[PhatSS10]

I was down at sound advice the other day and the guy told me that some company (i ferget) has come out w/ a new 350 watt amp this year and it is as powerfull as a 650...and the main point is i need more than my 200watt pioneer to power my bostons cause the tweeters cut off cuz they and my bostons are sucking the amp dry. And this guy says that if i get the 350 watt amp it will not only power my bostons but also pump out enough power to run my future two 12" competition subs...what do yall think? i dont believe it...i was thinking about getting a 1000 watt to power everything...any opinions??:bash:

 

[db machine]

Sounds like to me the salesman is just feeding you some bull. An amp is an amp....just that some of the higher brands have better parts and offer cleaner undistorted power. Simple as that

 

[PhatSS10]

Rockford forgate

any new on them? im thinking of getting a 350 watt for 400 to power the boston pro's and a 1000watt for 700 or so to power two 12" subs...once i get the cash...:uhoh:

 

[LORD MASTER GOD]

hold on there guy

are you saying that you are about to get a 350 watt amp for $400? and a 1000 watt amp for $700? please say it isn't so. do you believe in buying off the net? cause i hate to see people get raped by local shops.

for your bostons you are gonna need a class a/b amp that gives off at least 175x2 @ 4 ohms. you're bostons are 4 ohms correct? let me think here
crossfire bmf200.2
audiobahn A2800E
rockford 500.2 or 800.2
memphis 16-ST300
planet audio HVT7100
they all give off at least 125 watts per channel at 4 ohms so they are definate candidates. oh and some are considerably cheaper then $400, some are not. all depends on brand and place you buy from of course. what brand are you gonna get for 400 bucks?

and as far as 1000 watt amp for $700, you better not even think about paying that much. i have a jbl bp1200.1 and they are great amps. close to 1400 watts at 14.4 volts at 1 AND 2 ohms. i paid 389 over a year ago and they are now 299 over on ebay and the guy that sells them is SCALA1, he is a very reputable seller and has a ton of them.
oh and what ohm load are you gonna have for your subs? that is also very important. oh and look for a class d amp, some are
cadence A7
memphis st1000d
crossfire bmf or cfa 1000d
mtx 81000d
lanzar 1200d
rockford bd1000.1
and the list goes on and on
ALL of these can be had for MUCH less then $700


oh and that guy at that shop is a numbnut, you can get an underrated amp which is what it sounds like he is talking about. like alot of the amps i mentioned above are rated at one thing but when given proper voltage they will give off more then what rated. for example, the cadence a7 is rated at 1200 watts at 1 ohm but when given 14.4 volts it will give off close to 1400 watts. either way it takes power to make power so if his "wonder" amp makes 650 watts but is rated at 350 watts then it will still pull the amperage necessary to make 650 watts. nothing special about that.


sorry for the book but if buying online is an option then PM me and i can send you a huge friggin list on where to buy stuff cheapest. my personal trial and error type of thing. also if you have any other questions let me know.

 

[PhatSS10]

well the rockford 360 watt 2 channel is what im about to get from best buy (in person) and im guessing about running one of the boston pro series 6.5 in the doors (best bostons out) and one of the tweeters on one channel and the same on the other channel. Because the pioneer 200 watt 4 channel isnt doing ****...the only fear i have is going from 4 channels to 2. cuz i still want my highs. and the other rockford (1000watt mono) is for my future 800 watt tech2 12" woofers...does this sound bad? its all from best buy....i can think of much cheaper..

 

[LORD MASTER GOD]

so you wanna go rockford or is it just because you know the name and thats what best buy(and your local shop) had?

anyways...

$400 for the 360.2??? kinda high compared to this
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1301565467

$700 for the bd1000.1 ??? thats a bit high too, this might be a bit lighter on your wallet
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1301565481

the guy is an awesome seller, see his feedback for yourself. i bought my amp from him too

as for subs, let me know what size you want, how many you want and also how much room you have to play with and i can think of a better setup then those best buy dorks..hehe

 

[PhatSS10]

aiight, thats cool..im just a little scared about ordering over the net... but will i be able to turn the *****es up all the way and not have em cut off?? (i want some 800 watt 12" subs) i have a extended cab so i have alot of room back there

 

[PhatSS10]

Can i get some other optinions from you other s10 guys too? p.s. dude the auctions said there ended..?? ..seems to good to be true...:uhoh:

 

[Pewter01]

Re: hold on there guy

and the guy that sells them is SCALA1, he is a very reputable seller and has a ton of them.

Hell yes, I've bought a ton of stuff off of that guy. He has great prices and is awesome to deal with.

 

[LORD MASTER GOD]

p.s. dude the auctions said there ended..?? ..seems to good to be true...:uhoh:

then head on over to ebay and type in "rockford 360.2" or "rockford bd1000.1" and see for yourself. i just picked the first auction on the page for an example. auctions start and end, they are never around forever, i think the most they last is like 5 days or a week. and if you order from the net ALWAYS pay by credit card, should anything happen then simply cancel or dispute the charges and let the credit card company handle it from there.

and no its not too good to be true, i see these auctions everyday and it saddens me when i read about people getting taken advantage of by local shops that charge retail when they have the net and can get the same stuff for almost half price.

only reason i am in this section all the time is because this is more my field of knowledge(car audio). i really want an s10 to do up but i know nothing of suspension, engines, airbags, exhausts etc... so i come here to learn about it. people will tell me how to do what, where to get this and that and what to avoid. i figured i might as well rely on people that have been there and done that and make my life that much easier.

i just figured that i have been there done that with researching car audio and pretty much tell you where to get stuff cheapest from reliable people. a price drop like that is pretty unbelievable when you first see it isn't it? hehe. you'll never look at your local shop the same again.

check this out for subs, go to ebay and type "rockford hx2" or "audiobahn aw1200x" just to give you an idea. as for you wanting to turn it up all the way and not have it cut off.....that all depends on the car and the install. it would be impossible for me to tell you if it would or wouldn't.

if you wanna go into detail then i could help you more, all you gotta do is ask but if not then just tell me to shut up and i'll stop making these novels.....hehe

 

[HuTcH]

a 350 watt amp could output like he is saying if the ohms are different... its a pain in the ass and i cant remember how to figure it out but its possible.. if the amp can handle it and you can set the speakers up right... which isnt the easiest to do always

 

[PhatSS10]

naw man, i really appreciate all yalls advice. Yea i wana know all about it so lay it on. I have the 6.5" in the doors and 2 tweeters in the dash in place of the old stockers. the set is the boston pro's. plus i have monster wire run...thats just about all i know.

 

[HuTcH]

naw man, i really appreciate all yalls advice. Yea i wana know all about it so lay it on. I have the 6.5" in the doors and 2 tweeters in the dash in place of the old stockers. the set is the boston pro's. plus i have monster wire run...thats just about all i know.

to dow ahat i said you would be running a mono system

 

[LORD MASTER GOD]

somethings you should know first

if you wanna do 2 12s then you are gonna need a sub that is single 4 ohm or dual 2 ohm. that rockford amp does max power at 2 ohms.

if you don't mind spending abit more cash you could always do better then the subs i mentioned (they are good subs by all means but there is better)

what size power and ground wiring do you have? to do those 2 amps you will need at LEAST 4 gauge. 2 gauge would be better, 0 would be best but you could get away with 4.

only thing i would go to a local shop for is to have your sub box built if you are not handy with box building like me. if you want a generic box i could point in the right direction but it all depends on how you want your setup to look. a nice custom box made for that truck would look nice, better then a generic box. all up to you.

running that kind of current will make your lights dim and voltage drop with the 100 amp alternator that you have. just that sub amp will pull more amperage then what your alt can put out. upgrading your alt would be a smart move and pay off in the long run as your alt is the heart of your electrical system and is what will supply current for your amps. you got a chevy so a new hi output alt might run you a couple of hundred at most. good thing about chevy... cheap parts

there are alot of factors that come into play when doing nice systems like this so don't expect to only pay for subs and amps and thats it. yeah, it sucked when i first found that out too. just a little preview of whats to come so you know.

 

[PhatSS10]

well i just replaced my alternator for 400-500 bucks becuase it blew (my parents did) so how much would this run? im not sure on my guage..ill check when i goto get my sony head unit fixed AGAIN!!!!!! and illl let you know, i wana get 0 guage run..i was thinking of getting a box to filll the back and putting a box for 3 12" subs pushed by a 1000 watt amp with a cap, switch and i think thats all ill need w/ the base besides an equilizer for upfront. and for the highs i really need more power but i dont have enough confidence that the 360.2 2 channel will be what im looking for even though it would be better than the 200 watt pioneer 4 channel... cuz i want the absoulte max power coming from the front (boston pro's) ....well get back to me with opionions :evilg: its payday!

 

[LORD MASTER GOD]

so you want 3 12s huh? when you get into odd numbers the ohm load will be in 1/3rds(most of the time).....like 2.66 or 1.33 for example. when you do to a rockford amp you will get 2 things.
1. run it at 2.66 and you will not get full power
or
2. you run the amp below what is suggested and risk messing up the amp, rockford amps are notoriuos for running hot as it is already.

i would just do 2 subs but if your stuck on 3 12s then i would suggest switching sub amps.

as for your mids and highs, if you are skeptical as to whether or not the 360.2 will power your bostons enough then spend another 50 bucks and get the 500.2 (125x2) and that will be more then enough to keep up with 1000 watts of sub power.

what size alternator do you have now? is it still stock size? a cap will help but i consider a cap kinda like a band-aid. its good for a small cut (small voltage drops and slight light dimming) but when you got a great big gash (big voltage drops and major light dimming) then its worthless. that part would be better to take care of after you install everything to see how bad the cut actually is.

bigger pain in the azz then you thought ain't it?

 

[PhatSS10]

yes, its alot of trouble but its well worth it:bash: ill go with the 500 watt rockford..but what kinda amp for the subs cuz i am stuck on 3 12" (yes alt. is stock). ill get back to you once i acurally get sound advice to fix whats wrong now....(head unit)

 

[01ZQ8]

You could get 3 JL 12w6's and run them all off that rockford amp. Or anything that you can find at 6 Ohm. I dont know if Fosgate sells anythign like that. Im not a big fan of them.

 

[iasca_s10]

*sigh*

Ah, where to begin. First off, the biggest issue that needs to be addressed. Buying online is not all it is cracked up to be. First off, you always run the risk of getting ripped off. And from what I've run into, delays and long waits are almost inevitable. One of the most used arguments against buying online is warranty. VERY true, 9 times out of 10, your product won't be warrantied. ANYBODY can accidentally ground out an output. **** happens. Buy online, good luck. If the company is a good one(read:not highly likely), you'll get a replacement for your mistake. Now, how long that takes is another story. Shipping prices, shipping times, the blame game....good luck. The BIGGEST reason to not buy online....support. Local retailers give you support. You walk in the store that you bought your equipment from with a problem, they'll fix it. They are there to help you out with your equipment, adjust things that need readjusting. Simple quick questions you need. It's called customer service/support. FEW companies have that online. Crutchfield does, but then again, your help is over the phone, not in person. Then again, crutchfields prices are a little closer to retail than all other online retailers. That's because they are AUTHORIZED. The manufacturer knows they are selling the equipment, they bought the equipment from the manufacturer, and the manufacturer stands behind the product. Not true in MAJORITY of cases. Buy online, lose manufacturer warranty.
Anyhow, pay a little more, buy locally, save some heartache, get treated right, have help available, and have a warranty. Blew your amp? Oh, ok, here's another, we'll just send this one in to get fixed. You walk away with an amp, not 50 bucks in shipping charges and a 2 month wait. In case you haven't noticed, I am COMPLETELY against buying online.

Anyway, to the man's question. The above comments are right about impedance, however I urge you 2 to really tell a difference between an amp run at 2.66 ohms and 2 ohms. You are talking minimal difference in power, and almost (if not completely) no difference in audibility. [email protected] is no less than [email protected] Divide that by 3 subs, so 333watts vs 266 per sub (difference of 70 watts, or about a 25% increase on power). An increase of 100% will give you a THEORETICAL increase of 3db. Theoretical does not mean real. At most a 3/4 db increase in what you hear. My long drawn out point is this...get what you want because you want it, don't worry about getting something to fit the ideal power of the amp. Don't get me wrong, 2ohms to 4ohms is a big difference, but not 2 to 2.6. Rockford is a solid product. NOT my personal choice, but I'm not going to fill the post with the brands that will "sound" best (BTW, that is completely subjective). Don't be cheap, but buying any decent reputable amp will suffice.
Amps cutting out is more often than not due the head unit. ****ty head units with low voltage and high impedance will cause amps to shut off. A crappy signal is no good, the amps doesn't want it. OK, think I'm done now.

 

[LORD MASTER GOD]

You could get 3 JL 12w6's and run them all off that rockford amp. Or anything that you can find at 6 Ohm. I dont know if Fosgate sells anything like that. Im not a big fan of them.

with that you will get either a 1 ohm load which the rockford cannot handle or a 4 ohm load which will be half of the rockfords output.

and iasca_s10 does bring up some very good points about internet shopping. alot of people get jipped and its a shame. before you shop online make sure the place is reputable, its not like i see something i want and then i just buy it without researching. you ask questions about the site, find out from people that have already bought from there, people that have experience...etc....etc. if you see the sellers feedback (ebay) it should give you a very good idea about their rep and kind of service they provide. research is the key and so is paying by CC.

as far as support online, he may not get that from the online buyer but that is what sites like this are for. just like this site offers help for installing air bags, suspension, engines and stuff you wanna do yourself, you got a question or something you wanna know.....you come on here or an audio site (termpro.com) and you WILL get your questions answered just like now. right now he is reading this and learning from our experiences and learning what to avoid and what to look for.

and iasca, you're making it sound like there are no problems with buying from your local shop. my local shops suck, they charge retail, even more for labor($45-75/h) and they make you wait if you ever use the warranty. my local shops just don't throw me a new amp and say "here ya go". they send the damaged item back to the company and make me wait till it comes back. same thing as buying online only i saved about $300. i would rather ask questions, save money and find out how to do things myself and gain that "hands on" knowledge rather then pay some guys $75/h, pay retail and get it done quicker and still not know how they did this and where did they hook this up to and playing hide and seek. i did my research with car audio and i am doing it know (hence why i am on this site) so when i get my s10 i have a head start and know where to begin. everything a local shop installer knows, i can just ask other installers online and find out without having to pay the outrageous price.

you dislike online shopping with a passion and i dislike local shops with a passion.....there are good and bad points to each. and with the seller i recommended he does get a full manufactures warranty, its in big lettering right on the auction.
if he wants to save money, we could help him install the amps himself, he already has one so he can just follow that guideline completely eliminating the need for a local shop and keeping money in his wallet.

i am in no way trying to flame anyone or start any bullshyt internet fight, i am just trying to bring up the good points of online shopping and the good in having forums like this up to help us. to me its a hell of alot better then going to my local shop.....but thats just me.

as for the equipment comments iasca, i do agree about the slight loss of power, it might not even be audible but to me its more of a peace of mind thing.....to me anyways. i like to get the most out of everything. are you an installer iasca? good to see another audio freak on here. do you visit any audio forums?

phats10, its not alot of trouble to get 3 12s, just saying you will get a slight loss of power. if you are willing to do a mixed amp setup then i could recommend an amp that will do full power (a little more powerful then the rockford) at both 1 and 2 ohms, then you will be able to get just about any ohm configuration on a sub you want. it will even be cheaper and scala1 also sells them. just some food for thought.

p.s. phats10, what kinda head unit do you have? iasca_s10 brought up a good point, clipping could be caused by low voltage and unless you have a high end sony the voltage will only be around 2 volts