Back into car audio after almost 15 years

[Betrayer00GT 10+ year member]

CLIFF NOTES:

Looking to spend ~$150 on an amp I can use for an MB Quart Reference RWE 352 15" 2-ohm DVC driver rated @ 700w RMS, which is on its way to me via UPS as I write this. This amp will be an intermediate step for the sub. It will later go to power my pair of Polk EX 6X8 coaxial 4-ohm speakers, but only once I am ready to buy a second (more powerful) amp to run this sub in its stead.

My thinking ATM is to get a Soundstream TRA340.2 for ~$150, plus shipping/tax. That model is rated for 170w into each of the 2-ohm voice coils of the RWE 352 that is currently on its way. 300w is about how much power I would like to start with for the sub. I understand that amp ratings are often a bit optimistic, but +/- 30% (or so) is in the ballpark, IMO.

One thing, it will likely be another month or so 'till I can make the amp purchase, so any unit on "super sale" right now is not likely to be helpful. I am more interested in units that regularly sell online for something like $150 +shipping/tax. Does the SS model I like seem like a decent choice? If not, suggestions?

The whole story:

Last time I was into car audio was helping a friend build 3x 12" sealed Rockford Fosgate drivers across the rear deck of his '66 Comet with a 6.5" component set up front. This was all using an Audio Control crossover, an Eclipse CD deck, and Rockford Fosgate and Zapco amplification. That was fun. His system ended up scoring very well at a local competition.

I have been kind of absent since, though.

I just got some Cobra brakes on the front of my Mustang GT, and I was looking around for my next project. It is going to be a basic system for the 'stang. I can justify the weight of a DIY fiberglass enclosure in the trunk, along with an amp and a single driver. Not really much more than that, though. I am too fond of drag racing at Sacramento Raceway to be OK with sacrificing more of my ET by throwing any more weight than that into my trunk.

I already have an MB Quart RWE 352 (reference) 15" 2-ohm DVC driver on the way. It is rated at 700w RMS and for a 1.5 cuft sealed enclosure. It was also New-In-Box and all of $118, shipped. I have come to understand that MB Quart is not exactly what they were when I was last into car audio, but they would have had to fall REALLY FAR before

The plan is to buy a two channel amp that is 2-ohm stereo capable (any decent amp would be) with enough power @ 2-ohm stereo to run the DVC 15"er reasonably well, and enough 4-ohm stereo power to run my Polk EX 6X8 coaxial speakers later on. This is because I plan to buy a more powerful second amp for the sub and move my Polk 6X8s off the receivers power and onto this first amp.

I don't want to spend more than ~$150 (before shipping/tax, though) on this amp, and I am hoping for ~300w for the sub to start with. I would not be happy with less than 50w per channel in 4-ohm stereo, though. That is the minimum power I would want for my Polk 6X8s. Also, I do not care a whole lot about the "best quality amp available", and I am not a bass-head, so I doubt I would really push any amp to its limits. The thing is, my home theater is based on Dynaudio bookshelfs and uses an SVS sub, so I am used to a pretty good level of sound quality. Car audio happens with a noisy background most of the time, so it is not really critical for me like it is in my HT, but I don't want to own crap, if you know what I mean.

Based on all this, I was thinking something along the lines of a Soundstream TRA340.2 would fit the bill. I doubt it totally sucks, even though I am pretty sure it is not a stellar quality amp, either. Maybe I am wrong, but I have been searching these forums and reading up for the last week or so, and I have yet to find anything really bad about current Soundstream models. I get that they are not up to the same standards there were back when I was last active in car audio, but there was no

So, after reading all this (GOOD FOR YOU!), do you have a suggestion for an amp that would be more suitable than the Soundstream model I have my eye on, ATM? I have been looking at the Kicker 04KX250.2 (a bit more than I was hoping for and rated at 250w for my sub application) and the Phoenix Gold V1502 (getting pretty uniform feedback that PE pretty much sucks, now). I prefer the Soundstream, but what do I know?

As a final note, I have my Mustang converted to a trunk-mounted battery in a vented, plastic battery box. I used a 0ga power wire into the trunk. That goes to a fused distribution block, and the block has two 4ga outputs. One of those outputs is going to the battery box, and the other is not yet used. It is what I am planning to use to power my car audio setup. The battery and alternator are both stock, and I have no plans to upgrade either of them. I could be convinced to grab an Optima battery if it would make a real difference, but I have zero desire at all for an alternator upgrade, ever. I would just use the system less if that became a real issue.

Thanks for any input, guys.

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[thegreatestpenn 5,000+ posts]

I'd do a RF p2002 or p4002 instead. All are underrated and have a tiny footprint

 

[Betrayer00GT 10+ year member]

Hmm... nice one.

If they are realistically (or under) rated, I think the 3002 would do it. Prices I can find show me that the 3002 is right in line with my budget. Thanks for suggesting that series.

Anyone else agree, or have a different view?

EDIT: What would be the actual difference between the P3002 and the P325.2, besides the small difference in output ratings? Just curious.

 

[thegreatestpenn 5,000+ posts]

size if you get the 2007 model p3002. They are much smaller than the 2005 and 2006 model RF punch amps.

 

[Betrayer00GT 10+ year member]

size if you get the 2007 model p3002. They are much smaller than the 2005 and 2006 model RF punch amps.

Ahh... that and I like the look of the PX002 series better, too.

 

[Betrayer00GT 10+ year member]

Well, honestly, I am not sure exactly how "into" having a high powered 15" sub in the car I am actually going to be. I don't want to drop real money on an amp setup and then realize that it is just massive overkill.

So, in my infinite wisdom I have ordered a refurbed CA200 for the highs (being moved into the doors from the rear deck since I have figured out how to get my door panels off) and a 400SX for the sub. They are rated @ 60w RMS into each of the two highs, and 300w RMS into the sub with the way I have it wired. I seriously doubt I will get all of that in practice, but half of it would make me happy, since both of them together were $84, plus $9 for shipping, in total.

Are you kidding me???

I am sure I will get what I paid for. Crap, I only paid $93, shipped. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif

They both have factory warranties of one year from my purchase date. Also, if I decide they have just wet my appetite, I am only out $93 (but still have working amps - Gifts?), but if that is all I end up wanting (I'm happy with it), I save $200-$400. It was going to be ~$300 for a similarly rated Soundstream setup, and the Soundstream setup I had my eye on before I came to my senses was >$500. Maybe, but I want to see if I am actually that interested, first. Especially after hearing my MBQuart Reference series 15"er in a ~1.5cuft sealed enclosure running off my 250w Home Theater sub amp in my living room earlier today. Not bad. Not bad at all. 250w might be enough in the car, actually.

We will see how it goes. I will likely start a build thread on the installation of the whole system, once everything/more-stuff is in hand:

• The Profile amp refurbs
  
• Clarion DXZ475MP on its way
  
• MBQuart RWE-352 already in a ~1.5cuft box (sounds great hooked up to the Home Theater's sub amp in my living room)
  
• AudioControl 2XS x-over [display model] just purchased from a local shop for $50, includes factory warranty
  
• MIDI fused dist-boxes
  
• 0/1 & 4ga power wire
  
• 12ga speaker wire
  
• Moroso battery-box for migration of battery into the trunk (the intercooler for the blower in my future needs the space the battery uses under the hood //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif )
  
• Other odds and ends