Looking for a new amp in a noisy car

[Speedwagon]

1987 Subaru Brat, currently setup with an Eclipse 3242 (I've had this thing forever) pushing 2 ID CTX 6.5 4 ohm door speakers.

I've noticed lately that when I have everything open, I'm getting a bit of distortion at a level when I can actually hear the speakers (windows down, tops up, back window open makes for a lot of wind noise). The 3242 has been going strong, but I think it might be on its way out. It also hisses when it is cold out in winter.

Been thinking of moving to a cheaper($100-200) class D full range 2 channel. I think I'd be hard pressed to hear a difference in this vehicle with a higher priced amp, but I've never used a class D before. These didn't exactly come from the factory as a quiet vehicle either.

Something like a Polk PA D2000.2, which is only $125 on Amazon. This also, theoretically, doubles the power to the speakers from the 3242.

I should add, I'm also looking to decrease the physical size of the amp. The 3242 takes up the whole floor under the passenger seat, and I really want something much smaller since this is such a small car.

Thoughts or suggestions?

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[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

1987 Subaru Brat, currently setup with an Eclipse 3242 (I've had this thing forever) pushing 2 ID CTX 6.5 4 ohm door speakers.
I've noticed lately that when I have everything open, I'm getting a bit of distortion at a level when I can actually hear the speakers (windows down, tops up, back window open makes for a lot of wind noise). The 3242 has been going strong, but I think it might be on its way out. It also hisses when it is cold out in winter.

Been thinking of moving to a cheaper($100-200) class D full range 2 channel. I think I'd be hard pressed to hear a difference in this vehicle with a higher priced amp, but I've never used a class D before. These didn't exactly come from the factory as a quiet vehicle either.

Something like a Polk PA D2000.2, which is only $125 on Amazon. This also, theoretically, doubles the power to the speakers from the 3242.

I should add, I'm also looking to decrease the physical size of the amp. The 3242 takes up the whole floor under the passenger seat, and I really want something much smaller since this is such a small car.

Thoughts or suggestions?

isolate the noise(typically ground loops and more often than not are bad connections not really poor grounding placement)

try it out. the class D amps with good output filters sound fine to most people. chances are unless you are a feen won"t hear any difference.

 

[youdoofus]

1987 Subaru Brat, currently setup with an Eclipse 3242 (I've had this thing forever) pushing 2 ID CTX 6.5 4 ohm door speakers.
I've noticed lately that when I have everything open, I'm getting a bit of distortion at a level when I can actually hear the speakers (windows down, tops up, back window open makes for a lot of wind noise). The 3242 has been going strong, but I think it might be on its way out. It also hisses when it is cold out in winter.

Been thinking of moving to a cheaper($100-200) class D full range 2 channel. I think I'd be hard pressed to hear a difference in this vehicle with a higher priced amp, but I've never used a class D before. These didn't exactly come from the factory as a quiet vehicle either.

Something like a Polk PA D2000.2, which is only $125 on Amazon. This also, theoretically, doubles the power to the speakers from the 3242.

I should add, I'm also looking to decrease the physical size of the amp. The 3242 takes up the whole floor under the passenger seat, and I really want something much smaller since this is such a small car.

Thoughts or suggestions?

Full range class d amps are perfectly acceptable and have a MUCH smaller footprint and are usually more efficient than the old class a/b's .For some reason, i thought i remembered hearing that caps going bad can cause a hiss too. Noise floor is usually the biggest culprit of a hiss, but if its mainly when cold, that wouldnt make too much sense.

 

[Speedwagon]

Full range class d amps are perfectly acceptable and have a MUCH smaller footprint and are usually more efficient than the old class a/b's .For some reason, i thought i remembered hearing that caps going bad can cause a hiss too. Noise floor is usually the biggest culprit of a hiss, but if its mainly when cold, that wouldnt make too much sense.

Only happens when it's cold. Like freezing cold. And it's loud, coming from the amp itself, not the speakers.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

[quote name='Papermaker85']isolate the noise(typically ground loops and more often than not are bad connections not really poor grounding placement)
try it out. the class D amps with good output filters sound fine to most people. chances are unless you are a feen won"t hear any difference.[/QUOTE]

whoa did i just read that from you LOL

@LosIsATool

 

[Speedwagon]

Thanks for the replies. I think I'm going to give this Polk amp a shot. It's a fairly small thing, at just under 9x7x2. Less than half of what this 3242 is, and I'm only running 2 speakers anyways.

 

[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

1987 Subaru Brat, currently setup with an Eclipse 3242 (I've had this thing forever) pushing 2 ID CTX 6.5 4 ohm door speakers.
I've noticed lately that when I have everything open, I'm getting a bit of distortion at a level when I can actually hear the speakers (windows down, tops up, back window open makes for a lot of wind noise). The 3242 has been going strong, but I think it might be on its way out. It also hisses when it is cold out in winter.

Been thinking of moving to a cheaper($100-200) class D full range 2 channel. I think I'd be hard pressed to hear a difference in this vehicle with a higher priced amp, but I've never used a class D before. These didn't exactly come from the factory as a quiet vehicle either.

Something like a Polk PA D2000.2, which is only $125 on Amazon. This also, theoretically, doubles the power to the speakers from the 3242.

I should add, I'm also looking to decrease the physical size of the amp. The 3242 takes up the whole floor under the passenger seat, and I really want something much smaller since this is such a small car.

Thoughts or suggestions?

lotta guys use ppi 600.2 i have the p1k mono on sub and even jeff has the 900.4 they clean amps

 

[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Power-P600-2-2-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B005KU7KEE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1500676686&sr=8-2&keywords=ppi+900.4

 

[youdoofus]

Only happens when it's cold. Like freezing cold. And it's loud, coming from the amp itself, not the speakers.

Oh wow, not sure what that is

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

[quote name='Jeffdachef']whoa did i just read that from you LOL

@LosIsATool[/QUOTE]

Some sound great. Most don't. It has a good deal to do with the actual load. The alpine and arc are decent..

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

lotta guys use ppi 600.2 i have the p1k mono on sub and even jeff has the 900.4 they clean amps

Clean to a certain point. They get dirty real quick if you want them to keep up with a massive substage