Older amp advice

[lindsay_elaine]

Hey guys, I finally gave up on my factory CD player. It kept ticking, giving me error messages, ejecting disks with the truck off and they keys out, and occasionally only playing on two speakers. I don't like aftermarket CD players because they're never simple to use and they're always obnoxious colors, but given the factory CD player's track record I decided to go for aftermarket. I did some research and settled on the Kenwood KDC X693, which I just installed yesterday. The lights match my dash and it actually looks pretty nice, so I'm happy! Now, a while ago I picked up an old (1998) Rockford Fosgate amp off Craigslist and I'm wondering if it's worth doing anything with. It's a Punch 45.2, and I have no idea how to wire an amp up. The stereo was easy, it's this extra stuff that confuses me. Anybody have any adivice?

Link to HU : http://www.kenwoodusa.com/Car_Entertainment/In-Dash_CD_n_DVD_Receivers/1-DIN_CD_Receiver/KDC-X693

Lilnk to amp: http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/library/manuals/45_2-irs.pdf

I miss my factory premium stereo in my 88 Lincoln, it had a JBL amp and speakers and sounded really nice, but the amp quit and I'm not currently driving the car. I wish I could get this new HU to sound as good as that did, I still have 9 million settings to mess with on the new HU...

Also, as an added bonus I found an entire unopened pack of cigarettes inside my dash, I don't smoke but I thought it was kinda funny

 

[Jay FX4]

Here's a quick video on amp wiring.


http://www.crutchfield.com/learn/learningcenter/car/amplifiers_movie.html

And I'll take the smokes, they're $6 here in Michigan.....

 

[exbass94]

That amp is a 2-channel amp, meaning you can hook up 2 speakers to it. You could hook up all 4, but you would lose your fader control. I would probably just hook it up to the front speakers and let the head unit power the rear ones.

But the biggest difference in sound quality would come from changing the speakers. It doesn't matter how good the head unit or amp is, if the speakers are crap, the sound is crap.

 

[lindsay_elaine]

Thanks guys, I messed around with all the equalizer settings and now it sounds way better! My speakers are the factory Ford ones and one of them is blown, but I think I'll wait 'til x-mas/my birthday for new ones. It sounds WAY better than the factory stereo so I can definitely live with it. I might have the speakers out of an Explorer kicking around to replace the blown one for now. One of them is in the Ranchero, I might need to steal it temporarily, lol

 

[Jon581]

if you are going to upgrade to aftermarket speakers then you should invest in a good 4 channel amp.

 

[4x4fun]

your better sound quality comes from your upgraded hu. depending on what kenwood you have, you can set your setting for each size speaker. if your amp is still good i would put the amp on the larger speakers. but i would spend the money replacing your speakers before you go about adding an amp. it may be enuff for you.

 

[briansz]

A Punch 45.2 is totally capable of running an entire system, including mids, tweets, and subs. You just need passive crossovers to isolate the drivers to only the frequencies they should be playing. This was the norm back in the early 1990's until electronic crossovers got cheap and built into amps. Many systems with dozens of speakers were run on original Punch 30's and Punch 45's.

It's probably six of one and a half-dozen of another, the passive crossover parts to do what I'm describing might cost as much as a cheap 4-channel amp with a built-in crossover ($75-100). But the Rockford is a much better quality amp than the $100 4-channel. I'd go passive, personally, unless the budget was more than a few hundred bux.

 

[lindsay_elaine]

Thanks Brian - my budget is next to nothing and I figure if I have an amp it will probably be of more use to me installed in the truck than it will sitting under the bed.

 

[4x4fun]

But you don't have true rms numbers from that amp to base a system from. That can wreak havoc on a system. And blow components. Yes they made goodstuff back in the day. ( kinda) but to have a noob( no offence) run a full systems off it. Matching ohms and running a hybrid line will not end good. To much or not enuff will still blow stuff cross overs or not. And I don't thing she wants to spend the money on speakers that can handle what that amp could put out. Free or not, not knowing a true rms will cost you more in the long run.

You have up graded your hu. But still have stock speakers. Iirc If your not careful your new hu will blow your stock speakers. You now went from 25maxw to 50 maxw the system wasn't designed for that. But it can by you time to replace your oem speakers and then start building from there. You may not want more sound the. A nice set of comp. You don't have to start big. And I wouldn't use that amp as the heart of a system anyway.

 

[briansz]

But you don't have true rms numbers from that amp to base a system from.

Sure you do. It's 45 watts RMS, or 22.5 watts x2 channels. Real-world it's probably around 60 watts per channel as that series of amp was very under-rated. I had a 225.2 that was rated for 112.5 watts a channel and it put out 580 watts RMS bridged at 4 ohms. Decent amp.


That can wreak havoc on a system. And blow components.

You're more worried than I am about 60 watts per channel RMS.


Yes they made goodstuff back in the day. ( kinda) but to have a noob( no offence) run a full systems off it. Matching ohms and running a hybrid line will not end good.

The price of some of the old gear is appreciating. Watts per dollar, sure amps are cheap now, but quality is off on a lot of it. Me, I'd rather buy up old Orion HCCAs off Craig's List, way more value. I run a Blaupunkt Class T Tripath amp too, so I'm not totally old school, but I've got a 1990ish Hifonics Zeus that will take names if you've got the juice to feed it. Some of the old stuff really was very very good.

I don't think anybody is talking about setting up a competition car here. We're talking about a couple caps to roll the bass off mids and a coil to keep highs off a sub. Almost anybody inexperienced could figure that out with a diagram and a little advice. It's like three crossover parts for the whole system. We figured it out as teenagers in the late 80's and didn't even blow up our cheesy Jensen and Majestic amps doing it.


To much or not enuff will still blow stuff cross overs or not. And I don't thing she wants to spend the money on speakers that can handle what that amp could put out. Free or not, not knowing a true rms will cost you more in the long run.

If we got up over a couple hundred watts per channel, sure. But this is a baby amp. The factory speakers would handle this amp if you rolled the bass off them high enough. Or you could get a set of component speakers being blown out on eBay and gain a lot of sound quality.


You have up graded your hu. But still have stock speakers. Iirc If your not careful your new hu will blow your stock speakers. You now went from 25maxw to 50 maxw the system wasn't designed for that. But it can by you time to replace your oem speakers and then start building from there. You may not want more sound the. A nice set of comp. You don't have to start big.

Maybe, but you'd have to be abusive. Component speakers or even some good coaxes would be flattered by the extra power of the amp.


And I wouldn't use that amp as the heart of a system anyway.

Fair enough, but she's already got it. With some component speakers you wouldn't even need crossover parts and you'd have a good little system. A sub could be added down the road for less than $150, including a prefab box and the passive crossover parts to set it up properly.

I mean heck, it's not going to have a bass knob or active EQ, or variable crossover points, but it will play music nicely on the cheap. It would beat a factory system hands-down for not much $$.

 

[briansz]

Might check into some speakers like this:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=299-275

I find it hard to believe you'd do better for the $15 each plus shipping these cost. That and your amp would be a nice match.

Since I have a Gen 1 truck I am not familiar with the speaker locations in newer Rangers, but would think it's a 6-1/2" or a 6x8 in the door. Depth of the opening might be a concern. In my Gen 1 with the wing windows, you could fit an 8" sub, maybe a 10" if you got creative.

 

[4x4fun]

Well I'm typing on an Iphone from Greece. So I'm just gonna aruge the point you made. About the 60w. Shell never really know what that amp is gonna put out. and you can blow a 1000wrms sub with 1w if it's wrong. They have numbers for a reason. If she goes and buys a set of speakers with a 50w rating she cannnnn blow the new speakers with 60 ws and more so if it starts clipping for Some reason. And why spend the time and effort and money for something she may not need or may not work right the first time as she goes thur the learning curve.