looking for a good amp

im looking for an amp to power all my door speakers tweets and a sub. that wont break the bank

 

How much room are you willing to give up and how much is your budget?

 

I would do this....great price and a great amp. Plus, you can put it anywhere.

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_12415_Alpine+PDX-5.html

 

ItalynStalion,

I was looking at this amplifier at one time because it seemed like the perfect amp for me, but some of the numbers on it are shockingly poor IMO. Specifically I did not like the THD (1%) and S/N (77dB) specifications and thus I looked around more and found I much prefer the specs listed for the JL HD900/5.

There is a considerable price difference granted, but I could not in all good conscience buy the Alpine. I don't know how much to trust these numbers from each manufacturer. Can you address these concerns using personal experience, or maybe explain how much weight to put on these specs when considering purchasing either amplifier? I looked around but couldn't really find a good answer when I was trying make a decision between the two.

Thanks.

 

Sub'ed

 

not much room and no more than 4 bills

 

All good questions and I've had the same concerns.

Some sound quality freaks have said the PDX5 has a higher than normal noise floor and some people really didn't find it high at all. I've heard one before and it really wasn't bad at all.

The THD spec isn't really something I'd worry about unless you're a hardcore SQ competitor.

That being said, I am a SQ competitor and I plan to compete with the truck. That lead to me buying the JL HD900/5. But for most other people I think the PDX5 is a great amp in a tiny package that will run hard.

Some ways you could help diminish any noise floor would be to choose a headunit that has high voltage pre-outs so you can keep the gains lower on the amp. That will lower the noise floor on any amp. You could also run very efficient speakers.

*PS: It should also be noted that most PDX amps make more power than stated.

 

Then I'd go with the PDX5 for sure. Shop around though. SonicElectronix has good prices but they might not be the absolute lowest.

 

If you do find a price lower than SonicElectronix they will price match and usually beat wherever you find it though. I've bought a couple of complete systems from them and never had any problems. Even had a manager at BestBuy tell me I was a liar when I told him how much I had paid for a pair of speakers. Should have seen his face when I showed him how much they were online.

 

Thanks ItalynStylion for your input. I definitely feel more like I made the right choice for my needs now.

 

fwiw, i've always had good luck with fosgate and ppi.