Better amp=Better bass?

[Shift_450R]

I was just wondering if an amp for sub woofers make a big difference in the way they hit and the sound quality difference? Like compare the same wattage no name amp to an alpine amp. Is the quality and bass going to be better? The reason is i cheaped out when i was buying my system and bought a cheap *** low end amp. and i feel they can put out alot more than what they are if i get a good brand name amp rather than the junk i got. thanks

[ZeroLogic]

A short answer for your question is yes. But make sure you get the right amp to get the most out of your subs.

[<DRS>GPF]

what youll find(or maybe already have found), is that not all amps are created equal, though it may appear to have similar specs.. mfr's play games with performance data.

generally, with less cost comes less continous capability and less efficiency which translates to heat.

its more than just throwing watts at a speaker.. for a good sub-amp it should be capable of 30hz or lower response and should be a "class D" rated also..

the speaker will need to be capable of similar response as well, plus tuning the box to take advantage of the speakers capability.


im looking at this one for a small project..
Kenwood KAC-8103D
Class D Monoblock Amplifier
Maximum Output Power: 1000 watts
RMS Power @ 4 ohms: 300 watts x 1
RMS Power @ 2 ohms: 500 watts x 1
2 ohm stable
Frequency Response: 5 Hz-200 Hz
Low-Pass Filter: 50 Hz-200 Hz, 24 dB/Octave
Variable Input Sensitivity: 200 mV - 5 V
Line Output Terminals for Extension
Infrasonic Filter: 15 Hz, 25 Hz, 18 dB/Octave
Bass Boost: 0-18 dB
Dimensions: 11-1/4" L x 2-1/2" H x 12-1/2" W

according to the spec's, i should be able to hit the brown note with ease..

[TRX_450]

Originally posted by Shift_450R
I was just wondering if an amp for sub woofers make a big difference in the way they hit and the sound quality difference? Like compare the same wattage no name amp to an alpine amp. Is the quality and bass going to be better? The reason is i cheaped out when i was buying my system and bought a cheap *** low end amp. and i feel they can put out alot more than what they are if i get a good brand name amp rather than the junk i got. thanks


technically its more along the lines of better WIRE better bass....and as far as an amp....the best sound your going to get out of your subs is when your pushing full RMS to each one, after that they may get louder but will start to get distorted and also cause un-needed wear on your subs. as far as wire goes rockford is where its at unless your doing competitions. it may be a little pricy but you wont get a better type wire anywhere else for what you need

[F-16Guy]

The amp is everything. A good amp can make a fairly crappy subwoofer sound decent. I personally think the early-to-mid 1990's amps are much better than most of the stuff out today. If I were on a budget, I'd look for a nice older used Alpine, Fosgate Punch, Soundstream Reference, Rodek, PPI, Phoenix Gold, etc. Those amps were generally very under-rated so that they would compete well in their respective wattage classes at competitions. A good quality 50x2 running a single 12" sub bridged will pound pretty hard. I had an old amp called a MetroSound that was 50x6. I had four of the channels bridged down and running two Orion XTR3 10" subs, and it would just about push the cone out of the surround!!! Shop for RMS watts, not "max power" watts.

[HondaEXrider22]

Originally posted by F-16Guy
Shop for RMS watts, not "max power" watts.

Exactly. I was a complete novice to anything car audio, and after my huge senior project(install a complete system in my 85 el camino), I have learned that these are the words to live by.