What amp for my 130 watt speakers?

 

Unregistered guest
i have speakers with 130 watt rms output. should i get an amp that has a little over 130 so i can max out my speakers? do u know of any amps that would fit 130 watt rms speakers that are between $100-$300?
thank you.
 

New member
Username: Glasswolf

Post Number: 14
Registered: 12-2003
you want to match RMS power of the speakers to the amp. you don't want to overdrive the speakers.
the power rating on a speaker simply tells you how much power can be handled across the coils before they get too hot and begin to melt down.

to suggest an amp, is 130W the RMS rating for them?
what are these speakers?
 

Unregistered guest
the speakers are CDT HD-62CF and yes they have a 130 RMS rating. i was thinking of getting the Boss RIP-995 amp. it has 260watts by four channels at 4 ohm. i also see impidence for the speakers is 4 ohm so i suppose that it is good that they are both at 4 ohm but i have no idea what ohm means.

thank you for helping
 

Unregistered guest
is 260 watts too much? or can you tone done the ammount of watts it puts out?
 

New member
Username: Glasswolf

Post Number: 32
Registered: 12-2003
avoid Boss amplifiers. They are total garbage.
Most of them I've seen fail within a year.
you want the RMS rating of the amplifier to be equal to, or less than that of the speakers.
Nice choice on the CDTs by the way. Very good components.
Look at the Kicker KX300.4
That's 75W x 4 @ 4 Ohms, but it'll put out more power realistically, than teh Boss amp could ever hope to supply.
They'd be a good match.
Ohms are a measurement of impedance. the speakers present a 4 Ohm load to the amplifier, so the amplifier's RMS power rating at 4 Ohms is how much power it will supply to those speakers.

Note most of the ratings on Boss amplifiers are "Max" and not RMS. max power ratings on amplifiers are meaningless, inflated numbers meant to mislead the unwary.
RMS is what matters. that's the continuous power that the amplifier supplies. Not a measure of how much the amp can supply for a brief instant before it bursts into flames. :-)
 

Unregistered guest
right now i have an Alpine CDA-9813 head unit. that has a 60 rms output. is that good for the speakers? i thought is would get an amp because 60 watts is so much less than the 130 that the speakers can handle. wouldn't it be much better if i got an amp with almos 130 watts rms? i see that the Kicker KX300.4 is 75 watts but i see it at 2 ohms. it is 38 watts at 4 ohms. why is it that you think that that is a good fit for the cdt speakers?
 

Unregistered guest
i found a SoundStream Tarantula TR500/4 amp with 125watt rms. would that be better?
 

Unregistered guest
i found a MTX Thunder1004 for about $330 which i think is a great deal. it has 125 watts rms, and seems like a great fit. do you think so?
 

New member
Username: Glasswolf

Post Number: 35
Registered: 12-2003
"ight now i have an Alpine CDA-9813 head unit. that has a 60 rms output."

actually that head unit, the same one I use in my Jeep, with the Vdrive amp puts out 27 watts RMS x 4. it's 60 watts per channel *max*
the MTX amplifier is very nice. That'd be a good match, yes, but remember when you start getting into high powered amplifiers, you're usually going to need to replace the alternator in your vehicle with a high output alternator as well, since most cars have an alternator that is designed to handle the car's electrical system stock, and not much else.
 

New member
Username: Glasswolf

Post Number: 36
Registered: 12-2003
"ight now i have an Alpine CDA-9813 head unit. that has a 60 rms output."

actually that head unit, the same one I use in my Jeep, with the Vdrive amp puts out 27 watts RMS x 4. it's 60 watts per channel *max*
the MTX amplifier is very nice. That'd be a good match, yes, but remember when you start getting into high powered amplifiers, you're usually going to need to replace the alternator in your vehicle with a high output alternator as well, since most cars have an alternator that is designed to handle the car's electrical system stock, and not much else.
 

New member
Username: Glasswolf

Post Number: 37
Registered: 12-2003
"ight now i have an Alpine CDA-9813 head unit. that has a 60 rms output."

actually that head unit, the same one I use in my Jeep, with the Vdrive amp puts out 27 watts RMS x 4. it's 60 watts per channel *max*
the MTX amplifier is very nice. That'd be a good match, yes, but remember when you start getting into high powered amplifiers, you're usually going to need to replace the alternator in your vehicle with a high output alternator as well, since most cars have an alternator that is designed to handle the car's electrical system stock, and not much else.
 

Unregistered guest
what is an alternator? do they cost much to replace?
 

New member
Username: Glasswolf

Post Number: 45
Registered: 12-2003
The alternator is what supplies electricity to your car when the engine is running, and recharges the car's battery.
When the car is turned off, the battery supplies any needed current.
see here:
http://www.bcae1.com/charging.htm
also see here:
http://pub14.ezboard.com/fcaraudiotalkfrm27.showMessage?topicID=23.topic
and here:
http://pub14.ezboard.com/fcaraudiotalkfrm27.showMessage?topicID=10.topic

cost depends on the car, who makes the new alternator, if its new, or rebuilt/rewound, and the output of the new alternator.
they run anywhere from $200 up to about $1,200
 

Unregistered guest
do you have any recomendations on wich alternator i should look into? would something like the 140 Amp GM Early Style Alternator be good? i would think that 140 amp means that it fits a 140watt rms amp, is that right? i would greatly apreciate a recomendation or two. i also don't want it to be too expensive.

thank you
 

New member
Username: Glasswolf

Post Number: 52
Registered: 12-2003
no, 140A means it can supply a total of 140 Amperes oc current.
here's the basic formula.
call a local auto parts store, and find out the rating for your stock alternator based on make/model/yera of the car.
take 75% of that stock output, and subtract it from the size of the upgraded alternator (140A)
say you end up with a total of.. 80A.
now, multiply 80 (amperes) by 12 (volts), and that's how many watts of amplifiers, total (RMS, not Max) your alternator should be able to handle.

as for what will fit your particular car, try www.mralternator.com
they sell rewound alternators that are direct replacements. see if they sell one for your car.
if you stay at or under 200A for an alternator, and go with a drop in replacement, and not a shiny chromed out Stinger model or something like you see in show cars, it should be fairly cheap, like $200 or so.
 

Unregistered guest
if i got the MTX amplifier and used it without getting a new alternator would it break the amp or the alternator that i already have? because i am thinking of getting the MTX amp and waiting a while before i get the alternator. but meanwhile i want to be able to use the MTX amp.
 

New member
Username: Glasswolf

Post Number: 59
Registered: 12-2003
did you raed those links I provided?
they explain what happens if you overdraw the stock alternator.
the amplifier will clip, sending squarewave signals to the speakers. this translates to raw DC voltage, which will turn the speaker coils into heating elements, and melt them. you'll damage the speakers, then the amplifier, then you'll probably roast the stock alternator as well, and possibly damage other electrical components in the car.. particularly of the voltage regulator is damaged as well.
that's a worst case scenario.
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