have a 2000 vw jetta had 2x rockford p2's with 800w power punch amp with cap..... dimmed lights with that now i have a 12" fi Bl and am tryiing to figure out what amp i want needs to be affordable been out of work for a while i found some planet audio, us amps, hifonics amps on ebay <200 and been told there good basically i need some suggestion or if you can thing of something else let me know i am debating if im going to run 1ohm or 2ohm but i def want a mono block amp 1000rms
Not only that ^. But you will probably need to upgrade your alternator and get another battery, especially since you were dimming your lights with only 800 watts. And maybe try to sell the cap, it will do nothing for you. Don't believe me? Check Glass Wolf's papers. Good luck though, I have heard that is an awesome sub.
Eric is correct, you would definitely need to upgrade your alternator and do the "big 3." Yes, Glasswolf's papers are very insightful and can teach you a lot if you take the time and read them.
thanks for the info i know you all are prob over newbies like me asking about amps for there subs.... i have had nothing but punch since i was 15 now im 31 want something new and different... as far as the amps listed ive heard good things about us and planet everyone i met so far with a hifonics has blown there stuff im not maybe from hooking it up wrong or just the amp who knows i would like a Memphis but thats not going to happen...$$$$ so for starters maybe something that wont get me stuck on the couch for a few days would be nice... so out of the ones listed what would you say would be the best..... i have models narrowed down just want to know 1st about brands or if you have suggestions please feel free to send im open to used amps as well and i will read glass wolfs papers..
All of the brands you listed are decent amps. Particularly (US amps) but don't get it confused with (US audio), it's a different brand & crap. With the Hifonics Amps, I can tell you that they lose their SQ when loaded to 1 ohm ( Brutis range only) & the bass starts getting a bit loose at high volumes due to lowering damping factor. Don't get me wrong, they're decent amps, especially for their price & they do hammer. The reason why people lose their equipment with those amps is that they often do load them at 1 ohm & clip their subs as I told you. You lose cone control but you can get bang for your buck @ 2 ohms with them & have them perform very well & cheaper than most amps with equal power at 1 ohm. Don't worry about upgrading your alternator. A 85 amp Alt will do the job if you do the big 3 & spend your money on a decent battery like an Optima. If or when your voltage starts to drop & your alt doesn't keep up, the amps will draw current from your battery. This is where a decent battery is required. Most alts struggle to put out more than 10 - 20 amps current anyway at idle & don't have much output unless your engine rpm is over 2500rpm. With lights dimming, Upgrade your headlights ground to chassis, usually takes care of that problem. car manufacturers often have crappy ground cables that are on the radiator support or around that area of the car. Not a good grounding point. You can test it with a multimeter or just upgrade it with a bigger gauge cable & find a decent grounding point like straight to the neg of your battery or on your big 3 ground from battery to chassis.
im definitely going to do the big 3 and im looking into the missing link suggested by fi audio and i was thinking planet audio and the us amps still not sure between the 2 the cost makes a big diff. that is for sure planet audio has like 4 diff models i guess i got learn what to look for... im ordering a 1/0 amp kit this week and next will be a yel or rd top optima bat depends on what i can get for 40.00 threw my friends shop we have a hookup with interstate... im still not sure about 1 or 2 ohms still reading on that stuff there is a lot i didn't know about things changed from the plug and play days i guess...