Best "Cheap" Amp

Starboard M

Starboard M

NAXJA Member
NAXJA Member
Location
Lafayette, CA
Im looking to upgrade my rather old and huge amp in my Jeep.


I will be taking it out of my trail rig and putting it in my DD. It will be driving a 10'' sub, and hopefully sitting under the rear bench (heat issues?).



I dont need to be blowing out speakers, but I would like to add some bass to my music. I listen to mainly rock, but some hiphop/r & b and punk type of stuff is thrown in as well. Underground rap might be heard too, but again, I dont want to be blowing out windows.



Explain to me what size amp I should get thats hopefully under $100. Also, keep in mind I wont be able to distinguish the subtle nuances of different amps, and it will be driving a cheap Best Buy sub I got several years ago, which also sits in a rather small homemade box.

Thanks
 
hiimmred said:
Hey Matt, check out crutchfield.com, they have a good variety and are good with giving specs so you can compare and choose.

Ed
Click to expand...
I have been. Only problem I dont know what they all mean.

What does RMS power mean. What about power at 2 Ohms, THD rated RMS Power, etc.


I know the bigger the numbers the better (usually), but what is the difference between what I need, and what someone who is running two 12s and needs the best possible sound.
 
I think they have an explanation of specs somewhere on the site. Also if you call them they are really helpful, I've bought a lot of things from them and they have been very informative.
 
I tried an assortment of amps over the years from oldschool Rockford Fosgate amps to pricey Phoenix Gold Titanium amps, and thus far my favorite has to be Alpine's V-Power series. They're cheap, built very well for the money, and they don't overheat under our rear bench.

I've had an Alpine MRP-M350 (for my 10" sub) and MRP-F240 (for my 6.5" components/rears) under my rear bench since 2005 without a single problem. The best part... you can score them on ebay, and stay within your budget.
 
Starboard M said:
I have been. Only problem I dont know what they all mean.

What does RMS power mean. What about power at 2 Ohms, THD rated RMS Power, etc.


I know the bigger the numbers the better (usually), but what is the difference between what I need, and what someone who is running two 12s and needs the best possible sound.
Click to expand...

RMS Power is supposed to be what the AMP can continously deliver.

@2ohms means it can deliver this power into a 2 ohm load (the resistance rating of the speaker) Check your speakers, they will say what the load is. IF they are 2ohm and you buy an AMP that is only rated stable at 4 ohms you will most likely burn up the AMP.

THD is Total Harmonic Distortion - The lower this number is the better.

As far how much power it depends on the speakers. The best thing is to match the AMP RMS with the Speakers RMS. (you can run a more powerful AMP than the speaker rating if you can control the volume)
 
urban yan said:
I tried an assortment of amps over the years from oldschool Rockford Fosgate amps to pricey Phoenix Gold Titanium amps, and thus far my favorite has to be Alpine's V-Power series. They're cheap, built very well for the money, and they don't overheat under our rear bench.

I've had an Alpine MRP-M350 (for my 10" sub) and MRP-F240 (for my 6.5" components/rears) under my rear bench since 2005 without a single problem. The best part... you can score them on ebay, and stay within your budget.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's what I'd recommend too...I have an Alpine V-power too, I believe the MRP M350 with a 10" JL. It hits pretty hard, and it's lasted me a while now (since 2005 also).
 
What type of sub is it?? what is the rms wattage on the sub?? I'll tell you the truth now, buy a good name brand one now, in the long run youll get your moneys worth out of it. Right now I got about a grand in my stereo system..hahaha Blowing out windows I wish, pissing people off..hell yah!!! hahah
 
89cherokeexj said:
What type of sub is it?? what is the rms wattage on the sub?? I'll tell you the truth now, buy a good name brand one now, in the long run youll get your moneys worth out of it. Right now I got about a grand in my stereo system..hahaha Blowing out windows I wish, pissing people off..hell yah!!! hahah
Click to expand...
It is a "Dual" sub. I bought it from Best Buy several years ago, and I cant seem to find a website to tell me anything about it, so Im in the dark as far as what it needs.



Whats the difference between a low quality stuff vs the high quality stuff? Sound, life span, features?




I will be looking at some of the amps recommended here and see what I can get. Realistically I think I will be pretty happy with just about anything I get.


DaJudge: Thanks for the explanation, but Im still lost:roll:
 
hiimmred said:
Hey Matt, check out crutchfield.com, they have a good variety and are good with giving specs so you can compare and choose.

Ed
Click to expand...

crutchfield is great for shop and compare like he said, but ive found that their prices are much more expensive than other sites. do your research on crutchfield then shop around for the best price.

i had a 10" Polk Mono 'Bazooka Tube' that sounded great and didnt take up much room (one ratchet tiedown kept in perfectly secure and out of the way mounted to the spare tire mount). last time i looked they still had a bunch of different types for around $100. IIRC some had an amp built in
 
i know im going against the higher end grain here..but i have a 350w Dual amp from Best Buy pushing a 12" sony explod from wally world and for a basic noise producing stereo, i dont have any complaints. yeah its not pimpy and all that, but it plain works. its been under my rear seat for years with no problems. i know no ones gonna steal it because its cheap and honestly with all the rattling,creaking and groaning my junk does, it sounds fine.

i think i have less that 250$ in my whole system and drinking beer around the campfire at night, it sounds just like my buddies rigs with high end systems.
 
rysam said:
i know im going against the higher end grain here..but i have a 350w Dual amp from Best Buy pushing a 12" sony explod from wally world and for a basic noise producing stereo, i dont have any complaints. yeah its not pimpy and all that, but it plain works. its been under my rear seat for years with no problems. i know no ones gonna steal it because its cheap and honestly with all the rattling,creaking and groaning my junk does, it sounds fine.

i think i have less that 250$ in my whole system and drinking beer around the campfire at night, it sounds just like my buddies rigs with high end systems.
Click to expand...

get a 1000W sony xplod amp and 1200W 12" sony xplod sub and you"ll be golden. I would also suggest an encolosed ported box. They are 10x better than open.
 
OP.. do you know the wattage of your SUB?
 
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