5 channel or 2 amps?

[m48xhp 10+ year member]

never seen a 5 channel in action, and ive never heard anything about them. But it would be cheaper to do that.

any feedback helps!

thanks

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[~Magick_Man~ 10+ year member]

well i am currently running a directed 6 channel for my system

it all depends on what kind of power you need it to put out

and what do you consider cheap.

once we have established those 2 things we can give some better responses.

~Magick_Man~

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

well i am currently running a directed 6 channel for my system it all depends on what kind of power you need it to put out

and what do you consider cheap.

once we have established those 2 things we can give some better responses.

~Magick_Man~

Exactly right.

If the output of a 5 or 6 channel amp is suitable for your intended purposel then certainly it can simplify an install having all you various channels of amplification in one chassis.

The downside to amps like that is that, with a few exceptions, the subwoofer output normally isn't too terribly much power. But if a 5 channel amp will do what you need it to do then by all means use it!

 

[m48xhp 10+ year member]

well im looking at the zx700.5. the price will be almost the same as the zx400.1 and zx350.1 together, but a litle less to install. wattage wise, the 5 channel has 20more sub watts and 5 less watts per comonent channel. nothing significant.

im trying to run one sub and 4 speakers. the usual.

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

im trying to run one sub and 4 speakers. the usual.

Is this the norm now? Alrighty then....

I just got it done with a 4ch and a monoblock....I guess again, the usual.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

One other thing to consider is that if the high freq channels and the subchannel(s) share a power supply, the sub channels tend to **** the supply dry on transients and the mid/high channels fall flat on their face and sound like crap. For that reason alone, I will probably never go with a single amp setup.

 

[m48xhp 10+ year member]

One other thing to consider is that if the high freq channels and the subchannel(s) share a power supply, the sub channels tend to **** the supply dry on transients and the mid/high channels fall flat on their face and sound like crap. For that reason alone, I will probably never go with a single amp setup.

would this not be the same if you ran the 2 amps off a distribution block?

 

[Bake 10+ year member]

Yep, sure could. Current follows the path of least resistance.

 

[azbass 5,000+ posts]

JL 500/5 is an awsome amp.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

No it isn't the same. It's not the car's power supply that has the problem, it's the amp's supply. The low freq channels rob power from the high freq channels during transients and the amp's power supply usually won't keep up in my experience.

I have seen multi-channel amps that are really two entirely separate amps that just have one heatsink. They have multiple power connections and multiple power supplies and won't suffer the above problem.

 

[m48xhp 10+ year member]

well im no longer down on the 700.5 but we just got one in today and not only is it HUGE, but the birthsheet prints a WHOPPING 998w!!!!!!!!!!! 223w over the 765w rating! i was amazed. the 750.1s also rang up as 935w and 940w!!!

 

[iagrdshaka 5,000+ posts]

A good electrical system should easily support the amp so that wouldnt happen.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

A good electrical system should easily support the amp so that wouldnt happen.

With a high quality amp that would be the case. The amp power supply should be able to supply plenty of current for both sections of the amp. Most amps however are not so well built. The amp's power supply can provide plenty of current until you turn the volume up a bit on a song with a strong beat and then the low freq channel(s) hog all the current. The car's electrical system can supply tons of current to the amp but if the amp's power supply can't send that current on to the output stages of the amp at the proper voltage when it's needed, the car's electrical system isn't the limiting factor.