I had ordered an Alpine 5 channel amp to push my Infinity speakers and my Polk Momo 8" sub--however it was damaged in shipping; therefore I'm back at square 1. What 5 channel amp do you guys recommend? I have narrowed it down to Hifonics ZX8000, Phoenix Gold Octane R9.0:5, Kicker KX700.5, and of course the Alpine 5 Channell. The JL 5 Channel is just too expensive (what makes JL so $$$?). Any of you guys have experience with these brands? I originally had an Audiobahn 4 channel pushing my highs--and it blew.

 

i assume that you are talking about the jl audio 500/5. this amp is just downright awesome.

first off, you do not need to use any high/low converter to convert your speaker outputs from the radio into rca level to feed into the amp if you are using the factory head unit, its built right in to the amp.

second, power output on the jl amp is constant, as long as your voltage doesnt fall below about 11 volts, you will always get the same power out of the amp

third, it doesnt really matter what speakers you are using as long as their impedence falls within 1.5 to 4 ohms (measure of resistance on the coil at rest), you will get the same power output.

fourth, all the built in crossovers make tuning really easy (as long as you know what you are doing, i reccomend having this done by someone with experience)

as to the alpine and kicker amps, both companies have good product, which alpine amp were you looking at? the hifonics and phoenix gold i dont reccomend, but i am also not familiar with those products either.

also what price range were you looking to be in

 

Zapco. I love mine. Pounds two JL 10s quite nicely.

Zapco 360.4

Stereo, 4 ohms: 4x50 Watts

Stereo, 2 ohms: 4x90 Watts

Bridged, 4 ohms: 2x180 Watts

T.H.D. + Noise: <0.032% @ 4 ohms

S/N Ratio: >95dB

Slew Rate: >23V/uS

Damping Factor: >160@ 4 ohms

Dimensions: 18"L x 7.5"W x 2"H


4-Channel Amp with 2 Way Crossover and Bass Control

-SymbiLink™ Balanced Inputs

-RCA Unbalanced Inputs

-2 ohm stereo stable

-18 dB variable bass boost control

-Dual variable electronic crossover

-Dual bridgeable @ 4 ohm

-Four channel

-High Current Bi-Polar output devices

-Optically isolated MOSFET power supply

-Switch for use as stereo, single L ch. or R ch. bridge
-L+R sum mono for use as a bass amp
-Surface mount technology w/1% resistors,
precision caps, and massive ground planes

-Three year warranty (If Authorized Dealer Installed)


You can get them for a few hundred bux on Ebay.

 

Alpine MRV-F450--as far as the Zapco--I was really trying to go with a 5 channel to push my speakers and the small Polk sub.

 

Was giving it as an option for brand consideration - not the specific model consideration...I'd suggest if you can find them at a store nearby, check them out! :D

 

that alpine is an excellent piece, i was going to do that one in my civic before i got my 8. if you want, i am going to be going back to work for my old job at the car stereo shop, and i may be able to do some telephone sales. ill be starting back there next month, so if you are interested, i can look up a price and let you know. i wont be able to get any pricing til i start, but like i said let me know

 

Ok will do--I'll do a search--my friend is an installer for MobileOne--so he's been my advisor. Working for MobileOne though he only has exposure to Alpine, JL, and Kicker.

 

JL amps are good but they have a high recall rate.My local JL dealer has a ton of JL Slash series that's blown a little while after it's installed.Also JL amps is built in overseas(Korea or something) now that's why quality is not as good.Alpine is known for making the best processors & great decks but not known for making great amps nor subs.Kicker is known for making good subs that hits hard.Phoenix Gold on the other was known for making great amps & also was known to build high end products all around.Even though the Octane 9.0:5 is their entry level amp, it'll most likely still be better than the Alpine & Kicker. The JL slash are more superior but cost more & has a high recall rate due to the amp failing.I have experience with Phoenix Gold amps & they are better than most amps out there.I would recommend the Phoenix Gold if you don't want to get the JL Slash series.

 

Does your vehicle have the Bose system or not, this is the very first thing to consider?

 

No BOSE--I've already changed out the base oem speakers with Infinity Kappa components up front and Reference series 6x9 in back.

 

The most important thing for you to consider in this vehicle is how it is going to integrate into the factory system. I would not use the built in hi-lo level adaptor on any amplifier until the day comes that they actually include one that is capable of doing the job properly and not just put there as an afterthought. That said look to a Audio Control LC6 + bass remote to integrate the 5 channel amp that you choose into the factory system. www.audiocontrol.com This is a necessary interface for you. After that, consider some great 5 channel amps like the Eclipse PA5532, Crossfire VR705D and any of the stellar Audison amplifiers. Of the amps listed above, the only ones worth mentioning in the same breath as the ones I have listed would be the JL Audio.

Did your Audioburn blow in the RX8 or in another vehicle and do you know why it blew?

 

I would have to disagree that those are the only amps that inthe same breath as mentioned above. I'm really not that sure how good the Eclipse amps are because all I have heard good from Eclipse through installers & reviews are that Eclipse makes great decks & subwoofers.Also Crossfire are known to be built for for SPL not SQ.Audison, I known is at the top of car audio in terms of amps.Also JL slash series amps are good but they are not better than Brax, Tru technology, MBQuart, Phoenix Gold,McIntosh or Zapco amps.

 

If we were talking about some of the older incarnations of some of the amps mentioned, I would agree, but with pratical experience with many of them, some of the ones mentioned just are not on the same page. Please notice that I did not include the basic Eclipse series of amp, while it is a great amp for it's purpose, it cannot hang in there with the ones I mentioned. Eclipse makes some great amplifiers and have for years. They are a sleeper and are not pushed hard by the salespeople (both the reps for Eclipse and the store staff). I have used the amps for 9.5 years now and now that Canada has good pricing on them, sales have increased as well.

In particular the PA series of amps are a solid well built amplifier. I just took apart a PA5422 and DA7232 to powder coat them a different colour. The DA series of amp is a byproduct of a Bang & Olfsen design. Eclipse contracts different companies to build them a great amplifier, as is evident in these models I have mentioned.

An amp that is known for SPL is one thing, but take that amp and have it run on a good set of speakers and continue to do this with this amp for many customers, over time, it too would be known for a SQ type system. Crossfire amps make some great inexpensive power with some great build quality. Here is a direct quote from Crossfire about their equipment.

"To ensure an unparalleled level of performance and reliability, each and every product is hand-built under one of the industry’s most stringent laboratory test conditions incorporating our zero compromise policies in both materials and craftsmanship. These procedures ensure you, our customers that every Crossfire product has been engineered and manufactured with the highest level of performance and reliability in mind."

Anyways, I just thought I would shed a little more light on a couple of these things based on my background and personal experience retailing them (including some of the original ones mentioned). It's a good thing that we all have our own personal opinions and I am not trying to cram mine down anyone's throat. A good system is one that is chosen for the customer by a qualified person who takes the purchaser's best interest to heart. This is done by exploring all options available. A good system is only as good as how it is matched together and used. Some of the latter amps that you have just mentioned are stellar performers as well, they too should be considered if price is not a determing factor. If this is the case, then definitely consider the Audison.

 

The Audiobahn amp blew in the RX8--it was powering my Infinity speakers. Don't know how or why it blew--it just went out and it wasn't the fuses. The main thing is I don't want to spend JL Audio money on my soundsystem--their 5 channel amp is about $600--I'd get an exhaust system or put that towards different rims before I spend quite that much on an amp. I appreciate all this advice as well.

 

with most amps, i would not reccomend the built in hi/lo, but with the jl amps, its actually a function of the normal rca inputs as they can accept up to 14 volts of input

 

Chances are that the Audioburn blew in the RX8 as this vehicle has a **** poor ground return. When a resistance builds on the ground return, the amps power supply and output section are strained to beyond the normal operating limits, something has to go. You must in this car, ground direct to the battery.

 

Eclipse makes some nice amps.

 

How should I do this? Cause I am going to make my amp decision this week.

 

I thought returns should be kept short and sweet? Running it all the way back to the battery sounds like a recipe for disaster. Isn't there somewhere in the trunk for a proper ground to be attached? Is the resistance really that poor, what the hell is the frame made of plastic?

 

no, frames arent made of plastic, but what happens when you join 2 wires together. there is just a little more resistance than if the wire was all one piece. same thing with the frame of any car, whether it is bolted together like in older cars, or welded together in newer vehicles, or in some cutting edge vehicles like the lotus the frame is actually glued toghether.

so the best situation in any vehicle for grounding is directly back to the battery, and to also make sure that your battery has a good connection to the vehicle ground(chassis and or motor)

that is my experience from 6 years in the car audio field, which i am returning to shortly :D :D :D

 

sounds like a recipe for a d.i.y

 

READ MY GROUNDING STICKY on my home forum of www.the12volt.com in the car audio forum. Electricity is an algebra equation, what you do to one side you must do to the other. It is not about the amount of metal in the chassis of the car or the skin, it is about the resistance that is gathered as the current (which flows from negative to positive - making the ground wire the most important wire there is) flows from the battery, down a skinny ground wire, through whatever blend of recycled metals they make chassis components from, then through glued together unibody panels, passed on through spot welds and finally to that bolt that most people assume is a good ground because they scraped the paint off. This issue is called resistance on the ground return and it equates to you eating a foot long sub and then having someone sew your butt cheeks 90% closed, get the drift.

A proper ground will have a return resistance of under 1/2 ohm, sadly only 1 in 1000 shops will measure this important aspect of a audio system.

 

Listen to this man - I have an Eclipse 3242 and the its replacement - 32440 or 32430 (can't remember which).

To drive my front components I've had a Pioneer , RF Punch40 (oldschool, wish I hadnt sold), and various other amps over the years. Based on my experience with these two amps, Eclipse is leaps and bounds beyond most brands in terms of SQ. If you can do an A/B comparison, I invite you to - the difference is amazing. I was running A/D/S 336is components when I switched from the Pioneer amp to the Elipse 3242. The Pioneer was actually one of their Premiere models, and the 3242 still blew it out of the water. The newer amp further refined the sound.

An EE friend of mine fixed my 3242 (I failed to tighten down the speaker terminals ; amp didn't like the 0 ohm short across terminals) and commented on the simple yet elegant design - he said great care was taken to isolate noise from the signal path. It had huge power distro for a such a low total power amp. The crossover sections are ridiculously adaptable - highpass OR lowpass OR bandpass and two "bands"/ranges of frequency you can adjust with the x/over - a high range for full range speakers and a low range for subs or mids (I think this crossover is on the newer amp only).

 

Eclipse makes good stuff, i think originally they were more known for their decks, but they've since expanded into speakers/amps/etc. I personally will be going with Crossfire stuff as I'll be getting an unbelievable deal and the 1 10 I heard in a tiny box with very little power was obscene, it is in a friend's Camry and that thing pounds like crazy. (he has one of the more balanced systems I've ever heard, can't wait to get started on my stuff). I had a Phoenix Gold "cheater" amp on 2 DVC 12's in my little pickup, along with an ADS PQ10 for highs at one point (until some sorry bastards destroyed my right door and stole all my stuff), man do I miss that setup. I'm enjoying this thread, brings back a lot of memories, good info too