Noise floor -- is an amp really worth it?
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: Kirkland, WA
Noise floor -- is an amp really worth it?
I've recently purchased Polk db6500's and a JVC KD-HDR1 head unit. The HU is 18Wx4 RMS.
I was considering getting an amp, but began to doubt myself when I realized, while driving 40 mph on my commuter road with the top up, that the noise floor is so loud in the s2k that there may not be a point to having an amp.
Is an amp really necessary? More importantly, can you actually tell the difference when the car is moving, given that the car itself is so loud? I don't listen to my music at ear-bleeding levels, so I can't use the reasoning that a 100Wx4 amp would eliminate the noise floor altogether.
I appreciate the feedback.
I was considering getting an amp, but began to doubt myself when I realized, while driving 40 mph on my commuter road with the top up, that the noise floor is so loud in the s2k that there may not be a point to having an amp.
Is an amp really necessary? More importantly, can you actually tell the difference when the car is moving, given that the car itself is so loud? I don't listen to my music at ear-bleeding levels, so I can't use the reasoning that a 100Wx4 amp would eliminate the noise floor altogether.
I appreciate the feedback.
Former Moderator
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 18,852
Likes: 1
From: New York
Noise floor....thats a new one 
Anywho, like John said, the whole point of an amp is to hear the music regarless. I can hear mine with a passenger seat full of grenades, and old ladies playing bingo.
Anywho, like John said, the whole point of an amp is to hear the music regarless. I can hear mine with a passenger seat full of grenades, and old ladies playing bingo.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: Kirkland, WA
"Noise floor" is just the term used by audiophiles to describe ambient noise. The higher your noise floor, the less useful quality audio gear is. More info about noise floors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise_floor.
For instance, if your noise floor is 75 dB (easily exceeded by the s2k, by the way), then there's really no point in getting speakers that reveal nuances below 75 dB difference. You can imagine the problem pretty easily by thinking about yourself next to a jet engine -- there's no point in quality audio gear if you can't tell the difference.
The question really is, can you tell the difference at non-ear-bleeding levels? For the folks that listen to music at 100 dB, I get that fancy audio gear makes a difference for you. But I'm not willing to listen at ear-piercing volumes; at regular volumes, does having an amp really make a perceivable difference?
Thanks.
For instance, if your noise floor is 75 dB (easily exceeded by the s2k, by the way), then there's really no point in getting speakers that reveal nuances below 75 dB difference. You can imagine the problem pretty easily by thinking about yourself next to a jet engine -- there's no point in quality audio gear if you can't tell the difference.
The question really is, can you tell the difference at non-ear-bleeding levels? For the folks that listen to music at 100 dB, I get that fancy audio gear makes a difference for you. But I'm not willing to listen at ear-piercing volumes; at regular volumes, does having an amp really make a perceivable difference?
Thanks.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: Kirkland, WA
Great feedback, folks. It's good to know that it's still a perceivable difference, even below bleeding levels. If anyone else has had similar experiences, I'd love to hear about it before bunkering down to do a Serious Amp Install (I've never done it, so would only like to invest the time if it really makes a difference without rattling the windows).
s4play: the dynamat is installed in the doors, right? It seems to me most of the noise comes through the rag top -- does dynamat really eliminate (or greatly reduce) the road noise, given that you're not improving the roof of the car?
s4play: the dynamat is installed in the doors, right? It seems to me most of the noise comes through the rag top -- does dynamat really eliminate (or greatly reduce) the road noise, given that you're not improving the roof of the car?
