How much will an amp help?

[Stuntman Mike]

typically anything less than 4ohms you should use a high current amp.

...What exactly are you saying?

it does not make a difference if you use rms (~75% of peak) or continuous/peak.
as long as if you stick with one or the other when buying your gear.

No, RMS is how much wattage it can continuously handle and is what you really should be concerned with.

Here's a random example:
There are some speakers rated at 300 watts peak, but have a measly 50 watts rms... that's only ~16% of peak!! Pump in 150 watts continously into those 300 watt speakers and they will die. That's easily a failure at only 50% of peak and TRIPLE the RMS.
FAR from that arbitrary ~75% you say.

I don't know how you can consider using the peak numbers to pick your audio components if you're the least bit serious about it.
Please don't pass along incorrect information.

 

[Pistons23]

typically anything less than 4ohms you should use a high current amp.
it does not make a difference if you use rms (~75% of peak) or continuous/peak.
as long as if you stick with one or the other when buying your gear.

NEVER pay attention to peaker power. 75% of peak? you must not be familiar with sony xplode. high current, low current, who cares. as long as it puts out the power at the impedance you need it at.

 

[4x4fun]

NEVER pay attention to peaker power. 75% of peak? you must not be familiar with sony xplode. high current, low current, who cares. as long as it puts out the power at the impedance you need it at.

x2

match ohms and rms end of story

 

[Airmaster]

Thanks for the tips, I am definately going to buy an amp. I'm going to look at the slim Sony Xplod XM-4S. I want it under my seat so I can keep my space in the extended area.

I have to wait for my funds to increase, but once I buy it, I'll be popping in for more advice.

 

[baxtej44]

Thanks for the tips, I am definately going to buy an amp. I'm going to look at the slim Sony Xplod XM-4S. I want it under my seat so I can keep my space in the extended area.

I have to wait for my funds to increase, but once I buy it, I'll be popping in for more advice.

the general idea about people who choose xplod amps/subs is:



they are overrated (literally, because they don't put out what they say they'll put out) and tend to be lower quality.

spend more money on a brand such as alpine, pioneer, kicker, kenwood, etc...


somebody else will be able to go more into detail than I am, and suggest amps from personal experience, but if you mention sony xplod 'round these parts.. there's gonna be refutation.

 

[Stuntman Mike]

I don't know how the amps are, but I know the speakers are garbage.
I bought a full 4 speaker setup brand new for my car a few years back and ended up blowing(!) a 6.5" rear speaker, with my Pioneer head unit that was 50 peak watts per channel. I've used this HU in 3 different cars and didn't even kill the factory speakers in one of them. I love Sony for everything else, but their car audio is absolute crap.

I wouldn't expect their subs to be up to par either.

 

[4x4fun]

but if you mention sony xplod 'round these parts.. there's gonna be refutation.

target acquired.........request permission to fire..................fire when ready


jking

but they do suck, but not because we dont like them. i used to like sony back in early 90s. but there stuff started to suck, right as they came out with the explode line i understand balling on a budge but they just suck

 

[Airmaster]

The thing is that the Sony offers one of the smallest amps available. Are there any other amps which are as small as the model I mentioned. I'd gladly explore other options!

 

[flyingbrick]

http://mobile.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL028285&pathId=144&page=1

Nice and small, but a little on the pricey side.

 

[fastpakr]

This one isn't that much bigger, and makes a HUGE amount of power for its size.

 

[baxtej44]

http://mobile.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL028285&pathId=144&page=1

Nice and small, but a little on the pricey side.

This one isn't that much bigger, and makes a HUGE amount of power for its size.

love both of them, but they are out of my price range.
is it better to do this though? to really invest in a good amp instead of to keep on buying new ones?



what i like about the alpine is that it's got a seperate sub channel.... providing a higher rms for a sub, but lower so that speakers can handle them... really nice!

 

[flyingbrick]

love both of them, but they are out of my price range.
is it better to do this though? to really invest in a good amp instead of to keep on buying new ones?



what i like about the alpine is that it's got a seperate sub channel.... providing a higher rms for a sub, but lower so that speakers can handle them... really nice!

Yes, i saved for almost a year to get my first amp, 4 years later and it's still going strong, I even dropped it once or twice. I'd never buy a cheap amp even if it was is "good deal".

 

[rjppunk]

it is very disappointing when an obvious answer to a simple question turns into a two page thread. Can we please keep the wally world xplod jokers from answering the big boy questions? Most of you know who this applies to...
Not trying to insult Airmaster either....

 

[Airmaster]

This one isn't that much bigger, and makes a HUGE amount of power for its size.

Now that one gets me thinking. I could throw a small 6 inch woofer under one seat and that amp under the other. Since it is 5 channel I wouldn't need any other amps.

I think this is a pretty good idea, I'll have to sit on my speakers for a while before I can get the amp and sub(and the money to buy them, lol), but I think it'd be worth it.

In case the rest of you don't know, his link referenced an Alpine RDX-5.

In that case, what are some good inexpensive small sub woofers which will fit under the Ranger/B-Series seats?

 

[Tempe]

If you are underpowering it and it is clipping it will become a paperweight real quick.

Manville Smith explains all!!!