amp shopping for a newb

Hi guys;

I posted something else about me picking up Type Rs that are 2 ohms, but they won't vibe well with my amp. I'm getting back into car audio, and wanted to use my old MTX BT Pro 300.2 to power 2x 10" Type Rs. But idiot that I am, I figured buy 2 ohm subs, cause 4 ohm models will rob me of potential power. See - I had no idea how dual voice coils work. Now I've got 2 subs that I can't really utilize with that amp. Others have advised to keep the subs, replace the amp, saying I could use more power.

After considerations, It seems I'm looking to buy a new amp.

Issue: I have no knowledge at all about today's amps. I have a RF 200.2 from 1997 that powered my 2x6" Type R components up front and the Type R 6x9s in the back.
Was satisfied with that.

Have the MTX that powered 2 10" Boston Acoustics.
Was happy with the amp.

So -- I can't drop like 800 bucks or anything like that on an amp for these subs i have. But That's the level I was happy with. I'm not willing to go any lower on sound quality.

The question is:
What kind of amp would you recommend to run the two new 2 ohm Type R subs?
PLEASE keep in mind that I'm rather ignorant in Stereo jargon beyond terms like 'RMS'

THe other question is for whatever amp you'd recommend, how much would I expect to pay used or new?

Thanks so much for your advice. This forum was a great place 10 years ago and Its nice to be back here.

When you say the subs are 2ohm subs do you mean they are dual 2ohm voice coils, or dual 4ohm which paralleled together will be 2 ohms total per sub? The Type R's come both ways. If they are dual 4ohm you could use the amp you have. If they are daul 2 ohm, check out the Kicker IX1000.1. Its 1000W at 2ohms which would be plenty of power. It goes for around $599. In the amp world nowadays you get what you pay for. Cheap amps may not last and usually don't perform as well as they should.

I like the IX1000.1 as well or you may be able to find a cheap or refurbished kicker ZX1000.1 which is an older amp but same power rating. If the subs are dual 2 ohm I would look into the kicker ZX850.2 which is a beast of an amp

Ok, stopped at a shop and the guy recommended a KAPTION DZ 600.1, wired to go at 1 ohm. That's a Canadian amp. But I can't find anything on it. Anyone have any knowledge as to if this setup will sufficiently power the two type Rs? Sufficiently?

Dude says that if setup at 1 ohm, it will chuck 425 RMS at each sub.
Does thAt make sense?

Not familiar with the KAPTION, cannot find any information online. In general a 1 ohm stable amplifier is uncommon. How much is the guy at the shop asking for that amplifier?

If you are willing to buy something used, a JL 1000/1 (slash, not slash v2) can be found for a decent price and will give you 1000w rms of real power with no tricks, 2 ohms or 4 ohms, and will sound fantastic. A Slash V2 (current model) can be found for about $650, the previous generation used is around half that.

-J

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Malcom: "This is the captain. We have a...little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and then...explode."
Jayne: "We're gonna explode? I don't wanna explode.

Thanks for taking the time to reply and to see if you could find info when I couldn't.  It's really appreciated. 

Dude is asking $380 for the amp.  He says it's on sale, regular $480.

I'm going to stop by a JL dealer in my area after work.  I'll let you know what I find out. 

Just got off the phone with Kaption's main office in southern Ontario. 

Their tech guy said the amp can handle the 1 ohm load, but will probably only be throwing 325 RMS or so at each sub.  He says he doesn't know if the subs will be able to handle that at 1 ohm. 

Its always better to have too much power than not enough. You can always turn the amp gain down. You really dont want to set your gain at max anyways. If its a good deal and will handle 1ohm, go for it. If your unsure of setting the levels on the amp you could probably pay a shop a few bucks to set it for you.

canuckerjay wrote:

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Just got off the phone with Kaption's main office in southern Ontario. 

Their tech guy said the amp can handle the 1 ohm load, but will probably only be throwing 325 RMS or so at each sub.  He says he doesn't know if the subs will be able to handle that at 1 ohm. 

Thoughts? 

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Okay, so it's a Canadian thing. Not saying don't buy that amp, just saying I'm not familiar with it. The woofers do not care what impedance the amplifier is running at, so this "at 1 ohm" business only applies to the amplifier. The woofers will still run at 2 ohms per voice coil, or 4 ohms per voice coil depending on which model you have. Which model subs do you have? 2 ohms per coil or 4 ohms per coil?

-J

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Malcom: "This is the captain. We have a...little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and then...explode."
Jayne: "We're gonna explode? I don't wanna explode.

The SWR-1022D is a 2 ohm model. That is, each sub has dual voice coil, each of those voice coils is 2 ohms, so each sub has two 2 ohm voice coils.

And I've got two of those subs.

You guys have no idea how valued your time and feedback is.

canuckerjay wrote:

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The SWR-1022D is a 2 ohm model. That is, each sub has dual voice coil, each of those voice coils is 2 ohms, so each sub has two 2 ohm voice coils.

And I've got two of those subs.

You guys have no idea how valued your time and feedback is.

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Okay great. You can run two voice coils in series, then run both woofers in parallel to get a 2ohm load for the amplifier. That will make almost any subwoofer amplifier happy, and you'll be able to use all of the available power from the amplifier as well. Most single channel subwoofer amps are, but make sure the one you finally choose is stable at 2 ohms.

For example if you have an amplifier that is rated for 400 watts rms at 4 ohms, or 800 watts rms at 2 ohms ... you will be running at 800 watts into a 2ohm load, and each woofer will get half that power (400 watts each).

Enjoy,
-J

-------------
Malcom: "This is the captain. We have a...little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and then...explode."
Jayne: "We're gonna explode? I don't wanna explode.