Noob needs amp advise

[cody0707 10+ year member]

I am wanting to get a amp to power a sa-8 and possibly a 2nd amp to power my door speakers 50w RMS. Should I just splurge and get a 5 channel? Or should I get 2 separate amps?

If there is a amp in the for sale section that would fit my needs please let me know.

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[asianinvasion21 10+ year member]

Get a five channel amp they are perfect for powering just one sub. My friend has a kicker zx700.5 it powers his W3 Jl and its sounds great.

 

[daboyfrumdabx 10+ year member]

Get a five channel amp they are perfect for powering just one sub. My friend has a kicker zx700.5 it powers his W3 Jl and its sounds great.

So you're saying 5 channel amps power one sub nicely, but don't do as well pushing multiple subs? Reasoning?

OP, There's plenty of options. I'd forget about rear speakers and just amp the front speakers along with the sub. This can be done with a 2 channel and a mono amp, a 3 channel (rare) or a 4 channel may work nicely depending on the voice coil configuration of your sub. Is your sub D4 or D2?

 

[cody0707 10+ year member]

So you're saying 5 channel amps power one sub nicely, but don't do as well pushing multiple subs? Reasoning?
OP, There's plenty of options. I'd forget about rear speakers and just amp the front speakers along with the sub. This can be done with a 2 channel and a mono amp, a 3 channel (rare) or a 4 channel may work nicely depending on the voice coil configuration of your sub. Is your sub D4 or D2?

I haven't purchased the SA-8 yet. Getting my options together right now. I can go with either one. What do you suggest? If I only power the front speakers how are the rears going to sound in relation? I am trying to do my system right the first time so I wont have to worry about it again.

 

[outsideshot23 10+ year member]

i always prefer running 2 seperate amps.. get a small mono to run you 8 and and a small 2 or 4 to run your door speakers. i think it will work out better

 

[daboyfrumdabx 10+ year member]

I haven't purchased the SA-8 yet. Getting my options together right now. I can go with either one. What do you suggest? If I only power the front speakers how are the rears going to sound in relation? I am trying to do my system right the first time so I wont have to worry about it again.

Something like this would suit you well. Pick up the SA-8 in D2 and wire to 4 ohms bridged on the rear channels. You'll also have plenty of headroom on your front speakers. May even be able to keep the gain all the wdown ay depending on source voltage.

i always prefer running 2 seperate amps.. get a small mono to run you 8 and and a small 2 or 4 to run your door speakers. i think it will work out better

I'm not going to argue this as I do believe 2 separate amps is the way to go. If you ever decided to push a more powerful substage, you could just replace the mono amp while leaving the highs amp in place. You up the power using the 4 channel I linked, you have to replace the whole amp and are stuck search for a method of powering your sub/s and highs. That's a pretty large 4 channel, so if you decide to go bigger later on, finding another four channel to do the job will be quite difficult. If you truly believe you'll stick with this setup for a while, I say go with the 4 channel.

 

[mclerico83 5,000+ posts]

id do that 4 channel and be happy, if u want more power to more subs then you can always add a second mono amp

Crescendo Audio :: Amplifers :: 1000C4 4 Channel Amplfier

also a great amp

CRITICAL MASS AUDIO ULA800 V2.0 AMPLIFIER AMP 4CH US NR - eBay (item 260732136891 end time Feb-13-11 18:40:13 PST)

one of the best amps u can buy

NEW HIFONICS ZXi150.4 ZEUS 4-CHANNEL CAR AMPLIFIER AMP - eBay (item 290532230291 end time Mar-10-11 08:11:32 PST)

NEW PLANET AUDIO BB4.150 1200W 4 Channel Car Amplifier - eBay (item 230540647939 end time Feb-17-11 06:47:21 PST)

all good 4 channel options

 

[asianinvasion21 10+ year member]

A 5 channel is just my 2 cents considering it makes wiring easier and for the most part takes up less space. It honestly depends of what kinda car it is going in. My friends 5 channel is in a ranger extended cab and takes up most of his space in the back along with his W3. The 5 channel kicker maybe a little expensive but it is a nice amp that does more than rated power.

 

[Heeltoeclutch 10+ year member]

ehmmm how is wiring a 5-channel easier? If you mean easier than two amps, I suppose you could be right. But I disagree on the space thing - It's easier to place two small things than one big thing. You can put an amp for the fronts under one seat and an amp for the sub under the other. Most 5-channels are too big to put under a seat.

+1 from me on two amps for the reasons of space, versatility, upgradability, and more options. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/thumbsup.gif.3287b36ca96645a13a43aff531f37f02.gif

 

[asianinvasion21 10+ year member]

Like i said it depends on what car u have. If u look at it that way it is easier, but if you are wiring an amp to your trunk it beats running two power wires or having to run a distribution block.

 

[Heeltoeclutch 10+ year member]

I like distro blocks. They make the install look very technical. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif Plus you can wire your neons and el ee deez to that yo! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/cool.gif.3bcaf8f141236c00f8044d07150e34f7.gif

 

[asianinvasion21 10+ year member]

Ya distro blocks r handy and ive never hooked up neons to them but it sounds like a cool idea. Do u have any experience and if so how hard is it.