Question About External Amp

[Harrison486 10+ year member]

Hey guys! What's going on? I have a few questions concerning an external amp for my car speakers.

First, I guess I should tell you my setup. Right now, I have 4 Infinity Reference 6.5" co-axials all being run off of my Pioneer DEH-P3500 HU.

Now, my questions are:

1. I already have a power cable running from my battery to my trunk for my sub amp. How hard would it now be to install an amp for my 4 speakers? (I had my other amp and wires run by CC //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif )

2. What would the benefits of adding an external amp be? I mean, I know that my speakers are rated at 60 rms and my HU says 50 x 4 output (although im sure its less than that right?). So what would the difference be after I add an external amp?

Thanks!

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[Harrison486 10+ year member]

Anyone?

 

[Harrison486 10+ year member]

ttt

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

What would the benefits of adding an external amp be? I mean, I know that my speakers are rated at 60 rms and my HU says 50 x 4 output (although im sure its less than that right?). So what would the difference be after I add an external amp?

I doubt your head unit does more than 18wpc before clipping. Adding an external amp will provide plenty of unclipped, clean power to your speakers. This vastly improves the dynamic range and allows you to crank up the volume without worrying about clipping and distortion on musical peaks...

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

I already have a power cable running from my battery to my trunk for my sub amp. How hard would it now be to install an amp for my 4 speakers?

Get a fused distribution block. Run the positive lead to that and split it to the amplifiers. Ground the new amp to a good chassis ground. Daisy-chain the remote lead from the sub amp to the new amp, and run a new set of interconnects from the head unit, obviously. You'd also need to run speaker wire throughout the vehicle to the speakers.

 

[ntense702 10+ year member]

Get a fused distribution block. Run the positive lead to that and split it to the amplifiers. Ground the new amp to a good chassis ground. Daisy-chain the remote lead from the sub amp to the new amp, and run a new set of interconnects from the head unit, obviously. You'd also need to run speaker wire throughout the vehicle to the speakers.

that's about all there is to it

 

[Harrison486 10+ year member]

I doubt your head unit does more than 18wpc before clipping. Adding an external amp will provide plenty of unclipped, clean power to your speakers. This vastly improves the dynamic range and allows you to crank up the volume without worrying about clipping and distortion on musical peaks...

Would I just be able to turn the volume on my HU louder, or would say volume # 30 on my HU now be louder due to mroe power?

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Would I just be able to turn the volume on my HU louder, or would say volume # 30 on my HU now be louder due to mroe power?

The latter. You don't want to turn your head unit up too much, because then you start getting distortion from the head unit itself. Setting your amp to do maximum power at 75% of your head unit's range is generally a good rule of thumb...that means when you have the volume control turned to 75% of the maximum, the amp is at its full unclipped output.

 

[Harrison486 10+ year member]

Alright...

So im interested in buying an amp now...

So should I look for a 4-channel or do I really only need a 2-channel for the front?

What type of wattage should I look for?

 

[FOSGATE JOE 10+ year member]

im runing a 601s rf 2 channel amp 150watts rms heheheh to my highs front and back at first i was scard but it sounds so f-cking good just to let you know i'm runing it at 2ohm with gain 1/2 way

 

[MrWizzard 10+ year member]

If you want to fade between the front and back speakers, you'll have to get a 4 channel amp, maybe 50x4 will be good even, since 50x4 on an external amp VS the 50x4 (peak) on the HU (wich is more like 18watts x4) will be a big diff.... it would be within rating of you're speakers too...

or... you could get a 2 channel and hook the speakers in paralell and run it at 2ohms, wich will save the need for the other two channels, but no fading control, hehe. so if you got a 2 channel amp rated at 50 watts each channel into 4ohms but ran 100 watts at 2ohms, then hooking two speakers per channel (front+back) will still give it 50 watts each, so all 4 speakers will still get the 50 watts....

i guess 2 channel would be cheaper too, at the expense of being able to fade or adjust the volume of the front & back seperate...

 

[Bake 10+ year member]

If your sub amp has a set of RCA outs the you wouldnt have to run an rca from the head unit if you decide to go with the two channel amp.

 

[Harrison486 10+ year member]

If you want to fade between the front and back speakers, you'll have to get a 4 channel amp, maybe 50x4 will be good even, since 50x4 on an external amp VS the 50x4 (peak) on the HU (wich is more like 18watts x4) will be a big diff.... it would be within rating of you're speakers too...
or... you could get a 2 channel and hook the speakers in paralell and run it at 2ohms, wich will save the need for the other two channels, but no fading control, hehe. so if you got a 2 channel amp rated at 50 watts each channel into 4ohms but ran 100 watts at 2ohms, then hooking two speakers per channel (front+back) will still give it 50 watts each, so all 4 speakers will still get the 50 watts....

i guess 2 channel would be cheaper too, at the expense of being able to fade or adjust the volume of the front & back seperate...

Could I really do that? If I dont ever fade my speakers would that be a better bet, or would a 4 channel still be better?

 

[SSS 18734 5,000+ posts]

I would get a 50w x4 channel amp. You will see a big difference.

 

[Harrison486 10+ year member]

Would something like this work?

Obviously not buying from there, just showing its stats.

Any good?