5 channel amp? Or mono amp only?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,704
Likes: 27
5 channel amp? Or mono amp only?
I have an Alpine deck that puts out 50W RMS per channel (x4 channels), and have some alpine 6x9's in back, polk 4x6's up front. I plan to put in a single 10" sub woofer.
The amp that I want is a 5 channel amp:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Alpine+-...&skuId=3049124
This amp puts out what my car stereo already puts out (50W x 4) but 200W RMS x 1 (for the sub). But I can get a mono amp for about $200 that puts out plenty of power for the sub.
Should I save the money and just get the mono amp since my deck already puts out 50W rms x 4? Something tells me this won't sound like I think it should...
Thanks
The amp that I want is a 5 channel amp:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Alpine+-...&skuId=3049124
This amp puts out what my car stereo already puts out (50W x 4) but 200W RMS x 1 (for the sub). But I can get a mono amp for about $200 that puts out plenty of power for the sub.
Should I save the money and just get the mono amp since my deck already puts out 50W rms x 4? Something tells me this won't sound like I think it should...
Thanks
Pro
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 646
Likes: 11
From: San Antonio Texas
It's up to you. Another to look at it is, with the 5 ch amp, if you ever experience amp problems you will loose audio. Since it puts out the same as your HU, you will not see much of a difference. JMO
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,704
Likes: 27
I was kinda worried that if I just hooked up the mono sub, it would drain power from the head unit, and result in alot of bass, but not much else. Then again, I've never tried it this way. Guess I'll find out soon...
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,295
Likes: 8
From: Issaquah WA
Although you could get just the mono sub amp (it won't "drain" any power from your head unit), I would recommend going with the 5 channel amp. Even though the deck says 4x50w output, it probably really puts out 4x18w. The key is the type of power. The specs for most Alpine head units says 4x50 watts peak (18 watts RMS), while the amp output is 50w RMS. Peak power is a pretty loose measurement, and companies can put pretty much any peak power measurements they want, but it isn't useable. I know you mentioned the deck puts out 50 RMS per channel, but are you sure about that?
So without the amp, you'd be running 18 watts to the font and rear speakers, and 200 watts to the sub. That would be pretty bottom heavy, and chances are you'd end up destroying your front or rear speakers over time (you wouldn't hear when the head unit power started distorting, and that's what damages speakers). The 50w is probably overkill for the F/R speakers (coaxle speakers tend to be very efficient), but that won't damage them as easily as under powering them.
So without the amp, you'd be running 18 watts to the font and rear speakers, and 200 watts to the sub. That would be pretty bottom heavy, and chances are you'd end up destroying your front or rear speakers over time (you wouldn't hear when the head unit power started distorting, and that's what damages speakers). The 50w is probably overkill for the F/R speakers (coaxle speakers tend to be very efficient), but that won't damage them as easily as under powering them.
Last edited by WAwatchnut; Dec 15, 2011 at 03:35 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 13,262
Likes: 3,151
From: SW Florida
2021 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Another good 5-Channel amp that you might want to consider is the:
Arc Audio XDi805
Class:
D Hybrid
RMS Continuous Power @ 4 ohms:
80 watts x 4 (Full Range Channels)
RMS Continuous Power @ 4 ohms:
240 watts x 1 (Subwoofer Channel)
Frequency Response:
20 Hz - 20,000 Hz
THD @ RMS Continuous Power:
0.08%
Signal to Noise Ratio:
79 dB
Low-Pass Crossover Freq:
50-250 Hz
Dimensions:
11.25” W x 6.50” D x 2.25” H
Cost: About $350 (discounted)
Arc Audio XDi805
Class:
D Hybrid
RMS Continuous Power @ 4 ohms:
80 watts x 4 (Full Range Channels)
RMS Continuous Power @ 4 ohms:
240 watts x 1 (Subwoofer Channel)
Frequency Response:
20 Hz - 20,000 Hz
THD @ RMS Continuous Power:
0.08%
Signal to Noise Ratio:
79 dB
Low-Pass Crossover Freq:
50-250 Hz
Dimensions:
11.25” W x 6.50” D x 2.25” H
Cost: About $350 (discounted)
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 91
Likes: 1
From: Oklahoma City Oklahoma
A sub requires significantly more power than for mids/highs, which is why you have 50w per 4 channels and 200W for the sub channel of a 5-channel amp. You can adjust the input gain for any particular amplifier (or amplifier channel) to balance the output with the rest of the system to your preference. So if you hear way too much bass, just decrease the input gain and the rest of it will be comparatively louder. You could run just a mono amp to run only a sub.
As others have suggested, your system will sound much better with the 5-channel amp. Running your head-unit as a "dead-head" with all external amplification will result in much greater control and sound quality at any volume level, especially at higher volumes. Most amplifiers have integrated crossovers which allow you to only amplify the audio signals appropriate for the particular speaker. For example, the sub channel should have a low-pass crossover to amplify from about 20-100Hz.
As others have suggested, your system will sound much better with the 5-channel amp. Running your head-unit as a "dead-head" with all external amplification will result in much greater control and sound quality at any volume level, especially at higher volumes. Most amplifiers have integrated crossovers which allow you to only amplify the audio signals appropriate for the particular speaker. For example, the sub channel should have a low-pass crossover to amplify from about 20-100Hz.
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