Ok, so i just bought a Diamond Audio D9 TDX 12" DVC 4ohm sub. Now i am wondering what a proper amp would be to power this sub properly. I talked to one guy today and he said i should be running minimum 800watts at 2ohms. He also said that i should have possibly gone with a 2ohm version of my sub as then i would be able to run at 1 ohm stable and would then be able to get by with a smaller amp. Just wondering what some suggestions of amp and size i should be running and if it would be wise to change up for the 2 ohm version of this sub.

 

I was looking at the Diamond D51200.1 amp, but i was told, because of the 4 ohm rating on this sub that this amp would not run it as good and that if i went to a 2 ohm version of this sub this amp would be very suitable. I have now been looking at the Alphasonik PMA1800A and PMA800DA amps. How does Alphasonik compare to Diamond and would these been proper amps?? Sorry, i am not the most familiar with all the different ohms and how it all works.

 

what is the power handling on the speaker @ 4ohms? Make sure that it is RMS power...NOT peak power. If you buy an amp that has RMS rating equal to that of the MAX POWER of the sub it will end up frying the sub. If you are running 800W to a 12" sub in this car, it is doing to be MAD loud. You will also most likely have some vibration issues.

I am going to be running a single 10" sub in the tool well with a 280WRMS Infinity amp. I was told this will be MORE than enough for my uses (just want more bass...not competition system).

If you are looking at amp power, there was a common power rating passed this year at the Consumer Electronics show.....do a search on google for this rating. Buy only an amp from a company that has agreed to adopt this standard. THe problem with amps in the past was there was no common way to measure a "watt." Many companies CLAIMED to put out high numbers, but when compared to others, they were NOT even close.

I know Infinity, Rockford Fosgatte, Pioneer, Alpine, and most of the MAJOR companies have adopted this (Sony has NOT....at least last time I checked).

Rockford Fosgatte and Alpine , historically, have been UNDER rated. They pushed more than they claimed....either of these is a good bet. Seeing as you are running @ 4ohms, you will most likely need a 2-channel amp and will need to bridge it. Most mono amps dont put out good power until you bridge them, but then they only put the bridged power @ 2ohms (which you speaker is not).

You will need a class AB amp....NOT a class D. Visit www.cardomain.com they have good prices as well as www.ikesound.com

John

 

Ok, thanks for the info. My sub is rated at 800 watts RMS and 1600 watts max. Now i was told that this being a DVC 4ohm sub i can run it down at 2 ohms where as a 2 ohm sub can be run down to 1 ohm. I'm not looking to build a competition stereo, just a nice sounding quality system. I had intended on getting a 10" but i got too good a deal on this 12 to pass it up.

 

wow....that sub is a BIG BITCH!

[QUOTE] I talked to one guy today and he said i should be running minimum 800watts at 2ohms. [QUOTE]

The thing with underpowering a sub like that is you MIGHT have a problem with distortion.

(Views on this board are conflicting on whether there IS destortion by underpowering, because the signal should still be clean at lower levels if you have a quality amp)

If you believe that distortion will be a source of issues, you will have to pound that thing or risk hurting it. If not, than you should be able to find an amp NO problem. Several people have said that 300W is around what you want if you just want to thump a bit in town and hear it on the HWY. Remember, a 12" sub will be louder than a 10" sub at the same wattage, because the magnet is bigger and the amount of air being moved is much larger.

Go to a local stereo shop and ask to hear a 10" and 12" sub at the same level. You will see / hear the difference. Just remember that when installed, it will not be as loud because of all the metal between the trunk and you. They will ALWAYS try to sell you more power than you need (as power costs $).

Another thing....have you already got a box for it? It is kinda rare to see a 12" in an S2000. Many people have done it, but the sheer volume required for the box almost forces you to get a custom fiberglass job done (or have it stick way up into the trunk). If you have box questions, PM Darkknight1999 he is a GENIOUS with fiberglass (check out the setup in his car by the link in his signature).

I would not like to see 800W in a non-competition system, IMO that is just too much. 300W-400W should be MORE than enough and the gain controls on the amp will allow you to fine tune from there.

John

 

Actually when it comes down to it, the enclosure will make or break a sub, the internal volume or design will determine the power handling and the tonality of the sub. If you can, go with the manufacturer's recommended sealed volume or get the T/S parameters and model it up in a program like winisd and tune the port to a desired frequency. Typically, the bigger the box, the more efficient it is and the lower it'll play, and the smaller the box, the more power handling with a trade off of boomy sound.

I disagree with the fact that underpowering a sub will hurt it. So if you placed the volume at 2/10, the sub's being damaged? Underpowering + improper box can result or lead to more of something like clipping or user error.

With a dual 4-ohm sub, you do have an option of wiring it in series for 8 ohms or in parallel for 2 ohms. Most typical 1 channel d class amps will be stable down to 2 ohms.

I would looking into

Arc Audio KAR 900.1D
DLS Ultimate A6
Helix H1000

 

Good Luck Man! I have a Diamond Audio CM310 in the tool well and my trunk is now a complete rattle trap even after deadskin.

 

Vestax-

I think the whole argument behind damaging a sub at lower levels is due to distortion. You would not use a sledge hammer to pound a finish nail, would you? Hence you do not need a HUGE magnet on the sub for just mild bass. I am not sure if this is a myth or not, as there are arguments both ways. Personally...I am not too concerned about it. You are correct about the box type and size. The box really needs to be the specs of the manufacturer of the sub. This is also important, because it might void the warranty on the sub. Check into that. Ported boxes are great for SQ, but lack a bit of thumping power. It depends on the type of music you are listening to. If you are into R&B or Hip Hop, you will most likely want a sealed box for the thumping. If you listen to a lot of Tool, Metallica, Sound Garden, etc... (like me) you might want a ported box.

The amp I got is 283W stable at 4ohms. Infinity Reference 9820. Its kinda big, though. I got this for $99 shipped from cardomain.com. If you want something slightly larger (300-500W range) look at Alpine and Rockford Fosgatte. They both make very good products. The Alpines usually have really good low pass filters and give really clean lower sound, while the fosgatte's usually just thump like HELL.

John

 

Seeing as you have a 4-ohm sub....you will want a Class AB amp. If you get a class D, you will most likely be able to run it, but will not get the advertized power (most of class D amps are rated @ 2-ohms).

 

I think you got it reversed. Depends on how you define "thumping power", a properly tuned ported box is way more efficient than a sealed enclosure, therefore will have more output than a sealed enclosure. A sealed enclosure is a lot easier to get a flatter response than a peaky ported enclosure, which is why most hip hop heads prefer a ported box. You're right, a magnet does not determine a woofer's output but the power to drive it is determined on the box it's being put loaded in and motor structure has its own parameters (ie xmax) that will also determine output. Subwoofer efficiency comes into mind, how much power is required to properly get the full potential of a sub and to be able to reach it's maximum potential? There's an interesting law that most car audio heads follow... you either get a small box, high efficiency, or low frequency extension, it's hard to get all 3. For a small car like the s2000, a small sealed enclosure and high power is the way to go for now.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, just don't want misconception to go around.... dual 4-ohm sub yields 2 or 8 ohms, not 4 ohms.