Amp Help

[Setty7 10+ year member]

Hi guys, pretty new to the forum. I have a few questions. My brother is looking to get either

1 (12) RE Audio SEX12D2 or

1 (12)Rockford Fosgate P3D2-12 (11P3D212).

He doesnt know which one to get? Is one ultimately better than the other? RMS is the same on both.

And as far as an amp goes I am clueless. Definitely would like a class D monoblock with 1 channel. When it comes to wiring it we are gonna wire down to 1ohm. So when looking for an amp do I look at what the rms is for one channel? Or how does that work?

For example the Hifonics ZRX2000.1D is 2000 watts X 1 channel at 1ohm. Would that be overpowering the sub? Do I match the subs PEAK output with the amps output at 1ohm?

Sorry for my dumbness but im confused on what to look for in an amp and definitely dont want to blow the sub or amp up.

Thanks guys!

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[cdc351jeferson 10+ year member]

You want to match to the rms rating of the sub . Also is he dead set on those there is better for around the same price or cheaper. Sundown SA 12 would be a better choice. 600rms under rated can take 1000watts rms clean power easily .

 

[its10v1 10+ year member]

You want to match the RMS rating of each, Normally the RMS is 1/2 the Peak. So 2000x1 @ 1 Ohm PEAK should mean it will do 1000x1 @ 1 Ohm RMS. If you were to purchase that amp, I'd avoid turning the gain up too high as each sub is only rated for 600w RMS. It doesn't hurt to have an amp that will do more RMS than your sub is rated for, just keep your gain down, and make sure you wire the subs correctly. I was running a RF T112D2 on lower quality amps that probably did no where near what they're rated for. Just be conservative and always set your gain using a DMM.

Guide to setting Amplifier Gain(s) with a DMM

 

[Setty7 10+ year member]

You want to match to the rms rating of the sub . Also is he dead set on those there is better for around the same price or cheaper. Sundown SA 12 would be a better choice. 600rms under rated can take 1000watts rms clean power easily .

we are both fairly new in the car audio world. He doesnt know many brands, just your basic alpine, pioneer, sony etc. If yall can elightnen me on some better sounding/better quality subs please. His price range is around $160 for 1 (12") and around $200 for 2 (10 ")subs. As far as amps his budget is between $150-$250..

You want to match the RMS rating of each, Normally the RMS is 1/2 the Peak. So 2000x1 @ 1 Ohm PEAK should mean it will do 1000x1 @ 1 Ohm RMS. If you were to purchase that amp, I'd avoid turning the gain up too high as each sub is only rated for 600w RMS. It doesn't hurt to have an amp that will do more RMS than your sub is rated for, just keep your gain down, and make sure you wire the subs correctly. I was running a RF T112D2 on lower quality amps that probably did no where near what they're rated for. Just be conservative and always set your gain using a DMM.
Guide to setting Amplifier Gain(s) with a DMM

Thanks man, so if the sub is rated at 600 watts rms look for an amp that puts out between 600-800 give or take at one channel at 1ohm?

 

[cdc351jeferson 10+ year member]

we are both fairly new in the car audio world. He doesnt know many brands, just your basic alpine, pioneer, sony etc. If yall can elightnen me on some better sounding/better quality subs please. His price range is around $160 for 1 (12") and around $200 for 2 (10 ")subs. As far as amps his budget is between $150-$250..


Thanks man, so if the sub is rated at 600 watts rms look for an amp that puts out between 600-800 give or take at one channel at 1ohm?

yeah man that power is good and for a single sub yo uwould need a dual 2 ohm voice coil i would look into sundown dc soem audioQ some of that stuff can be had cheap used . google audioque and check out their 2.0 subs good price and they make pretty good stuff .

 

[its10v1 10+ year member]

Well the amp you have in mind is fine. Infact you shouldn't have any problems running it at 600w rms on 1 channel at 1-Ohm. I would recommend looking for an amp that will do 200-400w more than the rms rating of the sub you have in mind. So you'll never have a problem with sending a distorted signal to your sub (aka clipping.) I'm no expert, but avoid clipping as much as possible.

 

[Setty7 10+ year member]

Hi guys so my brother ended up getting a Sound Stream SA-12 D2. I take it this sub is pretty good? Now to find a healthy quality amp to go with it.

Its 600 watts rms.

http://www.woofersetc.com/p-9261-sa-...subwoofer.aspx

When we are going to wire this sub is it best we wire down to 1 ohm?

When we are looking for an amp what watts do we look at for 1ohm? between 600-????

This video is of the SA-12 D2 and he said he is running a "Soundstream 1600d amp (Very solid amp. Amp was clamped doing just under 1500rms @ 1 ohm @ 13.6v)"

Is this to much watts going to one sub? 1500 watts is A LOT isnt it?



thanks so much for yalls help.

His budget on an amp is around $200 plus or minus

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

You should be very happy with the SA12, but make sure that sub gets a good home. That sub is meant to be put into a ported enclosure and most of the prefabs you'll find are either tuned too high or don't have enough internal volume to keep your sub safe or sounding good. Talk to either @double 07 ; or @pro\-rabbit ; for building you a proper enclosure or, if your budget is too tight right now, get a prefab 1 cubic foot 12" enclosure and save up for the proper ported box.

As for power, don't worry about giving the SA12 hell; it will take a ton of power, but you really won't want over 1K going in if you don't know what you're doing when you tune the sub. Any clipped signal and your sub/amp are going to be toast and no warranty is going to cover that kind of damage. Aim for 600-800W until you get the hang of things, then you can introduce more power to your liking. Knowing that SA-12, though, you won't really need more.

 

[Setty7 10+ year member]

Thanks for your reply! So what brand/model amp should he look for? Do we stay away from your streamline brands like pioneer, alpine, kenwood etc?

Also he is getting a local car audio shop to build him a ported box. What all does he need to tell them like what he wants it tuned at or how does that work? He is going to have the box fill up the majority of his trunk. Will this be ok for 1 12" sub?

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

Thanks for your reply! So what brand/model amp should he look for? Do we stay away from your streamline brands like pioneer, alpine, kenwood etc?
Also he is getting a local car audio shop to build him a ported box. What all does he need to tell them like what he wants it tuned at or how does that work? He is going to have the box fill up the majority of his trunk. Will this be ok for 1 12" sub?

First, and I don't want to be presumptuous, but a lot of local builders probably don't know how to take into account all the other T-S parameters that make up how a sub is going to perform in a particular enclosure. They'll simply look at the enclosure volume specs and leave it at that. For the price, I actually ended up spending LESS, even with shipping, and got a WAY better enclosure going through Starr Mountain Sound (first reference I gave you). Take some dimensions of where the enclosure would go and send him a PM asking for a quote. Now ask your local builder what he'll charge for the same dimensions and see what he'll say. At least then you'll have an educated opinion.

As for the amps, it's not a golden rule to never go major manufacturer, it's just that you tend to spend more as a result. The Hifonics you mentioned could actually perform quite well, it's just that Maxxsonics (the parent company) has kinda forsaken what made their daughter companies so good for the sake of their profit margins. At around 200 bucks, you might want to look at the PPI Phantom P1000.1 (190 at SonicElectronix) or Audioque Q1-750 (199). Raising your budget will allow you to get something considerably more solid, though, without having to look used. Something like a AQ2200D which has more power than you're looking for at the moment, but allows you to upgrade to a second SA12 in the future if you so choose. Otherwise, if you're stuck at the 200 or less, look at the PPI or try to find something in the classifieds.

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

http://www.caraudio.com/forums/starr-mountain-sound/563075-neo_styles-id-enclosure.html

For reference, here's the enclosure he built for me. Cost me almost half less, even with shipping, than something similarly bought here in Los Angeles. And with all the internal bracing, 45s and the KERFed port, it's pure visual AND audio sexx. I am an SQ guy, so I had a severe aversion to ported before this enclosure, but SMS made me a believer. Ask around on this forum, too. Plenty of us have enclosures he's built and can attest to their quality.

 

[ci5tbuptin1]

up cho bác

 

[Setty7 10+ year member]

First, and I don't want to be presumptuous, but a lot of local builders probably don't know how to take into account all the other T-S parameters that make up how a sub is going to perform in a particular enclosure. They'll simply look at the enclosure volume specs and leave it at that. For the price, I actually ended up spending LESS, even with shipping, and got a WAY better enclosure going through Starr Mountain Sound (first reference I gave you). Take some dimensions of where the enclosure would go and send him a PM asking for a quote. Now ask your local builder what he'll charge for the same dimensions and see what he'll say. At least then you'll have an educated opinion.
As for the amps, it's not a golden rule to never go major manufacturer, it's just that you tend to spend more as a result. The Hifonics you mentioned could actually perform quite well, it's just that Maxxsonics (the parent company) has kinda forsaken what made their daughter companies so good for the sake of their profit margins. At around 200 bucks, you might want to look at the PPI Phantom P1000.1 (190 at SonicElectronix) or Audioque Q1-750 (199). Raising your budget will allow you to get something considerably more solid, though, without having to look used. Something like a AQ2200D which has more power than you're looking for at the moment, but allows you to upgrade to a second SA12 in the future if you so choose. Otherwise, if you're stuck at the 200 or less, look at the PPI or try to find something in the classifieds.

Ill look into PPI. Do they make quality stuff that will push the SA? What about Audiopipe. What is the best brand amp that pushes total clean power without overheating for aprox. $200?

Also does he need to buy an amp based on how big the box is or to pair up with the sub?

http://www.caraudio.com/forums/starr-mountain-sound/563075-neo_styles-id-enclosure.html
For reference, here's the enclosure he built for me. Cost me almost half less, even with shipping, than something similarly bought here in Los Angeles. And with all the internal bracing, 45s and the KERFed port, it's pure visual AND audio sexx. I am an SQ guy, so I had a severe aversion to ported before this enclosure, but SMS made me a believer. Ask around on this forum, too. Plenty of us have enclosures he's built and can attest to their quality.

awesome! How are his prices??

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

Audiopipe is considered the bargain brand by most of us here. Some consider it a total waste while others consider it worth the savings. Personally, I'd go with that P1000.1 as it's built on solid architecture and comes in a tiny package that stays cool and does actually accept 0ga inputs. If you need that extra 90 bucks saved, then the lowest I'd get from audiopipe is the APSM1300. One last rock solid option would be the Boston Acoustics GT2200 which SonicElectronix has at rock bottom pricing right now. And is recommend the Boston before the AP.

As to SMS's pricing on enclosures, just ask for a quote. Trust me, I think you'll be pleased with the answer. He is definitely worth it and he's really not expensive.

 

[mclerico83 5,000+ posts]

Boston Acoustics GT-2200 (gt2200) GT Reference 2-Channel Amplifier

great amp for 150 shipped

Precision Power PPI P1000.1 (p10001) Monoblock Phantom Car Amplifier

i would get the boston and put my money toward a custom box by star mountain design or dc creations on here