what size amp
#1
02-12-2002, 05:46 PM
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what size amp
I just bought a new JL audio stealth box for my 99 F-150 supercab. Im kind of an idiot when it comes to stereo jargon. Im needing to know what size amp i need to run to it. The specs are as follows on the box :
Contains two 8W1-8 subwoofers in a sealed enclosure. 200 Watt power handling. Wired for 4 ohm mono. Now does this mean each sub handles 200 watts or is it 100 per speaker. So do i need a 200x2 amp or 100x2. I currently have a 75x2 amp from my old.set up, and the guy at the stereo shop starts feeding me this crap about how thats not enough (which i realize) and that the subs will burn up that amp. Is that true, and could i use my little 75x2 till i can afford a larger size that is recommended? Sorry for all the confusion,
thanks for the help.
dumb stereo guy
Contains two 8W1-8 subwoofers in a sealed enclosure. 200 Watt power handling. Wired for 4 ohm mono. Now does this mean each sub handles 200 watts or is it 100 per speaker. So do i need a 200x2 amp or 100x2. I currently have a 75x2 amp from my old.set up, and the guy at the stereo shop starts feeding me this crap about how thats not enough (which i realize) and that the subs will burn up that amp. Is that true, and could i use my little 75x2 till i can afford a larger size that is recommended? Sorry for all the confusion,
thanks for the help.
dumb stereo guy
#2
03-09-2002, 07:14 AM
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By all means, use your old amp. Just make sure that it is bridgeable and 2 ohm stable. The stealth boxes are known to burp with much more power than that.
You WILL NOT burn up the amp unless it is not 2 ohm stable. 4 ohm at the sub means that your 2 channel amp bridged will be looking at 2 ohms. Most older amps are not capable of running 2 ohm loads.
If you purchase a new amp, get a mono amp..... JBL, JL, or Fosgate.......
You WILL NOT burn up the amp unless it is not 2 ohm stable. 4 ohm at the sub means that your 2 channel amp bridged will be looking at 2 ohms. Most older amps are not capable of running 2 ohm loads.
If you purchase a new amp, get a mono amp..... JBL, JL, or Fosgate.......
Last edited by DonnyD; 03-09-2002 at 07:17 AM.
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03-10-2002, 01:37 AM
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03-10-2002, 11:15 AM
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Is that 75Wx2 RMS or Max? Is that at 12V or 14.4V? At 2 or 4ohms?
If it's 75Wx2 RMS with less than .3%THD at 12V, you'll have plenty of power for the box, especially if bridged. Usually when you bridge an amp you get more than 2x the power at the cost of slightly higher distortion. So you're probably looking at something like 160W bridged. I'm not sure about your JL stealthbox, but I think it uses a mono imput. In that case your amp either has to have mono inputs from the headunit or be able to sum the inputs within the amp (eg "1+2").
If the power is the optimistic peak or max power often used by the advertising droids (eg Radio Shack) to sell their product (It'll be emblazoned in huge letters on the top of the amp), then your true RMS power is probably more like 30Wx2. It'll sound OK at reasonable levels, bt won't "hit" like some people want. This may be OK for you, but it could be much better. Again, watch your output - it must be mono.
If it's 75Wx2 RMS with less than .3%THD at 12V, you'll have plenty of power for the box, especially if bridged. Usually when you bridge an amp you get more than 2x the power at the cost of slightly higher distortion. So you're probably looking at something like 160W bridged. I'm not sure about your JL stealthbox, but I think it uses a mono imput. In that case your amp either has to have mono inputs from the headunit or be able to sum the inputs within the amp (eg "1+2").
If the power is the optimistic peak or max power often used by the advertising droids (eg Radio Shack) to sell their product (It'll be emblazoned in huge letters on the top of the amp), then your true RMS power is probably more like 30Wx2. It'll sound OK at reasonable levels, bt won't "hit" like some people want. This may be OK for you, but it could be much better. Again, watch your output - it must be mono.