mono block or 2 channel??

[musicman88]

is there any down side to buying a 2 channel and bridging opposed to getting a mono block?

Click to read more...

 

[Nelson9937955 10+ year member]

A mono amp will be more efficient.

 

[hoss 5,000+ posts]

A mono amp will be more efficient.

not true at all...

the only thing to consider is your impedance load. a mono block will most likely be able to play at lower impedances.

for instance, you could easily find a mono block amp that will be 1 ohm stable, where as a two channel that is 1 ohm stable will only be able to run at 2 ohms bridged. this may or nay not work for your application.

just remember whenever you are bridging a multi-channel amp, it doubles the lowest impedance stability.

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

A mono amp will be more efficient.

not true at all...

How so?

All else being equal (especially wattage output) in the vast majority of cases a Class D is going to far exceed the efficiency of a comparable Class A/B, is it not?

 

[hoss 5,000+ posts]

no, its not true at all... it depends on how the amp is built. and the question wasnt class a/b vs class d... it was mono vs 2 channel.

and as for the efficiency of different classes of amps, like i said, it depends on how the amp is built and designed. the most efficient amp i ever owned was a class a/b //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[Nelson9937955 10+ year member]

From Crutchfield...

Q: When should I use a mono amplifier instead of a multichannel amplifier?

A: Because mono amps tend to be Class D amplifiers, they are a good choice for powering subwoofers — Class D amplifiers have a high power-to-heat ratio and excellent efficiency, which are exactly what you want when dealing with power-hungry low frequency signals.

Most mono amplifiers are designed to run at 2 ohms; some are even 1-ohm stable. Multichannel amplifiers, on the other hand, are typically designed to work with a 4-ohm load. This is an important difference when using your amp to power multiple subwoofers, because you won't be able to bridge your multichannel, 4-ohm stable amp to power multiple subs that present less than a 4-ohm load. Instead, use a mono amplifier to power a 2-ohm load — two 4-ohm subwoofers, or 2, 2-ohm dual voice coil subwoofers, for example. You'll be able to push your subwoofers with the mono amp's maximum power, without running at a dangerous impedance.

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

no, its not true at all... it depends on how the amp is built. and the question wasnt class a/b vs class d... it was mono vs 2 channel.

Fair enough but in most instances won't the mono be a Class D whereas the multichannel will generally be an A/B?

Certainly there are exceptions and I'll happily recognize that but when speaking in generalities won't this usually be the case?

and as for the efficiency of different classes of amps, like i said, it depends on how the amp is built and designed. the most efficient amp i ever owned was a class a/b //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

This is the exception rather than the rule, however...

I still stand by my statement that under usual circumstances a Class D amp's efficiency is going to exceed a comparable Class A/B unit. I've been taught that by far too many sources to think otherwise at this point. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

 

[Nelson9937955 10+ year member]

There is obvious exceptions to every rule but EVERYONE knows that USUALLY a mono amp is going to be more effecient than a multi-channel amp. Even a newb like me knows that

 

[hoss 5,000+ posts]

From Crutchfield...
Q: When should I use a mono amplifier instead of a multichannel amplifier?

A: Because mono amps tend to be Class D amplifiers, they are a good choice for powering subwoofers — Class D amplifiers have a high power-to-heat ratio and excellent efficiency, which are exactly what you want when dealing with power-hungry low frequency signals.

Most mono amplifiers are designed to run at 2 ohms; some are even 1-ohm stable. Multichannel amplifiers, on the other hand, are typically designed to work with a 4-ohm load. This is an important difference when using your amp to power multiple subwoofers, because you won't be able to bridge your multichannel, 4-ohm stable amp to power multiple subs that present less than a 4-ohm load. Instead, use a mono amplifier to power a 2-ohm load — two 4-ohm subwoofers, or 2, 2-ohm dual voice coil subwoofers, for example. You'll be able to push your subwoofers with the mono amp's maximum power, without running at a dangerous impedance.

sigh... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

read closer kid... youre skipping over the exact same thing i just said...

taken straight from what you just posted: "Class D amplifiers have a high power-to-heat ratio and excellent efficiency"

please show me where that says "mono block amps are more efficient than two channel amps"...

and like i also said before, class D amps are not neccisarily the most efficient amps... that may be true in many cases, but is a gerneralization and is not a truth/fact/certainty.

this is kind of like noobs that think a 15" will play deeper and louder than a 12"... except this i think is worse, since its blatant disregaurd to what they are reading...

 

[hoss 5,000+ posts]

There is obvious exceptions to every rule but EVERYONE knows that USUALLY a mono amp is going to be more effecient than a multi-channel amp. Even a newb like me knows that

no everyone doesent, because its simply not true... and youre just a newb with misinformation.

 

[Nelson9937955 10+ year member]

no everyone doesent, because its simply not true... and youre just a newb with misinformation.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

I am new to this board and I have already noticed your just some "thinks he knows it all".

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

 

[hoss 5,000+ posts]

no, i dont think i know it all...

but re-read what you took from crutchfield man... it even shows that you were wrong...

youre new to this board and im already putting you in the file of people too stuck on themselves to learn, and filled with mis-information. stick around, lose the "i know it all because i read it in crutchfield" attitude, and maybe you can educate yourself a bit... ive been here 4 years and have learned quite a bit from where i started, and it didnt come from taking the first bit of information i read and assuming it was correct...

i have told you already in this thead, one channel, two channels, 4 channels, 5 channels... doesent matter, not going to impact efficiency. of course different amp classes are going to impact it, but it doesent neccisarily mean its going to be more or less efficient.

you even put it in your previous post that you thought said monoblocks were more efficient, and had you read everything else that it said, you would have noted that it NEVER ONCE said anything similar to that... what it said was "mono block amps are usually class D, class D is usually more efficient than class a/b"...

reading comprehension > joo

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

From www.bcae1.com, Item #100 in the directory:

1. Class A amplifiers are very inefficient and produce lots of heat because there is a large amount of current flowing through the output transistors even with no audio signal.
   
2. Class B amplifiers are more efficient but will have a 'notch' distortion.
   
   
3. Class AB amplifiers are moderately efficient (depending on bias current) but notch distortion is eliminated by the idle (bias) current.
   
   
4. Class D amplifiers are very efficient but are generally used for non high fidelity or subwoofer applications.

 

[Nelson9937955 10+ year member]

I checked out "Hoss"'s profile and previous posts on many other topics. Sure enough, he mostly comes off as an obnoxious douchebag.

Man i can't stand people like that. Oh well, he's only 23.....//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

 

[Fast1one 10+ year member]

Im sure the topic starter meant class D vs. AB, sure its his fault he wasnt specific, but Hoss, dont mean to be an ***, you seem to want to prove your point right rather than answer the original question itself.

Read between the lines and determine what the question REALLY asks. Since he wasnt specific, in general, since most monoblock amplifiers are Class D rather than A/b, we can safely assume that mosts monoblock amplifiers will be more efficient, yeah?