Hey all. I'm wondering you can help me understand how to match an amp to a sub. I am planning on getting 2 Rockford Fosgate Power HX2 with this power range:"power range 150-1,000 watts RMS (500 watts per coil)"
How should I pick an amp? I am just going to use the amp to power the subwoofers. I guess I should go for a mono subwoofer amp? Or a 2-channel amp? I usually go check the specs out a http://www.crutchfield.com and if you can show me how to pick from the power ratings I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks, I'm really clueless when it comes to audio.
I need help picking an amplifier
-
hyb force soldier
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 3:31 pm
- Car: 1981 Datsun 210, 1987 Toyota Supra, 1989 Toyota Cressida
I'd suggest you give us an idea of what compents you have (HU, mids, highs, cap?, etc) and what your budget is.
"Blindly", I'd suggest an Autotek MX or SX series.
As far as, 2-channel or mono, (w/pr of subs) I'd suggest a big 4-channel and bridge each side on a sub. My personal experiences was that was an easier to maintain/balance/adjust.
<get us more info, we'll give you more advice>
"Blindly", I'd suggest an Autotek MX or SX series.
As far as, 2-channel or mono, (w/pr of subs) I'd suggest a big 4-channel and bridge each side on a sub. My personal experiences was that was an easier to maintain/balance/adjust.
<get us more info, we'll give you more advice>
i'm assuming that the subs have dual TWO ohm voice coils each... so if you run the subs in series and bridge them on the amp you will get your 2 ohm load... i think that's the best you can do, cause otherwise you'll be runnin a 0.5 ohm load with both subs in parallel bridged and not too many amps are stable down to that low...
for the 2 ohm load you'd want, on each sub, connect the POSITIVE from one of the coils to the NEGATIVE of the other coil (series connection)... once you got that done, then you connect the left over NEGATIVES from each sub to each other, and the left over POSITIVES to each other, and bridge the amp... you'll get two ohms out of this configuration...
SO when looking for an amp for these subs, look at it's RMS power output at 2-ohms, try to get one that puts out AT LEAST 600W @ 2ohms... IDEALLY you would get an amp that puts out 2000W @ 2 ohms, and that's a hard find, but U.S. AMPS has their 2000X amp that will do 2000W RMS at 4-ohms bridged , which you could run by just running your subs in series... eBay has em' going for around $500 US, and I don't know what your budget is like, but that amp is sick my friend! :puke
for more info on bridging your subs, go HERE , and if your subs are dual 4-ohm voice coil, it explains how to run a 1-ohm config, giving you the most power...
for the 2 ohm load you'd want, on each sub, connect the POSITIVE from one of the coils to the NEGATIVE of the other coil (series connection)... once you got that done, then you connect the left over NEGATIVES from each sub to each other, and the left over POSITIVES to each other, and bridge the amp... you'll get two ohms out of this configuration...
SO when looking for an amp for these subs, look at it's RMS power output at 2-ohms, try to get one that puts out AT LEAST 600W @ 2ohms... IDEALLY you would get an amp that puts out 2000W @ 2 ohms, and that's a hard find, but U.S. AMPS has their 2000X amp that will do 2000W RMS at 4-ohms bridged , which you could run by just running your subs in series... eBay has em' going for around $500 US, and I don't know what your budget is like, but that amp is sick my friend! :puke
for more info on bridging your subs, go HERE , and if your subs are dual 4-ohm voice coil, it explains how to run a 1-ohm config, giving you the most power...
Well, if they're DVC subs 2-ohms per coil (as ayjay pointed out) you may want to go with a series/parallel set up. You could
- Series each coil to create a 4-ohm load per speaker
- Then parallel the 2 speakers together to create a 2-ohm load
- Then find a monster mono amp like either the MX-2000 or MX-5000
- Let it hit like a load of bricks
- Re-tighten all screws an bolts on the back of the car
-
hyb force soldier
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 3:31 pm
- Car: 1981 Datsun 210, 1987 Toyota Supra, 1989 Toyota Cressida
Yeah, I am starting to learn more about amps and subs. As I said before I am a total newbie when it comes to the audio part of a car, but I am pretty knowledgeble when it comes to performance and such, thanks all!
So I would look for an amp that puts 2000W @ 2 ohms? I'll check out the link and maybe do a little research.
So I would look for an amp that puts 2000W @ 2 ohms? I'll check out the link and maybe do a little research.
-
hyb force soldier
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 3:31 pm
- Car: 1981 Datsun 210, 1987 Toyota Supra, 1989 Toyota Cressida
-
hyb force soldier
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 3:31 pm
- Car: 1981 Datsun 210, 1987 Toyota Supra, 1989 Toyota Cressida
Here's a little background on Series & Parallel:
<anymore questions, just ask. We'll help>
- Series - A configuration in which a single current path is arranged among all components. Connecting the positive speaker output of an amplifier channel to the positive terminal of speaker # 1 , connecting the negative terminal of # 1 to the positive terminal of speaker # 2, and the negative terminal of # 2 to the negative output of the same amplifier channel is a series connection.
- Parallel - A configuration in which the same voltage is applied to all components, with current divided among the components according to their respective resistances or impedances. Example: All positive leads of two or more speakers connected together and all negative leads connected together.
- "Pro's & Con's" ... hmm that's hard to say. The main purpose is to adjust the "load" the amplifier sees. Most car audio amplifiers are designed to operate between 4 and 2 ohms. Some "high performance" amps are designed to run at 1 or even 0.5 an ohm. By using series, parallel or a combination of both you can create the ideal "load" for the amp to see/perform.
<anymore questions, just ask. We'll help>
-
whiterps13
- Posts: 4217
- Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2003 9:45 am
- Car: white LE hatch
first off, power hx2's are definately not a good beginner sub. you have no idea how powerful these things are. my friend hooked these up in an svt contour and they hit so hard they made his cd skip and then shut his car off due to all of the power taken from the alternator. when you start playing with 4000 watts you need more than just an amp. if you want to run these reliably you will need a dry-cell battery or capacitor, 0 gauge wire, a very solid box, and possibly a competition alternator. once you realize the cost of all this you will most likely not want these subs. id stick with something of a lower wattage, like 1000 watts peak, and you should be happy with the amount of bass.
-
hyb force soldier
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 3:31 pm
- Car: 1981 Datsun 210, 1987 Toyota Supra, 1989 Toyota Cressida
whiterps13... don't scare him off too much about going for big power. i don't know what kind of deck your friend had but it musta sucked if it skipped because of the bass :pface you'd also be surprised how much power you can actually run with just a deep cell battery. my friend had an Earthquake PHD2 Shredder (2000W+ rms @ 1 ohm i think, and known to draw insane amounts of current) hooked up to one 15" Beyond Audio Inhuman (300oz magnet, triple spiders, etc...) and his headlights would only dim considerably when he was sitting at idle and crankin it about 3/4 full volume (92 integra)... he also won EVERY competition he entered for an entire season in his class. so for 2000W you could easily get by with just a deep cell battery and a capacitor...
OH and subs don't draw from the alternator, the amps do... but i get your point about what the side effects can be of a powerful system improperly setup...
PS. whiterps13, i wouldn't mind seein some pics of your car if you do actually have an RPS13... my msn is [email protected]. thanks man!
OH and subs don't draw from the alternator, the amps do... but i get your point about what the side effects can be of a powerful system improperly setup...
PS. whiterps13, i wouldn't mind seein some pics of your car if you do actually have an RPS13... my msn is [email protected]. thanks man!
-
whiterps13
- Posts: 4217
- Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2003 9:45 am
- Car: white LE hatch
That would suggest that it was either at a greater angle than the manufacturer recommends or something along those lines. Most of the higher end HU's (like the 8500) should sample nearly a full second to allow for any track "mis-reads" (aka skips) and re-read before playing.
Think about the way portable CD players are made to allow you to run and don't skip.
<you do bring up good points that he should consider before just throwing a bunch of components in a car>
Think about the way portable CD players are made to allow you to run and don't skip.
<you do bring up good points that he should consider before just throwing a bunch of components in a car>
YE OL System Building Philosophy
If there was ever a natural progression in the way that people build their first systems and learn about car audio, I think it would go something like this.One of your buddies has some sweet subs that make a lot of noise while vibrating your hair. People then think that subs are really sweet for attracting a lot of attention and not really for producing the much needed low frequency band. So you go spend your whole wad on killer subs and a not so powerful sub amp only to find out that installing it costs WAY TOO MUCH MONEY. You consider installing it yourself... you come to the conclusion that you dont know the difference between 8 awg wire and you elbow, so you pay for it to be installed by the shop. Now you are broke, but your new system rattles the trunk, so you are happy, your friends ask for rides everywhere because they want to be seen in the car with the "SYSTEM" and thats just great. Then you find out that your interior speakers are making obscene farting and pinging noises and think that you really need to do something about them. Thus it is where you learn about distortion, crossovers, and why they exist. This is most likely the first experience you have with "blown speakers". So you save some cash and finally get better highs/mids only to find out that they need more power than your paltry factory 9 watts per channel poop deck. So you either get a cd deck with higher power, an amplifier for your highs/mids, or eventually both while worrying the whole time that they need to "match" the brands on everything to make it sound right. (true for high/mid speakers mostly... but not for anything else) So they now have a pretty decent system goin on. BUT now the rattling of the trunk and the buzzing of the interior panels starts to bug you everytime you play anything remotely loud. This is usually where you learn about sound dampening material. Your buddy that kinda knows about car audio tells you that he knew some guy with a really sweet system that had a bunch of roofing tar paper in the trunk, or if you dont live in the ghetto... dynamat original. So you end up sound deadening your trunklid with whatever you eventually come to a conclusion on is the best stuff. By now you are starting to actually be able to recognize how a system should be set up. After all this, you start selling your old stuff for better stuff and it becomes the never ending money pit that car stuff usually turns out to be. You die... The End.
Moral of the story: A system with --balance-- is the best system, unless you never made it out of the boom-hoppa subwoofer BASS craze and became a USAC Outlaw SPL junkie and just live life for subwoofers and bass cd's. Then balance means nothing to you. But for the rest of us that like music to sound right, balance your system design, sound dampen it, spend quality time tweaking the bass/treble controls till you find what you like. You dont have to spend a fortune on a system to make it sound good (though you eventually will).
AND ABOVE ALL... Your system is only as good as its weakest link.
May God have mercy on your soul.
If there was ever a natural progression in the way that people build their first systems and learn about car audio, I think it would go something like this.One of your buddies has some sweet subs that make a lot of noise while vibrating your hair. People then think that subs are really sweet for attracting a lot of attention and not really for producing the much needed low frequency band. So you go spend your whole wad on killer subs and a not so powerful sub amp only to find out that installing it costs WAY TOO MUCH MONEY. You consider installing it yourself... you come to the conclusion that you dont know the difference between 8 awg wire and you elbow, so you pay for it to be installed by the shop. Now you are broke, but your new system rattles the trunk, so you are happy, your friends ask for rides everywhere because they want to be seen in the car with the "SYSTEM" and thats just great. Then you find out that your interior speakers are making obscene farting and pinging noises and think that you really need to do something about them. Thus it is where you learn about distortion, crossovers, and why they exist. This is most likely the first experience you have with "blown speakers". So you save some cash and finally get better highs/mids only to find out that they need more power than your paltry factory 9 watts per channel poop deck. So you either get a cd deck with higher power, an amplifier for your highs/mids, or eventually both while worrying the whole time that they need to "match" the brands on everything to make it sound right. (true for high/mid speakers mostly... but not for anything else) So they now have a pretty decent system goin on. BUT now the rattling of the trunk and the buzzing of the interior panels starts to bug you everytime you play anything remotely loud. This is usually where you learn about sound dampening material. Your buddy that kinda knows about car audio tells you that he knew some guy with a really sweet system that had a bunch of roofing tar paper in the trunk, or if you dont live in the ghetto... dynamat original. So you end up sound deadening your trunklid with whatever you eventually come to a conclusion on is the best stuff. By now you are starting to actually be able to recognize how a system should be set up. After all this, you start selling your old stuff for better stuff and it becomes the never ending money pit that car stuff usually turns out to be. You die... The End.
Moral of the story: A system with --balance-- is the best system, unless you never made it out of the boom-hoppa subwoofer BASS craze and became a USAC Outlaw SPL junkie and just live life for subwoofers and bass cd's. Then balance means nothing to you. But for the rest of us that like music to sound right, balance your system design, sound dampen it, spend quality time tweaking the bass/treble controls till you find what you like. You dont have to spend a fortune on a system to make it sound good (though you eventually will).
AND ABOVE ALL... Your system is only as good as its weakest link.
May God have mercy on your soul.
-
whiterps13
- Posts: 4217
- Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2003 9:45 am
- Car: white LE hatch
-
MECPInstaller
- Posts: 811
- Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2003 10:49 am
- Car: installing stereo systems and minor performance upgrades
whiterps13 wrote:first off, power hx2's are definately not a good beginner sub. you have no idea how powerful these things are. my friend hooked these up in an svt contour and they hit so hard they made his cd skip and then shut his car off due to all of the power taken from the alternator. when you start playing with 4000 watts you need more than just an amp. if you want to run these reliably you will need a dry-cell battery or capacitor, 0 gauge wire, a very solid box, and possibly a competition alternator. once you realize the cost of all this you will most likely not want these subs. id stick with something of a lower wattage, like 1000 watts peak, and you should be happy with the amount of bass.
Yeah Hx2s aren't somethign for the weak or those who love pure crisp bass. My old boss had an eclipse with 4 12" Hx2's running with 2 BD1500's when he pulled it in the bay to tune the amps the whole place shook i had to poke my head in it and you could barely hear the frontstage at all over the deafing bass frontstage was alpine type r components gettin 100 to each side
saw acouple quotes earlier so heres you one to think about20% product 80%install= key to a successful system great subs in crappy boxes will sound crappy:)