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So I've got this for a headunit: http://tinyurl.com/794az7f

sub: http://tinyurl.com/78gwewp

possible amp: http://tinyurl.com/6qz5emb

Question I have about the amp is if I should spend some more money to get a better amp because later I was planning on upgrading the speakers too.

was thinking of these: http://tinyurl.com/6rkdugm http://tinyurl.com/77t33vm

Should I get like a 600 watt 5 ch amp instead of a separate amp for the subs and the speakers? Also, when I do upgrade the speakers would I have to upgrade the battery/alternator too?

 
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The website says the amp is discontinued. I have never heard of Pheonix but that doesn't mean there not good. I have always stuck with Alpine, Kenwood, Sony, Pioneer for amps, headunits and speakers. I have an infinity amp that is atleast 6 years old and it still kicks like its brand new. if your running 2 subs and 4 speakers your going to need a 6 channel. I would get a 2 and a 4 channel. The 4 channel should have high outputs so that you can wire them up to the door speakers. I have never replaced the alternator or the battery and have never had a problem. Your never going to draw max power from it. If your lights already dim and you don't have an amp then I would definatly upgrade the alternator.

 
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JL Audio is by far the best quality anything. And its made in the good ol USA.

 
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Phoenix gold use to make good amps they have been around for awhile im not sure if they were ever bought out by a different company and still make quality products kinda like what happened to MB QUART. do some research. alpine still makes really good reliable amps for good prices.

 
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I realize they are a discontinued item, I found this one craigslist just figured I'd post what shows the specs lol. I only have 1 sub which is what I posted above.

With that said, I should only need to get a 5 ch amp since I'd have 4 speakers and 1 sub correct? I'm not really looking for a review on the amp itself, more on if I should go with one for the full system or go with 2; one for the sub and one for the speakers?

My friend raved about phoenix gold stuff, so I figured I'd give them a try. The guy on CL wants like 60 bucks, sounded fair to me, and it also had decent reviews. I've read through like a thousand speaker threads, but come up with different answers as to whether or not you should have one or two amps or if it even matters. I'm just trying to buy what I need for now and for a speaker upgrade later down the line, and since I'm buying from CL I can't return what I buy lol

 
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Correct, you will need a 5 channel amp. 1 amp or 2 is really up to you. The only reason to use 2 really would be to match the RMS outputs of the speakers better (if your sub was alot higher then the other speakers)

 
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Since the speakers are about 100 watts each and my subs 400 watts, should I be getting a 500 watt 5 ch amp? or would one with more power be better when powering it off of just one amp?

 
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Actually since there is such a big difference between the amp and speakers it would probably be best to get 2 amps. Is the 100W and 400W the RMS rating or the max? With a 5 ch 500W thats 100W per ch, which is great for the door speakers (if 100W is RMS and not max) but for the sub it will be under powered which can be just as bad as overpowering a speaker.

 
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"Hey McFly, hover boards dont work on water unless you got POWER!"

 
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Clipping is a result of under powered subs. Clipping a sub will lead to voice coil over heating and burning as you overdrive an amp. Bass that sounds broken up and distorted at higher volumns is usually indicative of an amp that is clipping and being asked to deliver power beyond its abilities. Remember to use the appropriate enclosure not all are made the same or desighn for all subs.

 
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Using the amp and sub that you posted you will be under driving that sub with that particular amp. A bridged 4ohm load with that amp will give you 250W and the sub is a 400W RMS sub. You either need a less powerful sub or a more powerful amp.

 
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Thanks for the info guys! I got the head unit installed today, but the radio doesn't work (probably crimped the wrong wires together). From the sounds of it I'll be going with 2 amps. I found a few 500 watt amps on CL so I'll probably be finishing this set up soon :3

 
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All this is pretty confusing, but I think I finally get it! http://tinyurl.com/7zqrtm5

^ is the amp I'm looking to get instead. 2 ch bridged puts out 460 watts and that's just enough for what I need correct?

 
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Correct. That is the one that you will need. It is also 4 ohm's when bridged which is what you need for your sub also since it is 4 ohm.

 
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So now the guy on CL wont respond back to me about meeting so I've gotta find another amp . Looking through CL there are lots of amps, but most are like 4-5 ch. So, my question is that if I buy a 4-5 ch amp can I bridge however many channels I'd need to make the power I'd require for the sub? I.e something like bridging 3-4 channels to make enough power for the sub and then leave the other unplugged? or should I be looking for something more accurate? Like a 2 ch or a monoblock amp?

 
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Well, if you're looking at amps, my 2 cents for names would be Alpine, Kenwood, and JL. Those are the only ones I really have any first hand knowledge of, or know personally people who've used them, and have had good reviews.

Far as amp for the sub... I'd go with a 2 channel, and bridge the woofers onto both channels. Run the rest of the speakers in your car off a separate amp. That's how I would do it. Plus, this way you can ensure a proper balance of power for the subs and the rest of your system.

When you say your subs are 400w, I'm assuming that's max output. I'd get a 500w 2 channel, and dial it in from there. Different strokes for different folks for sure. More than one way to do this of course. But, long as your running two amps, I think it'll ensure you have a LOT better balance of sound, and won't fry an amp by accident.

 
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Thanks for the input. After researching further I decided to go with a kenwood amp since it seemed to best fit what I need and research found that going with a brand name is worth spending a few extra bucks on.

On sonic electronix it says that my sub is 400w rms and 800w peak. But what I understand is that your supposed to find an amp that matches the rms. So I'll be going with a 2 ch amp and bridging it for 460w rms. Which sounds like I'll be going with how you explained it . I just hope having a sub is worth all the trouble lol

 
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You are suppose to use RMS when matching an amp to a sub. You are also suppose to match impedance. The more impedance you have the less power output you get from the amp to the sub. That Kenwood matches your RMS and impedance...it will be worth it as long as you don't crank the bass all the way up so that the car rattles to pieces. Also the volume of your enclosure is suppose to match the sub also, and whether its a sealed or a ported box.

 
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Thanks for the heads up on the impedence. I didn't even think of checking that out. I did buy a box with the right volume thankfully. Glad it all works together lol. Now I just gotta wait on that amp to arrive...

 
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i use nothing but kenwood amps for subs there reliability is untouched. i have been using the same kenwood KAC-7252 for the past 5 years and i listen loud everyday. mine is also bridged at 500rms 4ohm stable.

 
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Awesome! I can't wait for the amp to come!

 
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Just wondering, but how should I tune the sub? I've been reading about LPF and HPF and Bass Boost settings. But what I find says you just need to try it out. From what I understand is that if you put one too high or too low than you will get distortion or not the right sound coming from the sub. How are you supposed to test where the sweet spot is? Just play a bassy song and turn the dials until it seems right? Or is there a more technical/better way to go? The frequency response on my sub is 25-800 Hz if that helps any.

 
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As far as tunning the amp I just adjusted stuff until it sounded good to me. I would use the type of music that you are going to be listening to the most. I mostly listen to rock and country so I didn't want my bass as low and I wanted my mids a little higher for the guitar and singing. I have heard that you are suppose to turn the radio up until it starts to distort then dial the amp in from there.

 
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yup basically by ear my neighbors love it when i tune amps in my driveway.

 
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Thanks for the info guys been really helpful

 
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I've heard going with either rms or max output. When I do my subs, I'm going with max output. I'm a musician... rms my *** lol.

And yes, subs are worth it if you are a basshead like myself.

 
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lol i think you need a lesson in RMS and peak or max power ratings.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_power

 
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Im still running my 4 JL audio speakers off my deck amp, connected from speaker right to the deck. Sub to my amp.

Always wondered what would be the benefit if i were to add a second 4ch amp and run my speakers to that instead of the deck. Some say it would make it louder, which mine already is. Some say it would sound a lot better from the speakers, which mine already sound great. Scary to even think it could sound better and im technically not hearing the best out of my speakers. But i want to keep my setup clean and not add too many more wires, plus it would be more strain on the alternator. Even though i have a semi high output one.

 
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I don't think it'd be a big deal about the wires.. just gotta tuck em somewhere

 
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ive got a million wires running to my trunk it just depends on how you mount everything. i even have all four of my crossovers for my mids and highs running to the trunk.