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Some general amp questions


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Hello. I have a few questions I'd like to ask concerning amps. First, it may help to give you some background on my amp experience. I have only had a few, the most recent couple owned were still 5-10 years ago. I ran a Rockford Fosgate 250a2 bridged to a single 12" sub, and in another vehicle I had a Phoenix Gold Octane-R5.0:4, rear channels to a 8" sub, and front channels to a pair of Polk 6.5's. I only said that to give you an idea of what I remember in terms of amp quality and performance. I was well pleased with both of these.

Now I'd like to build a very modest system using my factory head unit, a single 4-channel amp, and new speakers in all 4 doors, 6x9's in front, 6.5's in the rear. I also want to try to do it on a slim, slim budget, just playing around with audio as a hobby. To be clear, I am interested in sound quality and overall quality, but I am old enough now that I view car audio as just a hobby instead of a serious activity anymore. That said, I have been shopping on Amazon to see what is available, and I have found several amps that would fit my budget. One is a Soundstream Picasso P4.260 class D amp, and the others are Planet Audio Anarchy or Torque amps, all with varying power ranges but similar specs otherwise.

Ok, now my questions.

1. I have read that class D amps can introduce distortion due to how they're switched internally. No details here are needed, I just want to ask, is this a concern I should keep in mind on a full range amp? I don't know if this is audible to most or only a few extra sensitive individuals. All my past amps were A/B rated.

2. I know Planet Audio amps cannot make their rated rms power. Fuse sizes and input voltage math tells me they're outputs are inflated. That said, can I not simply buy one rated at 150x4 rms @ 4 ohms, and at least expect to get half that power? I'd be OK with this, as I'm only shooting for 50-60 rms per speaker. And if it did actually put out more than my coaxial speakers could take, I could just keep the input gain backed off. Correct?

3. Assuming I did get a class A/B Planet Audio amp, will it be a hot box under my seat? I need audio power, not a space heater. LOL :) I know they'll likely get warm, but hopefully not like a Jensen 2-channel I bridged to that 12" sub before I finally got the Punch amp later. I could have fried eggs on it! The Punch and the Phoenix Gold amps both ran cool to the touch. Rarely ever did I feel any warmth on them. Just a so you know, I run everything at 4 ohm outputs, for reference. I don't try to squeeze every watt I can, preferring instead to protect the equipment and build systems within the midrange performance specs instead of at the upper limits.

Thank you all for any and all responses. Thanks for your patience in answering newbie questions from an older audio dabbler.

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First I want to clear a misconception I hear all the time. "Slim budget" and "sound quality" DO NOT EVER. EVER. Belong in the same sentence. EVER.

15" subwoofer capable of hitting 142 db installed by a shop. We're talking sub, box, amp, labor, wiring kit for sub and amp, etc: $500.

The speakers on my two front doors? $700. Wiring kit, amp, and labor? Another $300. Was it worth it? I made my parents cry when I played them Bohemian Rhapsody by queen and I normally find myself turning down the sub so I can listen to the mids and highs.

Now on to your questions.

1. Do not buy a class D amp for your doors. Do not buy a class D amp for your doors. Do not buy a class D amp for your doors.

2. If you're shooting for 60 RMS per speaker, get an amp that can do RATED 150 RMS per speaker. Why? Because that rated RMS is with the gain set to max with the head unit set to max with the equalizer set to max with the amplifier begging for mercy sending a speaker destroying distorted signal to your speakers. You don't normally listen to music with the volume maxed out so get a bigger amplifier, turn the eq down, turn the gain down, and let the amplifier relax. Your ears and your system will thank you.

3. If you don't have your gains maxed out your A/B amplifier will barely get warm to the touch.

There are other people on here who know more than I do and they'll be around after they have their coffee.

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^sound quality and slim budget certainly can go in the same sentence, he's not talking about competition SQ. he's merely saying that he wants it to sound good to HIS ears. what you fail to realize, 90% of the people out there view sound quality far different than someone familiar with SQ competitions and grading systems used by MECA, IASCA etc. the general public isn't familiar with thatt and has never even hear the terms soundstage or imaging or linearity. how do i know this? i sell car audio products and have been for years. i used to have the uppity n00b viewpoint that you just shared but found out that i was very very wrong

now to the op, using a class A/B amp will definitely help since efficiency isn't going to be a major need (i'd also suggest a component set for the front) and checking out tutorials of sealing and deadening the doors. that's the best thing you can do to enhance a budget speakers performance and the before and after listening test can really support the hobby aspect of it. your end goal can certainly be accomplished without a large financial investment, it will really come down to taking the time and completing a quality install (the true foundation of a SQ system).

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Hello. I have a few questions I'd like to ask concerning amps. First, it may help to give you some background on my amp experience. I have only had a few, the most recent couple owned were still 5-10 years ago. I ran a Rockford Fosgate 250a2 bridged to a single 12" sub, and in another vehicle I had a Phoenix Gold Octane-R5.0:4, rear channels to a 8" sub, and front channels to a pair of Polk 6.5's. I only said that to give you an idea of what I remember in terms of amp quality and performance. I was well pleased with both of these.

Now I'd like to build a very modest system using my factory head unit, a single 4-channel amp, and new speakers in all 4 doors, 6x9's in front, 6.5's in the rear. I also want to try to do it on a slim, slim budget, just playing around with audio as a hobby. To be clear, I am interested in sound quality and overall quality, but I am old enough now that I view car audio as just a hobby instead of a serious activity anymore. That said, I have been shopping on Amazon to see what is available, and I have found several amps that would fit my budget. One is a Soundstream Picasso P4.260 class D amp, and the others are Planet Audio Anarchy or Torque amps, all with varying power ranges but similar specs otherwise.

Ok, now my questions.

1. I have read that class D amps can introduce distortion due to how they're switched internally. No details here are needed, I just want to ask, is this a concern I should keep in mind on a full range amp? I don't know if this is audible to most or only a few extra sensitive individuals. All my past amps were A/B rated.

2. I know Planet Audio amps cannot make their rated rms power. Fuse sizes and input voltage math tells me they're outputs are inflated. That said, can I not simply buy one rated at 150x4 rms @ 4 ohms, and at least expect to get half that power? I'd be OK with this, as I'm only shooting for 50-60 rms per speaker. And if it did actually put out more than my coaxial speakers could take, I could just keep the input gain backed off. Correct?

3. Assuming I did get a class A/B Planet Audio amp, will it be a hot box under my seat? I need audio power, not a space heater. LOL :) I know they'll likely get warm, but hopefully not like a Jensen 2-channel I bridged to that 12" sub before I finally got the Punch amp later. I could have fried eggs on it! The Punch and the Phoenix Gold amps both ran cool to the touch. Rarely ever did I feel any warmth on them. Just a so you know, I run everything at 4 ohm outputs, for reference. I don't try to squeeze every watt I can, preferring instead to protect the equipment and build systems within the midrange performance specs instead of at the upper limits.

Thank you all for any and all responses. Thanks for your patience in answering newbie questions from an older audio dabbler.

I'd avoid Planet Audio and Soundstream like the plague. Neither are like they were in the "old days".

IMO if a company needs to lie about power output to sell their products they'll probably lie to you about other things and it's likely they don't take their reputation seriously enough to bother putting their name brand on a good quality product.... I see it as a huge red flag and supporting unscrupulous businesses.

I know you say you don't want to dump a ton of money into this, but you can pay now or pay later. If you buy low quality you'll get poor performance, hit or miss reliability, and have little to no resale value if you decide to sell it down the road.

For my money in low to moderate power components and amps, JBL/Infinity lineup is very good. I've always had good results with their components/coaxials on low power (50W or so), and their amps are generally solid performers and fairly priced. JBL makes a nice little 5 channel amp which might be right up your alley for a simple solution.

While class D <100hz has been good for well over a decade now, I personally wouldn't trust full range class D that wasn't rather expensive from one of the better brands. The few companies that make really good sounding full range class D have a lot of money into the R&D and charge pretty high for the technology. That said, 500W into a sub stage can be had anywhere for cheap, is adequate for most sane people, and won't require electrical system upgrades. 50W X4 in a class A/B shouldn't break the bank to get something nice and if you run 4 ohms heat, efficiency, and power consumption should be no concern.

***EDIT***

As others have posted, money spent in deadening and properly preparing your speaker mounting locations is probably your best investment to get good sound. Do not underestimate the value of time/money spent in those areas.

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Yes, I plan to do a quality install with properly prepping the doors with deadener and using baffles.

Also, when I say SQ, someone above got it just right, in that I mean what sounds good to me. Clean, clear, good low end response (as good as 6x9's can deliver, I know it won't go into subwoofer range), with a warm, full sounding midrange, and sharp, crisp highs. I believe I can get this from just mid level coaxials for under $100, even under $50, per set, especially using an amp.

The reason I say I want 50-60 rms is because when using amps of this rating in the past I have been well pleased. I may not even get the 50 rms from it with the settings and volume level I use, but I know they're capable of reproducing the sound I want. I don't have the experience to know if even more powerful amps would improve the sound further. I would like to get the sound I described at low to moderate volume levels.

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Yes, I plan to do a quality install with properly prepping the doors with deadener and using baffles.

Also, when I say SQ, someone above got it just right, in that I mean what sounds good to me. Clean, clear, good low end response (as good as 6x9's can deliver, I know it won't go into subwoofer range), with a warm, full sounding midrange, and sharp, crisp highs. I believe I can get this from just mid level coaxials for under $100, even under $50, per set, especially using an amp.

The reason I say I want 50-60 rms is because when using amps of this rating in the past I have been well pleased. I may not even get the 50 rms from it with the settings and volume level I use, but I know they're capable of reproducing the sound I want. I don't have the experience to know if even more powerful amps would improve the sound further. I would like to get the sound I described at low to moderate volume levels.

good stuff. as i said in my last post, i think you should try and find yourself a set of components for the front. you don't need to make a large investment to get some either if you shop around. at my shop right now i have a set of old infinity reference 6020 components i'm selling on clearance for $90. we found them hidden in a back room they must be from about 2007. search for deals like that in your area. just my honest opinion.

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I wouldn't buy a power acoustik amp.

What is your budget for an amp?

That being said a lot of people's definition of "music" is a clipped 30 hz sine wave with some 80 IQ knuckle head grunting about committing crimes and his genitals.

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No. If you want a good budget amp try rockford fosgate prime amps. I dont get how you go from rockford and pg amps to wanting to buy the amps you have suggested.

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