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I don't know much about amplifiers. I have been looking at a lot different kinds amps. I need something in the 2000watt range but than I went on ebay and im seeing all these Boss, Pyle, Legancy 2000watt amps for less than 200 bucks with shipping! that seems like a great DEAL! I don't understand what is the catch of one of those amplifers vs. say a Phoenix Gold amplifier or any high end brand Replies (12) compvr15s on 11/2/2003 17:56:10 what exactly do ya need all that power for? do you need a mono amp or multi channel amp. and the deal between the high end brands and the other brands is that the high end brands dont over rate their products. the boss,pyle, legacy amps will not put out anything near what they say, they just use that to pull the buyer in. there are great brands tho that maybe you havent even heard of that are well below the price of PG, Alpine, Kicker, Rockford fosgate, JL audio but put out the same power or in some cases even better power, lets us know what your intentions are, maybe you dont actaully need that much power. and if you do need that much power, you will probably have to do some electrical upgrading suck as high output alternator(that range from150 to 500 dollars) new battery, battery cables, ground cables. i have '88 grand prix 2.8L as well and i dont need a 2000 watt amp and i have probably the loudest car in the area. but just give information on what you have and what you want to do and the people around here will help stretch your money a long ways. good luck Munchiesyumm on 11/2/2003 18:30:00 Right now I have a Boss 600watt amplifier running a Phoenix Gold 10 inch 1400 watt xmax subwoofer in a sealed box. But the over all Sound Quality is not anything to brag about. I was thinking of upgrading sometime in the future, I'd like to get a 1400 watt amplifier and some 12's in a bandpass but for right now i'll have to stick with the 10 inch sub. my friend has 2 power acoustik 1800watt 12's he needs a 2000watt amplifier to run them thats why I asked about the brand names. Junier on 11/2/2003 19:26:32 I was looking over the phonix gold website and couldnt find a 10 woofer that had 1400 watts RMS power rating... Anyways, the problem with the sound quality is most likely the crappy amp.. It might say 600 watts but it really isnt pushing that much. I'm pretty sure with a better name brand amp that same 10 will sound way better... Phoenix gold makes quality products so I dont see why the sub would be the reason for crappy sound... You said you wanted around 1400watt amp... I would recommend the JBL 1200.1 it isnt 1400watts but it's very easy on your electrical system for 1200 watts, very good quality amp, and it's fairly cheap... Munchiesyumm on 11/2/2003 20:03:35 It's an older Phoenix Gold. I'll see if I can find some pictures and specs for you. http://www.truckstuff.org/speakers/phoenix_gold%20xmax.htm My friend told me it was 1400watts but thats definatly not RMS I doubt thats the correct. The site says 350RMS I got everything for only 200 dollars Xtreme Sound Deck (which I hate its 15watts x4) that boss 600 watt amplifier and the 10 inch PG in a sealed box, and the amp kit. I had speakers. It isn't super great but it does get loud enough to make your ears hurt the real heart of it all is the sub the trebble isn't loud enough most of the time and in order to make the sub even hit I have to turn the Bass Boost all the way up on the amp. My friend put his Eclipse 1500 watt subwoofer in my car and it blew up. I believe it was because the sub was too under powred. Really sucked because he was mad as hell. I don't know.. for 200 dollars it works and it gets loud. But of course I want better. Munchiesyumm on 11/2/2003 20:22:23 We thought the PG was blown up because it distorts when the volume is up and you open the trunk. When the trunk is closed you can't hear any distortion but as soon as u crack it open it sarts to sound funny. He was going to get me a new 10 but I can forget that now that the 600 dollar Eclipse blew up in my car Here are the specifictions on the BOSS amplifier http://www.sounddomain.com/sku/BOSREV435#reviews Amplifier Type: 2-channel RMS Power: 120W x 2 Bridged RMS Power: 300W x 1 THD at Rated RMS Power: 0.01% Speaker Level Inputs: Yes Preamp Outputs: No Built-In Crossovers: HP/LP Bass Boost: 0 or 18 dB Frequency Response: 20-20,000 Hz Channel Separation: n/a Signal to Noise Ratio: >105 dB Fuse Rating: 30 amps Features Plexiglas Top Plate Mosfet Power Supply Variable Low-Pass Crossover Fixed High-Pass Crossover Switchable Bass Boost Line and Speaker Level Inputs Included Remote Subwoofer Level Control compvr15s on 11/2/2003 21:04:34 it may be the sub but i bet its the amp, i had the same problem with my kicker l7 solobaric. sounded good when trunk was closed sounded horrible when open, i was runnin only 150 watts to it and it handled 750 rms, i bought a 600 watt rms kicker amp amp and it didnt sound like that anymore. sounds like you are giving way too much distortion to the sub, is your amp clipping? does the sub sound that way all the time or just at high volume. if only at high volume then more than likey its not the sub itself. id recommed gettin a good quality class d amp of your choice and tryin that. im sure you will be amazed at the difference. i bet a jbl 300.1 will do that pg 10inch sub some justice, im sure it wont handle much more than 300-400 watts rms. good luck, any other questions, or anything that i didnt cover just holla back Munchiesyumm on 11/2/2003 21:16:13 The sub only sounds like that at High volume but the thing about it is that it didn't use to do that. its only a recent thing. When I first hooked it up we cranked it and it was hitting really hard for just a little 10. There was no distortion and this was with the amp turned all the way up with the bass boost. I just don't know I rather have an entirely new system. New Deck for sure I would keep it but its that 15watt x4 I can't believe they would make something so disrespectful. I thought it said 160watts the wiring is all good I got a set of JL 150 watt 3way 6 1/2s and some stock 4x6's in the front I wasn't worried because im selling this car soon and im getting a 1992 - 1994 Honda Civic Im not exsactly sure on the speaker sizes but I hope they are 6 1/2s. I might beable to get a new deck no problem for about 50 bucks. The sub isn't bad, I mean this is no little sub the thing is a BEAST for a 10 incher. The magnet is gigantic I'd guess it was about 35 pounds. I really want a new amplifier because right now I got it bridged and if I don't have the bass boost on it sounds like regular car speakers. I turn the bass boost on and its about 10x louder but now it distorts at higher volumes. I think your right on the AMP I really have no money. Im only 16 so I don't really make a lot of $$ would you have any ideas you can give me for a cheaper amplifier with some power to it. Junier said the JL1200 but thats out my price range. I was looking at some of those amplifiers on ebay but like you guys said earlier they are over rated and have poor sound Q My other question is you said you were running a sub way under it's RMS. I thought thats how you blow subwoofers out. For instance the Eclipse 12 that was in my car blew up and it was definatly underpowered by a long shot. Swez on 11/2/2003 20:43:30 Mind if I hop in and lend a helping hand? Seems like you have some experience with low end amplifiers and how they can damage great subs. Sadly, this is what happens when guys use their gear in ways it was not designed for. "Clipping" (heavy amp distortion levels) are hard on subs. When we push a cheap or good amp beyond its normal operating limits, something has to give. Usually, its the subs/speakers that die first. The clue your amp is clipping came when you said... "We thought the PG was blown up because it distorts when the volume is up and you open the trunk. When the trunk is closed you can't hear any distortion but as soon as u crack it open it starts to sound funny." That is the amp clipping, which makes the sub sound terrible and will eventually fail. Now, I saw some big numbers on amp power tossed about in earlier threads. But what you really want to look at is the RMS power ratings on amps and at what ohm rating. But there are some things to think about as you build your new system. 1. Use quality products (amp,subs,speakers etc.) 2. Have adequate power to run your amp(s) (ALT/BAT) 3. Know the proper way to set up your gear as you build it 4. If on a tight budget, shop the best deals and buy as you can afford the good stuff OK, this PG sub is a good product, but a single 10" sub cannot give too much SPL in the wrong box or from a poor quality amp. Good start... but a pair of 10's in the proper enclosure will do wonders. You can use the one you have now and add a 2nd one as you can afford it and build from there. Some ?'s for you: 1. What is the enclosure size and style you have now? (Sealed, Ported of Bandpass?) 1a. What are the physical dimensions of this box? (web link?) 2. What model Boss amp do you have now? 3. How is the amp getting it audio input signal? (HU RCA's or speaker taps to the amp high signal inputs? 4. Got a web link to that deck you have now? Once we get a base line on the gear you have now, can build off that until you have a nice sounding system. Don't have to do it alll in one week... but quality gear is the way to go... but knowing how to install and set up your gear is even more important. Comments? Swez Munchiesyumm on 11/2/2003 22:24:21 It is a Sealed Box I have no idea the dimensions, there is no brand name on it or anything. The face is completely flat and the rear plate goes down at a slant to meet the bottom so it doesn't roll over. I'll try to find a picture that best depicts it. Is there a way to messaure it? It is a Boss Riot Rec435 (its suppose to be 600 watts) *says it on the amplifier* but an out side source (http://www.sounddomain.com/sku/BOSREV435#reviews) says as fallowed: Amplifier Type: 2-channel RMS Power: 120W x 2 Bridged RMS Power: 300W x 1 THD at Rated RMS Power: 0.01% Speaker Level Inputs: Yes Preamp Outputs: No Built-In Crossovers: HP/LP Bass Boost: 0 or 18 dB Frequency Response: 20-20,000 Hz Channel Separation: n/a Signal to Noise Ratio: >105 dB Fuse Rating: 30 amps It is an Xtreme Sound deck model WMS303 Specs are as fallows: (http://www.xtremeproduct.com/WMS303.htm) Single CD Player (CD-R/CD-RW/compatible) Digital LCD Display. Pause/Intro/CD Scan/Repeat/Random Play AM/FM MPX Metal Analog Tuner Mono/Stereo Selector Local/distant Selector Detachable Face ISO DIN Installation 10 Disc CD Changer Controls Power Level Meter Electronic Bass, Treble, Balance and Fader Controls Loudness/Bass Boost Mute 4-Channel X 15 Watt Maximum Power Output 2-Channel RCA Pre-Amp Output and the subwoofer is a 10inch PG the specifications are at this site http://www.truckstuff.org/speakers/phoenix_gold%20xmax.htm way too many to list. I believe it says the size box it needs ect... How should I go about measuring the box? It's at my friends house right now he was resealing it. I should get it tommarow or the day after. Swez on 11/3/2003 08:49:42 Good info... tks! That Boss amp is ~250 watts RMS when bridged MONO. (ch 1 + ch 2 = MONO bridged) YOU MUST USE A 4 OHM LOAD WHEN BRIDGED!!! Not a bad start... but don't expect to blow the windows out of your ride w/ this amp. Realistically, it should push a single sub to mid-120's dB of SPL. I looked at that site on your PG woofer. Not a bad sub at all... in the right enclosure. Looks like sealed, 0.60 - 0.70 cf (internal) is right size box for this sub. It can take up to 350 watts RMS input power, depending on the sub enclosure design. A bit expensive for a 10".. but PG is not cheap either. To measure your box, measure the Height, Width and Depth of the outer box. If you have a wedge style design, measure the top Depth, (D1) and bottom depth (D2) and I'll calculate the internal cf for you. Need to be sure the box is close to the right size for this sub. The reciever deck (HU) you note has some good basic features, but is very low power. It states 15 x 4 watts max. You are really getting ~8 x 4 watts RMS to each speaker. I do not see any voltage output specs on the RCA outs, but we can assume ~1.0 volts here. Not much power for interior speakers and you may want to consider adding a decent 4 channel amp (~50 x 4 watts RMS is good) for the speakers at a later time. OK, not a bad start and the first thing to do here, is to set up the sub amp to optimal power and minimal distortion. The gain controls on this amp, bass boost and HU volume/tone setting are key. There is an FAQ on "Tweaking subs". Read it over and follow the guidelines as noted. If you have any ?'s on this process, just ask. http://www.clubknowledge.com/Car_Audio_FAQ/?t3 Swez PS When you get the box dimension numbers, toss em in and I'll run some calulations on the box. Munchiesyumm on 11/3/2003 23:50:05 Any ideas on a quick fix for a new amplifier? What are some brands you would say would be good for me. In the future I would like to run 2, 12's in a bandpass probably about 400 rms each. The cheaper the better for me. Swez on 11/4/2003 08:51:22 The cheapest amp you can afford, is the one you have now. It just needs to be set up correctly to limit clipping and excess sub distortion. You said this is a Boss Riot series amp, model Rec435 right? 1. Set your gain on this amp to ~1.0 - 2.0 volts input sensitivity 2. Set the LP filter between 80-100 Hz 3. Bridge the amp MONO (you did that already right?) 4. Set your bass boost no higher than +3/+6 dB 5. Dial back on the bass tone control of your HU (deck) to flat (no boost, no cut) If you follow these steps, it will give the loudest and cleanest sounding bass you can get with this amp and HU combo. Hopefully, I can get the sub enclosure dimensions from you so I can determine if the sub box is the proper size range for your sub. Hope you have not damage the PG sub too by excess distortions from this modest amp. That bass boost feature can kill a good sub if used to excess. NEVER.... use bass boost feature past ~+6dB or the amp will clip and be very hard on the sub. Your buddy found that out the hard way with his Eclipse 12".... amp was clipping "BIG TIME" and damaged the sub. I hope he has a warrantee on that expensive puppy. Swez Copyright ClubKnowledge 2009 * All Rights Reserved |