amp power question

[topherD]

I'm looking at the monster amp power kits...my amp is 1000 max, 500 rms, running two subs at 250 rms. Do I need to get the 500 watt power kit? or the 1000? or does it even matter? cause there is also a cheaper one that says 200 watts.

[Kolk1]

I always recommend going with 4 gauge. If you ever wanted to upgrade, its going to do more than enough for the average user, and your not going to have to buy another kit, rip out the old kit, and start over. For the couple dollars more, why have the concern of it being too small?

You can get Rockford 4 gauge amp kits on ebay for ~$50.

[dopey]

What actual amp is it?

[NY.AD.MAN]

Just remember, the larger the gauge, the less the resistance and thus, the less strain on the entire system.

Don't go buying 2 or 0 gauge, but 4 gauge will at least keep you from damaging the wiring....

Buy a capacitor, too. It's worth the money when you consider that you will be running at least 500 watts at any given time. On loud music you will most likely hit upwards of 1000 watts!

[topherD]

here's my amp:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com....html

here are my subs:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com....html

yah i was originally looking at 8 gauge, so if 4 is ok then i'll go with that.

[equlizer]

Ive never ran a cap in my systems and never had problems. Caps are very small bandaids. If you notice your lights dimming and such, get a bigger capacity battery or higher amp alternator.

but yeh, go 4aug wire and 60-80 amp fuse (depends what it asks for)

There is a hole in the firewall right above the dead pedal (up pretty high)

[jfanaselle]

Buy a capacitor, too. It's worth the money when you consider that you will be running at least 500 watts at any given time.

Uh oh... not this can of worms again. This has been quite a topic for debate; both on this forum and elsewhere on the web (just check some of my posts from when I was creating my system - people get very opinionated about this topic!). There are many people who feel that adding a cap to a system actually does more harm than good because it increases the resistance and the overall electrical load. There are about one million articles all over the web which will offer all sorts of opinions and research or testing to either support or discount this idea.

My opinion has always been that capacitors do a great job to "stiffen" an electrical system, much like adding storage tanks to a water distrubition system in a city rather than adding larger pumps or wells to keep up with demand when it's high. However, simply adding a capacitor to a system does not compensate for not having enough amperage overall, so it's always a good idea to upgrade your alternator, your primary wiring and your battery in addition to adding a good sized cap to keep up with quick surges in power demand. The surplus amperage from the stock alternator is usually enough to handle one small amp, and during peak demands a capacitor can do alot of good with a mostly stock electrical system.

[NY.AD.MAN]

The reason why I always suggest a capacitor is as such:

The system with incur influxes of power whenever it is needed; i.e. a strong bass hit, the start of a loud song, or even just a lull in the wattage due to varying tempos and rhythms (continuous amount of power on held notes, wavering on rock that includes more drum beats)

- The capacitor is NOT a fix, I understand, I do installs and I understand that, through countless retorts, that capacitors are a "band aid"

BUT

- There is always a risk involved with aftermarket products (stereo-wise). In order to get more sound and clarity, you need more power (yes, some companies are more efficient, blah blah...), but what makes a capacitor worthwhile is the "return to equilibrium" of the system.

By adding a capacitor, you are NOT diminishing power drain, just making the power drain more fluid and actually improving the response of the subs and the speakers all the same! You decrease the amount of delay in the subs, cleaner hits and better sound quality due to adequate power reserves.

SO,

Before everyone starts crying "foul", think about the continuous nature of the power. Your stock wiring from Nissan is strong enough to handle the load, but you DO NOT want to push it!

[Kolk1]

I just did the BIG3 under the hood, and added a very small SVR battery, they only cost about $100, and mine doesnt dim at full volume with the headlights on. Im currently running about 2500-2700 RMS.

[jfanaselle]

I agree with NY on this one... simply upgrading the big three means that either your alternator or your battery are going to have to constantly fluxuate the amount of power they are delivering to the system which isn't healthy for either one. Adding the cap keeps the circuit more stable, and the amount of power being delivered by the alternator and battery are more consistant. This is exactly what capacitors are designed to do, which is why they're integrated into the power supply circuitry of almost every single electronic device you buy today. I spent about $30 on my cap and it works perfectly, but I'm only running around 1000 watts RMS total between both of my class D amplifiers, so I didn't upgrade the battery or alternator (I'm only drawing 20 or 25 amps max with the stereo cranked, which isn't often anyway). Stereo shops try to sell people capacitors when their electrical systems lack the amount of power necessary to drive the components they want to install, which is not right. As long as you use the cap for the right reasons (to stabilize or "stiffen" your electrical system), then they're very effective, but you shouldn't add a cap to a system to compensate for lack of power output from a battery or alternator.