Car Amp

[SirDorksAlot]

ok i know this realy dosent belong in this forum but i like you guys and i dont feel like signing up for a stupid forum. ok im buying a amp and some subwoofers for my car and i need to know all the good stuff like what kind sounds best and kicks how hard is it to install myself and the most important how do i change the volume i have a sony explosion radio it has an amp out does it change through that or what thank you

[InvaderTrax]

When you turn the volume up on the radio, it will make the subs louder too. As for an amp, don't cheap out. Good amps are expensive. You can find things like Pyramid 1200 watt amps for $60, but they'll burn up in a month. JL, Audiobahn, and Kicker are awesome. Have you picked some subs yet? I've got two 10" Audiobahn's I'd sell for $120 + shipping (600 watts each)

[SirDorksAlot]

no subs or amp yet but im thinking ten inch not sure how much would you say a good amp is like a price range for good but not the best

[InvaderTrax]

Well, it really depends on your budget and how much power you want. A high powered amp can cost well over $300. The midgrade stuff like Sony, Pioneer, and even Lightning Audio, can be more reasonable. You can pick up some pretty nice subs for ~$100 and a good amp ~$200. Nothing competition grade, but good enough for a regular person looking for loud music and to piss off some people at a traffic light

[DavidJL]

I have a Rockford Fosgate 900W amp, and 2 10' sony subs. Neither the subs nor the amp are the best, but they are very good. The amp is awesome and it cost about $200 if I remember correctly. As for the subs, I would get Fosgate subs also, but I couldn't afford them at the time I was getting my stuff. If you really have some spare change, get Alpine subs. As far as installation goes, unless you know how to, don't do it. And based on the fact that you are asking if it's hard, I'm assuming you don't know how. Besides, most places(car audio places at least) do the installation for free when you're buying that much stuff. Hope this helps.

[Guest FxXP]

Beginner systems usually start out using a basic deck, 45wx4 or so possibly like yours (usually is 50x4 for Sony decks).

 

Second off, you have your mono-block, commonly referred to as a 2 channel amp cross-overed into a mono amp. This can reduce the ohm rating from 4 ohm to 2 ohm to provide more powerful bass to your subwoofers. If your amp does not support cross-over, do not attempt to do so. You can blow up your amp.

 

Most kids start off with this configuration, or add a small booster to their mid-range speakers. Some will add 6x9's for the mid tones and use some small amps to power them as well or run off the same amp as the mids or tweets.

 

More advanced setups include power caps to clean out the signal from your alternator to your amplifier. Some of the best ones I have seen are made by P.G. You can also include DSP's (Digital Signal Processors) to control what frequencies go to each speaker. When you start getting into this kind of setup, a more powerful alternator may be required. Most find out the hard way by putting all this stuff into their vehicle, turn the key and can't crank the motor. Some even blow the alternator before it will start.

 

You also have to be very careful with your wiring. There are several "gauges" of cable for every application. Subwoofers use lower gauge cables while mids and tweets use higher gauge cables. The lower the gauge, the more power it can carry. This is good and bad. A lower gauge can also take power away if used incorrectly.

 

This is probably all confusing to you, but I have learned my stuff from a few IASCA competitors that are friends of mine. You also have to figure out what you are going for, dBL or SPL. dBL is for those that want to achieve the maximum decibels before windows start blowing up. SPL is for those attune to sound quality and do anything to achieve it.