picking the right amp?

thanks for all your responses guys, i love the community around here. as far as a budget goes for amps.. i would say under $175 (closer to $150) i am planning on getting new subs in a year or two because these are just free subs i got from a friend 2 years ago. so i do want some wiggle room therefor i spend an extra $40 now for bigger amp apposed to buying a whole new amp later cause the one i have isnt big enough. currently i was leaning towards the 1000w or 1500w hifonics amps on of you guys linked earlier. but if these are bad quality and will only last a little while then i want something that will last.

as far as head units are concerned id like to stay under $250 i just dont want to have to use LOC's to wire the subs and aftermarker HUs make the stock speakers better anyways. just something to get the job done. i also want to be able to use my ipod through it (i know almost all are like that now) im tired of using this crappy FM transmitter. (the ipod-ready is preferred but aux in would be fine) i want it to look good and light up red to match the rest of my interior. it also HAS to be double din. because having a HU storage HVAC then more storage i think would look dumb. preferrably be touch screen or similar. HD radio sounds like a nice bonus too but not necessity. and dvd would be a nice feature too but also not a necessity. and if the difference is like $20-40 to get one with dvd as apposed to not id get the dvd.

hope this helps. also i would like everything to be available at best buy as i can use an employee discount so if its at best buy then im willing to go towards the higher end of my budget, if not, a little lower.

I wouldn't say hifonics is bad just not my choice. They seem to be trendy over the last few years but I can't say I've ever heard bad things about their brutus line up. I think they're owned by maxxsonics or one of those companies like DEI. That's why I won't support them.

Here's another one...and I like RE

XT-2000DE V3 RE AUDIO 2000W MAX 1 CH AMP BASS SUBWOOFERS SPEAKERS AMPLIFIER NEW | eBay

thats not a bad looking amp, cant get it at best buy though. but im confused its says its a mono amp but its got on the side "ch1" and "ch2"

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Originally Posted by 2dee11

thats not a bad looking amp, cant get it at best buy though. but im confused its says its a mono amp but its got on the side "ch1" and "ch2"

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Where? It has two pos/neg speaker wire outputs, but those run to the same channel, and there is only two for ease of hooking up more subs.

Also, don't buy music anything at Best Buy. That's silly. It costs more than, and their selection is limited. Plus they're going to annoy the **** out of you with warranties and installs.

the employee discount makes it cheaper than anywhere else except maybe eBay but I won't buy off eBay

and the ch1 ch2 was on the picture on the side if it

amazon always has **** way cheaper. and i saw that exact amp he posted on sonicelectronix for less than it was on ebay. google is your friend.

alright thanks man. what about pawn shops? would it be good to check them out?

Maybe, you might find something unique, but half of it is going to be "this was cool when it was new, now it has to be fixed" and such.

thats what i figured, i searched for car audio places in my town and the only one i found i went to check out and its closed on the weekends? it looked kinda run down anyways

alright guys... all of these amps will work, but if im going to be upgrading in the future id rather get a bigger one now than buy a new one later, i also want to get one that will last and not go out on me. so here is what ive come down to..

this renegade is $85 at best buy but doesnt give me wiggle room
Renegade REN-850S - Custom Radio Buffalo

this mb quart is about the same on wiggle room and a little more expensive at $100
MB Quart FX1.400 (fx1400) 400W RMS, 1-Channel Monoblock Formula

this hifonics 1000w will give me wiggle room for $112 on amazon
Hifonics HFi1000D Class D 1000 Watt 1-Ohm Stable Amplifier (HFI 1000) - HFi1000D

this hifonics 1500w gives me more wiggle room for just a little more at $125 on amazon
Hifonics HFi1500D Mono 1500 Watt 1-Ohm Stable Amplifier (HFI 1500) - HFi1500D

and this re audio gives the most wiggle room at 2000w but for $150
RE Audio XT-2000DEV3 1-Channel Class DE Digital Stereo Amplifier

right now im leaning towards the 1500w hifonics, i just dont know whats common for sub ratings if i upgrade. if itll be big enough or the quality of them. the reviews look pretty good. what do you guys think on these brands and amps?

The RE Audio is 2000w MAX. So it's 1000w RMS. So its on par with the HFI1000D.

oh my bad I didn't catch that thanks. so the hifonics 1500 is probably the best bet?

I only trust the brutus amps from the hifonics line. Also, I'm not a fan of anything running 2ohms or 1ohm because I don't like to put a lot of stress on the amplifier. Even though amplifiers are "stable" with a lower load it still puts more stress on the power supply. You can still reach 150 decibels with 500 watts so don't think that raw power is king. There's a setup floating around that can actually hit 130 decibels with 1watt. Design and installation takes precedence over power.

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Originally Posted by SeanGTP

Almost all current aftermarket head units do. Any that do not would mean your speakers would have to rely on an external amplifier to power them.

I literally tried to find the cheapest radio I could, and even when I found some that cost $30 new, they still had built-in amps.

Find me an aftermarket deck without an amp that isn't "out of stock" or "discontinued".

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False you can buy headunits from all brands without an amp. They just have preouts and you run your own amps. Why have an internal amp if your not going to use it.

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Originally Posted by rynoman03

False you can buy headunits from all brands without an amp. They just have preouts and you run your own amps. Why have an internal amp if your not going to use it.

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If you can hook your stock speakers up to it, it has an amp built in. I've yet to see a non-comp head unit without an amp built in. Currently mine is powering my two doors speakers, the average person does.

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Originally Posted by I800C0LLECT

I only trust the brutus amps from the hifonics line. Also, I'm not a fan of anything running 2ohms or 1ohm because I don't like to put a lot of stress on the amplifier. Even though amplifiers are "stable" with a lower load it still puts more stress on the power supply. You can still reach 150 decibels with 500 watts so don't think that raw power is king. There's a setup floating around that can actually hit 130 decibels with 1watt. Design and installation takes precedence over power.

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so how would you wire the subs?

this is 1200w for $155 on amazon
Hifonics Brutus BRZ1200.1D, BRZ 1200.1D Class D Car Amplifier/Amp
would this be the safest bet?

Holy titties that's cheap, get it now and don't look back. I'd snag that if I could.

lmao. would it be sufficient for future upgrades aswell?

well yeah. i'd say not to push that amp past 1000w rms, but if you want more power, you can just buy a second. as i said, being that cheap hell i'd buy one now if i had the cash.