Powering front speakers w/ head unit or amp?

[ryanfreeland 10+ year member]

Hey guys. I just got a 2000 Honda Prelude and I'm planning on switching out all the speakers especially since the front-right door 6.5in blew yesterday.

I'm looking at Alpine Type-R speakers for the front (2 6.5" + 2 1" tweeters) and the back (2 6"x9").

I have a 50wx4 Panasonic head unit (which I might switch out for a newer Alpine version) soon. Should I plan on powering the new speakers with just the head unit and then get an amp for the sub I will be adding eventually? This would make wiring a lot simpler, but I was just wondering if there were big advantages to powering all speakers/subs with a large amplifier.

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[misfit138 5,000+ posts]

Amplify your door speakers.

 

[Wingman0121 10+ year member]

That "50 watts x 4" rating is peak power, there are no headunits that can output more than 30 watts RMS per channel (even the ones with MOSFET), and headunits will get REALLY hot if you use the built-in amp and turn it up loud for extended period of time. I've seen many headunits shut off in summer heat due to this reason.

I've always used a 4 channel amp to power my main speakers, that way it frees the headunit from driving speakers and runs cooler. Your sound will be cleaner too.