Will upgrading to an amp with higher input sensitivity make my music louder?

[CalsonicSE]

I recently swapped out my old Pioneer HU (only 0.5V preouts!) for an Eclipse AV8022 (8V preouts)....and WOW! It sounds MUCH MUCH MUCH cleaner and louder! I love it! Right now I'm using a Rockford 600a4 amp (75x4; max 4V input sens.) with MB Quart PSC216 components. My gains are less than a quarter of the way up and I can turn up the HU volume to 78/80 before I can hear distortion. If I turn the gains all the way down, the music won't play loud enough for my taste.

Now, if I get an amp with a higher input sens. in order to better match the Eclipse HU's 8V preouts, will it make my music louder & cleaner?

If yes, which of the following amps would you recommend:

1) Phoenix Gold Titanium TI500.4 (75x4; max 6V input sens.) or

2) Precision Power PCX-480 (80x4; max 12V input sens; also a lot less expensive than the above PG amp)

3) Any other amp suggestions?

My friend is using the above Phoenix Gold Titanium TI500.4 amp with a Clarion HU (4V preouts) and MB Quart components and his setup sounds even louder than mine...

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[Gauntlet 5,000+ posts]

Yes, getting an amp with 8V gain sensitivity will be much better.

http://www.cardiscountstereos.com/Catalog%20Page.asp?Product+%23=Z4000

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

Amp gains have nothing to do with how loud you can go. That's limited by how much power the amp makes and how much the speakers can handle. If your gains are only 1/4 way up then the amp you have can handle the 8 volts OK.