2 or 4 channel for speakers???

[SirSyko 10+ year member]

I want to get an amp to power my 4 5x7 Alpine speakers. I dont know if I need a 2 channel or 4 channel amp. And what would be the difference between the two. I want to get a hifonics amp so please help me out.

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[EskimoMice 10+ year member]

A 4 channel will let you fade front/back and left/right... not only that, but you can then bridge two channels to make the 4 channel a 2 channel. So you get both a 4 and 2 channel if you buy a 4 channel. I guess the only down side is that 4 channels don't usually push out more power than a 2 channel and cost a little bit more

EX:

4 channel 50x4 = 50 watts per speaker (4 speakers)

4 channel 50x4 bridged = 50 watts per speaker (4 speakers)

2 channel 100x2 = 50 watts per speaker...

ok, the example is like crap with no ohms or anything, but you get the idea...

also if you don't have components, you may want to consider getting a two channel. Let me explain: in a few cars I've listen to with no components, the driver and passenger's legs get in the way of the speaker in the front (mainly the tweeter) and the sound gets muffled, so you want more power to the front than to the back so you get better sound balance. so if you get the two channel, you can then fade front and back by hooking up the left channel to the back and the right channel to the front... (kinda ghetto way of doing it but... oh well) and have your HU fade to the right(ie front) a few clicks.... 2 channel gives you more power to work with too... especially if your speakers are going to be a 2 ohm load...

don't know much about hifonics amps.... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[ChevyBoy 10+ year member]

hifonics 6400 and you'll be straight

 

[EskimoMice 10+ year member]

I'd try this one for a 2 channel : Hifonics XI-SAMSON(175x2) or ZX6000(??x2)

for a 4 channel try out : ZX6400(??x4) like ChevyBoy said, or the Hifonics XI Europa(50x4)

Good huntin...

 

[SirSyko 10+ year member]

A 4 channel will let you fade front/back and left/right... not only that, but you can then bridge two channels to make the 4 channel a 2 channel. So you get both a 4 and 2 channel if you buy a 4 channel. I guess the only down side is that 4 channels don't usually push out more power than a 2 channel and cost a little bit more
EX:

4 channel 50x4 = 50 watts per speaker (4 speakers)

4 channel 50x4 bridged = 50 watts per speaker (4 speakers)

2 channel 100x2 = 50 watts per speaker...

ok, the example is like crap with no ohms or anything, but you get the idea...

also if you don't have components, you may want to consider getting a two channel. Let me explain: in a few cars I've listen to with no components, the driver and passenger's legs get in the way of the speaker in the front (mainly the tweeter) and the sound gets muffled, so you want more power to the front than to the back so you get better sound balance. so if you get the two channel, you can then fade front and back by hooking up the left channel to the back and the right channel to the front... (kinda ghetto way of doing it but... oh well) and have your HU fade to the right(ie front) a few clicks.... 2 channel gives you more power to work with too... especially if your speakers are going to be a 2 ohm load...

don't know much about hifonics amps.... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

That wouldnt be a good way to hook up a 2 channel amp because then you would be getting stereo sound from the front to rear and that would sound weird. Why not hook up left channel to left side and right channel to right side.

 

[EskimoMice 10+ year member]

that way of hooking up a two channel amp is only good for cars with no component speakers because of the sound blocked by the driver and passenger's legs. try placing your leg in front of a coaxial speaker in your car and you'll see what I mean. You need to be able to fade more power to the front speakers to balance out the sound else it's going to sound like sound is coming from your rear speakers more than your front (ie horrible imaging). so you want to be able to fade front to back more than left to right on cars with front coaxial speakers that are at the bottom of the door (as most car speakers are located). (yes it does make it stereo, but it will be balanced sound, personally I'd like to take better imaging over left/right fade)

In a nut shell: coaxial tweeter gets blocked by feet in the front so you want to be able to fade to front more, therefore set up 2-channel to fade front to back.

disclaimer: doing this will on some songs sound weird, cuz some songs do the left right fade thingy. so instead of fading left to right it'll fade front to back (weird effect, but I don't think it'll sound that bad...)

hope that clarified what I was trying to say.

I have that same problem with my coaxials in the front. you can either upgrade your front speakers to components and have your tweeters up higher away from your feet or do what I suggested or something else that I haven't thought of. if anyone else knows of any other way of getting around this problem please tell me. =)

best way to understand this is get in your car and turn on your music and put your foot up next to the speaker in the front door and block it's sound and that's what is happening. (I found this out by accident while driving , "what the crap? where did my sound go?" ... doh!)

 

[limitkid7 5,000+ posts]

hifonics 6400 and you'll be straight

SPEAKING OF THAT..

I HAVE ONE FOR SALE ZX6400

IN THE 200'S$