Amp Upgrade Help Please

I am currently running 2 Pioneer GM-X944 amps. They seem to be a bit overated as to their actual output, In your opinion, is there going to be a noticeable difference after doing an upgrade? Is it woth doing? One is powering a pair of Kicker I6903 6x9s and a pair of Kicker RS5 components. Both sets of speakers are rated at 90 rms and 180 peak rms. The other amp is powering a pair of Kicker Solo Baric S12L7 DVC 4 ohm subs wired for 2 ohm amp use. The subs are rated at 750 rms and 1500 peak rms. My HU is an Alpine 7998 and this is installed in a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP coupe.

I am considering Kicker,Caadence, PPI, Orion, Soundstream and MTX as possible upgrades. I want the best possible combination of spl and sound quality possible without overpowering my current speakers. I would consider other brands at your suggestion.

I also have an Optima yellow top battery and a 160 amp alternator with 2 gauge wire to the trunk.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Mark

kicker d class should do the trick, also a cap

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it's a westbank thang

I am also considerin Soundstream Tarantula 1600/2 and Tarantula 500/4. Anyone have experience with these amps?
Thanks

The tarantula are nice amps but I believe they are overated and overpriced. My freind has a tarantula 1600/2 and while it definitely get's the job done I personally believe he paid to much for it. You might want to look at a JL Audio 1000/1, they can be purchased brand new on ebay for around 700-750 and are well worth the money. I have one and it is the best amp I have ever had and I have had plenty. Some of the brands I have owned and used are soundstream, kicker, Memphis, Hifonics, PPI and Rockford Fosgate and my JL has been the best amp I have ever owned hands down. I have a JL Audio 300/4 that I use for Mid's and High's and a 1000/1 that I use on my subs, I think the JL will fit nicely with the Solobaric's that you are using.

I just installed a Crossfire VR1000D to power my two Kicker S12L7 dual 4 ohm subs and let me tell, you this amp rocks!  Never gets warm and supplies plenty of power to those subs.  I'm sure the Jl is a great amp, but it is a lot of money and there are a lot of great amps that will do those subs justice for a cheaper price tag. 

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I be tossin and flossin, my style is awesome. Causin' more family feuds than Richard Dawson.

I should have added crossfire to my first list as I have tried one before, it was the BMF1000D. I can't say that I cared for it much, it thumped but the bass was sloppy and all over the place. It also overheated and would cut off alot, I live outside of houston and it does get hot down here in the summers. I also had one of their old school high current amps, I think if was a CFA30, it was a pretty good amp but I had to give it back as it was a loaner. I can't speak on the VR1000D as I haven't heard one but if your gonna spend between $350-$400 I would just buy a Memphis Amp, I've seen the 1000D on Ebay for $359. They put at 1100 watts rms @ 1ohm which you should be able to get from your speakers if you wire them in parallel.

Go for the JL 1000/1. I think it would be a great SQ amp and still play really loud.

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I would recommend the JL 1000/1 too but it is a little pricey, if that doesn't bother you then definitely go JL. It is an awesome amp and really hits hard.

I would go with the orian. they have all the power you need.

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Big Dave

The Memphis 1000D is a phenomonal (did i spell that right?) amp. I have installed Memphis Class D and Class AB amps many time (the 3004 is a class AB amp) and they perform quite well. The 1000D will put out about 1200 watts on a 1ohm load...

Currently, my wife has a 1000D on her 2 12L7s in her 2000 mustang. It's a pretty sleak looking install if I don't mind saying myself... She also runs a 3004 on her mids and highs which are also Memphis (Memphis Studio series, aka Encore series... VERY clean). I've done the 1000D on many sets of Solobaric 12s and each time, the customers have been pleased.

Personally, in my system, I have one 10L7 in a downfire box that I designed in my 95 F-150 Xcab. I am running a Kicker DX700 on it... bridge at 2ohms. My surround is done by an old Kicker ZX460.

I have heard alot of good things about the JL amps. I too think the two Tarantula is overrated and overpriced... I heard the same about the DaVinci. I think you should save your cash and go with a JL amp or Kicker or Memphis. They are all tried and have been proven worthy by those of us who have installed them. Don't think you can go wrong. For 2 12L7's you would want to do something about 1200watts to both... they are awesome speakers and can handle lots of power.

Are building a ported/vented box or sealed? Reason for asking is that you can get away with less power if the box is vented, which could save you some money. Sealed boxes usually use more power to produce a certain output (and the smaller the box, the more power is needed and the higher the resonant frequency is). The vented enclosure is usually louder by design so you can by with a smaller amp to produce the given output you are desiring.

Hope this helps. If you want some ideas on some box designs, pm me with your vehicle year model and type and I'll see if I have something in my "cookbook" for one I've built in the past.

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