Which Amp

[barrettbass8 10+ year member]

Im puttin in some alpine 12's in my 99 Dodge ram. I am wonderin what Amp. i should get. I have heard that a mono amp thats bridged to 2 subs makes them hit harder, but i have also heard that with Alpines, you dont want to do that and its better to go with a 2 channel amp. I was originally goin with the Audiobahn a8002t, but now im lookin at a Rockford Fosgate punch amp. Just wonderin if anyone out there has any suggestions on what amp would be best.

*Also, what ya think about Alpine R's. Im lookin for some **** good subs, and theses are some of the best that i've heard, but just seein if there are any others i should hear first.

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[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

I have heard that a mono amp thats bridged to 2 subs makes them hit harder, but i have also heard that with Alpines, you dont want to do that and its better to go with a 2 channel amp.

1st; Both of those statements are completely false. There is not a difference either way (assuming both amps were the same total power).

2nd; You can't bridge a mono amp....there is only one channel on a mono amp. "Bridging" is summing 2 channels into a single load.

3rd; Alpine Type R's are good.

That is all.

[Fez]

Good Day. I said Good Day!

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[barrettbass8 10+ year member]

1st: whats it called when you have a mono amp powering 2 subs

2nd: you didn't answer my question

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

1st: whats it called when you have a mono amp powering 2 subs

Exactly that; wiring two subs to a mono amp, or powering two subs with a mono amp. No special slang involved there.......can be called "paralleling" the subs if they are being wired in parallel to a mono amp.

2nd: you didn't answer my question

Sure I did.......you asked about the Alpine R's, I said they sound good. Now, as for what amp to get, you need to 1) tell us your budget, and 2) tell us what subs you have; Alpine 12's don't really tell us too much //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Now:

[Fez]

Good Day. I said Good Day!

[/Fez]

 

[barrettbass8 10+ year member]

alright, the subs are Alpine SWR-1241D

my budget, seein at i could get a a8002t for 200, if prob. around there, little bit higher, maybe by 100, but thats pushin it

 

[DFW40 10+ year member]

Look at these three amps as well as Audiochrome

JBL 600/1

Hifonics BX 500 and the 1000

 

[ANeonRider 10+ year member]

Look into the Hifonics BX1000. Are you going to be running the subs sealed or ported? how much air space?

 

[barrettbass8 10+ year member]

The box is goin to be custom built to fit in the extended cab of my truck. The box kinda looks like steps, with the subs firing forward at an angle, and their will be space on either sides so people can sit. Im gunna talk to the guy about porting it, but im not sure what he'll say, as im not sure exactly what porting it does. (new to all this stuff). But as for the amps, i appreciate the other suggestions. Lookin at them, i am still leaning toward the audiobahn, but thats based on the power they give out at 4 ohms. Seeing as im still not sure what ohms are, im not sure if im comparing the right things on the amplifiers....

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

You can either wire those subs into a 4ohm load (series-parallel), or a 1ohm load (all voice coils in parallel).

So you can look for an amp that does the power you need into either a 4ohm load or a 1ohm load.

 

[jellyfish420 10+ year member]

porting will give you a little more output at the lower freq. and i don't see why the guy building it would have a prob. with porting it, after all your paying for it...unless he don't know what he's doing.

 

[barrettbass8 10+ year member]

alright, ill definitly talk to him about it. A friend was also telling me about this foam that you can put inside the bax that some "tricks" the sub and makes it sound louder?? i didnt know what he was talkin about. Also, about the whole parrallel between the series and voice coils, whats the difference. I vaguley remember learnin about some of this elecrical current stuff last year but wasnt really payin any attention. Also, i still dont get the difference between ohms, the highe the ohm the better the sound? Sorry bout the long list of "what the hell is this...", but one last thing. If you get an alpine sub, would it be better to get an alpine amp as well since they are both by the same company, would they be any more compatable?

 

[DFW40 10+ year member]

The magic foam he is referring to is proably Polifill. This is the stuffing found in pillows and couch cushions, it can be purchase in fabric departments at Walmart etc. You can put this in your box (1 pound per cubic ft.) It can let a sub play a little bit louder at the lowest frequencies.

I read this somewhere.

It is advisable to put damping material inside a box. Pillow polyfill and fiberglass insulation are common, though polyfill is a lot easier on your skin. This increases subwoofer efficiency by dissipating some energy that affects the sub, particularly the voice coil. Polyfill also "fools" a sub into thinking it is in a bigger box. Play around with different amounts of polyfill until you get the desired results.

Read here for wiring info

http://jlaudio.com/tutorials/wiring/index.html