Right now I have some crap in my trunk. Its alright stuff but I want to upgrade to something better. This is it.
http://www.ecusad.com/media/XBX-1200.gif
But now I want to upgrade to two Kicker 12 inch Comp VRs. The packages I have found that come with the subs and box run around 400 which is decent for me. These run at 800 rms (max peak 1600w) at 2 ohm and the amp I heard it hooked up to (and got me hooked on wanting these) was a Kicker Zx750 which runs at 750 rms (25hz-200hz) and sounds great! But that amp runs at around at 500. I have had difficulty locating anything with that power for cheaper or even matching that level.
I saw an Alpine amp that runs at 1000rms (20hz-20kHz) that is 400 itself. I was wondering could I match that amp up with the subs or would that be too much power running through it? Or any suggestions of amps that would match up with the 800 rms that are reasonable.
Oh yea I drive a 97 Chevy Cavalier 4door sedan
Replies (6)
ttocs on 01/12/2009 01:29:57
never been a big fan of kicker. They are not a bad brand but they are now over-produced(why they are so cheap), and they have always been over-rated in my opinion. You can make the subs sound good as long as you give them a big box and BIG power. The amps can put out some good power as long as your alt can keep up with its current demand. They do have a easyl return policy but then so does walmart and I imagine it will only be a few months before you see kicker in walmart.
swez on 01/12/2009 17:29:42
Welcome to CK!
Looked at your link: The amp is a cheap toy, but may be useful for mids/highs up front if it has the right filters and crossover features. (What is the fuse value in that amp?)
http://www.ecusad.com/media/XBX-1200.gif
The sub box may be usable depending on how well it's made, size of each chamber and port dimensions. If you can measure the box and come back with some numbers, we may be able to help you choose good subs that will work in that box.
Kicker makes some good amps and their upper line subs are pretty solid as well. I agree with ttocs that they are not the best value or bang for your buck. They are power hogs and love large boxes to get the kind of bass you probably heard.
If you are on a tight budget, consider doing upgrades in stages. In this case, buying a decent amp that can run your present subs adequately, would be #1 on the list. (A Class D sub amp makes the most sense)
NOTE: Be aware that not all amp makers rate their products honestly. That's not the case with well known brands, but the knock-offs play that game to the buyers dismay. We look at RMS or Continous power ratings and fuse ratings used. If an amp says it can deliver 1200 PEAK Watts and only has 30A's in fuses, it's more like 250-300 watts RMS.
Finally, understand that your cars' electrical system can only handle so much add on devices before something starts to suffer. Most GM cars of this size use Delco's CS-130 series ALT. (60/105 Amperage output at low and high RPM)
The car needs about 40-50A's to run all main electricals properly. Adding a sub amp that draws more than 60 amperes, WILL impair other electrical parts in the system eventually. Know that and plan accordingly.
Questions/Comments?
Swez
Ash on 01/12/2009 20:49:32
Dual is most definitely bottom of the barrel when it comes to having performance. Honestly it won't take much to outdo your current setup, but going overboard to do it is just as easy and is most common. A solid class D amp with about 500 watts rms paired with some quality subs should fit nicely in your small sedan.
The key here is the install, matching the style of music, and listening tastes. Kicker was a good brand a long time ago before they started following market trends. Trends now are overly large boxes, power hungry with robust output. Honestly, that's only good for street level competition (outbooming at the light). For a everyday driver with clean sound and capability to hurt your ears, you'd be surprised what you can get away with. Unless you heard that same exact setup in the same exact car it would be hard to say whether or not that is what you actually need or even want.
What is the fuse rating on the amp you have? On the pic it looks like on a 30, but let's be sure... Like Swez stated, an amp with a 30 amp fuse is only capable of about 300 watts rms total and that's if it has a efficient power supply. More than likely that amp will be less. Split that between two subs and that's not very much to keep a stout sub clean nor be able to pound out deep lows at a good volume. The response of the sub/box combo may also be in question for that matter.
A custom matched sub/box/amp can easily outdo that at far less cost than what you are considering.
Ash,
ace23 on 01/15/2009 17:19:19
well there are many great options to finding deals you should shop around and see the best deals around if your on a budget.
sorry swez didnt know about that rule
swez on 01/15/2009 22:32:58
Ace23,
We normally do not endorse or allow outright sales and trading/swapping of gear on this site for many good reasons. We are not set up to monitor such activity and protect both parties from deals gone south.
May I suggest you either revise your last post or remove it. What is acceptable, "I have some extra gear to trade, sell or swap. If you want more details, contact me via private e-mail and we can discuss the matter off site."
The other option is e-bay. But the same concept applies. CK does not endorse sales, swaps/trades and the like. But for those who would like to look at your offerings, do them privately and off this site.
Thanks,
Swez
swez on 01/16/2009 06:54:20
Thanks Ace,
We have looked at ways to share, swap and trade gear on CK a few times and have not come up with a concrete way to protect the buyer, seller and CK from liabilities and bad deals.
It's been a while since this issue came up before, so you could not have known why we take this position. No harm done and thank you for ammending your thread.
Regards,
Swez
http://www.ecusad.com/media/XBX-1200.gif
But now I want to upgrade to two Kicker 12 inch Comp VRs. The packages I have found that come with the subs and box run around 400 which is decent for me. These run at 800 rms (max peak 1600w) at 2 ohm and the amp I heard it hooked up to (and got me hooked on wanting these) was a Kicker Zx750 which runs at 750 rms (25hz-200hz) and sounds great! But that amp runs at around at 500. I have had difficulty locating anything with that power for cheaper or even matching that level.
I saw an Alpine amp that runs at 1000rms (20hz-20kHz) that is 400 itself. I was wondering could I match that amp up with the subs or would that be too much power running through it? Or any suggestions of amps that would match up with the 800 rms that are reasonable.
Oh yea I drive a 97 Chevy Cavalier 4door sedan
Replies (6)
ttocs on 01/12/2009 01:29:57
never been a big fan of kicker. They are not a bad brand but they are now over-produced(why they are so cheap), and they have always been over-rated in my opinion. You can make the subs sound good as long as you give them a big box and BIG power. The amps can put out some good power as long as your alt can keep up with its current demand. They do have a easyl return policy but then so does walmart and I imagine it will only be a few months before you see kicker in walmart.
swez on 01/12/2009 17:29:42
Welcome to CK!
Looked at your link: The amp is a cheap toy, but may be useful for mids/highs up front if it has the right filters and crossover features. (What is the fuse value in that amp?)
http://www.ecusad.com/media/XBX-1200.gif
The sub box may be usable depending on how well it's made, size of each chamber and port dimensions. If you can measure the box and come back with some numbers, we may be able to help you choose good subs that will work in that box.
Kicker makes some good amps and their upper line subs are pretty solid as well. I agree with ttocs that they are not the best value or bang for your buck. They are power hogs and love large boxes to get the kind of bass you probably heard.
If you are on a tight budget, consider doing upgrades in stages. In this case, buying a decent amp that can run your present subs adequately, would be #1 on the list. (A Class D sub amp makes the most sense)
NOTE: Be aware that not all amp makers rate their products honestly. That's not the case with well known brands, but the knock-offs play that game to the buyers dismay. We look at RMS or Continous power ratings and fuse ratings used. If an amp says it can deliver 1200 PEAK Watts and only has 30A's in fuses, it's more like 250-300 watts RMS.
Finally, understand that your cars' electrical system can only handle so much add on devices before something starts to suffer. Most GM cars of this size use Delco's CS-130 series ALT. (60/105 Amperage output at low and high RPM)
The car needs about 40-50A's to run all main electricals properly. Adding a sub amp that draws more than 60 amperes, WILL impair other electrical parts in the system eventually. Know that and plan accordingly.
Questions/Comments?
Swez
Ash on 01/12/2009 20:49:32
Dual is most definitely bottom of the barrel when it comes to having performance. Honestly it won't take much to outdo your current setup, but going overboard to do it is just as easy and is most common. A solid class D amp with about 500 watts rms paired with some quality subs should fit nicely in your small sedan.
The key here is the install, matching the style of music, and listening tastes. Kicker was a good brand a long time ago before they started following market trends. Trends now are overly large boxes, power hungry with robust output. Honestly, that's only good for street level competition (outbooming at the light). For a everyday driver with clean sound and capability to hurt your ears, you'd be surprised what you can get away with. Unless you heard that same exact setup in the same exact car it would be hard to say whether or not that is what you actually need or even want.
What is the fuse rating on the amp you have? On the pic it looks like on a 30, but let's be sure... Like Swez stated, an amp with a 30 amp fuse is only capable of about 300 watts rms total and that's if it has a efficient power supply. More than likely that amp will be less. Split that between two subs and that's not very much to keep a stout sub clean nor be able to pound out deep lows at a good volume. The response of the sub/box combo may also be in question for that matter.
A custom matched sub/box/amp can easily outdo that at far less cost than what you are considering.
Ash,
ace23 on 01/15/2009 17:19:19
well there are many great options to finding deals you should shop around and see the best deals around if your on a budget.
sorry swez didnt know about that rule
swez on 01/15/2009 22:32:58
Ace23,
We normally do not endorse or allow outright sales and trading/swapping of gear on this site for many good reasons. We are not set up to monitor such activity and protect both parties from deals gone south.
May I suggest you either revise your last post or remove it. What is acceptable, "I have some extra gear to trade, sell or swap. If you want more details, contact me via private e-mail and we can discuss the matter off site."
The other option is e-bay. But the same concept applies. CK does not endorse sales, swaps/trades and the like. But for those who would like to look at your offerings, do them privately and off this site.
Thanks,
Swez
swez on 01/16/2009 06:54:20
Thanks Ace,
We have looked at ways to share, swap and trade gear on CK a few times and have not come up with a concrete way to protect the buyer, seller and CK from liabilities and bad deals.
It's been a while since this issue came up before, so you could not have known why we take this position. No harm done and thank you for ammending your thread.
Regards,
Swez
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