Printer Friendly Forum Posts - Amplifier choice for 2 Alpine Type R

If you bite the bullet now and buy the PDX, you won't have any problems down the road. If you skimp on an overrated 2 channel, it'll last for a while....... choose wisely grasshoppa

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My rifle is my friend...

I'm thinking of going with a Soundstream Picasso 2.880 amp... I've had one in the past, different model, lasted me some 8 years.

I would love to "Max out" the system, with the best amp and all the other goodies, but for now, I want to get something together that hits hard, clear, and won't break the bank.

nouseforaname: Agreed. The only thing to match tuning, would be the enclosure!

customak47: Yes, if you pay the money now, you can snatch the spl pebble from my hand tomorrow. posted_image

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The Flakman
I feel strange. I have deja vu and amnesia at the same time.

John | Manteca, CA

Memphis 1000D will work nicely...my best friend has one wired up to two Kicker 15 L7s at 1 ohm and it doesn't even get that hot...after some hard playing its only warm to the touch...I'm not sure why but these amps don't even get that hot.

Alright you guys, here is my advice, take it how you like.

You have some respectable subs. If you are looking to run them properly, this tells me that you are wanting to play them loud and proud (not a statement related to JBL from what, 15 years ago either). The two amps posted above are class AB amps. The PDX that is being talked about is class D.

Consider that a good class AB amp may be 55% efficient, where did the other 45% go. For 1000 watts of input power you get 550 out as usable tunes, the other 45% is where? Jus like ingredients listed on a box that goes from most to least, you have heat and then power used to make the amp operate.

Now consider a class D amp that is say 80% efficient. 1000 watts of power in and 800 out in the form of usable tunes. Now in day to day use the amp will draw less current and produce way less heat. In all out use, 1000 watts of power out of any amp is going to draw the same amount of current but the heat signature of the two types of amps will be wildly different. The class AB is going to be hot enough to barbeque a steak on (mmmmm steak), the class D is going to be much much cooler. So, when faced with two subs, a person who wants them to play like they are meant to and the amp is installed in a confined space with improper cooling, the class D amp is the better choice.

If you are able to hear a difference in tonal response of a sub operating at 1 ohm vs. 4 ohm, well, your ears are either way better than mine or mine are just toast. Nothing wrong with 1 ohm at all provided the amp is designed and engineered to operate there.

The PDX is a ICEpower design amp, one of the IMO better class D amplifiers on the market today. Eclipse of course makes a ICEpower amp as well, but, if you think the Alpine is expensive, the Eclipse is up from there. Keep looking and pay attention to the multitude of class D 1 ohm mono amps on the market today. Concept, Exile, Rockford, MTX, Alpine, Memphis, you name the brand there is going to pretty much be one. Consider your budget and then we can aid you to zero in on the amp that may suit your needs the best.

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Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.

Great info as always, Rob.

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The Flakman
I feel strange. I have deja vu and amnesia at the same time.

John | Manteca, CA

Thanks for all of the replies, I apologize for the delay, doing some Transmission work on the car.

Thanks alot Rob also. ALl the info I needed to hear!

Hello,

Im new to the forum and had a few questions. I have purchased 2 Alping SWR-1242D Type R Dual 4 ohm voice coil subs, rated at 200-500 watts rms with a max of 1500 watts. I am now in search for the perfect amp to power these with at least 450 watts per sub, however, I have read about amps which draw 14.4v from the altenator, and this is something that I want to avoid (as I don't want to upgrade the altenator at this point). I have considered Mono 1 0hm stable amps as my main choice, but I am looking for insight on possible better setups.

Thanks!

Amplifiers may claim to be 1 ohm stable, but this load is working the amp as hard as possible, which in turn produces distortion. The ideal setup would be 2 r type 1222d's with dual 2 ohm coils running off of an Alpine PDX 1000.1 or some other large mono amp. This way, you get a 2 ohm mono load which is the most efficient w/o sacrificing sq or amp longevity. If you need help with wiring, just ask, but I would try and return the 1242's and get the 1222's. Good luck.

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My rifle is my friend...

Hmmm ok, yea, I doubt that I'll be able to take the 1242's back (last chance deal) type of thing. In order to save sq then, would i be best going with 2 seperate amps? Or if I did run with the 1 ohm, would it cause a great loss of sq, if not pushed to the max all the time?

customak47 wrote:

The ideal setup would be 2 r type 1222d's with dual 2 ohm coils running off of an Alpine PDX 1000.1 or some other large mono amp. This way, you get a 2 ohm mono load which is the most efficient w/o sacrificing sq or amp longevity. If you need help with wiring, just ask, but I would try and return the 1242's and get the 1222's. Good luck.

The PDX1.1000 is rated at 1000 @ 4 ohms. If he runs his current Type S 1242 DVCs in Series Parallel he will get a 4 ohm load and have their rated power needs supplied nicely.

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The Flakman
I feel strange. I have deja vu and amnesia at the same time.

John | Manteca, CA

That amp does look nice.... but $600 is a bit steep for me at this moment. But in actuality, I should be looking for an amp supplying 900-1000 watts x 1 @ 4 ohm, in order to maintain sq, and get best output for speakers?

.... would it also be possible to run a 2 channel amp, capable of say 500 watts per channel @ 4 ohm? And run each sub to the individual channels?

You could use an amp rated @ 400-500 X2 @ 2 ohms, or any other good amp that will push 900-1000 @ X1 @ 4 ohms. It would still be a good setup. I just don't like running @ 1 ohm because of heat. An amp may be rated at 1 ohm...but that doesn't mean it can take the heat for too long before thermal shutdown, as well as the issue of more THD at that impedence.

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The Flakman
I feel strange. I have deja vu and amnesia at the same time.

John | Manteca, CA

Great to hear! Thanks for the replies!

Now, due to budget at this time (planning on upgrading in a few months), which of the following 2 amps would be prefered.

The Orion West Coast Customs edition 1600.2 :

posted_image

Features & specs:

High gloss chrome finish

Class AB symmetrical bipolar design

2 way 12/ 24 DB variable high and low pass Xover

Separately adjustable 2 way crossover with output for second amp

1600 Watts maximum power

CEA RMS RATING 350 RMS x 2 @ 4 ohms

CEA RMS RATING 420 RMS x @ 2 ohms

Intell Q bass EQ 0 - 10 db boost

> .1 THD @ rated power

Freq res 10HZ-50Khz

Dimension: 23.5"L x 10.5"W x 2.4" H

Speaker connections 12 AWG

Power connections 4 AWG

Or the Profile AP 2000"

posted_image

Amplifier choice for 2 Alpine Type R Printed From: the12volt.com Forum Name: Car Audio Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc. URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=81366 Printed Date: April 26, 2024 at 8:56 AM Topic: Amplifier choice for 2 Alpine Type R Posted By: 530ibmw Subject: Amplifier choice for 2 Alpine Type R Date Posted: August 08, 2006 at 4:56 PM Hello, Im new to the forum and had a few questions. I have purchased 2 Alping SWR-1242D Type R Dual 4 ohm voice coil subs, rated at 200-500 watts rms with a max of 1500 watts. I am now in search for the perfect amp to power these with at least 450 watts per sub, however, I have read about amps which draw 14.4v from the altenator, and this is something that I want to avoid (as I don't want to upgrade the altenator at this point). I have considered Mono 1 0hm stable amps as my main choice, but I am looking for insight on possible better setups. Thanks! Replies: Posted By: customak47 Date Posted: August 08, 2006 at 5:39 PM Amplifiers may claim to be 1 ohm stable, but this load is working the amp as hard as possible, which in turn produces distortion. The ideal setup would be 2 r type 1222d's with dual 2 ohm coils running off of an Alpine PDX 1000.1 or some other large mono amp. This way, you get a 2 ohm mono load which is the most efficient w/o sacrificing sq or amp longevity. If you need help with wiring, just ask, but I would try and return the 1242's and get the 1222's. Good luck. ------------- My rifle is my friend... Posted By: 530ibmw Date Posted: August 08, 2006 at 5:48 PM Hmmm ok, yea, I doubt that I'll be able to take the 1242's back (last chance deal) type of thing. In order to save sq then, would i be best going with 2 seperate amps? Or if I did run with the 1 ohm, would it cause a great loss of sq, if not pushed to the max all the time? Posted By: Flakman Date Posted: August 08, 2006 at 5:52 PM customak47 wrote: The ideal setup would be 2 r type 1222d's with dual 2 ohm coils running off of an Alpine PDX 1000.1 or some other large mono amp. This way, you get a 2 ohm mono load which is the most efficient w/o sacrificing sq or amp longevity. If you need help with wiring, just ask, but I would try and return the 1242's and get the 1222's. Good luck. The PDX1.1000 is rated at 1000 @ 4 ohms. If he runs his current Type S 1242 DVCs in Series Parallel he will get a 4 ohm load and have their rated power needs supplied nicely. ------------- The Flakman I feel strange. I have deja vu and amnesia at the same time. John \| Manteca, CA Posted By: 530ibmw Date Posted: August 08, 2006 at 5:57 PM That amp does look nice.... but $600 is a bit steep for me at this moment. But in actuality, I should be looking for an amp supplying 900-1000 watts x 1 @ 4 ohm, in order to maintain sq, and get best output for speakers? Posted By: 530ibmw Date Posted: August 08, 2006 at 6:09 PM .... would it also be possible to run a 2 channel amp, capable of say 500 watts per channel @ 4 ohm? And run each sub to the individual channels? Posted By: Flakman Date Posted: August 08, 2006 at 6:20 PM You could use an amp rated @ 400-500 X2 @ 2 ohms, or any other good amp that will push 900-1000 @ X1 @ 4 ohms. It would still be a good setup. I just don't like running @ 1 ohm because of heat. An amp may be rated at 1 ohm...but that doesn't mean it can take the heat for too long before thermal shutdown, as well as the issue of more THD at that impedence. ------------- The Flakman I feel strange. I have deja vu and amnesia at the same time. John \| Manteca, CA Posted By: 530ibmw Date Posted: August 08, 2006 at 6:28 PM Great to hear! Thanks for the replies! Now, due to budget at this time (planning on upgrading in a few months), which of the following 2 amps would be prefered. The Orion West Coast Customs edition 1600.2 : Features & specs: High gloss chrome finish Class AB symmetrical bipolar design 2 way 12/ 24 DB variable high and low pass Xover Separately adjustable 2 way crossover with output for second amp 1600 Watts maximum power CEA RMS RATING 350 RMS x 2 @ 4 ohms CEA RMS RATING 420 RMS x @ 2 ohms Intell Q bass EQ 0 - 10 db boost > .1 THD @ rated power Freq res 10HZ-50Khz Dimension: 23.5"L x 10.5"W x 2.4" H Speaker connections 12 AWG Power connections 4 AWG Or the Profile AP 2000"
Details:
	»	2-channel car amplifier
	»	320 watts RMS x 2 at 4 ohms (480 watts RMS x 2 at 2 ohms)
	»	960 watts RMS x 1 bridged output at 4 ohms (4-ohm stable in bridged mode)
	»	variable low-pass filters (50-250 Hz, 12 dB/octave)
	»	variable bass boost (0-12 dB) at 45 Hz
	»	variable subsonic filter (20-50 Hz)
	»	wired bass level remote control
	»	stereo or bridged mono output
	»	Tri-way capable (Tri-Way Crossover required)
	»	preamp- and speaker-level inputs
	»	preamp outputs
	»	fuse rating: 25A x 4
	»	4-gauge power and ground leads and a 100-amp fuse recommended — wiring and hardware not included with amplifier
	»	24-3/16"W x 2"H x 10-5/16"D
	»	warranty: 3 years