Okay - I'm just not happy enough with a new deck, speakers and a sub, and I'm gonna be trashing most of it soon.

I'm looking for a good multi-channel amp to run speakers and the sub. The plan is install a set of 6x9s (still investigating the exact location, but it WILL be done).

I will then run the 6x9s and the front door speakers from the amp, and use deck power for the rear door speakers (who cares about the passengers, right?) and the tweeters up front (they've got inline "crossovers")

I think the most economical route for me to go would be to get a 5-channel amp, and run the speakers mentioned and the sub from the same unit.

I've got a Kenwood 3003 12" sub in a small sealed box, and I want to keep that. I think it will sound great with "clean" power (I'm still looking to "rock" and not really "thump"), and hatchback space is an issue.

What can I get for this application that will deliver solid, clean watts? Of course, price is an issue, too, so maybe something in the $500 range? SQ is more important to me than SPL, but I do need to crank it up sometimes.

Let the floodgates open, and the suggestions come pouring in!

 

check into the Rockford Fosgate 600.5 (RMS Continuous Power (at 12.0 V, 20-20kHz): 100W x 4 + 200W x 1). It can be had for $430 online. I would recommend this as a better option however....get a Rockford Fosgate 500.2 for your sub close to $300 at buyloud.com and then get the 400.4 or the 600.4 for the speakers. I think that this will give you more control as you get more power for each channel. The more power you put on a speaker the better control you have over it.

You can check out the Rockford amps here:
http://www.buyloud.com/search.jsp?m=...e&c=Amplifiers

P.S. I will be adding the 600.4 to my system in a few weeks when the car goes into the shop for 3 LCDs and a DVD/video game setup. Will keep everyone updated on that senario as it unfolds....and hopefully I can take some pics with my new digital camera.

 

Azra, thanks for the info - that site seems to have some nice prices - the 600.5 looks like what I'm going for, and right in the price range, too.

Two questions:

That site has three different output ratings for each section of the amp, with nothing to distinguish them. Are these for different ohm-load speakers? The list of specs doesn't give "100W X 4 @ 2ohm" for example - only "100W x 4" and "50 W X 4". Are these specs for true, "clean" power? It's obvious to me that my current sub amp is cheap, and probably overrated and not "clean".

Also, I have had problems in the past when amplifying speakers (other than subs) when it comes to noise - you know that whine that increases with engine speed. My solution in the past was to ditch the amp - turns out deck power was good in that application. But here, I think I'm going to need some solid amp power to push some good speakers - will keeping my ground wire ultra-short weed out most of this noise? I have heard that that is the primary source - too long of a ground, or also a ground that just isn't "good" enough.

Thanks, and I'm still looking for other suggestions for a multi channel amp, though the RocFos is looking good.

 

i had given rash_girl a bunch of info on amp set up

http://www.protegeclub.com/forum/sho...&threadid=1720

As for the "whine" noise you hear....unless it was a cheap *** amp, it's not the amp, but rather the signal cables (RCAs) picking up unwanted noise. If the RCAs cross a power source (beit a stock harness or the systems power wire) it can introduce this noise. Need to keep the RCAs as isiolated as possible. Also, cheap *** sparkplug wires can cause noise as well.

 

Well, the floodgates look to be pretty small, because the amp advice isn't exactly overflowing. I expected more opinions, seeing as how car audio is so debated anyhow.

Oh well, thanks for the posts that did come in.