I have no problems dropping some major coin on a higher price, well designed, quality amplifier. I just happen to know that there are some lower cost diamonds in the rough that will last a while and sound good enough to get the job done. For example, my sister is running my old Alpine CDA-9885, some Kenwood components, and my old Digital Designs 1010 with the whole system powered by a Clarion EXL400.4. FWIW, I had that amplifier since 2008 and it was $110 shipped BNIB. While it will not win any SPL contests, it sounds WAY better than the stock system did in her 2004 Honda Civic.
I also have a long boring story where I was supposed to swap out amplifiers in a friend's 350z, until I noticed that his install shop set his system up like a retard. Here is the Cliff's version: They automatically bottomed out the gains on his old school MTX amplifier when installing his F1 status components. I tuned the door speakers to balance out with the rest of his stock system, and had him take a listen. He thought I swapped amplifiers because it sounded SO much better and his jaw dropped when I showed him that it was the SAME amplifier.
I also have a long boring story where I was supposed to swap out amplifiers in a friend's 350z, until I noticed that his install shop set his system up like a retard. Here is the Cliff's version: They automatically bottomed out the gains on his old school MTX amplifier when installing his F1 status components. I tuned the door speakers to balance out with the rest of his stock system, and had him take a listen. He thought I swapped amplifiers because it sounded SO much better and his jaw dropped when I showed him that it was the SAME amplifier.
