What amp?

 

New member
Username: Tarek

Post Number: 1
Registered: Sep-05
I have 2 MTX 12" thunder 5500. I was wondering what would be a good amp for these. I don't know much about systems so any help would be appreciated.
 

Silver Member
Username: Scubasteve

College Park, MD

Post Number: 591
Registered: May-05
first step in picking out an appropriate amp is determining how you plan to wire them. If the subs are SVC (singe voice coil) then you'll probably be wiring them in parallel at 2 ohms (vast majority of SVC subs are 4 ohm). If the subs are DVC (dual voice coil) then the nominal impedence of the load will be 2 ohms in the case of 2x2 ohm voice coils or 1 or 4 ohms in the case of 2x4 ohm voice coils.
Second, you need to decide how much power you want each sub to receive. A good place to start would be looking at the recommended RMS power for the subwoofers. Then, you have do decide what ratio of clipping you want your subs to receive from the amplifier. We all want 0 clipping right? So start looking at amps that will meet the combined RMS of your 2 subs at the impedence you plan to run the subs at. Fin
 

New member
Username: Tarek

Post Number: 2
Registered: Sep-05
What is better for sound SVC or DVC? I am able to choose either. And they have 300 WRMS 600 Watts and 1200 Watts total power combined (2).
 

Silver Member
Username: Scubasteve

College Park, MD

Post Number: 599
Registered: May-05
Sound quality in SVC vs DVC, thats a tough one that probably has to do with inductance of coils wired in paralled or series. Maybe Jon, Glass or Isaac could answer that. Most people will say that you won't see any practical difference in sound quailty. The real reason manufacturers make a variety of different voice coil variations is for flexibility in wiring multiple subs. Your best bet will be to get the SVC version. It should be a single, 4 ohm coil. When you wire them the 2 subs in parallel, it will result in a total load of 2 ohms. If you got the 2x4ohm DVC version, you'd have a combined load of 4 ohms, meaning you'd have to get an amp twice as big. Wiring it at 2 ohms will get you the best bang for your buck in for the amplifier. You need an amp rated at 600x1 RMS @ 2ohms. What kind of budget do you have?
 

New member
Username: Tarek

Post Number: 3
Registered: Sep-05
Well my budget is unlimited to a point. I am a kid who works to upgrade his car. All my money goes into it. It is a matter of how long it would take me to save for it rather than how much I have. I just went to the audio store to get some more info and they told me not to mess with MTX or Audiobahn. They told me to get 2 12" JL W/1. So that is where I'm heading now. They said that MTX is cheap for a reason. And that they lie about thier actual wattage. So I just bought an Eclips Deck for $250. The subs are $129 each and I already have a box for 2 12". So now I'm saving for thoes subs instead. The amp they have me looking at is $499. Just to give you an idea of my budget. Any imput would be great and thank you for your help thus far.
 

Silver Member
Username: Scubasteve

College Park, MD

Post Number: 601
Registered: May-05
Elcipse makes great Head units, so you've done well so far. I've never used The W1, but JL makes well respected subwoofers. But before you buy a sub based on what 1 person said, you should read some threads in the subwoofer section and see what other people like. What I can say is that if I were to get a brand new system for myself, I'd look into the new resonant engineering XXX when it comes out in a few months, as well as the new Adire audio brahma, and the Image dynamics IDMAX subs, which happens to be one of my favorite drivers. These subs are considerably more expensive, and nobody's first system is going to be world class, but what you don't want is to outgrow your first system before you've even finished putting it together as you'll see many people on this forum have done.
 

New member
Username: Tarek

Post Number: 4
Registered: Sep-05
Sounds good. Thanks for all your help.
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