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Sub/amp question

Discussion in 'Audio & Video' started by mike686, Feb 22, 2011.

  1. Feb 22, 2011 at 3:55 PM
    #1
    mike686

    mike686 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    ok now im not so sure if this is really a good question to ask but i got to, which is better to have a single amp powering my whole system or have one for the speakers and one for the sub? and if two is better would it be good to have them both by the same brand or would it matter if they were different brands?
     
  2. Feb 22, 2011 at 4:17 PM
    #2
    IRDCTACO

    IRDCTACO Well-Known Member

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    People buy multiple amps mostly for ease of configuration. This doesn’t make them better or worse than having a single amp but that’s why most people run them.

    As for brands, it makes no difference if you use multiple brands of amps. In truth, as long as everything is optimally configured, you shouldn’t be able to tell the difference between them anyway.

    I use a 4 channel amp. The 1st and 2nd channel run the front components and the 3rd and 4th are bridged to a single sub.
     
  3. Feb 22, 2011 at 4:24 PM
    #3
    mike686

    mike686 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    yeah im just starting to really read and try to do this, im building my system in stages, head and speakers are first then amp and subs are second ... so what is the bridged mean? is that like having both of the channels used for the amp so its like twice the rating or no?
     
  4. Feb 22, 2011 at 4:30 PM
    #4
    DubVtundy

    DubVtundy ERMAHGERD

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    i am in the procees of putting a system in my taco now. as of now the headunit and speakers are in the subs should be here 2morrow then the amp and wiring. i am running a pioneer single din, image dynamics CTX65cs 6.5 speakers all the way around with the tweets and then two precision power 8" SQ subs in a custom made ported box. should be done here within about 4 weeks i will post up pics when it is all finished or in the process lol

    also in my opinion i would deff go with rockford fosgate amps they are very powerful and for the price you cant beat them. i will be runinng a 400.4
     
  5. Feb 22, 2011 at 4:32 PM
    #5
    DubVtundy

    DubVtundy ERMAHGERD

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    and to your questioin of having 1 or multiple amps it just depends on what you are running and how many watts your shooting for. the more wattage the louder but also have to spend the extra cash for things that can handle more wattage
     
  6. Feb 22, 2011 at 4:32 PM
    #6
    mike686

    mike686 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    yeah two things i havent looked at at all is subs and amps, i have now hybrid audio clarus's going in the front and hybrid imagines goin in the rear with a alpine 305xd i think is the name its 305 something lol
     
  7. Feb 22, 2011 at 4:37 PM
    #7
    mike686

    mike686 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    so the watts rating on speakers is how much it can handle correct or is that the rms rating?
     
  8. Feb 22, 2011 at 4:43 PM
    #8
    DubVtundy

    DubVtundy ERMAHGERD

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    im not a big audio junkie or nothing jus know the basics lol i do know that when you say watts rating on speakers when it says the rating is usally around 200 for a decent set of speakers dont run them at 200 that usally means a peak power of watts lol i can ask my friend here later and get back to you he is the one that is helping me and he knows pretty much anything you wanna know about speakers or anything
     
  9. Feb 22, 2011 at 4:43 PM
    #9
    mike686

    mike686 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    is 100 watts continuos a good rating on speakers?
     
  10. Feb 22, 2011 at 4:45 PM
    #10
    DubVtundy

    DubVtundy ERMAHGERD

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  11. Feb 22, 2011 at 4:48 PM
    #11
    DubVtundy

    DubVtundy ERMAHGERD

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    lemme think i could be wrong here but i think if you are running a 400.4 amp usually your rms rating will be around 50 per speaker which is plenty on a speaker on a 4 channel amp i could be wrong so if anyone know just jump in and correct me
     
  12. Feb 22, 2011 at 4:55 PM
    #12
    IRDCTACO

    IRDCTACO Well-Known Member

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    Bridging an amp is as you described. You take two channels and turn it into one. What you get out of that channel depends on the amp though. Theoretically it should quadruple but must amps limit their current in one way or another.

    You could buy a 4 channel amp and run your Clarus compnents of 1 and 2 and then bridge the last to channels for a sub. This would leave the head unit to power the rear. Or you could buy a 4 channel amp for the front and rear speakers and buy a separate subwoofer amp. It would mostly depend on how many subwoofers you buy or how loud you listen to your music.

    The RMS rating of a speaker is what the speaker can handle continuously and still be covered under the manufacturer’s warranty. It has little bearing on how the speaker sounds.
     
  13. Feb 22, 2011 at 5:00 PM
    #13
    mike686

    mike686 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    cool im thinking im gonna have to buy 2 amps for the way i want it i listen to my music loud especially in the summer with the windows down XD i guess thats more money into the project ... so someone said rockfords? what about the alpine pdx-5 or any of the pdx line ?
     
  14. Feb 22, 2011 at 5:32 PM
    #14
    IRDCTACO

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    #14
  15. Feb 22, 2011 at 6:13 PM
    #15
    bookmonke

    bookmonke Well-Known Member

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    I just got a JL XD400 off craigslist for $200 and this thing is small fit under the driver seat without any problems, it is powering my kappa's in all doors.
     
  16. Feb 22, 2011 at 6:25 PM
    #16
    Gingrbredman

    Gingrbredman Love the Tick!

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    If you are going to buy 2 amps, I don't think you want to go with the PDX-5. That one is a 5 channel amp which you would need only 1.
     
  17. Feb 23, 2011 at 2:53 AM
    #17
    mike686

    mike686 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    No I was only asking about the pdx5 as quality I know now I need a four channel amp for the speakers and a mono for my sub
     
  18. Feb 23, 2011 at 4:59 AM
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    beatle

    beatle Well-Known Member

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    The PDX line is very good. Lots of power in a very small space, and they're not outrageously priced for what they deliver. Check for a used one on ebay to save a few bucks.
     
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  19. Feb 23, 2011 at 6:07 AM
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    Gingrbredman

    Gingrbredman Love the Tick!

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    Amazon also has them on sale quite a bit and you can pick them up for the same price as you will see on ebay.
     
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  20. Feb 23, 2011 at 6:11 AM
    #20
    ItalynStylion

    ItalynStylion Sounds Gooooood

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    Why was the PDX5 cast out of the voting pool? The PDX5 is all the amp you'd ever need and it's the size of a text book.
     

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