im going to be running 2 mtx 6500d's, and another mtx 4 channel which is yet undecided. right now my alternator puts out over 14 volts. i have used class d amp's before, and never had a problem with lights dimming down etc. im just wondering if the capacitors are worth it. i've seen people say yes and no. tell me what you think. thanks
I had just commented on this topic the other day:
IMO, caps are a waste of money. A 1 farad cap can only provide 72 watt-seconds of power at 12V, so unless you're running less than 100w, it won't make a noticeable difference. As soon as the amp starts drawing power, the cap discharges and then the electrical system has to try and recharge the cap as well as run the amp. If you have not done it already, upgrade your factory power wire from the alternator and the factory ground from the battey to at least the same size as your amp power wire. Usually factory wires are only 8 or 10ga and replacing them with some larger wire makes a big difference. If you still have problems after that, the next step would be a HO alternator and/or a second battery. This can be done for under $400 and will provide you with a much better power system. I would recommend this for anything over 100A of total max current draw, especially if you have a small factory alt like 60A or 80A. You can use the cap if you want, but if you do the math they don't really help much at all.