Euro car setup - amp request

[JHZR2]

Hello

I'm new on here, and have found this site to be great information-wise... so Im putting in my first post to request information.

I have two older euro cars, a 1985 MB 300D and a 1991 BMW 318i.

The speaker setups are like this:

MB: ~4" in front (actually 3.75", but 4" will fit), 5.25" in rear.

BMW: 5.25" components in front, 5.25" speakers in rear.

I know that my bass rsponse is limited, and Im fine with that. OE look for headunit, speaker grilles, etc. is more important - call me silly if you wish.

The setup of the headunits is this on both:

Both headunits have only two channels coming out, just a single left and right. These wires go to a rheostat in the dash that acts as a fader, but I never use it.

My thinking is that if I use the line-level signal coming from the headunit, into an amp (2-channel with outputs attached in parallel or 4-channel), then into the speakers, I can just bypass the rheostat fader, have better power output (not that I play my stuff very loud), and more speaker options that will sound good.

Is this a smart approach? Or should I just utilize existing wiring and buy some new high-efficiency speakers and be done with it???

Id appreciate insight on the amp brands you would reccomend that I look at. For the most part, I listen to FM radio and ipod. I listen mainly to the oldies stations, or that sort of music on the ipod. Classic rock, soul, motown, and sometimes some harder rock as well. Also, Id like info on what specs I should look for. Since I dont listen very loud, I assume I dont need crazy power, especially given the size of the speakers Im moving. However, understanding of 2-amp stable amplifiers, wattage, etc. would be great!

Any insight would be most appreciated. thanks!

Best,

JMH

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[kev7706 10+ year member]

My thinking is that if I use the line-level signal coming from the headunit, into an amp (2-channel with outputs attached in parallel or 4-channel), then into the speakers, I can just bypass the rheostat fader, have better power output (not that I play my stuff very loud), and more speaker options that will sound good.

Is this a smart approach? Or should I just utilize existing wiring and buy some new high-efficiency speakers and be done with it???

I think that approach could work.

There are many good brands for amps. As you probably already know, look at RMS power only and keep in mind that many budget amps can't do rated power. A good rule of thumb is to match the RMS power of the amp to the RMS power handling of the speakers to make sure you're getting the most out of them. Most speakers are 4 ohm so look for specs like "75 RMS watts x 2 at 4 ohms." As for brands, I like amps from JL, Zed Audio, Eclipse, Diamond and Alpine (PDX) to name a few. Look around and if you find something you like, post it on here and we'll advise you.

 

[JHZR2]

thanks!

Im actually thinkin gof going with an MB quart reference series amp, because it is VERY compact. As I don't play loud, Im not that certain that I need a lot of power, and would prefer smaller size to allow me more placement flexibility...

Specs are:

Focused Mass Aluminum Heatsink

Micro Class A/B amplifier topology

PVM power supply with high speed MOSFET outputs

Ultra-flexible and variable high-pass and lo-pass crossovers

24dB subsonic filter

Full range preamp outputs

Silk-screened MB Quart logo

Amplifier Type: 2-channel

RMS Power @ 4 Ohms: 50W x 2

RMS Power @ 2 Ohms: 90W x 2

THD at 4-Ohm RMS Power: n/a

Bridged RMS Power @ 4 Ohms: 90W x 2

Speaker Level Inputs: no

Preamp Outputs: yes

Built-In Crossovers: HP/LP

Bass Boost: 12 dB

Frequency Response: n/a

Signal to Noise Ratio: >95 dB

Fuse Rating: n/a

 

[kev7706 10+ year member]

Looks like a good choice. Good luck.