Amp?

[QBA]

This is what I have on my car as now:

Headunit CDA-9815 (I got this headunit thanks to the good tips and help of 1st MP3 in NH )

Front Speakers

Infinity 652I
6-1/2" two way

Power handling: 60w RMS, 180 W peak
Sensitivity: 92 db
Frequency response: 54hz - 20khz
impedance: 4 omhs


Rear speakers:

Infinity Kappa 62.5I two way
6-1/2" two way

Power handling: 75w RMS, 225w peak
Sensitivity: 90 db
Frequency response: 45hz - 21khz
impedance: 4 omhs

Guys do you think that by adding a amp I will get a better sound?

I know a amp make the music sound better at loud levels but will the music sound better even if the volume is low?

Same question about adding a sub, will the music sound better with a sub even is the volume is low?

thanks

Alex

 

[1sty]

Yes and yes.
A real outboard amp can not be matched by the internal amps clarity and control. Depending on your eventual goals you may want to add the bass first to get the low frequencies your door speakers can't play any ways off of them. Even a good 10" can do a great job. I think your a 10" candidate since you seem to care more about clarity then volume.

 

[QBA]

Thanks again 1st MP3 in NH for all your help

Ok so if I get a amp for my speakers and a sub, the music will sound better even at low volume right?

So I'm gueessing I should get two amp right? one amp for the 4 speakers and one amp for the sub?

1st MP3 in NH when you where talking about 10" were you refering to a kind of amp?

What amps should I go for?

 

[chuyler1]

To keep things simple, and since you're concerned more about 'low level listening' rather than heart stopping bass...

...and 1st_MP3 will probably agree...

...go with a 5 channel amp. Most 5-ch's have a dedicated sub channel that is designed to power a modest 8", 10" or 12" subwoofer.

5 channel amps I would recommend:
Alpine MRP-F320
PPI 5540 (older model) or PCX-5800 (kinda expensive)
MTX Thunder895

 

[Sir Nuke]

To keep things simple, and since you're concerned more about 'low level listening' rather than heart stopping bass...

...and 1st_MP3 will probably agree...

...go with a 5 channel amp. Most 5-ch's have a dedicated sub channel that is designed to power a modest 8", 10" or 12" subwoofer.

5 channel amps I would recommend:
Alpine MRP-F320
PPI 5540 (older model) or PCX-5800 (kinda expensive)
MTX Thunder895

Personally I would also HIGHLY recommend the Alpine...I have that amp and its great....the only problem right now is that its discontinued...but it can still be found....the 5 channel will make for an easy install...especially if your head unit has preouts....if not...this amp accepts speaker level inputs as well. and YES, when 1st was refering to a 10", he was refering to the SUB....and a real nice one to hook up to this amp is a JL Audio 10W0...and you can get the JL Audio Power wedge with that sub in it for a very reasonlable price....you can't go wrong with this set up.

 

[QBA]

k so I should buy 2 amps right? one for the four speakers and one for the sub?

the JL is sub better than the infinity,?

I was looking around a while ago at one store and the sales guy was going on and on why the Infinity sub had a higher price than the rest but it was the top of the line

so I should go for a alpine amp?

 

[ZackyFarms]

from what i understand, but 1st mp3 correct me if im wrong, im pretty sure JL subs are generally better but also they are higher priced. so "you get what you pay for" but that just from what i hear, ive never heard an infinity sub in person. I have JL, a couple of different models, and they all sounded dope. Right now im kinda torn between getting a 10" JL or a 10" diamond audio, but thats for another thread...

 

[1sty]

The only truth in car audio in regards to subs is that JL is the Bench mark, period. Everyone compares themselves to JL as a point of measure and damn near all sales people will to. JL is hands down the BEST SPL/SQ sub per dollar available. Some subs are cheaper but will sacrifice either SQ or SPL to be so not to mention quality. I have taken JL subs to hell and back again and there are few things I would consider besides them. 1 is the eclipse aluminum sub. But don't expect major DBs, the aluminums are a SQ sub, the Titaniums are another story.

Rather you get infinity or JL the box they are in will make the largest sound difference.

QBA. JL makes subs from $75 dollars to $950 dollars so we obviously need a over all dollar rance to work with in and you eventual goals. How loud do you need it?
How much money will you be willing to burn for some more sq?

5 channel amps are becoming rare but are still around. Alpine has one still but it is the V12 series amp not V-power so it is more expensive and powerful. I actualy really love alpine amps. Easily JLs level of SQ and more flexibale with its crossovers but not as powerful.

 

[QBA]

Thanks 1st MP3 in NH

Well I guess that JL is the way to go but I'm not ready to pay 985 bucks for having bass on my car

I don't really need the bass all that loud for two reasons, once because I have experience that being on a close environment like a car with a really loud bass and really loud music is only bearable for a period of time before become uncomfortable, (Don't take me wrong I love loud music) and second because I don't like to listen to the music with such strong bass that take over everything and you end up listening to just bass, I prefer a clear and balance sound.

My fear in all this is that I end up discovering after I buy the amps and the sub that I can only get a quality sound that differentiate to what I have right now, by cracking the volume up, I think that it will be worth it for me to upgrade to amp and sub, only if I will be able to listening a high improvement on my sound quality even with a low volume.

So I'm guessing that I'm ok to pay a reasonable price for a quality sub but not to pay a high price base on how loud the sub can get.

Is 200 to 500 enough to buy a sub that give me what I'm looking for base on what I got to work right now on my car (Two infinity speakers and the CDA-9815 headunit)?

 

[1sty]

Is the $200-$500 for just sub amp and subwoofer / box?
Or did you want that to be for an amp for the main speakers aswell?

It really sounds like you are a great candidiate for a single Jl audio 10W3. They have DB potential but they are most at home in a moderately powered sq system. 10s in a P5 is plenty for most listeners. The JL 250/1 is the optimum amp but it is expensive. For the extra $100 saved I would use an alpine MRD-M300 instead.

A really great system would be to use the Alpine MRV-F340 4 channel amp and the Alpine MRD-M300 mono amp with a JL 10W3v2D4. FI you can find it for a better price you can also use the Alpine MRV-T420 2 channel amp for the sub and get a 10W3v2D2 instead. The T420 has slightly more power then the M300.

 

[QBA]

200 to 500 just for the sub

1st MP3 in NH you are telling me about all those models and sound like japanese to me , what is the price of those amps?

 

[1sty]

The MRD-M300 is $299 and the 10w3 in any of its flavors is $199.
I think the 4 channel was about $350 but I cant remember.

 

[QBA]

1st MP3 in NH what do you think about MTX vs Alpine?

I need 2 amps right, 1 for the speakers one for the sub?

what are the specs I'm looking on a sub and what is the diference between 2 and 4 chanels?

 

[1sty]

THe JL I mentioned was 300 watts rms. MTX has a decent product but not in Alpines or JLs legue any more. Just my opinion.

You can get 2 amps or 1 thats your choice. You can geta 5 channel amp or get a 4 channle and a mono/2 channle sub amp or even just a single 4 chanel and use the front chanles for the front spreaker amd the rear channels for the sub.

 

[QBA]

thanks 1st MP3 in NH


So I'm going for Alpine them, since I know a good store with ext warranty that sell them

about using two amps is better than one right?

if I want two alpine amps one for the four speakers and one for the sub what do you recomend?

I have been buying my car electronics on big stores that have the extended warranty and is a small chance they will go out of bussiness in 4 to 5 years, like Bestbuy etc, so I can pay a extra 50 or 70 bucks and be able to return the product and get it fix or change by a new one any time within 4 or 5 years.

I just check the main stores here and they don't carry JL , but they do carry Alpine, so I'm going for Alpine amps, and now is a matter of finding the right sub within those stores.

These are some of the brand names I got avalable to choose from wihtin those stores:

Rockford Fosgate

MTX

Sony

JVC

Kenwood

Pioneer

Infinity

Aiwa

Jensen

Lightning Audio

Power Acoustik

Audiobahn

Alpine

Panasonic


I think that is pretty much what I can pick and choose from

From those brand names who should I buy the Sub from?

 

[chuyler1]

Both Alpine and JL Audio have moved into the 'sound quality' division of amplifier. MTX, as 1st_MP3 said, has not jumped that barrier, but for a reason. They try to keep prices down.

There have been countless top notch installs using MTX in the past, and one of their advantages is the unregulated power supply. It sacrifices some sound quality to give you more bang for your buck. The MTX 500D, which I picked up off ebay used for $125, is rated at 500watts. However, in a car setting where the voltage is really 14.4v (instead of 12.5) the amp dishes out close to 1000watts.

For those brands I would buy an Alpine sub if you're not going to hunt around for a JL Audio. My second choice would be Rockford Fosgate, but they have slacked off in recent years with their quality.

 

[murdock_]

my bro has 2 eclipse 10's in his GTI and it sounds ******* insane.. he knows alot more than i do but he did something right because the sound quality is just incredible.

 

[1sty]

Both Alpine and JL Audio have moved into the 'sound quality' division of amplifier. MTX, as 1st_MP3 said, has not jumped that barrier, but for a reason. They try to keep prices down.

There have been countless top notch installs using MTX in the past, and one of their advantages is the unregulated power supply. It sacrifices some sound quality to give you more bang for your buck. The MTX 500D, which I picked up off ebay used for $125, is rated at 500watts. However, in a car setting where the voltage is really 14.4v (instead of 12.5) the amp dishes out close to 1000watts.

For those brands I would buy an Alpine sub if you're not going to hunt around for a JL Audio. My second choice would be Rockford Fosgate, but they have slacked off in recent years with their quality.

I saw MTX start away from high line equipment about 3 years ago, but you ask why. Simple a company called Mitek corp owns MTX and around the same time they aquired Xtant. They started sharing technologies and it appears Mitek is attempting to use MTX as the less expensive option and Xtant as there high line brand. Much like Ford and Lincoln. Just a thought, they own a few other biggies aswell.

Never buy anything RF, garbage!

 

[chuyler1]

My friend has 2 10"s as well, in his Audi A4. They are painfull to the body, but not the least bit "boomy" to the ears. He's powering them off a RF 1100a2, which (like most older RFs) puts out about 1600watts @ 3ohms, 800 per sub!

They don't come cheap though, and they need that power to sound good.

I'm considering one of those for my MTX amp, or possibly 2 JL 8W7s.

 

[1sty]

thanks 1st MP3 in NH


So I'm going for Alpine them, since I know a good store with ext warranty that sell them

about using two amps is better than one right?

if I want two alpine amps one for the four speakers and one for the sub what do you recomend?

I have been buying my car electronics on big stores that have the extended warranty and is a small chance they will go out of bussiness in 4 to 5 years, like Bestbuy etc, so I can pay a extra 50 or 70 bucks and be able to return the product and get it fix or change by a new one any time within 4 or 5 years.

I just check the main stores here and they don't carry JL , but they do carry Alpine, so I'm going for Alpine amps, and now is a matter of finding the right sub within those stores.

These are some of the brand names I got avalable to choose from wihtin those stores:
Rockford Fosgate
MTX
Sony
JVC
Kenwood
Pioneer
Infinity
Aiwa
Jensen
Lightning Audio
Power Acoustik
Audiobahn
Alpine
Panasonic

I think that is pretty much what I can pick and choose from

From those brand names who should I buy the Sub from?

I would use the amp models I already mentioned then.
There is no better amp then another is far is number of channels go. With 5 channels you still have a good amp but if you just want to upgrade the sub part, you have to get another amp and leave the 5th channel of the amp unused. Or swap out the 5 channel for 2 new ones.

Go for Alpine subs. They have a few good models aswell. I like them. I wouldn't get a sub from any of those other brands.