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I have no idea what I'm doing... (amp and sub upgrade)
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<blockquote data-quote="Kai Winters" data-source="post: 8464041" data-attributes="member: 574994"><p>You have a good start to a nice system.</p><p></p><p>I'll add/offer my suggestions.</p><p></p><p>I'll first admit I'm an Alpine fanboy and have been one for nearly 40, yep 40 years. My first Alpine looked just like the old fashioned radio's with a "knob" on each side...volume and tuning...it proudly had "1" watt and was louder than anything I had heard until then. I've bought and installed probably a dozen head units, all Alpine, since then including the iLX-700/Car Play that is going into my 2012 Honda CRV in a day or so.</p><p></p><p>With that I'll start by saying that while the Alpine head unit sounds "ok" you won't get the best of the "musicality" and range out of your speakers until you connect an amp...the difference will be shocking...the clarity and power will be great.</p><p></p><p>Regarding amps you have a bit of a quandary for the number of channels you'll need. You're going to need 5 channels to power the speakers and subs...you can go with a 4 channel stereo amp and a "mono" amp for the sub or a "5 channel" amp that will power the speakers and sub.</p><p></p><p>You don't have to stick with an Alpine amp...they are fine...there are other brands that may offer more bang for the buck that actually have a better sound...better you go to a good audio store and give some a test drive.</p><p></p><p>Same goes for the sub...nothing wrong with an Alpine sub but again you may get more for less money with another brand.</p><p></p><p>Subs are not all alike either...some of it depends on the vehicle and where the sub is going...trunk etc...ported or sealed...generally a sealed sub may give a tighter bass output where a ported sub may sound louder overall...I've used a 12" ported sub/Memphis Audio in my trunk and a 10" sealed sub/MB Quart on the floor of the back seat in my 2005 Accord EX and overall I preferred the 10...sold the 12, still have the 10 and it sounds great after 15 years of use.</p><p></p><p>While we can recommend all day it is your ears that will/should make the choice. But I'll tell you what I'm using...see my signature area...</p><p></p><p>As I have mentioned I love Alpine head units and while I've owned a couple pair of Alpine speakers, mid priced, they are not my favorites...those are first JL Audio then MB Quart but I've found the MB's to be a bit too bright for my tastes while the JL's are smooth and I much prefer silk tweeters.</p><p></p><p>50 watts per channel for the speakers and ??? for the sub...depends on the sub's power requirement...will give you a lot of very good sound.</p><p></p><p>Just don't cheap out on quality...there are amp makers out there that offer lots of watts for very little money but the sound quality tends to be pretty awful and depending on the output settings and listening volume can damage and/or shorten the life of your speakers...clipping is BAD...</p><p></p><p>Again I suggest you go to a couple of local shops, tell them what you have and would like to achieve, ask their recommendations...tell them your realistic budget...and listen...I've always brought a demo cd/usb drive/iphone/etc. with ten of my favorite songs in varied genres...AC/DC, The Beatles, Aerosmith, Jethro Tull, Annie Lennox, Frank Sinatra, etc...anyone can crank up some rock and tell you how good it sounds but how about a single voice male/female singing with music in the background...</p><p></p><p>Make sure to budget the wiring kits...amp cables, fuses, connectors, etc...again don't buy some cheap **** because you only have a few bucks left...better to wait another couple of weeks and get decent quality...also check the reviews for the stuff you are thinking about...Crutchfield and Amazon reviews are very good, I use them all the time...read them carefully, it's amazing the silly little stuff people complain about...maybe not silly to them...</p><p></p><p>Good luck and keep us informed.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Kai Winters, post: 8464041, member: 574994"] You have a good start to a nice system. I'll add/offer my suggestions. I'll first admit I'm an Alpine fanboy and have been one for nearly 40, yep 40 years. My first Alpine looked just like the old fashioned radio's with a "knob" on each side...volume and tuning...it proudly had "1" watt and was louder than anything I had heard until then. I've bought and installed probably a dozen head units, all Alpine, since then including the iLX-700/Car Play that is going into my 2012 Honda CRV in a day or so. With that I'll start by saying that while the Alpine head unit sounds "ok" you won't get the best of the "musicality" and range out of your speakers until you connect an amp...the difference will be shocking...the clarity and power will be great. Regarding amps you have a bit of a quandary for the number of channels you'll need. You're going to need 5 channels to power the speakers and subs...you can go with a 4 channel stereo amp and a "mono" amp for the sub or a "5 channel" amp that will power the speakers and sub. You don't have to stick with an Alpine amp...they are fine...there are other brands that may offer more bang for the buck that actually have a better sound...better you go to a good audio store and give some a test drive. Same goes for the sub...nothing wrong with an Alpine sub but again you may get more for less money with another brand. Subs are not all alike either...some of it depends on the vehicle and where the sub is going...trunk etc...ported or sealed...generally a sealed sub may give a tighter bass output where a ported sub may sound louder overall...I've used a 12" ported sub/Memphis Audio in my trunk and a 10" sealed sub/MB Quart on the floor of the back seat in my 2005 Accord EX and overall I preferred the 10...sold the 12, still have the 10 and it sounds great after 15 years of use. While we can recommend all day it is your ears that will/should make the choice. But I'll tell you what I'm using...see my signature area... As I have mentioned I love Alpine head units and while I've owned a couple pair of Alpine speakers, mid priced, they are not my favorites...those are first JL Audio then MB Quart but I've found the MB's to be a bit too bright for my tastes while the JL's are smooth and I much prefer silk tweeters. 50 watts per channel for the speakers and ??? for the sub...depends on the sub's power requirement...will give you a lot of very good sound. Just don't cheap out on quality...there are amp makers out there that offer lots of watts for very little money but the sound quality tends to be pretty awful and depending on the output settings and listening volume can damage and/or shorten the life of your speakers...clipping is BAD... Again I suggest you go to a couple of local shops, tell them what you have and would like to achieve, ask their recommendations...tell them your realistic budget...and listen...I've always brought a demo cd/usb drive/iphone/etc. with ten of my favorite songs in varied genres...AC/DC, The Beatles, Aerosmith, Jethro Tull, Annie Lennox, Frank Sinatra, etc...anyone can crank up some rock and tell you how good it sounds but how about a single voice male/female singing with music in the background... Make sure to budget the wiring kits...amp cables, fuses, connectors, etc...again don't buy some cheap **** because you only have a few bucks left...better to wait another couple of weeks and get decent quality...also check the reviews for the stuff you are thinking about...Crutchfield and Amazon reviews are very good, I use them all the time...read them carefully, it's amazing the silly little stuff people complain about...maybe not silly to them... Good luck and keep us informed. [/QUOTE]
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