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Bronze Member Username: AtreidiesPost Number: 14 Registered: Mar-09 | Gonna get dogged for this one, but here it goes... Why should someone spend $400+ on a "high quality" 1200w RMS amp instead of $200 on an 1800w RMS amp that is turned way down? Seems to me that the cheaper amp would run cooler and last a long time seeing as it's not being pushed to it's limits. And if the amp is rated at say 0.01%THD, distortion should be pretty low, at least not noticable right? This isn't to dog more expensive amps, I'm just trying to learn what the real differences are. |
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Bronze Member Username: AtreidiesPost Number: 15 Registered: Mar-09 | Really? Nobody has anything to say? Does that mean all of the rhetoric is based on opinion? I don't believe that for a second. Someone has to have some facts for me. |
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New member Username: Woofers4lifePost Number: 5 Registered: Mar-09 | well in my opinion its based on brand like lanzer 4000 watt amps they have a very low rms ratting. The better quality you buy the more accurate the ratings and the more quality amp you will get but for price you have to sacrifice quality for just plain function. in my opionion pioneer is the great my first set up was a 760 watt pioneer a pioneer head unit with 4 sony 10s and it slammed. |
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Platinum Member Username: Nd4spd18Philadelphia, PA Post Number: 10211 Registered: Jul-06 | I think build quality and efficiency are what you're missing. Quality of the components used determines how long the amp will last or if it will be toast after a year. More efficient amplifiers draw less current and put less demand on your electrical system. This is also more expensive. But build quality is the big thing. And of course you have to know the power ratings are accurate. Which they often are not with the cheap stuff. BTW you don't need $400 to get a good quality 1200w RMS amplifier. The Audioque 1200d is $250. |
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Bronze Member Username: AtreidiesPost Number: 16 Registered: Mar-09 | The AQ is, at 1 Ohm, 1200w RMS. But almost everyone I've talked to (including a guy I've known for 30 years that is a distributor of Kicker products) says running an amp @ 1 Ohm will shorten the life of the amp. Fine for short periods, i.e. competitions, but in my trunk, bumping for my 40 minute drive to work 5 days a week, not a good idea. Build quality I understand. That makes sense. If someone buys a $200 amp and some minor part breaks from vibration or fails b/c the company saved $.20 by going with a cheaper/lesser part, you have a $200 paperweight and no amp. As far as power ratings, isn't RMS RMS? or do the lower end companies lie about RMS ratings? I know they exaggerate peak ratings. And if they are exaggerating RMS ratings, is it by 25%, 50%, 100%? And how do you know the amp you just bought is pushing what you need/want with the settings you put it on? Is there a way to meter the output of an amp for the end user? Sorry about the book I'm writing here, just have alot of questions and really want to understand this hobby of mine on a higher level. BTW, thanks for the input so far. |
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Platinum Member Username: Nd4spd18Philadelphia, PA Post Number: 10213 Registered: Jul-06 | Wow you are REALLY misinformed bud. An amplifier is designed to be run at a certain impedance. For most class D amps that is 1 ohm. Running an amp at its rated impedance WILL NOT damage it. Doesn't matter if thats 1 ohm or 2 ohm. There is absolutely no advantage to an amp designed for a higher impedance. Anyone tells you otherwise, run and don't ever listen to them again...... Not a surprise that this guy deals kicker. Their subs are crap. A lot of low end companies pretty much just pull power ratings out of the air and slap them on the box. The best way to know the rating is accurate is a CEA logo, meaning it was tested according to CEA standards. With good underground companies you can go by the companies reputation. Here is an example of how one particular company uses invalid power ratings: https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/car-audio/542894.html |
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Bronze Member Username: AtreidiesPost Number: 17 Registered: Mar-09 | Thanks M.S. That's what I needed to know. Basically, those amps will produce the RMS rating they give, but at such a high distortion rate, that someone would want to stuff their ears with the 50 to 200 bucks they saved. Hopefully someone like me reads this and makes the right choice. |
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Platinum Member Username: Nd4spd18Philadelphia, PA Post Number: 10240 Registered: Jul-06 | Haha yea you got it. Although the distortion would be hard to hear in the bass frequencies it is not good. |