does it really matter?

[nswartley 5,000+ posts]

so the only issue now is whether or not the amp puts out the amount of watts that it is rated to do?

 

[nswartley 5,000+ posts]

up ^^

 

[GSteg 10+ year member]

if you get a decent brand, then it should put out decent power and will have decent quality parts. people may say.."pyramids 1000 watts doesn't sound good with my Rockford Fosgate Power HX2". what do you expect? pyramids don't put out there rated power, therefore wouldn't sound as good as with 1000 true watts. now if you get say...a JBL 600.1, the difference would be way better, considering you get even more power than rated at. other than that, a watt is a watt. simple measurement..

as long as you get a decent brand, then you're ok.

 

[nswartley 5,000+ posts]

gracias a todos. thanks everyone

 

[Larrydehp920r]

Originally posted by GSteg for sound quality, it doesn't matter if you get 2 or 4ohm. u just get more power at 2ohm, and that means more power=cleaner.

 

but if you have 100 watts at 4ohm and 100 watts at 2ohm, then it doesn't really matter.

I totally disagree with this statement. When you run an amp at 2 ohms you will get more distortion along with that more power. More power isn't necessarily cleaner. Yes, 100 watts @ 4ohms is better than 50 watts @ 4 ohms. But 100 watts @ 2 ohms is not cleaner in any way, shape or form than 100 watts @ 4 ohms. The reason class d amps are ran at 2 ohms is because of the power supplies are made to do so. Not to mention they are used for subs and distortion is less audible. So for sound quality it DOES matter. Thats why 99% of mids and highs and full range speakers are 4 ohm or even higher resistance.

Larry

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[GSteg 10+ year member]

Originally posted by Larrydehp920r I totally disagree with this statement. When you run an amp at 2 ohms you will get more distortion along with that more power. More power isn't necessarily cleaner. Yes, 100 watts @ 4ohms is better than 50 watts @ 4 ohms. But 100 watts @ 2 ohms is not cleaner in any way, shape or form than 100 watts @ 4 ohms. The reason class d amps are ran at 2 ohms is because of the power supplies are made to do so. Not to mention they are used for subs and distortion is less audible. So for sound quality it DOES matter. Thats why 99% of mids and highs and full range speakers are 4 ohm or even higher resistance.

 

Larry

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you're right that at 2ohm will have more distortion than at 4ohm, but the distortion is so little that even a well trained ear can't tell if it's 4 or 2ohm. most amps nowadays that are rated 2ohm still have a THD of less than 1%. technically 4ohm is cleaner than 2ohm, but the real differences is if you can actually hear it or not.

if you have a speaker that is 8ohm, then you'll be wasting efficiency of the amp (less power than you'll want). if you get a speaker that is 2ohm, then the amp will run hotter and eat up more electricity. 4ohm seems to be the sacrifice between 2 and 8ohm and thats why a lot of companies make 4ohm speakers.

 

[h2dav 10+ year member]

Yea I hear you guys talk about a watts a watt, but I am not convenced. I've heard diffrent amps hooked up to the same speakers and they did not sond the same. One was an MTX amp the other was my USAcoustic. There is just less noise associated with my USAcoustic well that's what my ears tell me. Even at lower volumes the soind is defienetly diffrent. Both amps are run without the internal X-over turned on and I disagree when people say you can't hear this are that if that was the case no one wold bother ever changing any of these amps. Another thing can somone explain why my home system is much louder without as many watts and it's run a 8 ohms. By the way the sound is a lot cleaner, maybe I'm just hearing things.

 

[GSteg 10+ year member]

Originally posted by h2dav Yea I hear you guys talk about a watts a watt, but I am not convenced. I've heard diffrent amps hooked up to the same speakers and they did not sond the same. One was an MTX amp the other was my USAcoustic. There is just less noise associated with my USAcoustic well that's what my ears tell me. Even at lower volumes the soind is defienetly diffrent. Both amps are run without the internal X-over turned on and I disagree when people say you can't hear this are that if that was the case no one wold bother ever changing any of these amps.

Another thing can somone explain why my home system is much louder without as many watts and it's run a 8 ohms. By the way the sound is a lot cleaner, maybe I'm just hearing things.

the internals quality may have part in this. lower quality internal parts can easily pick up outside or ground noise. not to mention the MTX's amp is a little bit more underrated

why does it sound much louder and cleaner inside the house? because the acoustic's of the car is different from the room. in a car, u have lots of things that may interfere with the sound waves like the seat, steering column and many more. also a car's system can easily pick up interference noise., road noise, etc.. noises can distort over the soundwaves that are harder to hear.

 

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

It makes a difference between some amps about the THD. Why do you think it is called distortion????//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/furious.gif.fc81ca146dbff91fede3ed290dbc4f4c.gif plus that amp that your friend showed you, the one with the link you gave us......SUX BALLS! do NOT get it.......and a lower THD is better, but once it is less than 1%, the diff. isn't that noticeable (example: .9% and .5%) also notice on that link, the distortion is like 5%??? that sux

look into, JBL maybe.......USAcoustics......both are pretty good for good price. I have had experience with both and they performed well

 

[Larrydehp920r]

Originally posted by GSteg you're right that at 2ohm will have more distortion than at 4ohm, but the distortion is so little that even a well trained ear can't tell if it's 4 or 2ohm. most amps nowadays that are rated 2ohm still have a THD of less than 1%. technically 4ohm is cleaner than 2ohm, but the real differences is if you can actually hear it or not.

 

I agree man I was just being technical. The best amps at 2 ohms are class D amps, there switching mosfet power supplies give them 70 to 75 % efficiency which means that only 20 to 25 % of the power goes into the heatsinks. Compared to a class A/B amplifier which has 50 to 55% efficiency there is no contest. Unfortunately class d amps are only good for low frequencies. But my friend has some Soundstream components that are 2 ohm and his sound really good.

 

Larry

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[GSteg 10+ year member]

Originally posted by Larrydehp920r

Unfortunately class d amps are only good for low frequencies.

 

if i'm correct, the Infinity Beta amps (discontinued a few years back) were class D. it was a full range amplifier. but yea.. i get what you're saying

 

[GSteg 10+ year member]

i'm sure it was class D

http://www.apsdc.com/Infinity%20Car%20amplifier%20BD100.htm

go down to where it says topology, it says class D. i emailed infinity also (VERY hard to get in touch with them so i called) and they said it was definitely class D. but thats the only class D amp i know that can play 20hz-20khz.

 

[zane 10+ year member]

Oh where to begin...

In the year 2000 Richard Clark did some extensive research on amplifiers of all shapes and sizes. With the findings of this research and after much testing, he issued a $10,000 Challenge to anyone who could hear a noticible difference in sound between amplifiers.

I'll put it this way- he still has the money.

If anyone is interested in the rules for this test, I have attached them below.

Unless anyone can tell me exactly what a watt, joule, ampere, volt, sound like; then I believe that this issue can be put to rest.

take it easy,

-zane

rcampchallenge.txt

 

[GSteg 10+ year member]

Originally posted by zane Oh where to begin...

 

In the year 2000 Richard Clark did some extensive research on amplifiers of all shapes and sizes. With the findings of this research and after much testing, he issued a $10,000 Challenge to anyone who could hear a noticible difference in sound between amplifiers.

 

I'll put it this way- he still has the money.

 

If anyone is interested in the rules for this test, I have attached them below.

 

Unless anyone can tell me exactly what a watt, joule, ampere, volt, sound like; then I believe that this issue can be put to rest.

 

take it easy,

 

-zane

EXACTLY!!

 

[h2dav 10+ year member]

So why buy any of those really expensive amps when you can get a USacoustic that those the same job. I understand they don't make any super high output gear e.g. audiobahn. But for all but super high spl you have a lot of choices that may save you hundreds of dollars especialy if no one will ever see your install.