Mono Amp ?

 

Bronze Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 12
Registered: Dec-04
Which amp or amps are really good mono amps? I need this amp for pushing 1 jl12w6v2 so I am looking for about 1000 watts but I need to run about 500 RMS so 1000 should do. I dont wanna run the amp at more than 50%. any help on good clean amps would be greatly appreciated!
James
 

Gold Member
Username: Glasswolf

NorthWest, Michigan USA

Post Number: 6441
Registered: Dec-03
The JL 500/1 is just about an ideal match to a single 12W6v2
 

Bronze Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 13
Registered: Dec-04
thats what I was thining untill the owner of my local shope and JL dealer said if it wernt for the subs he would drop JL rather than sell another JL amp! I know it is a harsh thing to say but this guy deals with high end components and he says he would be comfortable never selling another JL amp. Why do you think this is?
 

Gold Member
Username: Glasswolf

NorthWest, Michigan USA

Post Number: 6459
Registered: Dec-03
no idea, mechanically speaking.
well made and well designed amps, although many people dislike the regulated power supply and output of the amplifiers, I think it's a god thing if you're after stead power and not just as much power as you can get by dropping the impedances.
Keeping output power as a fixed value not only helps with maintaining voltage rails, it also helps maintain other aspects like damping and SNR, THD, etc.. Sometimes I get tired of seeing people try to run ultra-low loads on amps to squeeze power out of them. It really tolls on the performance of the amp in every manner relating to SQ for the want of more power.
JL makes good amplifiers, but if you have more to spend I can always name better amps.
Sinfoni
US Amps
McIntosh
Arc Audio
Zapco
Brax
Harrison Labs

all fantastic amps, but all of them tend to start out in the four digit price range and climb from there.
 

Bronze Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 15
Registered: Dec-04
yeah thats a little pricey for me. Thanks so muhc man I appreciate it. I think I am gonna go with the 500/1. I have another question for you Glasswolf but dont really want to start another thread. I have a PPI a600 now this amp is a A/B and a regulated power supply amp. I contacted PPI and they told me that the amp is only stable at 4ohms bridged mono. Then the guy told me he has seen it done down into 2ohms but they dont recomend it. Why would this be? I understand that class A/B uses more power than class D because of the damping factor is much higher but I truly dont understand the difference. I love this amp and dont want to blow it up so I am torn between two decisions. 1) Buy one more 12 and run the amp at 4ohms and hope it will put enough juice to the subs (I ran three 10's on this amp at 3ohms and it sounded so good so I am not really worried about the way it will handle the power) or 2) buy a new amp class D that is regulated down to 2ohms and stable mono. My sub is a dual 4ohm VC so I am running it now at 8ohms but not really getting the power I want out of my amp. Thanks in advance I know its kinda a crazy question I just wanna understand my options and how this A/B and class D stuff works.
James
 

Bronze Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 16
Registered: Dec-04
I emant 3-10's at 4ohms not 3ohms sorry!
 

Gold Member
Username: Glasswolf

NorthWest, Michigan USA

Post Number: 6470
Registered: Dec-03
well, the regulated power supply just tells you that regardless of the input voltage (11 volts, 14 volts etc) you get teh same power output, so running higher alternator voltages doesn't affect power output.
As for the amp classes, a class AB amp draws more current due to it's topography. I'll go into that more in a moment.
As far as the load is concerned, running the amp at 2 ohms bridged is like running it at 1 ohm stereo.
this puts much more strain on the amplifier's internals, and yields far less headroom from teh amp's power supply because the amp is being run at the edge of it's internals' abilities, all the time. This can shorten the life of the amplifier, or cause clipping due to the components being pushed beyond their limits at times, which can in turn damage the speakers as well as the amp itself.
That PPI is a very good amplifier, but PPI amps, especially the older Art series models, were much better at 4 ohm loads for components than they were for running subs. I used to like using Orions for subs, and PPI for mids/highs for great SQ at the upper ranges, and lots of balls at the low end of the spectrum.

Info on amplifier classes can be read in these two papers I wrote on amps:
http://www.wickedcases.com/caraudio/ampspecs.html
http://www.wickedcases.com/caraudio/amplifiers.html
 

Bronze Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 20
Registered: Dec-04
so if you had my sub what mono amps would you be thinking about? I remember the old Orien amps they were awsome the 2100 or 2200 something or other? List me a few you would recomend with my sub. thanks
James
 

Gold Member
Username: Glasswolf

NorthWest, Michigan USA

Post Number: 6483
Registered: Dec-03
I'd look at something around 500wRMS at (4 ohms you said for that sub?) from US Amps or Arc Audio, if you've got the budget.
If ya need something cheaper, look at MTX, Kicker, or Zapco Reference.
 

Bronze Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 21
Registered: Dec-04
no the sub is 2 ohms not 4 but none the less I will look into those companies. I am sorry for all the Questions ist just been a while since I have done a system and I have never used mono amps I have always used amps that I have laying around. So thanks.
James
 

Bronze Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 22
Registered: Dec-04
alright, I have done a little research Glasswolf. I have come up with a few amps. The US amps DE 1000, JL 500/1, soundstream reference 500, or the Kicker kx 600.1? Thanks Glass! ohh yeah and by the way I read your papers and i found them highly informative and very interesting. Good job man. thanks
James
 

Gold Member
Username: Glasswolf

NorthWest, Michigan USA

Post Number: 6499
Registered: Dec-03
out of those, this is my personal choice, in order:

1 US Amps
2 JL Audio
3 Kicker
...
...
...
[somewhere much less than 4] Soundstream
 

Bronze Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 23
Registered: Dec-04
alright, I have done a little research Glasswolf. I have come up with a few amps. The US amps DE 1000, JL 500/1, soundstream reference 500, or the Kicker kx 600.1? Thanks Glass! ohh yeah and by the way I read your papers and i found them highly informative and very interesting. Good job man. thanks
James
 

Bronze Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 24
Registered: Dec-04
sorry bout that CPU froze
 

Bronze Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 25
Registered: Dec-04
ok is the US amps DE 1000 a good sub amp stable at 2ohms? Have you ever used this amp? thanks.
 

Gold Member
Username: Glasswolf

NorthWest, Michigan USA

Post Number: 6502
Registered: Dec-03
good amp.
not personally with that exact mopdel, but I've used US Amps before. always been great stuff.
top end.
 

Bronze Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 27
Registered: Dec-04
cool thanks man I appreciate everything!
James
 

Bronze Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 28
Registered: Dec-04
hey Glass I was reading up on the DE 1000 and this is what I came across. What does this all mean as far as the "Summed Monorail" Does this amp need two sets of pre-outs run to it? or does it run likea normal two channel amp. also the left and right speakers are in parralell for easy hook up of multiple speakers. What about hook up of just one speaker? This is from US amps!

The Class "DE" Digital Amplifiers are built to provide maximum efficiency when combined with most popular subwoofer configurations. They are single-ended mono amplifiers that are designed to operate at a optimum efficiency while driving a 2 ohm load. They also work very well with 3 ohm configurations and have a little more to give if you have to reach down just under 2 ohms.

There are left and right speaker terminals located on the end of the amplifier, but these amplifiers are not two channel and are not bridgeable. The left and right speaker terminals are simply in parallel within the amplifier to provide easier connection of multiple speakers. The input signal is "summed monaural" within the amplifier and the amplifier must receive input on both RCA jacks for proper operation. However, for models with pre-amp outputs, the incoming stereo signal is passed to the pre-amplified output without being summed.

When properly used, these amplifiers render incredible power. And each "DE" Digital Amplifier features a built-in variable 24dB low-pass crossover, a switchable subsonic filter, a remote bass gain, as well as input isolation and a built-in voltage divider that will accept input signals from nearly any source.


 

Gold Member
Username: Glasswolf

NorthWest, Michigan USA

Post Number: 6513
Registered: Dec-03
you just run one pair of RCA lines to the amp.
the left and right speaker terminals are just to ease wiring.
they are both getting the same "summed mono" signal.

that's all it means.

they mention the load because 2 ohms is ideal with that class D amp, but as with JL's subs, it can handle a 1.5 or 3 ohm load as well if you're using something like a W7.

very nice.
 

Bronze Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 29
Registered: Dec-04
ok thanks I will learn about these mono amps sooner or later! thanks man
James
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