Amp to match 80rms/170max watts & power reserve

fohrums

Junior Member
7
0
WA
Code:
SPEAKER: MB Quart QS216 (1-pair)
AMP: ?
CAPACITOR: ?
Looking for amp to match MB Quart speakers rated at 80/170w. Power rating is 4 ohms. I only prefer to shop at sonicelectronix. I found a couple 2channel-ClassAB amps that have an rms ranging from 100-150w. Are there any benefits in going above RMS but still way below the max wattage output? I want to emphasize keeping the gain below 50% as I had a terrible experience a couple years ago and i'm back at it finally!

Then, once I have my amp I want to be able to support it with a capacitor. So let's just assume my amp is 1000w should I double the farad from 1 to 2 at this point or triple it?

The following are amps based on an arbitrary factor where I subtracted the max wattage and rms then side viewing it with price. I don't wanna be robbed or regretting a purchase for a higher priced one (sorted by descending order by price):

  1. Rockford Fosgate Punch P500X2


    Price: $270
  2. Watt Rms: 150w
  3. Watt Max: 500w

[*]EARTHQUAKE SOUND PH800W/2 (My initial choice, any reason not to get this?)

  1. Price: $140
  2. Watt Rms: 125w
  3. Watt Max: 800w

[*]Soundstream ST2.1000D

  1. Price: $110
  2. Watt Rms: 140w
  3. Watt Max: 1000w

[*]Pioneer GM-A5702

  1. Price: $115
  2. Watt Rms: 150w
  3. Watt Max: 1000w

[*]Precision Power PPI ICE800.2 (This looks too good to be true)

  1. Price: $80
  2. Watt Rms: 130w
  3. Watt Max: 800w

[*]Hifonics ZXX-500.2

  1. Price: $80
  2. Watt Rms: 125w
  3. Watt Max: 500w

[*]Planet Audio AC600.2 (Ok,....what's the catch?)

  1. Price: $60
  2. Watt Rms: 150w
  3. Watt Max: 600w

 
Last edited by a moderator:
max power ratings on amps are largely meaningless.  Their main purpose is to grab the attention of consumers that don't realize just how little "max" and "peak" mean.

There are plenty of amp dyno's on youtube and if you look at the dynamic output vs certified you typically see a 10 or 20% gain, which, in turn, is no where near "peak" power claims by the amp mfgs.  Many high quality manufacturers make very little mention of peak/max because they know most buyers in that price range know it's a meaningless number.

So -- about your options...

RF punch - solid amps, would work great.  Actually, the 300x2 is a better fit.

EQ - For $140, that amp OUGHT to be accurately rated, but it doesn't look that way to me.  A 20A fuse indicates that amp is simply not capable of what it claims.  A legitimate 100x2 amp generally has 2x as much fuse protection.  Fuse size is not an ACCURATE way to determine power output, but it's a good way to weed out the ones that aren't even close to what they claim.  It is relatively safe to assume an amp won't produce more than 10x its fuse protection.  So for that amp it would be 200w, and that's at minimum impedance -- 100x2 at 2 ohms.  Maybe 75x2 at 4 ohms, I'd bet it's lower than that.

Pioneer -- nothing fancy, but plenty of power and would work well.  Pio always meets its specs, and 60A of fuse protection is a good indicator of that.

Soundstream -- Appears to be over-rated, but powerful enough to do what you need.  Physically, it is a TINY amp so if small size is important it is a good option.

PPI - They've been putting out pretty good budget amps for a while now.  It might not be 130, but it's plenty of power for your speakers.  According to fuse rating it'll do what it says, but I believe some tests have shown them to be a little over-rated.

Hifonics - Their low lines have been over-rated for a long time now, and the 30A fuse confirms that.  It's probably 75 or 80 x 2.

Planet Audio - One of the leading junk brands out there.  20A fuse.  it's probably 50-60 x 2.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
max power ratings on amps are largely meaningless.  Their main purpose is to grab the attention of consumers that don't realize just how little "max" and "peak" mean.

There are plenty of amp dyno's on youtube and if you look at the dynamic output vs certified you typically see a 10 or 20% gain, which, in turn, is no where near "peak" power claims by the amp mfgs.  Many high quality manufacturers make very little mention of peak/max because they know most buyers in that price range know it's a meaningless number.
Thank-You for this information n2audio! This was very informative and straight-to-the-point. I decided to shop at www.crutchfield.com now, because I want relevant products from a reputable vendor. I honestly shopped a lot easier over there and it was quick for me to find what i'm looking for without being overwhelmed with multiple pages of junk. Instead it was a short list of quality. I'll go ahead and post the products I found from Crutchfield within my speaker's criteria instead and see what would fit my need because I plan on upgrading piece-by-piece and a 4-channel amp has that flexibility just need help deciding on which one now. I understand it's pricey over there, but quality should be emphasized (i'll also list 2-channel amps as a comparison if there is any difference between a quality 4-channel amp over a powerful 2-channel amp).


[*]Amp 2CH







Appreciate the information @trumpet, but n2audio explained it so well already.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
fohrums said:
Thank-You for this information n2audio! This was very informative and straight-to-the-point. I decided to shop at www.crutchfield.com now, because I want relevant products from a reputable vendor. I honestly shopped a lot easier over there and it was quick for me to find what i'm looking for without being overwhelmed with multiple pages of junk. Instead it was a short list of quality. I'll go ahead and post the products I found from Crutchfield within my speaker's criteria instead and see what would fit my need because I plan on upgrading piece-by-piece and a 4-channel amp has that flexibility just need help deciding on which one now. I understand it's pricey over there, but quality should be emphasized (i'll also list 2-channel amps as a comparison if there is any difference between a quality 4-channel amp over a powerful 2-channel amp).


[*]Amp 2CH







Appreciate the information @trumpet, but n2audio explained it so well already.
did you completely exclude the Zapco when looking at the 4 channels? If so, why?

 
did you completely exclude the Zapco when looking at the 4 channels? If so, why?
Like I've mentioned i'm only getting from a reputable vendor. Amazon has failed me multiple times to the point of a lost customer. Besides their service I can't stand the looks of the site as it's bloated with stuff that's distracting me from the sale itself. Even if I was with someone who's experienced in shopping from Amazon, i'm already thrown off by the way the site looks anyways.

"How you present yourself is how you do business."

 
Like I've mentioned i'm only getting from a reputable vendor. Amazon has failed me multiple times to the point of a lost customer. Besides their service I can't stand the looks of the site as it's bloated with stuff that's distracting me from the sale itself. Even if I was with someone who's experienced in shopping from Amazon, i'm already thrown off by the way the site looks anyways.

"How you present yourself is how you do business."
okaaaaaayyyyyyy LoL the only other 2 amps you listed thatll be in the same league are the alpine and the focal

 
(Problem is, )the only other 2-amps you listed that'll be in the same league are the alpine and the focal
What are you basing this off of? It obviously can't be wattage because they vary and the AudioControl is even higher than the Alpine's RMS. Your recommendation isn't helping, because you've just brought up amps that are each different channels (one's 4, the other's 2) without a basis to go by how they're supposedly less than the aformentioned Zapco which is a brand i've never heard of before too.

Please, let's try and not place branded Amps on here without an explanation ? as to why you recommend it over the Crutchfield list that I've already laid out.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
What are you basing this off of? It obviously can't be wattage because they vary and the AudioControl is even higher than the Alpine's RMS. Your recommendation isn't helping, because you've just brought up amps that are each different channels (one's 4, the other's 2) without a basis to go by how they're supposedly less than the aformentioned Zapco which is a brand i've never heard of before too.

Please, let's try and not place branded Amps on here without an explanation ? as to why you recommend it over the Crutchfield list that I've already laid out.
if youve never heard of Zapco and didnt bother doing 5 min of google searching to find that they are historically one of the best amp brands out there, and youre being how you are about it, then you might want to reconsider your approach/attitude before popping off... This is one of the most affordable Zapco amp lines theyve ever made and are awesome SQ amps. They get hot when pushed, but had you typed half as many letters into google as you did in your snarky response, you would know this already

 
What are you basing this off of? It obviously can't be wattage because they vary and the AudioControl is even higher than the Alpine's RMS. Your recommendation isn't helping, because you've just brought up amps that are each different channels (one's 4, the other's 2) without a basis to go by how they're supposedly less than the aformentioned Zapco which is a brand i've never heard of before too.

Please, let's try and not place branded Amps on here without an explanation ? as to why you recommend it over the Crutchfield list that I've already laid out.
If you’ve never heard of zapco just go to an audio store and let them pick out your system because you don’t know **** 

 
Op, FWIW, alpine, kicker, and RF are like Ford, Chevy, and Dodge.  They're fine, very popular, a lot of people like them, some of their high end stuff is actually pretty impressive.  

Zapco -- more like, Jaguar or maybe BMW.  Their "low-end" offerings aren't low end, and their high end stuff is Elite.

I like to check out woofersetc.com once in a while just to see some of the ridiculous prices of some of the high end amps I'll probably never see.

Tru Tech makes a 200x2 that's $2400. 

 
Activity
No one is currently typing a reply...
Old Thread: Please note, there have been no replies in this thread for over 3 years!
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.

Similar threads

https://audiolegion.com/collections/monoblock-amplifiers/products/al1200-1d-1200-1d-monoblock-car-amplifier
7
1K
Matt is a Great guy to purchase from. Very honest about his gear he decides to Sale. Dammned good buy. I dont think you could touch a Taramps...
3
63
Different subs on Different amps in a shared airspace won't be good
2
76
Hahaha his brother got some from a friend. American bass amp and some alpine s 12in subs. From a buddy of his now Eastons chomping at the bit...
9
197

About this thread

fohrums

Junior Member
Thread starter
fohrums
Joined
Location
WA
Start date
Participants
Who Replied
Replies
32
Views
5,104
Last reply date
Last reply from
youdoofus
Screenshot 2024-03-07 184329.png

Doxquzme

    Mar 27, 2024
  • 0
  • 0
IMG_3075.jpeg

Daniel Lee

    Mar 27, 2024
  • 0
  • 0

Latest topics

Top