Questions for you car audio guys

[HungarianHunter]

Hey guys,

I'm looking to finish my setup this summer, and I have a few questions. If speakers are rated at a certain RMS, and the amp you get to power them is rated at a lower RMS, then you can't blow the speakers right?

In the spirit of my current Alpine D-block amp, I wanted to grab this guy for my components:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...+MRP-F300.html

And I hear great things about Alpine type-s's, for highs and mids:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...e+SPS-600.html
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...e+SPS-609.html

However, the RMS and peak for the speakers are higher than those of the amp. Will these work together? If not, what do you guys recommend?

Also, my lights dim and my subs will turn off when my car is not moving, obviously from a lack of power being generated fro my battery. What farad capacitor should I get to fix this? And will I need a second capacitor for my second amp?

Thanks guys.

[Joshua42007]

I believe you should run the RMS wattage at the minimum, otherwise you will not get the proper performance out of the speaker. It shouldn't blow the speaker if it is under the RMS. About your lights dimming, there could be a few things wrong. What size wires are you running for your amp kit?

[OMEGA PHX]

Hey guys,

I'm looking to finish my setup this summer, and I have a few questions. If speakers are rated at a certain RMS, and the amp you get to power them is rated at a lower RMS, then you can't blow the speakers right?

Wrong, you can't obviously damage them from overpowering, but you can blow them by underpowering them, damage them because your amp is sending a dirty signal if you try to turn the volume loud, since you are asking more power than the amp can produce, at a normal volume you shouldn't have a problem. You need to get the gain on the amp right. My recommendation is to get the amp RMS as close to the speaker RMS as possible. A little more won't hurt if you set the gain right.

In the spirit of my current Alpine D-block amp, I wanted to grab this guy for my components:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...+MRP-F300.html

Depends on the RMS watts of your components.

And I hear great things about Alpine type-s's, for highs and mids:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...e+SPS-600.html
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...e+SPS-609.html

If you have the money throw the cash on the Type R's, if not the Type S are great too.

However, the RMS and peak for the speakers are higher than those of the amp. Will these work together? If not, what do you guys recommend?

They will work together, there's people that powers Aftermarket speakers with the Headunit, but you may not have high volume, and again need to be careful when setting the gain on the amp.

Also, my lights dim and my subs will turn off when my car is not moving, obviously from a lack of power being generated fro my battery. What farad capacitor should I get to fix this? And will I need a second capacitor for my second amp?

I've read on many forums that caps don't do shit, you should do the big 3 upgrade, High Output Alternator or maybe a second battery. The alternator is what produces the power on your car if you are asking more power than it can produce there no cap that can help you with that, I recommend 1) Big 3 Upgrade 2)second battery 3)HO alternator if the first two options don't work.

Hope this helps.

[Stewi]

Honestly the HO alternator should come before the 2nd battery because having the stock alternator try to run the engine and charge two batterys is asking alot. I have NO amps in my car at all, just my redtop relocated to the trunk and I was dimming on the stock alternator, I sacked up and paid $475 for a Iraggi HO 220amp alternator and no more dimming and once I get a system I bet it still wont dim.

[OMEGA PHX]

Honestly the HO alternator should come before the 2nd battery because having the stock alternator try to run the engine and charge two batterys is asking alot. I have NO amps in my car at all, just my redtop relocated to the trunk and I was dimming on the stock alternator, I sacked up and paid $475 for a Iraggi HO 220amp alternator and no more dimming and once I get a system I bet it still wont dim.

You are right. Damn that HOA was expensive. There are some on ebay but they aren't 220 amps and I'm a little skeptical on those.

[Stewi]

You are right. Damn that HOA was expensive. There are some on ebay but they are 220 amps and I'm a little skeptical on those.

Its worth it though since Iraggi is one of the top dogs in the alternator game. I would also think if you had a problem he would be ready to help, and the alternator comes with a special pulley too.

[HungarianHunter]

So get an amp that can produce more power than the speakers need?

[ricky_db]

So get an amp that can produce more power than the speakers need?

the combination of speakers and amp you posted are exactly what they need to be the amp will put out 75watts of power per channel (or speaker) and your speakers can take 80 watts @ 4 ohms each rms. peak wattage or max numbers means absolutely nothing to the average joe. insted of getting a cap i would look into getting a AGM battery such as a stinger or kinetiks battery with at lesat 70ah. do your big 3 and you should have no problems

[ricky_db]

Wrong, you can't obviously damage them from overpowering, but you can blow them by underpowering them, damage them because your amp is sending a dirty signal if you try to turn the volume loud, since you are asking more power than the amp can produce, at a normal volume you shouldn't have a problem. You need to get the gain on the amp right. My recommendation is to get the amp RMS as close to the speaker RMS as possible. A little more won't hurt if you set the gain right.

i have a problem with this. no speaker in history has ever been blow by to little power. speakers have however been clipped to death this "dirty signal" you speak of. and you CAN damage a speaker by overpowering it because it will fail either mechanically or thermally (ever excursion or burnt voice coil)that is why they post a RMS. RMS is not to be exceeded for long periods of time of your equipment wont last very long.

[Prophet]

i have a problem with this. no speaker in history has ever been blow by to little power. speakers have however been clipped to death this "dirty signal" you speak of. and you CAN damage a speaker by overpowering it because it will fail either mechanically or thermally (ever excursion or burnt voice coil)that is why they post a RMS. RMS is not to be exceeded for long periods of time of your equipment wont last very long.

You guys are basically saying the same thing... best bet would be to match but if you can not match then over power is better then under... don't turn up your gains because we all know how the average joe likes to turn the gains up and you should be okay...

[The_fresh_Galant]

Theres not a big difference in those RMS's, and id be willing to say you shouldnt have a problem.. An as far as the HOA on ebay, they Put out all the power any amp ur gonna run in ur car..IF YOU GET ONE THAT SOMETHING ISNT WRONG IN IT. Right now mine wont charge steadily an is making all my lights surge at around 15.5 volts...With my stereo cranked it isnt so bad..But the guys have good quick customer service...im workn on getn another one.

[OMEGA PHX]

i have a problem with this. no speaker in history has ever been blow by to little power. speakers have however been clipped to death this "dirty signal" you speak of. and you CAN damage a speaker by overpowering it because it will fail either mechanically or thermally (ever excursion or burnt voice coil)that is why they post a RMS. RMS is not to be exceeded for long periods of time of your equipment wont last very long.

When I said underpower I meant clipping you ask the amp more watts than it can produce and the am starts to send the dirty signal, and when I said that that he couldn't damage a speaker by overpowering it I meant he specifically with the combination he mentioned, since the amp produces a little less than the speakers. Obviously if your amp produces more watts RMS than the RMS watts the speakers can handle and you don't set up the gains right your going to fry the coils.

@Hunter you can run the Type S with the alpine, just need to be careful with the volume and if you get to the point where you here distortion turn the volume down, thats the key.

[HungarianHunter]

Alright cool, thanks guy, this helps a lot.

Let's say I just wanted to keep my stock speakers for now, would a 30 farad capacitor help with just the subs, or is a cap even too weak for that?

[Prophet]

Once a cap discharges your system has to recharge it again... If your electrical system is all ready weak then you are just putting additional strain on it... Do the Big 3 first and if that doesn't help get a HOA... That usually stops the dimming...

[Prophet]

And I just read your first post... When was the last time you changed your battery? I would go for a deep cycle battery first because it sounds like your battery is about to go... I was running almost 2,500 RMS on the stock electrical system and had very little dimming at high volume...

[HungarianHunter]

And I just read your first post... When was the last time you changed your battery? I would go for a deep cycle battery first because it sounds like your battery is about to go... I was running almost 2,500 RMS on the stock electrical system and had very little dimming at high volume...

The battery was changed like a year ago. I've read somewhere that a bad ground could cause dimming too? Is this true?

[Prophet]

Yes that could be one reason too why you are getting dimming... That is why we suggest doing the big three... What is the final wattage in RMS for everything that you are planning?

[Joshua42007]

If you have heavy dimming lights or are getting large voltage drops during loud bass hits, but you don't have the money to spend on a high output alternator or a battery DO The Big Three upgrade - which is upgrading the main three electrical charging wires in your vehicle's electrical system.

These wires are:
1)The power wire from the alternator to the battery positive
2)The engine block to a ground
3)The battery negative to a ground.

Get bigger wires.

Also Theres no 2nd battery involved in that process, that could probably actually ruin your alternator when it stresses and has to charge 2 batteries instead of 1. If you have a have a HO alternator then of course it wont be a problem.

[HungarianHunter]

Sorry, I didn't know what you guys meant by the big 3. Got it now. I'll do that first thing when I get home.


To answer Prophet's question, for now I'm sticking with just the subs, which are 500 watt RMS. I've got 2 MTX thunder 4500's, 2 ohms.

[cntrylvr79]

And I just read your first post... When was the last time you changed your battery? I would go for a deep cycle battery first because it sounds like your battery is about to go... I was running almost 2,500 RMS on the stock electrical system and had very little dimming at high volume...

A deep cycle battery isn't going to help with dimming lights. All they're good for is allowing you to run a system longer with the engine off than a regular battery. They also can be run down further than a standard battery while still recovering. Whereas the first time you run a stanrdard battery down enough it never truly recovers. THe other problem with deep cycle batteries is for a given size they tend to have much lower cold cranking amps than a stardard battery. Now if you don't live in a place where it gets very cold you can genreally skate by this problem.

I do have one problem with your statement though. The math doesn't add up. FActory spec on a galants alternator is 85-100 amps. Even if your alternator is outputting 15 volts, that's 167 amps of current required to hit 2500 watts. And that's if the amps were 100% efficient. That's a minimum of 60amps worth of power that the battery has to provide, not including the 50+ that the car's electrical system pulls to run it.