The 1.600 has only one output, 1.1000 has two. Both amps have the same rated output (600w & 1000) whether they are running 2ohm or 4ohm.

The speaker terminal plug has a large enough opening to receive 2 speaker cable inputs, so you could use either one, depending on how much power you need.

 

I

 

Okay, one more question. What happens if you overload that amp? Does the bass stop completely (like my Soundstream did) or does the volume decrease like the JL Audio amp does? On paper my old amp is cleaner but the bass often cut out completely for 5-10 seconds if I pushed it (and that was just with 8s). This time I want an amp that addresses this and I'm also adding in a Batcap to the loop to try to overcome the shitty alternator in the S (this capacitor pushes out a continuous 5 minutes!! of power at 28 amps).

http://www.batcap.net/400.html

 

You got some good answers but here is what I think....

You are not going to get an amp as good, and as reliable as a tarantula. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat!

 

I have never had either of my amps shut down or go into protection. I have had some pretty long drives (6-7 hours straight) with the stereo very loud. I went with the PDX amps due to their size mainly, but Alpine's history with me has been very good.

As I said earlier, Soundstream has also always made very good stuff

 

My Soundstream shut off constantly and I'd strongly prefer that it just got quieter instead of putting out no sound. I was not pleased at all after a couple years. I think it just needed more juice than my alternator could put out (I could see the interior trim lights for the A/C dim with bass hits at night if the bass was loud and constant).

My plan was always to not have the amp fail (of course) and to put in the Batcap to try to get it more power since I was pulling 1,000 watts with no capacitor. Plus, the Soundstream is huge at 4" high and 19" long. It just seems ridiculous compared to a class D amp for two 8s in the S with the top down.

I ended up buying the JL. It's more than 10% more power efficient, is stable at any load from 1 - 4 ohms, and is 13" long instead of 19". The Alpine looks great too but having only one pre-out is sort of annoying for my wiring. The JL seems to be the best amp you can buy. I looked at the Soundstream Tarantula v2, Diamond Audio D3, Alphasonik, Alpine PDX 1.600, Pioneer Premier, Phoenix Gold, PPI, and Nachamichi and nothing seemed to compare in specs or reviews (though the Alpine and Soundstream seemed 2 and 3 to me, respectively).

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll let you know how it goes in a couple weeks when I can get it installed.


Edit: The new Tarantula seems a generation behind in damping -- the JL is >500 @ 4 ohms. That's pretty nuts. Hopefully I get the same results as online reviewers that say that translates to (comparatively) super clean bass when the volume gets loud.