Which amp to purchase?

[nbenham]

I'm looking at two different amps on Amazon and would love some input, as I'm new to car audio..

Kenwood Kac-8105D 1000-Watt Class Amplifier ($114)

Alpine MRP-M500 Monoblock Power Amplifier ($125)

Both put out 500W X 1 at 2_. Suggestions?

Cheers!

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[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

alpine ,the kenwood is complete garbage.there is better out there tho

 

[nbenham]

What would you recommend instead? I'm considering purchasing MTX TNE212D subs which are 400 watts RMS total. Would this be a good match?

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

What sub are you looking to power with this monoblock? You could go cheaper and get a APSM1500 for less than either of those options on the budget side or you could head over to Sonic and grab a Boston Acoustics GT2200 for less than 150 and have 900W at 2 ohms bridged.

 

[nbenham]

That's a great suggestion neo..I like the looks of the Boston GT2200 a lot. I'm considering MTX TNE212D preloaded subs to accompany it. Open to suggestions there as well..

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

I'd try to avoid preloaded. They're normally tuned too high and won't give you what you're looking for in low end. I would suggest finding a used sub on here and having @double 07 ; build you a box specifically for that sub and your car. He's cheaper than you'd think btw. Had him build me a box for my ID10 and, even shipped to California, was still cheaper than getting one done locally. Built waaaaaay better too.

---------- Post added at 11:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:51 AM ----------

What's your budget for everything? I'll do my best to help point you in the right direction.

 

[nbenham]

I'm looking at around $300 total, $150 for the subs and $150 for the amp, although that range is flexible. I'm comfortable installing myself, but not building enclosures. I'm looking for a rounded sound, not just something that rattles the civic.

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

Then we're on the same team here. If you can see my setup I know exactly what you're after. I would say try and snag a good deal on a ID10, go sealed for your enclosure until you can upgrade to a well-tuned ported enclosure and go with the next step down of that Boston amp (GT2125) for 110 at SonicElectronix. Should put you right at budget.

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

Too bad you're not closer to here. Someone's selling a Fi Q with enclosure for 150. Great price and well within your budget.

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

Image Dynamics ID10 D4 V.3 (id10d4v3) 10" Dual 4 ohm ID V.3 Sub

The sub I recommend. Finding an enclosure now

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

Single 10" Sealed Car Subwoofer 3/4" MDF Enclosure/Box 0.77 Cu Ft

This should do you fine until you can budget in a properly done ported box. Just make sure to run the sub bridged at 2 ohms on that Boston. Everything should keep you under 300 and it'll all be new. Do you already have wiring?

 

[nbenham]

That's extremely helpful man, thank you! I'm not sure of my wiring situation. The car's previous owner had an audio system so a power line is running back to where I'll be installing the amp, although some speaker wiring may have to be redone. Would you suggest the sub and amp over the MTX subs I was considering earlier, price aside? The MTX's are 50W more RMS, although I'm assuming I'd suffer some quality with those.

I'm willing to spend a little extra for the step up to the GT2200 amp if that'll sound better with my system.

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

Going with the 2200 will set you up better if you want to upgrade your subs in the future. If you need new wiring, just go with AudioTechnix. Great quality and super cheap.

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

And yes, Image Dynamics should be noticeably better than MTX. MTX isn't what they used to be so you should def look elsewhere.

 

[nbenham]

Hey, I really appreciate the help! I'll order the ID10s, GT-2200 and the enclosure later today. Will keep you updated! Can't wait to get these installed.