amp question
Thread Starter
00 Hatchback Owner
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,589
Likes: 0
From: Houston, Texas, US
Rep Power: 0 
amp question
hey, dont usally look on her but i got a question, how do i pick the right amp for the job? ive always wondered about power vs performance.... sub in question is HERE so hit me back !!!
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 51,241
Likes: 20
From: NV
Rep Power: 812 
Just get something that will give the sub enough power. I've got an MTX mono D class amp for my regular infinity sub. I've been hearing that their newer amp line isn't as good. Supposedly the class D digital amps are the best for subs. Nice hatch.
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 51,241
Likes: 20
From: NV
Rep Power: 812 I would go with a class D (digital) for the cleanest sound. Try and match the rms watts on the amp to the max rms watts that the sub can handle. I'm giving my sub half the max power and it still sounds great.
Registered!!
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,344
Likes: 0
From: bay area, california
Rep Power: 337 ok, lets see if i can write this over again, this site crashed for me after I wrote this the first time, so if it seems off, its because im rewriting and pissed off.
my first thought is the power region for the infinity perfect 10. I set the realistic boundary of powerlimit at about 600 rms, as its plenty to power it to full excursion, and many people have run the perfect with 600 rms with wonderfull success. however, many have blown them off 600 rms through irrisponsible tuning, so its a good limit to set at.
thats not to say 600 is required! with a little figuring, the perfectQ should do very well with anywhere in the 300-600 rms range. now for power vs performance question.
starting of power versus performance, Audiophiles all agree that class a/b amplifiers sound better than class D amplifiers. however, its a subjectivist argument, albeit backed up by science. Ive never heard of a subjectivist claim class D sounds better, except of course for gearbox. there are actually many many arguments agasint class D technology as the cleanest sound. Ive even heard arguments that support the claim that for equal power, class A/B will meter higher in SPL competition over class D! But I cannot stress enough that its a "subjectivist" claim, and so cannot have th efull backing of science, only partly. there is no science that backs up class D as a higher quality technology as class a/b. Its one reason for the great sucess of class T, as an "improvement" on class D technology.
When I think of power versus performance, i think of proper equipment matching. lets say I have an orion HCCA. its an accepted fact by teh audio communit that the orion HCCA isnt an SQ competition subwoofer, that its just not accurate enough, doesnt sound live enough to do the job. so why should I spend the money on an ultra high quality amplifier for it? ill never hear the difference!
now, for the perfect Q, there is a definite possibility that id hear the difference between high and low quality power! but jsut because I bought a woofer that could distinguish between the power, should I? maybe not!
lets look at the rest of the stereo. If I run sony xplod speakers up front, why should I shell out the money for a high quality amplifier for my subbass? whats the point of having my kickdrums sound crystal clear when the bass guitar is muddy and the vocals sound like they are coming form a 1920's radio? I cant think of any! Id rather get the stage sounding clear first, then think about matching the subbass!
but lets pretend ive got something like focal utopias up front. definitely an accurate speaker there! furthermore, ive got it on a zapco amplifier. with proper tuning, my soundstage is AMAZINGLY accurate! its like theres an orchestra right on my hood! well, in this situation, perhaps it WOULD be a good idea afterall, to spend $700 or more on an amplifier for my subbass, to properly match the sound! This is what I refer to as proper equipment matching in terms of sound quality.
But how much power should I run? 300 rms? 600? 900? well, lets say I'm going into the SQ competition circuit. I dont really need much power at all, now that i think about it! so perhaps I can save some cash and get that 250 watt arc amp, send it some amazingly clean power, and have it match up with the fronts just perfectly. afterlal, we are talkign about accurate reproduction of sound, not blockrocking!
well, thats all well and good, but now that I think about it, i like ot impress my friends too! I want them to think I have 2 12's back there, then pop the trunk and show them the single 10 and watch their eyes bug out! maybe it would be in my best interests to get a 600 rms amp rather than 300 or less. if arc doesnt make a 600 rms amp, does TRU? lets say they do. it might be worth the investment to get the quality sound I want, and the power level required ot make it bump to show off a little!
but realistically, if i have kapps off deck power up front, and its for bloackrocking, why shell out $700 for that TRU amp? why not get a jbl 600.1 and be very happy with the clean sound I get? may as well.
so equipment matching is not only a sound quality issue, or a physical property of matching proper impedance loads, but also becomes a matching of system desires.
It could also be that even though I have utopias on a zapco amp, that I just dont have the money to spend 7 bills on that TRU am I really want! in this case, the jbl might be a better choice anyways, or an earthquake, since itll be inexpensive and still sound amazing. and also be able to blockrock.
my first thought is the power region for the infinity perfect 10. I set the realistic boundary of powerlimit at about 600 rms, as its plenty to power it to full excursion, and many people have run the perfect with 600 rms with wonderfull success. however, many have blown them off 600 rms through irrisponsible tuning, so its a good limit to set at.
thats not to say 600 is required! with a little figuring, the perfectQ should do very well with anywhere in the 300-600 rms range. now for power vs performance question.
starting of power versus performance, Audiophiles all agree that class a/b amplifiers sound better than class D amplifiers. however, its a subjectivist argument, albeit backed up by science. Ive never heard of a subjectivist claim class D sounds better, except of course for gearbox. there are actually many many arguments agasint class D technology as the cleanest sound. Ive even heard arguments that support the claim that for equal power, class A/B will meter higher in SPL competition over class D! But I cannot stress enough that its a "subjectivist" claim, and so cannot have th efull backing of science, only partly. there is no science that backs up class D as a higher quality technology as class a/b. Its one reason for the great sucess of class T, as an "improvement" on class D technology.
When I think of power versus performance, i think of proper equipment matching. lets say I have an orion HCCA. its an accepted fact by teh audio communit that the orion HCCA isnt an SQ competition subwoofer, that its just not accurate enough, doesnt sound live enough to do the job. so why should I spend the money on an ultra high quality amplifier for it? ill never hear the difference!
now, for the perfect Q, there is a definite possibility that id hear the difference between high and low quality power! but jsut because I bought a woofer that could distinguish between the power, should I? maybe not!
lets look at the rest of the stereo. If I run sony xplod speakers up front, why should I shell out the money for a high quality amplifier for my subbass? whats the point of having my kickdrums sound crystal clear when the bass guitar is muddy and the vocals sound like they are coming form a 1920's radio? I cant think of any! Id rather get the stage sounding clear first, then think about matching the subbass!
but lets pretend ive got something like focal utopias up front. definitely an accurate speaker there! furthermore, ive got it on a zapco amplifier. with proper tuning, my soundstage is AMAZINGLY accurate! its like theres an orchestra right on my hood! well, in this situation, perhaps it WOULD be a good idea afterall, to spend $700 or more on an amplifier for my subbass, to properly match the sound! This is what I refer to as proper equipment matching in terms of sound quality.
But how much power should I run? 300 rms? 600? 900? well, lets say I'm going into the SQ competition circuit. I dont really need much power at all, now that i think about it! so perhaps I can save some cash and get that 250 watt arc amp, send it some amazingly clean power, and have it match up with the fronts just perfectly. afterlal, we are talkign about accurate reproduction of sound, not blockrocking!
well, thats all well and good, but now that I think about it, i like ot impress my friends too! I want them to think I have 2 12's back there, then pop the trunk and show them the single 10 and watch their eyes bug out! maybe it would be in my best interests to get a 600 rms amp rather than 300 or less. if arc doesnt make a 600 rms amp, does TRU? lets say they do. it might be worth the investment to get the quality sound I want, and the power level required ot make it bump to show off a little!
but realistically, if i have kapps off deck power up front, and its for bloackrocking, why shell out $700 for that TRU amp? why not get a jbl 600.1 and be very happy with the clean sound I get? may as well.
so equipment matching is not only a sound quality issue, or a physical property of matching proper impedance loads, but also becomes a matching of system desires.
It could also be that even though I have utopias on a zapco amp, that I just dont have the money to spend 7 bills on that TRU am I really want! in this case, the jbl might be a better choice anyways, or an earthquake, since itll be inexpensive and still sound amazing. and also be able to blockrock.
Registered!!
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,344
Likes: 0
From: bay area, california
Rep Power: 337 oh i wanted to also say I really like that subwoofer, infinity came up with a really innovative design I approve of greatly, allowing the woofer to be taylored to the box rather than the other way around. it lets me cram it into a tiny space, or run it freeair if i desire, or anywhere in between! just change the plug in the back!
awesome, awesome design, lets me be REAL creative with boxdesign
awesome, awesome design, lets me be REAL creative with boxdesign
Thread
Thread Starter
Honda Civic Forum
Replies
Last Post
martinsmartin
Mechanical Problems/Vehicle Issues and Fix-it Forum
5
Aug 15, 2015 07:34 PM
redcloud
I.C.E. (Audio) & Electrical Upgrades
25
Aug 12, 2015 01:23 PM
JustaRhymez
General 7th Gen
8
Jul 10, 2015 07:12 AM
