So HOW do you shop for an amp?

[Yan00LX]

HU and speakers are easy, you go to a store, play around with the HU see if you like the feel/interface/sound. You listen to it. Same for speakers.

But an amp? It's can hard to sample 6-7 different brands playing the same HU through the same speakers.

And how can you tell if they'll overheat in your car? How long they will last? How can you really appreciate their bandwidth and sub-low response in the context of a store?

In my case, it's even more important as the amp I need (4 channel in the 60-80 real watts range) will amplify everything (2 channels for mids and highs, the other two for lows and sub-lows).
And it will be installed behind the rear seat at an angle of more than 90deg.

And I don't really want to spend more than 300$ unless really required. I'd rather invest in better front speakers...

 

[chuyler1]

Try going to www.crutchfield.com and comparing specs on amplifiers. With amps, you usually narrow down the search by your installation requirements.

How much power do you need?
What kind of crossover do you need?
What size limitations do you have?
How much are you willing to spend?

With amps you get what you pay for. Cheap amps don't put out their rated power and are prone to noise. Expensive amps put out more than their rated power and have virtually no noise floor.

Brands I recommend: DLS, Arc, Orion, Precision Power, Alpine, MTX, Kicker, Rockford Fosgate.

Brands I do not recommend: Sony, Kenwood, Profile

Tell me what speakers you plan on powering and I might be able to make some suggestions.

 

[mhrebin]

can never go wrong with audiobahn.

when shopping for an amp. look into getting something with a fan to cool it. if you plan on pumpin the jams. most popular brand name amps should come with some sort of crossover built in, but maybe not. its a good thing to look into.

you want to target the continous power of the amp to that of the speakers. to get optimal sound. keep it in the same range. maximum wattage really means nothing unless you plan on turning the volume up full blast for a brief moment and im pretty sure noone ever does that.lol

just use common sense, and as always.. talk to guys who work in whatever store audio section your going to. or call whoever you need to. thats what they are there for.

 

[chuyler1]

Audiobahn is mid to low grade stuff and their price proves it. Their amps have cooling fans because they don't have very thick solid heat sinks like other brands. Fans usually add to the noise floor anyway...kind of like running your A/C system all the time.

RMS output for the amp is what is important. MAX output means nothing.

Do your research before going to any store. People at places like Best Buy and Circuit City don't know s*** and are there just to sell you whatever they think you will buy.

 

[cold_rabbit]

I bought a clarion DPX1800 (800 watts RMS) hooked to my dual 12" 1200watt subs in my protege and it only cost me $500 with the wiring kit. Now my friends hear me before they see me unless my foots on the floor

 

[cold_rabbit]

forgot to add, the dealer garunteed i could rap my amp in a blanket and it would never overheat , plus it has built in thermal protection so no worries

P.S. i cant spell

 

[cold_rabbit]

audiobahn want out of bussiness like last year, for the second time, so not a good choice

can never go wrong with audiobahn.

when shopping for an amp. look into getting something with a fan to cool it. if you plan on pumpin the jams. most popular brand name amps should come with some sort of crossover built in, but maybe not. its a good thing to look into.

you want to target the continous power of the amp to that of the speakers. to get optimal sound. keep it in the same range. maximum wattage really means nothing unless you plan on turning the volume up full blast for a brief moment and im pretty sure noone ever does that.lol

just use common sense, and as always.. talk to guys who work in whatever store audio section your going to. or call whoever you need to. thats what they are there for.

 

[Yan00LX]

Try going to www.crutchfield.com and comparing specs on amplifiers. With amps, you usually narrow down the search by your installation requirements.

How much power do you need?
What kind of crossover do you need?
What size limitations do you have?
How much are you willing to spend?

With amps you get what you pay for. Cheap amps don't put out their rated power and are prone to noise. Expensive amps put out more than their rated power and have virtually no noise floor.

Brands I recommend: DLS, Arc, Orion, Precision Power, Alpine, MTX, Kicker, Rockford Fosgate.

Brands I do not recommend: Sony, Kenwood, Profile

Tell me what speakers you plan on powering and I might be able to make some suggestions.

So MTX is recommended? I always thought this brand was comparable to Sony or Profile...

Most 4 channels amp seem to have what I need as far as crossovers are concerned. Actually, I don't even need them since my HU can handle that just fine (one pair of channels will run front components, one pair will run 6X9 pseudo-subs), but having them on the amp with continuous adjustement (vs the preset values on the HU) would be a nice thing.

A quick look on Crutchfield gives me:
MTX Thunder TC4004 (50WX4 279$)
Alpine MRP-F450 (70WX4 299$)
Kicker ZX350.4 (60WX4 299$)
RF Punch P400-4 (50WX4 349$)

These are all CAE2006 RMS rating, but I have a feeling the 50W ones may be underrated as they still get the highest ratings under 2ohms (or bridged, like the rear channel will be, under 4 ohms of course)

Speakers are undecided yet, probably Polk or JL components. I'm aiming to match both amp and speakers in the 50-70w area.
For now, they will be amping my stock speakers!

Will most likely be mounted behind the rear seat. Good thermal management is a must.

 

[chuyler1]

Of the ones you listed, I would say the Alpine is your best bet. It will last forever if you take good care of it. Overheating shouldn't be a problem with any of them as long as you don't mount it upside down on the top of your trunk.

For speakers, I would suggest investing in some nice components (aka separates) for the front. Bridge the rear channels of the amp to power a small 8" or 10" subwoofer. You could go with a 12" too but it will take up alot of space in your trunk/hatch.

Oh, and if you do order from Crutchfield, you can save a few bucks by using my referral code: pxp28-h1tsx-wtqe3

 

[Yan00LX]

Can't order from Cruchfield unfortunately, they won't ship to Canada (and Crutchfield Canada doesn't sell car audio... go figure). But thanks anyway.

How are Clarion amplifiers? Was looking at the APX4240... Pretty simple but has everything I need, and 4X60W RMS (CAE-2006). It basically look like a giant heat sink.

Alpine is interesting, but it gets pretty expensive once it crosses the border.

Amp will be mounted behind the rear seat, which means at an angle of more than 90degrees. Can that be a problem?

 

[chuyler1]

All these amps have to pass the rear-seat mount test. That is the most common place people install them. Clarion is a great company but their amps aren't anything special. Alpine is worth the extra money.

 

[zumzumzoom03]

All these amps have to pass the rear-seat mount test. That is the most common place people install them. Clarion is a great company but their amps aren't anything special. Alpine is worth the extra money.

Alpine FTW! HEH I have an alpine 4 channel for my mids and highs and an MTX for my subs. Good combo. Alpine is known for sound quality.

 

[Yan00LX]

All these amps have to pass the rear-seat mount test. That is the most common place people install them. Clarion is a great company but their amps aren't anything special. Alpine is worth the extra money.

Nothing special is good enough for me right now... anyway even the Alpine would still be a tradeoff until my divorce is settled... So might as well save money, as long as it sounds decent and doesn't blow after a month!

Actually, I might end up changing my speakers first. Coming to work this morning, I realize that the distortion I get in the highs might not be a lack of headroom, but rather the stock speakers struggling to move fast enough for my needs. I'm now hi-passing the front at 120Hz which helps, but it's still not clear enough for me.
Good thing cause a decent pair of front components is not THAT expensive.

But I'll keep this thread in mind when I buy the amp later on.

 

[zumzumzoom03]

Sounds like a plan... I've noticed in car stereo you get what you pay for. I've started off with California Profile and it was alright. Moved onto Alpine and MTX and haven't looked back since.

 

[chuyler1]

Retail prices of car audio equipment are almost always "you get what you pay for". Very few brands are over/under priced. Online sales are starting to be accepted so even when you buy online the money/value still applies. If you want to save money or get more for your dollar you can check car audio forums for high end but older used equipment and there is always ebay. However, to purchase non-retail requires endless research. If you see someone selling an amp that you aren't familiar with, search for it on the audio forums and on google until you have an idea where it fits in. Then gauge the price with what you could purchase new to see if it is worth the money and risk of buying a used item. I don't usually recommend this approach for people who are new to car audio but if you are internet savvy you can potentially save hundreds of dollars (or get better equipment for the same price as buying something new).

I also have to recommend checking out www.diymobileaudio.com. It is a site dedicated to people who like to mix and match home and car audio components. Home speakers with less popular name brands can often sound better than car audio brands and costs hundreds less.

 

[cold_rabbit]

The clarion you looked at is very respectable , especially for the price. that amp will be the next one I buy for the rest of my upgrade to the front and rear door speakers. just make sure your altenator can handle it. I have the DPX1800 (800watt RMS) running 2 12' 1200watt subs, I dropped it to 2ohms and almost fried my altenator. I had to switch back to 8ohms just so i can drive my car, sucks since i lose about 50% of the amps power. so power issues cost money, specially an extra battery, digital cap, just those 2 components can run you $200 each. BTW were abouts do you live in canada, since im a fellow canuck

Can't order from Cruchfield unfortunately, they won't ship to Canada (and Crutchfield Canada doesn't sell car audio... go figure). But thanks anyway.

How are Clarion amplifiers? Was looking at the APX4240... Pretty simple but has everything I need, and 4X60W RMS (CAE-2006). It basically look like a giant heat sink.

Alpine is interesting, but it gets pretty expensive once it crosses the border.

Amp will be mounted behind the rear seat, which means at an angle of more than 90degrees. Can that be a problem?

 

[Yan00LX]

BTW were abouts do you live in canada, since im a fellow canuck

I'm in Proteg paradise! Montreal that is.
I'm saying that because here it seems 1 out ot every 3 vehicles is a Proteg. They were the best selling cars for a few years, and the #1 Mazda dealer in the whole world is located right here (the one with the most sales volume that is).

As for the alternator, hopefully it's still in a great shape (car is a 2000, but only 73 000kms). I'm planning on staying in the 60amps range of 4 channels amplifiers. And only the rear channel will be bridged into 4 ohms, the front channel will work happily under a pair of 4 ohms load (unbridged).

 

[Rider69]

Did you get an amp yet? I have used Kicker, Fosgate, MTX, JBL even US Acoustics and MA Audio. All have given decent performance for their costs. I most recently used an MTX 6004 (75x4) in a 3-way setup, the 3&4 channels bridged for my sub. and never had a problem with it. I am now going to switch to JL Audio only because for the added price, I know i am getting a very high quality amp that will put out its rated power without issue for a long time. If you check out the classifieds, I have a few amps available.

 

[starlightmica]

With amps you get what you pay for. Cheap amps don't put out their rated power and are prone to noise. Expensive amps put out more than their rated power and have virtually no noise floor.

Tell me what speakers you plan on powering and I might be able to make some suggestions.

I guess small, cheap, good are mutually exclusive, but that's just life.

I have Infinity 2 ohm 6x8 front components RMS 90W that I would like to amp and perhaps add a sub to someday. Going by size, cost, and the brands you recommended, I came up with the Alpine MRP-F250 - your thoughts? alternatives?

 

[chuyler1]

As I was reading your post that amp came to mind. You have 2ohm speakers so they will double the power from each channel (vs standard 4ohm speakers). The amp is small but Alpine makes great products. Its a great amp to stick under your front seat and forget about.