Final System component

You guys have helped me a bunch thus far, so I'll give you the low down of my system and tell me if it all sounds alright.

I've got a 1995 Plymouth Neon, with stock alt and a diehard battery. I've got a pair of 6.5" sony Xplod speakers up front running 50 watts rms, 6x9 pioneers running another 50watts each. The fronts are powered by an Alpine MRP-T220 50 watts per channel amp, and the rears are running off the head unit, which is unfortunately an Audiovox ACD-32 (ACK!). I'll be putting in a dual Qlogic 10" box with two Alpine SWE-1041's, running 200 rms each. I've got two pairs of bass blockers for both sets of speakers. Now for power to these subs, I'm leaning toward an alpine MRP-M350 monoblock amp, giving 350 watts at 2 ohms. I can get that for $180, or I can get a Rockford Fosgate Power 350S monoblock amp, putting out 300 rms at 2 ohms for $200. My power feeds include a lightning audio battery terminal with 4 gauge power wire running to another lightning audio fuse holder, with a 60 amp fuse. From there its on to the trunk where another lightning audio distrubution block splits it to two 8 gauge outputs, going into the two amps. I think I might need a bigger fuse (AGU). My current draw is around 43 amps. I think by the time I put another amp in there it will be more like 65. So what I need to know is how this set up seems to everyone else and which of the two amps you recommend?

Thanks,
Z

The 350s is a two-channel amplifier not a monoblock amp. It can only be bridged to a single 4 ohm load which won't work with two of those swe-1041s.  So it'd have to be  4 ohm stereo load which would only send about 90 watts to each sub.

The alpine amp is a class d mono amp that is 2-ohm stable, and so you can wire your two subs in parallel for a single 2-ohm load.  Then hook that single load up to the amp and it'll put out a total of 350 watts RMS (175 per sub).  Seeing as how the SWE-1041s are rated for up to 200 watts RMS each, I'd definitely go with the alpine amp over the 350s amp.

Neither your current alpine amp nor the monoblock one you're looking at have preamp outputs so you're gonna have to use y-adapters or a crossover or something to get signals to both amps.

Also I should point out your current alpine amp could power all 4 of your speakers, you'd just lose the ability to fade front to rear.    You'd hook up both left side speakers to the left channel output and both right side speakers to the right channel output, giving the amp a 2-ohm stereo load.  It will put out 70 watts RMS per channel, so you'd be looking at 35 watts RMS per speaker.  I'd highly recommend considering doing this as it will sound much better than having half the speakers run off the alpine and half off the head unit.

-------------
Ethan
-----
"Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success"
Donate to the12volt.com

You don't need bass blockers, just use the amp's high-pass x-over

-------------
--Adam

Sorry about that Ethan, I meant a Rockford Fosgate Punch 301M. As for the RCA's, I'm using some from the head unit that split from two channels to four channels and I am able to send the signal to both amps.

Maybe I'll try running 2 ohms for the speakers. I guess for adjustment, I'd simply adjust the balence to one side more than the other to give the fronts more than the rears. I wasn't sure where the cutoff point was for the high pass crossovedr setting, so I was just going to put some bass blockers inline, but I suppose the high pass filter will suffice. I could use the extra bass blockers for some tweeters I was thinking of putting in, to run off the head unit...although whether that's practical when running off the head I don't know. They are rated at just 25 watts rms.

Don't worry, I'll eventually replace the Audiovox Head Unit.haha

Definately go the route for getting the Alpine Amp.  I agree with Ethan you need to bridge those Type E's to 2 ohm's.  I work at Circuit City and hooked up those Rockford Punch 301M's from Best Buy right of the box and they would blow up and start smoking.  Alpine is definately the way to go.  You might want to grap and ANL fuse or bump your AGU fuse up to 80  amps.  Going to sixty might pop a lot.  or even grab a circuit braker.  Otherwise the only other thing I could suggest is a .5 or 1 farad cap or instead of one of those a yellow top Optima.  Whatever works I guess but your definately on the right track....

-------------
Sonic

Pioneer AVH-P4000DVD
Zapco 360.4
Zapco 500.1
Zapco SP-4SL Processor
Two JL 10 W3v3d2
Alumapro 15 Farad Cap

Well then, that settles it. Alpine it is! I can actually get it for like $180 at Circuit City. I'll pick up an 80 amp fuse just in case.

Thanks Ethan, Sonic, and everyone else who's responded to my questions. I'll keep you posted when I'm finally able to install the whole setup.

Thanks again,

Z