need help with amp's

[im4an2idiot0]

i just want to start off thanking everyone who helped me picking out some good subs in my previous post.

i have ordered 2 12' atlas's and now i need to look into what amp and box to get.

i dont know if i should eather get a mono or a 2 channel. witch would u recomend would be best for my subs?

if i was to go 2 channel i was looking into the hifonics zx1000

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...771996217&rd=1

or the zx7500

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...spagename=WDVW

They both have basicaly the same specs so i dont really know the difference between the two.

The subs run at 4 ohms so should i be looking at the wattage for 4 ohms? or can i run it at 2 ohms? and how do u change how many ohms your running to ur subs?

For a box i was looking into probox superbass box's.

http://proboxrocks.com/superbass/212SPB.shtml

im pretty sure that will run me around $150-$200. but is it worth the money? does this box really make a difference.
but most importantly will this box work with my subs as far as airspace goes? i odnt know to much about how much airspace to allow for subs. so if someone could please shead some light on this.

Thanks again in advance to anyone who helps me out.

[ngsm13]

a BIG NO to all of the above...

Look into something that does at least 300rms x2 @4ohms OR at leat 600rms x 1 @2ohms

As for the box, if it's a pre-fab... sealed. But I recommend building your own

NG

[Diceman83]

OK, ready to learn some more?

First, if I remember right, your atlas subs are single voice coil subs, with a second connector that lets you change some properties of how the sub performs. This means that your wiring options are relatively limited; you can run them in series (connect the + of the amp to one sub, then the - of that sub to the + of the other sub, and finally the - back to the - of the amp) or in parallel (the + on both subs connected to the + on the amp and same for the -). I don't know if you've ever taken any electrical classes, but the rule for resistances for 2 resistors (your subs, for example) goes as folows:

Series: R1 + R2 = Total Resistance
(ex: 4 ohms + 4 ohms = 8 ohms total).

Parallel = 1/(1/R1 + 1/R2) or (R1 x R2)/(R1 + R2)
(ex: (4 x 4)/(4 + 4) = (16)/(8) = 2 ohms total)

See how it works?

Now, you may be wondering why do we care what the resistance on set of subs is... the answer lies with the equation for electrical power. Power is the amount of volts times the amount of amps flowing through a circuit element (your sub) [ P = V x I ]. Don't see anything about resistance yet? Well, there's another law, called Ohms law, that states the voltage on a component is equal to the current going through it times the resistance [ V = I x R ].

So we do a little creative rearranging and get [ P = I^2 x R ] or [ P = V^2 / R ]. There's a certain amount of power that's lost due to heat and efficiencies in the coil.

Now the amp as a few choices of output: it can send a little current at a higher voltage to a higher resistance coil (like the 200 watts @ 4 ohms), or it can send more current at a lower voltage to less resistance (400 watts @ 2 ohms). Some amps can do even lower resistances, like 1000 watts at 1 ohm, or 1600 watts at 0.5 ohms. The power values above are just arbitrary, btw.

If anyone wants to add to this, or correct it, please do!

Too tired to think anymore tonight

[im4an2idiot0]

alright so if i understand this correctly, i should wire my amps up in parallel because it will have less resistance then if i wired them in a series.

if i understand this correctly and i hook my subs up in parallel then i need to look at amps that are rated at 2 ohms right? insted of 4 ohms?

so basicaly i need to find a amp thats 2X 300 @ 2 ohms?

or if i get a mono amp i need to find one thats 1x 600 @ 2 ohms?

can i get an amp that has a power rating higher then the above and how high should i go that is safe for my subs?

What are some good brands for amps? or does anyone know a amp model that would give me the power that i need without me looking around ebay for a few hrs?

thanks for all the help

[Diceman83]

OK, the only way to change the resistance (also known as impedence with subs) is to wire it different ways. Your atlas 12s are simply 4 ohms each, and you can't change that. What you can change is the load your amp has. So, there would be no point in getting a 2 channel amp with 300 watts at 2 ohms on each channel, but didn't do 1 channel at 2 ohms (I know, because that's how my soundstorm amp is). What you want is 600 watts at 2 ohms in one channel/bridged mode (if you want to get a 2 channel amp).

As far as specific amps to get, what's your budget? You can sometimes get ok deals on used stuff, but new it's generally better to get them from an autherized dealer, cuz you get a nice warrenty.

Look at the stickied thread "beginning of a newbie info thread" for brands that are recommended. Hifonics is pretty good, profile has some decent stuff for low $$. Take a look around Ike's for some decent deals. Try to get a class D mono amp, if you can swing it.

Let us know your budget, and we'll be able to suggest something good for you.

[ponchonutty]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...773083306&rd=1

[im4an2idiot0]

alright now im starting to understand how all of this works. thanks for explaining it to me.

im looking to spend around 150-200 for an amp but will go as high as 250- 300 if i HAVE to but dont really want to spend that much.

what does it meen when they say bridged mode? is it a specific wireing or does it just have to do with the amp?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...5773083306&rd=1

^^^ thats a little to expensive for me.

it is extreamly hard to stay within budget with putting together a system. at first i wanted to stay around the $500 range but its just not going to happen. cuz after the amp i stil need to find a box that will work well with my subs and last me a long ass time. and wires and all that bullshit.

what guage would u recomend? i was thinking around 4?

thanks again

[ngsm13]

Originally Posted by ponchonutty

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...773083306&rd=1

He doesn't need a piece of shit overrated DEI amp...

NG

[ponchonutty]

4ga. should work well for you. I would make sure to find good quality O2 free wire. That way it won't corrode and go bad quickly.

[im4an2idiot0]

Originally Posted by ponchonutty

4ga. should work well for you. I would make sure to find good quality O2 free wire. That way it won't corrode and go bad quickly.

where would i go to find o2 wire? i know nothing about wires eather. whats a good brand to go with that has a kit?


thanks

[bjboertje]

it's just oxygen free wire.