Will my amp work?

[Luke361]

Amp: Polk Audio Momo C400.4
Speakers/Tweeters: Kicker 46CSS684
Sub: Alpine W12S4 or JBL Stage 1210

Could my current amp handle this system? If not, what should I look to replace?

I don't know about speakers, and I don't understand how the Polk system was set up (12in sub added, door speakers swapped, added tweeters). I'm not 100% sure if my C400 amp actually powers my front door speakers, but when I unplugged the 4 RCA cables from the amp, my front speakers stopped working along with the sub, and my rear speakers still worked. I think that means the receiver front line output goes to the amp, and is split back to the front speakers and also the sub. Any information about the potential setup would help too.

Also, which sub would be better? From what I know, the Alpine seems better with the lower frequency range but has a foam surround and its sensitivity is lower by 3db. The JBL has a rubber surround and looks more quality.

Thanks

Click to read more...

 

[Marve_Lous]

Yes, that current amp is powering both front and back speakers, and for some reason, the sub. It is only meant to power 4 door speakers, or a weaker sub bridged. It will push those kickers just fine, but you’ll definitely need a mono amp for that sub. Idk anything about JBL subs, I just know they’re made by Harmon Kardon. As for the Alpine, I have an Alpine X, and it’s pretty decent. I’d recommend an amp with about 200 watts MORE than the Alpine’s RMS if you really want it to perform.

 

[Luke361]

Yes, that current amp is powering both front and back speakers, and for some reason, the sub. It is only meant to power 4 door speakers, or a weaker sub bridged. It will push those kickers just fine, but you’ll definitely need a mono amp for that sub. Idk anything about JBL subs, I just know they’re made by Harmon Kardon. As for the Alpine, I have an Alpine X, and it’s pretty decent. I’d recommend an amp with about 200 watts MORE than the Alpine’s RMS if you really want it to perform.

I'm pretty sure the amp is only powering the 2 front and sub at most. Reason being that I disconnected the power from the amp and the rear door speakers still played, but not the others. If it's powering the front 2 speakers & tweeters plus the sub, would that be ok? I don't want to accidentally under power them and damage them with volume.

 

[Marve_Lous]

Ok, I read your post wrong. So the sub is bridged to the rear channel on the amp. You are talking about an Alpine 12” type s, right? 600 watts RMS. It’s probably getting about 150 from that amp. That’s super underpowered. How does it sound? Does it hit pretty hard? My X sounded VERY underwhelming with less than its RMS. The front speakers will be fine. They should be getting about 75 watts each.

 

[Luke361]

Ok, I read your post wrong. So the sub is bridged to the rear channel on the amp. You are talking about an Alpine 12” type s, right? 600 watts RMS. It’s probably getting about 150 from that amp. That’s super underpowered. How does it sound? Does it hit pretty hard? My X sounded VERY underwhelming with less than its RMS. The front speakers will be fine. They should be getting about 75 watts each.

I haven't ordered the door speakers or the sub yet, so I can't test. the sub isn't 600 RMS. I'm not decided between the 12" subs listed, Alpine W12S4 (50-250 RMS), and JBL Stage 1210 (250 RMS).
Should I look at getting a more powerful amp?

 

[Marve_Lous]

Oh, the bassline series. Well, my experience with Alpine is that they need ALL of their RMS to sound good. I don’t know about JBL, but I’d give that one a try first. If you buy from Crutchfield they have GREAT customer service so they’d probably let you exchange for the Alpine if the JBL wasn’t to your liking.

 

[Marve_Lous]

And yes, you could always upgrade your amp. Depends on your budget and wants. Are those 2 subs your only options? And what do you want out of your system? What music do you listen to?