Alpine Type-R: 2-ohm or 4-ohm for one sub and amp recommendation

[Golitan11]

1. 2-ohm or 4-ohm for a single subwoofer?

2. What amp do you prefer for the newer 1000W Alpine's Type-R model? I looked at the MRX-M110 from Alpine and noticed that it was 1100W RMS, is it too much for the subwoofer itself? I also looked at the Kenwood KAC-9105D (900W RMS), but I don't know if it's a good choice versus the Alpine one.

3. Will I need a capacitor, a new alternator or a new battery with this subwoofer/amplifier, or the stock ones on my Toyota Matrix 2004 will do the job?

4. Which ported box should I get for this subwoofer? Should I do it my self?

5. Do I need to change the stock speakers, or they will still be loud enough with the subwoofer?

Thanks for your help!

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[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

1. 2-ohm or 4-ohm for a single subwoofer?2. What amp do you prefer for the newer 1000W Alpine's Type-R model? I looked at the MRX-M110 from Alpine and noticed that it was 1100W RMS, is it too much for the subwoofer itself? I also looked at the Kenwood KAC-9105D (900W RMS), but I don't know if it's a good choice versus the Alpine one.

3. Will I need a capacitor, a new alternator or a new battery with this subwoofer/amplifier, or the stock material on my Toyota Matrix 2004 will do the job?

4. Which ported box should I get for this subwoofer? Should I do it my self?

5. Do I also need to change the stock speakers, or they will still be loud enough with the subwoofer?

Thanks for your help!

depends on your amp the kenwood amp is junk ,go with the alpine or even a better amp ,no cap do the big 3 instead , build your wn box .and yes you will need to upgrade the speakers with an amp down the road

 

[Golitan11]

Ok thanks but the subwoofer won't blow if the amp is rated at an higher power handling (like the 1100W amp with the 1000W subwoofer)? Also is Big 3 really necessary?

 

[Golitan11]

Ok I contacted multiple Crutchfield advisors (to have several opinions) and here is what they said (in general):

1. For a single subwoofer it is better to have the 4-ohms model and set it up in parallel to have a 2-ohm load in the amplifier.

2. Both amplifier will do the job, except that the Alpine one will provide more output, but cost a lot much.

3. A capacitor is definitely a must have at those power range to ensure that the amplifier is always correctly powered. They recommended me the Tsunami Litewave Series PP92UM-CAP.

4. I should build it myself for a better overall sound and specific tuning for my subwoofer.

5. I will need new speakers but I can only change those in the front and change those in the back down the road if I want. An amplifier is not necessary if I do not want to drive them crazy. They recommended me the Polk Audio db651s (more natural) and the Infinity Reference 6032cf (more crisp).

@mylows10 Why the Kenwood is junk and why the Big 3 is considered better than a capacitor?

What do you guys think?

 

[SounDrive Pro Seller]

Ok I contacted multiple Crutchfield advisors (to have several opinions) and here is what they said (in general):
1. For a single subwoofer it is better to have the 4-ohms model and set it up in parallel to have a 2-ohm load in the amplifier.

2. Both amplifier will do the job, except that the Alpine one will provide more output, but cost a lot much.

3. A capacitor is definitely a must have at those power range to ensure that the amplifier is always correctly powered. They recommended me the Tsunami Litewave Series PP92UM-CAP.

4. I should build it myself for a better overall sound and specific tuning for my subwoofer.

5. I will need new speakers but I can only change those in the front and change those in the back down the road if I want. An amplifier is not necessary if I do not want to drive them crazy. They recommended me the Polk Audio db651s (more natural) and the Infinity Reference 6032cf (more crisp).

@mylows10 Why the Kenwood is junk and why the Big 3 is considered better than a capacitor?

What do you guys think?

They're trying to get the most money out of you. DO NOT listen to them.

The big 3 allows you to get the most output out of your alternator without adding a HO alt. A capacitor is useless in the way you're thinking about using it, they simply can't hold enough power. The Kenwood amp won't do its rated power

 

[SounDrive Pro Seller]

1. Dual 2 ohm - wire to a 1 ohm load. I actually would recommend that you get a different sub, but that's up to you.

2. Look at a completely different brand. Look for around 900-1200w at 1 ohm. Soundqubed would be affordable

3. An AGM battery would help, but definitely do the big 3.

4. Buy a design from a professional and build it yourself

5. Stock speakers could use an upgrade, install the sub first and decide on your own. If nothing else new speakers would have better sound quality.

 

[zako 10+ year member]

@mylows10 Why the Kenwood is junk and why the Big 3 is considered better than a capacitor?

What do you guys think?

If you're concerned about your cars electrical, shouldn't you first worry about having wiring that's up to the task? You can have a considerable voltage drop due to flimsy factory wiring, weak battery, and rusted/weak terminals. Big three can have a big impact on audio system performance. Besides higher voltage, it will reduce the possibility of ground loops and other nastiness. The battery will charge faster, etc. In some cars this can also have benefits to the rest of drive train: faster, more consistent starts, brighter lights, etc. Likewise, consider running high quality power wires to your amp rack. Use at least a quality 4awg wire (e.g. Knu Kolossus). 1awg would be even better if you can route it to the trunk just fine (they're a lot thicker and less flexible). Once installed and configured you should test it out and only then worry about a capacitor.

I would have installed a SoundStream TN1.1200D or PPI P1000.1 amplifier for the subwoofer. They're the same amp board inside. You get about 1kwatts at 2ohms and slightly more at 1ohm. Alpine M110 is a good amplifier, but I heard it's built internally as a 2-channel that's bridged. So running 2ohm sub is like placing 1ohm load on individual channels. If you run TN1.1200D or PPI P1000.1 at 1ohm, you would also get slightly over 1000watts, but I would recommend to find an amp that can deliver the juice at 2ohm. For one, running at 2ohm is more efficient, which is highly relevant in your case since you're worried about the load on electrical system.

 

[SounDrive Pro Seller]

An amp that's only stable down to 2 ohms is barely more efficient at 2 ohms than a 1 ohm amp ran at 1 ohm. The difference on 1000w won't be a big deal.

 

[Golitan11]

@Tenacious What subwoofer do you prefer?

 

[SounDrive Pro Seller]

@Tenacious What subwoofer do you prefer?

There's a lot of options for you in that power range

Incriminator Lethal Injection (or flatlyne), Tantric MD, Sundown SA, DC level 2/3, the list goes on and on. The alpine isn't neccessarily *bad*, but better quality can be had. My friend had a pair of the new Type Rs for less than a month before he cracked the dustcap on one of them.

 

[Golitan11]

By the way how do you know the Kenwood amps are specs boosted? My friend has one and it blows out everything. Also most of the review on them are really good, even on forums.

Do you have a good website for enclosure plans?

Thanks.