Amp on a budget. Need Help
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,782
Likes: 0
From: Friendswood TX
Re: Amp on a budget. Need Help I would go with a pioneer or a premier. There not to bad at all. Dont get those buy one get one free there crap. If your thinking about 2 tens, why not get one and push it hard. ex- 2 tens with 200 watts a piece so then u need a 400 watt amp. Just get one ten that has 400 watts RMS. More subs are not always better. You said yourself that you dont want to blow the car beside you away. That one ten will sound nice with 400 watts to it. For the amps, i am not a fan of MTX personally. And I havent used Alpine so I cant say much there. Get some more opinions and then buy an amp
Drew
Drew
Re: Amp on a budget. Need Help RobIVPush33,
MTX amps has gotten a much better name in the industry than they used to have. There products are good dollars spent for the most part. Alpine also makes good amps. Since your planning on using this first 4 chanel to drive your high and mids, you wont need anything more than 35-50 watts RMS per channel. I have a PPI powerclass 4200 driving my mid/highs which is plenty, and very clear. A friend has a MTX amp that I installed for him, don't remember the exact model, but it is a 4 chanel running 2 6x9's and 2 4x6's and it sounds very clean as well.
You mention that you want to upgrade your monsoon system and want to keep it on a limited budget. What exactly are you planning on changing? Deck, Speakers, Amp and adding subs? That going to play on your total budget.
MTX amps has gotten a much better name in the industry than they used to have. There products are good dollars spent for the most part. Alpine also makes good amps. Since your planning on using this first 4 chanel to drive your high and mids, you wont need anything more than 35-50 watts RMS per channel. I have a PPI powerclass 4200 driving my mid/highs which is plenty, and very clear. A friend has a MTX amp that I installed for him, don't remember the exact model, but it is a 4 chanel running 2 6x9's and 2 4x6's and it sounds very clean as well.
You mention that you want to upgrade your monsoon system and want to keep it on a limited budget. What exactly are you planning on changing? Deck, Speakers, Amp and adding subs? That going to play on your total budget.
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: Baltimore
Re: Amp on a budget. Need Help Thanks you two for the help.
I'd like to keep the head unit, and Im not sure if I'll need to upgrade the speakers or not. I guess that would depend on what they sounded like with the amp. Im looking for mildly louder with clean crisp sounds. Not that distortion you normaly get by turning the radio up loud.
And probably looking to install one or two subs to give it a little umph with the bass.
QUESTION 1: wouldnt 2 10" subs running at half the power sound better then pushing 1 10" sub at full power?
QUESTION 2: Whats the scoop with crossovers? will I kneed one? and if so, should my first amp be a 4channel with or without a crossover?
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If I figured it out right. I would get a 200w 4channel amp w/o built in crossover, that should give me what? 50w per speaker.
Then later if I chose to get the subs for more bass, I could get a seperate amp just for the subs. Im assuming by doing it this way I would then need the crossover.
I'd like to keep the head unit, and Im not sure if I'll need to upgrade the speakers or not. I guess that would depend on what they sounded like with the amp. Im looking for mildly louder with clean crisp sounds. Not that distortion you normaly get by turning the radio up loud.
And probably looking to install one or two subs to give it a little umph with the bass.
QUESTION 1: wouldnt 2 10" subs running at half the power sound better then pushing 1 10" sub at full power?
QUESTION 2: Whats the scoop with crossovers? will I kneed one? and if so, should my first amp be a 4channel with or without a crossover?
----------------------------------------------
If I figured it out right. I would get a 200w 4channel amp w/o built in crossover, that should give me what? 50w per speaker.
Then later if I chose to get the subs for more bass, I could get a seperate amp just for the subs. Im assuming by doing it this way I would then need the crossover.
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,782
Likes: 0
From: Friendswood TX
Re: Amp on a budget. Need Help Like i said before more is not always better. If 2 tens would cost you $300 so thats 150 a sub, get 1 ten for $200-225, and drive it hard <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> well not real hard. IMHO 1 good sub can sound just or if not better then 2 cheaper subs. Thats your call
If you are getting an amp GET A CROSS OVER. Even if the amp has one. its just not the same as an external one. That was a HUGE factor in my old system, I thought well it has a Xover on it already i dont need one. Wrong! Once again, some people could argue that, its just my personal choice. And i made a lot of my friends believers after they heard my stuff.
Yeah you could use the amp for highs then later use it for bass, but i wouldnt recomend it. Only b/c once you have heard those highs off of an amp you will never go back! Because you said that you dont want to spend $$ id get a 35X4 amp for highs then later once you have decided get a sub and an amp.
Drew
If you are getting an amp GET A CROSS OVER. Even if the amp has one. its just not the same as an external one. That was a HUGE factor in my old system, I thought well it has a Xover on it already i dont need one. Wrong! Once again, some people could argue that, its just my personal choice. And i made a lot of my friends believers after they heard my stuff.
Yeah you could use the amp for highs then later use it for bass, but i wouldnt recomend it. Only b/c once you have heard those highs off of an amp you will never go back! Because you said that you dont want to spend $$ id get a 35X4 amp for highs then later once you have decided get a sub and an amp.
Drew
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: Baltimore
Amp on a budget. Need Help Im not much up to date in the latest and greatest as far as car audio goes so im asking for a little help from you all. Im trying to upgrade the monsoon system in my 02 Hawk and am trying to keep it a limited budget. Im thinking of adding an amp now and possibly 2 - 10" subs at a later date. Ive been shopping around and amps can run anywhere from 50 bucks to 1500 bucks. Like I said im on a budget, and am not looking to try and blow the guy in the next car out of his seat. Ive sort of narrowed my search down to two brands of amps at this time, (MTX or Alpine)
Like I said, Im not much up to date as to which brand is better/worse, but I do know Alpine is, or at least was, at one time a reputable name. Primarily I want this amp to power the four speakers in rear. At a later date I'd like to add a second amp to power the 10" subs. And possibly a crossover (if need be). Im still researching crossovers and not sure If I'll need one or not.
Which should I go with (MTX or Alpine)? BTW: Circuit city is running a special on MTX & Kenwood subs (buy one get one free).
Like I said, Im not much up to date as to which brand is better/worse, but I do know Alpine is, or at least was, at one time a reputable name. Primarily I want this amp to power the four speakers in rear. At a later date I'd like to add a second amp to power the 10" subs. And possibly a crossover (if need be). Im still researching crossovers and not sure If I'll need one or not.
Which should I go with (MTX or Alpine)? BTW: Circuit city is running a special on MTX & Kenwood subs (buy one get one free).
