HoboPro

hey guys....finally settled with the car shippers....now im thinking of getting the following...let me kow what you think of this stuff...:kenwood excelon Z919 mp3 cd receiver, kenwood 907 10 disc changer, kenwood KGC 9044 Eq....im also looking for some amps also....i have the infinity kappas all around and the stealth box in the trunk....what do you guys think? and which amps should i go with? i use to have the mtx..should i stick with the kenwoods? thanks

Micah95GLE

I'm not a fan of the MP3 format, but Kenwood makes good stuff. What is your budget for the amp?

HoboPro

hey wassup...why dont you like the mp3 format?!? pros/cons?

im thinking about 2000 for the entire setup..including the amps...whadda think?

deathwish

I would skip the EQ, IMHO if you're not competing, the head unit adjustments are enough. Put that money into the amps. For the amps, I'm digging Zapco a lot lately, good stuff. I dunno if it's in your budget though, no idea how much that HU runs. But I'd look into it. Other good contenders are a/d/s, Xtant, and Precision Power. Really, it's just a matter of finding what suits your needs, any of the names I've mentioned are going to be a great amp, so focus on what meets your power and budget needs.

HoboPro

hey thanks for the response...but im actually looking for a eq only because im so **** on how everything sounds and i also listen to a large variety of music...should i look into a 4 channel amp or 2 two channel amps? i need enough juice to run my stealthbox and my 6.5 infinity kappas(all around)

Micah95GLE

If you really want a lot of power to the rear fill (I don't), then get a 5-channel amp. That will power the entire system. The Stealthbox has a 3-ohm load, so you have to be careful with which amp you get to power it. The 5-channel amps can safely power it, though.

deathwish

Depends... I would look at 1 amp to power the fronts and 1 for the sub. Now for the rears... Well, I don't like having rear speakers, and if at all, low powered just for the sake of rear passengers. So I would either just power the rears off the head unit, if it has an amp, or try to find an amp with rear outs. My Xtants have attenuated outputs, so even though it's a 2 channel, you can hook up the rear speakers and they'll get an attenuated signal so they don't overpower the fronts.

jsmiam

I drove a Stealthbox with a 5 channel amp. Just be sure to use an Amp where the Sub channel is stable into low Ohm loads. I had a Soundstream amp, which had a specific Sub channel that was stable into 2 ohms.

This is important, because the Stealthbox is somewhat unusual with its 3 ohm load, and many "bridgeable" amps are not stable below 4 ohms in bridged mono mode. For example, a Rockford Fosgate Amp (not to pick on them, they're decent amps, and this is typical of most bridgable amps) may be 2x50 watts into 4 ohms, 2x100 into 2 ohms, and bridgeable to be 1x200 into 4 ohms, but not stable lower than 4 ohms in bridged mono mode.

Some extremist audiophiles believe in multiple separate amps, rather than multichannel amps, because of things like power supplies and channel separation. SOme of those concerns were bigger issues in years gone by, but I personally believe that a high quality multichannel amp today, if it meets your power requirements, is a fine choice.

I too, don't believe in rear sound, except for rear fill. I drove my rear speakers off the head unit's internal amp, and it worked fine. Technically, you shouldn't be able to pinpoint any sound coming from the rear, you just have them playing at low relative volume for balance.

Micah95GLE

All 5-channel amps have 2-ohm-stable sub channels.

jsmiam

Perhaps a strong statement, "All"... but yes, as far as high end amps, I bet they pretty much all do.

My point was that bridgeable amps, in bridged mode, are not always stable below 4 ohms.

perlmax90

then i realized i liked the amp in my house, the bass that came out of that thing was breath taking on some 15's. so i decided to stick that thing in my trunk and it works great. i could use a little more power though, so i'm buying a 1000watt power inverter. bet you've never seen anything like that before.

jmax

It's really a better idea to use an amp designed for in car use. My adcom home amp (2-channel)draws around 1500 watts so the 1000 watt inverter wouldn't come close. That home amp will not get enough power also because of power used by the inverter. Not to mention that most home amps(adcom, bryston and other high quality models excluded) are only stable down to 8 ohms. They will overheat in the car and also be subject to damage from the moist environment with no stable temperature. It is really a lot cheaper to get an amp designed for the automobile environment. If you like the MTX's you've used in the past stick with them. They are still great amps, just not as powerful as they once were.

perlmax90

pulls 850watts so i't would get enough power and its stable down to 4ohms at 600w per channel, i also used this thing (can't remember the name), that sucks out the moisture(not electric), there is a fan build in to prevent over heating, and the inverter will be perchased by my parents so i'm not worryed about the price, everything is fused just incase, and its insured.


besides it sounds really good with 2 15's or 12's, hell until i get the 15's i'm using 2 10's and that **** hits hard. and the trunk doesn't really get hot when the heat is on, so i don't have to worry about condensation.

jsmiam

Yeah, I agree... I was gonna ask how much a 1000 watt inverter is... not cheap, I bet...

If you've got money to burn, McIntosh does make amplifiers for the car, that are viewed as the best anywhere... (matter of opinion, of course, no need to tell me I'm wrong.. I wouldn't buy one myself... I'd get a normally priced high end brand, and a big screen TV, and a New pair of shoes)

PPI also is highly regarded for audiophile qualities, as is ADS, Soundstream, Phoenix Gold, and Zapco. The good news is, there are tons of very good choices out there, particularly if lots of power is what you're out for.

you have several choices that would deliver over 1000 watts to your subs....

perlmax90

so i found a 1000w inverter for $120, there's another for$160, $200, and $300. i think i'll get the one for $200. if i dicide to put a car amp in later on i can find a million and 1 things to do with that inverter. it would power the computer in my car very well.

jmax

That's okay. Ignore my recommendation. I am sure you will find your own reasons why you should have gone with a car amp in the near future.

perlmax90

worked in a car audio store told me that you shouldn't really use car amps in the winter. i'm not ignoreing you i heard what you have to say. but if the amp sorts out my uncle could fix it. so i don't care. as long as the inverter powers it i'm happy. it's a new altornator so i don't have that to worry about.

and besides my mom refuses to buy me a car amp for bass, she keeps thinking i'm going to get pulled over for it. she doesn't know what the inverter is for, but we'll keep that between us.

jmax

You could just get a part time job and within 2-3 weeeks buy a good mono-block.