I currently am running 2 Infinity Speakers with a 2 or 8ohm Nominal Impedance rating with a Sony Xplod 1200watt 2-Channel Amp.
This winter I plan on creating a custom Console in my truck, and i'm going to be reducing down to 1 of the Infinity Subs, as well as buying a smaller profile amp to hide. The sub is rated at 300watt RMS with 2 or 8ohm Nominal Impedance, which means while shopping for an amplifier I should be looking at the 2ohm RMS ratings and disregard the 4ohm? This sub will be the only thing on this Amplifier
Thank You!
Yes, you should be looking for an amp that will output ~300W RMS x 1 @ 2ohms. You probably wont be able to get a 2ch amp like you did before, as most 2ch amps are only stable at 4ohms (and greater) when bridged to 1 channel
02 BMW 330Ci, Alpine DVI-9965, Alpine MRA F350 5ch, Alpine MRP T220 + 2x Kicker 6x9 FreeAir, Kicker KX1200.1 + Alpine 12" Type-R, 2-Way Security, Keyless Entry, Remote Start
I am only looking for a mono amp, so I should only regard the (?? RMS x1 @ 2ohm) specification and nothing else?
As far as power specifications go, yes. (As long as you plan on never changing your configuration/adding more subs/changing subs.)
There are several other factors to consider when purchasing an amp, including build quality, heat dissipation, footprint, features, etc.
My current amp has approx dimensions of 11x16x3. I'm thinking about getting the Kenwood 600watt Class D amp since I don't plan on adding more subs into my application. I will be keeping my 2nd Sub as a back-up, as well as keeping my 2-Channel Amp to use if I ever did decide to upgrade again.
The place I plan on putting this amp will have an exposed face, as well as room to fit appox 1/2-1 inch around each side. This will be going where the "hump" is for the drivetrain on a Bronco and inside a custom center console I am designing. A smaller dimension amp will just be much more suitible for where it needs to go, and the Kenwood Amp is rated at what I need, and considerably smaller.
Am I headed in the right direction, or do you recommend another unit?
600W RMS? Seems like a little overkill for a 300W sub...
In any case, I would not recommend Kenwood amps. From personal experience, Kenwood amps seem to have overheating, build quality, and low impedance stability problems. For mainstream brands, I like Rockford Fosgate, Kicker, Alpine and JL Audio. (Certain MTX, Pioneer, and Infinity models are decent too.) Diamond Audio, DLS, Soundstream, and Hifonics are also good lesser known brands, with Hifonics being the most affordable.
Here are some suggestions here at CF to get you started, with my nods going to the Kicker and RF amps. (The RF amp will fit in a 9x9" space.)
The Kenwood was 300watt RMS, 600watt Max. After thinking about the heating problem, I was looking for amps with a fan, or is a fan not nessessary with a fully exposed face?
Polk Audio has one, but I have no idea how good they are. Rockford is amazing, and it shows in their price. Thank you for the link though, i'll have to take them all into consideration. It has an "optinal fan" which I can't find an option to add or take one away so i'm skepitcal.
I've also found an Alpine, that's 500watt RMS which is a bit over what I need would I have to worry about blowing my sub with this product?
Indecl:The Kenwood was 300watt RMS, 600watt Max.
I figured as much, but just wanted to clarify.
Indecl:After thinking about the heating problem, I was looking for amps with a fan, or is a fan not nessessary with a fully exposed face?
I wouldn't necessarily say a fan is necessary, but it helps. That said, I don't think I would ever buy an amp solely based on the fact that it has a fan. My Kicker an Alpine amps don't have fans, so I built an amp rack with fans to ensure proper ventilation.
Indecl:Polk Audio has one, but I have no idea how good they are.
I've never had any problems with Polk amps, but then again, I haven't had a lot of experience with them...
Indecl:Rockford is amazing, and it shows in their price.
They really aren't that much more expensive than any of their competitors, especially if you find them on sale or through the outlet center. The Rockford amp was actually the cheapest out of the amps I linked.
Indecl:I've also found an Alpine, that's 500watt RMS which is a bit over what I need would I have to worry about blowing my sub with this product?
500W RMS on a 300W entry level Infinity sub would be a little risky, but hey, you have a spare right?
Haha, notes taken.
I'm thinking about either going with the Rockford, or the MTX. The Rockford gives me a lot of comfort room for the other 50 things i'm adding onto this console, and the MTX has looks as well as hopefully no "opps, guess I didn't have enough room for circulation" moments.
Hopefully since the amp will be up in front regular air from the windows or the normal AC will be enough to keep it cooled. I appreciate all the patience and insight you've given me.
My only other real concern about the RF amp is that it's rated at 1275watt Max, where my Sub is 1200watt Max.
Indecl:Hopefully since the amp will be up in front regular air from the windows or the normal AC will be enough to keep it cooled. I appreciate all the patience and insight you've given me.
Keep an eye on it for awhile after the install to make sure it's getting proper airflow and isn't overheating. The heatsinks are primarily along the sides of the amp, not the top, so keep that in mind while building your amp rack.
Indecl:My only other real concern about the RF amp is that it's rated at 1275watt Max, where my Sub is 1200watt Max.
Don't worry about the max ratings, they aren't terribly reliable, and are more of a bragging right than anything else. Peak/max ratings are just the maximum power that an amp can output / a sub can take, and don't really have any real world applications other than advertising purposes.
Indecl:The Kenwood was 300watt RMS, 600watt Max. After thinking about the heating problem, I was looking for amps with a fan, or is a fan not nessessary with a fully exposed face?
I'm not sure it's applicable, but I tend to consider amp fans the same way I look at computer graphics card fans. The fan does a better job of cooling than a passive heat sink, but I've had several card fans fail - making the otherwise fine card useless. Passive sinks don't fail - ever.
Hope This Helps!!!
2002 Ford Focus Sony CDX-GT410u Sony XT-100HD HD Tuner Stock speakers, no amp, no subs