Choosing An Amp

[playdoh850]

Hello. I need help figuring out how many channels I need on my amp. I have a decent aftermarket headunit, a set of Infinity 6812cf in the back deck and a decent set of Infinity speakers in the front doors. I want to throw a good amp in my trunk that will power a sub (not yet chosen) and all the speakers. I was wondering how many channels I would need and some recommendations.

Thanks

[andyb5]

The number of channels you need depends on how many of your speakers you want to amplify. Basically, each speaker is its own channel. Therefore, you have 2 front channels, 2 rear channels, and the sub is a single channel.

If you want to amp all the speakers in your car (front, back and sub) from a single source, you'll need a 5-channel amp (what I'm using in my car.) The nice thing about a 5 channel amp is that everything is all in one, meaning you only have to run 1 set of wires, and mount 1 amp. Drawbacks are that they are (usually) larger than most amps. I'd give a look at the Alpine PDX-5, Polk Audio PA1100.5, JL Audio HD 900/5, or the Boston Acoustics GT-5750.

If you don't mind having 2 amps, get a 4-channel amp for all your speakers, and a mono amp for the subwoofer. This will give you more freedom in choosing power ratings and mounting locations. Make sure to choose an amp with power outputs rated close to the RMS power ratings of your speakers.

Good luck, and hope that helps. If you have more questions, ask away!

[blazen244]

I agree multiple amps will give you more room to get your speaker to their sweet spot and some amps you can use the frequency cut off points to help keep unwanted stuff from going to your door speakers(like low bass freq.)but still allow your to run bass to your sub without any issues. I run a three amp setup. I have a four channel amp for my front door and rear deck I removed the rear door speakers, I have a two channel for the mid bass and a two channel for my sub.