Amp/Subs question Options

[Fingaz]

I've just bought 2 Audiobahn Alum12Q subs. They're 1000RMS each. But idk what kind of amp to buy. I was thinking about buying an Audiobahn A2150HCT 2 Channel High Current Flame Amp. Its a 1200 watt amp. Will this be good or will it be too much power? I wasnt sure because i've been asking some of my friends and they say whatever they think of but i dont think they really know what they're talking about half the time...


thanks for any help

[Coomer]

Because those subs are dual 6 ohm subs, you can wire them to give you a 1.5 ohm load to the amp. That Audiobahn amp puts out 1200 watts RMS at 1 ohm and 600 RMS at 2 ohms, so I'd imagine that you'd be getting approximately 900 watts RMS to your subs, which I think would be plenty. I've heard systems in hatchback Celicas with 185-400 watts RMS that get loud enough to hurt my ears.

Also, keep in mind that you may need to upgrade your electrical system via a higher-output alternator or capacitors or something, because 900 watts RMS from an amp will draw a lot of power from the car's electrical system.

If you want more power out of a quality amp at a much cheaper cost, I'd look at a JBL BP1200.1. 1,200 watts RMS at 2 ohm and 1 ohm, so you'd get 1,200 watts RMS with a 1.5 ohm load. Also, I'm not sure if Audiobahn over-rates their amps like they do their subs, but I know JBL doesn't over-rate their amps. These amps can be found for around $250 I think.

[shid]

Audiobahn uses the same overrating system for subs and amp- so they'll match. Unfortunetly, that means if he hooks an amo up that ACTUALLY does rated power...

[Coomer]

Yeah, I'm not so sure if I'd trust those Audiobahns to be running off of even 600 watts RMS per sub, even though they're rated at 1,000 each.

I've found Audiobahn subs to be fairly fragile...I destroyed an Audiobahn 12" sub back when I was first getting into car audio. The sub was rated at 500 watts RMS and I was pushing 300 unclipped, clean watts to it from a JBL amp, but that was enough to damage the sub.

[CelicaDEATHdie]

Whoa whoa........a-bahn amps are UNDER-RATED....you heard me......suprizing huh around 50-100w?? Decent amps......too bad you can't look at them cause you get blinded by the chrome......

edit: I gave my old alum10q 750w and it is 800w RMS......took it just fine. Sealed though....

This post has been edited by CelicaDEATHdie: Jul 6, 2004 - 9:24 PM

[shid]

.. a-bahn overrates their subs. You can take CelicaDeath's word for it, or you can take coomer and I's; I'm not going to turn this into another a-bahn debate thread.

[Fingaz]

lol i think i'll take your and coomers word about it.


thanks guys

[Coomer]

[shid]

Coomer and Fingaz, I didn't meant to lesson CelicaDeath's statement at all;

basically what you come down to is personal opinion and person expierence- and no one's is really more valid than anyone elses- thats what I meant Fingaz, not that DelicaDEATH didn't know what he was talking about.

[Fingaz]

Shid i knew what you were sayin. I just dont know much about car audio at all. im only 16 and this is my first car, first system, first everything. I've heard audiobahn stuff before and i really liked the way it sounded compared to sony, and rockfords, and pioneers. I've never heard JL but everybodys says good stuff about em. I think i wanna stick with audiobahn tho.

One more thing.....im pretty much sure im gonna need some capacitors but idk how many to put in. I dont really know how it works but dont you have to use like a 1/2 farad for every 500w?

[Coomer]

[shid]

Its true, caps hide the problem and can cause you to run into big problems later down the line- IE, you dont realize your pumping that much power because the cap hides it. IF, after a high output alternater and say, an Optima yellow top battery, a hyper voltage system and a grounding kit, you still get headlight dim, THEN start addings caps. Cus at that point you've doen everything you could.

PS: coom, I hate you; I was estatic to get my 10w3s are 140$

[CelicaDEATHdie]

I never said A-bahns subs are under-rated........their subs are VERY over-rated.....my old alumQ was fine with 400w when I first got it. A-bahn rates their RMS on their subs in very small enclosures. Cut RMS in half on all a-bahn subs.

Awesome amps though

[shid]

[CelicaDEATHdie]

damn a-bahn haters..........so many of you