 2 components are fine....the only thing will be if you are satisfied with how loud it is. You could always add an amp later.....

 

My aim here isn't to argue with you, but to clarify as the blanket statement of "You CANNOT damage due to underpower" is not true. You definitely can damage them, but you can't "blow" them.

If you're going to under power speakers, don't attempt to get more from them than you should. If you hear distortion and clipping, turn the volume down.

 

Thanks. What bothers me is that the RMS rating on those speakers is WAY higher than even the peak output of a HU amp. Makes me think it'll take some serious volume to hear this.

I'll upgrade the HU with the stock speakers first and see.

 

HAHA I will argue against you...
Did you serious just say you cannot damage speakers by underpowering them.. hahahahahaha thats the funniest thing i have ever heard.. I can take top of the line components and power it by the stock deck and I will blow them.. Its not power the destroys them its distortion.. Thus with less power you will actually have more of a chance to blow them then in more power. Because the average person is going to want it loud and turn them up to the point where the stock amp peaks and is clipping.. Thus speakers will be gone cause of the distortion.. So if speakers dont work anymore there blown..

 

I'm quite sure you can create clipped waveform / "distorted signal" on a computer , play that through your speakers all day, and it will not damage your speakers

 

send more your speakers and i will send them back blown.. lol
but really just listen to your music really loud on you computer, to the point of distortion, they will blow...

 

you may be confusing the scenario

if i listen to anything loud, for a long time, to where i can hear audible distortion, then of course the speaker will blow. this is independent of whether the original source is already distorted. here, there is additional distortion introduced by the speakers being taken to its limits

 

now this is where people get confused.. I can take a 100rms speaker and give it 200 rms watts and it lasts years.. Its all in the tune..

I see what your saying though about the speakers limits, makes sense.