Damping Factor

Damping factor
The ability of an amplifier to control the movement of a subwoofer — the higher the damping factor, the greater the accuracy. Damping factor is calculated by dividing the subwoofer impedance by the output impedance of the amplifier. An amplifier's damping factor will decrease as the sub's impedance decreases — that's why an amp running at 4 ohms will provide tighter bass than at 2 ohms. This spec is not always given for all amplifiers.

An amplifier's damping factor will decrease as the sub's impedance decreases — that's why an amp running at 4 ohms will provide tighter bass than at 2 ohms. This spec is not always given for all amplifiers.