Thread: 1 or 2 AMPs any suggestions???

So for a while now in my GS, ive been playing my music through a Alpine double din head unit, 10" sub(dont judge me, all the bass is in the LS) components up front and component 6x9s, all running on one AMP. Cant remember what the AMP ratings are and its pretty buried in my trunk deck but for how it sounds and all its playing I would give a guess at about 1500-2000 RMS. By the way, its a huge AMP...

My question for you stereo experts out there, is it better to run my subs/mids/highs on seperate AMPS(which in most cases I know is)? or is it just as good if I have one AMP powerful enough to run the whole system?

heres a pic of my trunk I took a while back....thats a capacitor, and a Alpine CD changer sitting in front of the AMP with fan, and the sub is sitting far back in the trunk in its small lil thin box....

[IMG][/IMG]

Yeah you need two amps for what you got going, get a mono amp for your subwoofer. Sounds like even tho your current amp is powerful enough to handle what your running, it's not all there.

really its gonna depend on the setup, you can run 5 channel amps and have it sound good. If your wanting more i would go with a 4 channel for the highs and mono for rears. Decide if your going active or passive on the crossovers set up. IF your electrical is 8 gauge or smaller i would upgrade that and do big three while in the process.

so im reading my old recent from SoCal custom stereo.
So it appears that i have a 5/6 ch. amp

my front speakers and tweeters are ELATE62W Morel brand speakers.

Mind you guys, its been 6yrs since ive installed this setup...

also, ive been did the Big 3 wiring upgrade...still getting static though in the front speakers. who knows how long aftermarket speakers last? maybe theyre just ready to go....and again,maybe its bc my set screws on my in line fuse to my amp wont screw down tight enough for a firm contact with the power wire. where could i get these lil set screws from but some that are a tab bit longer to make a better contact?

Found my old receits...

DC650.6 is a Six Channel Amp with On-Board Digital Processing.


Stereo, 4 ohms: 6 x 50 Watts
Stereo, 2 ohms: 6 x 90 Watts
Bridged, 4 ohm: 2 x 180 Watts
T.H.D. + Noise: <0.025% @ 4 ohms.

Download manual: click here
-SymbiLink™ Balanced Inputs
-On-Board, Full Function DSP
-Intelligent Rail Voltage Control
-Plays from ½ ohm to 4 ohm Stereo Loads
-USB Input for PC Control
-Optional DRC-SL In-Dash Remote Control
-Optional Digital Programming Network
-Ducted Flow Cooling
-Heavy-Duty, High-Current, Insulated Terminal Blocks
-Space Saving Flush Wiring Connections
-Heavy-Duty Mini ANL Fuse
-Bridgeable
-Three-Channel Capable
-Gate Drive Boost Circuit
-High-Current Bipolar Outputs
-Optically Isolated MOSFET Power Supply
-Three year warranty (If Authorized Dealer Installed)
-Quality ZAPCO construction

** Designed and Engineered in the USA **
Stereo, 4 ohms: 6 x 50 Watts
Stereo, 2 ohms: 6 x 90 Watts
Bridged, 4 ohm: 2 x 180 Watts
T.H.D. + Noise: <0.025% @ 4 ohms.

Download manual: click here


-SymbiLink™ Balanced Inputs
-On-Board, Full Function DSP
-Intelligent Rail Voltage Control
-Plays from ½ ohm to 4 ohm Stereo Loads
-USB Input for PC Control
-Optional DRC-SL In-Dash Remote Control
-Optional Digital Programming Network
-Ducted Flow Cooling
-Heavy-Duty, High-Current, Insulated Terminal Blocks
-Space Saving Flush Wiring Connections
-Heavy-Duty Mini ANL Fuse
-Bridgeable
-Three-Channel Capable
-Gate Drive Boost Circuit
-High-Current Bipolar Outputs
-Optically Isolated MOSFET Power Supply
-Three year warranty (If Authorized Dealer Installed)
-Quality ZAPCO construction

** Designed and Engineered in the USA **

Originally Posted by Dee23

So for a while now in my GS, ive been playing my music through a Alpine double din head unit, 10" sub(dont judge me, all the bass is in the LS) components up front and component 6x9s, all running on one AMP. Cant remember what the AMP ratings are and its pretty buried in my trunk deck but for how it sounds and all its playing I would give a guess at about 1500-2000 RMS. By the way, its a huge AMP...

My question for you stereo experts out there, is it better to run my subs/mids/highs on seperate AMPS(which in most cases I know is)? or is it just as good if I have one AMP powerful enough to run the whole system?

heres a pic of my trunk I took a while back....thats a capacitor, and a Alpine CD changer sitting in front of the AMP with fan, and the sub is sitting far back in the trunk in its small lil thin box....

[IMG][/IMG]

Sorry, I said 1500-2000 RMS I was referring to MAX WATTs...RMS is about 400-500 RMS...correct me if im wrong, im no mathematician

But it is a ZAPCO DC650 6channel AMP

GAH!! You're running morel elates on a 50x4 amp? They're probably toast. Shame.

nah, not a shame at all....at that time 6yrs ago those Morel Elates 6.5s and 6x9s both component sets did me pretty good over the years and both were over $1600 A piece. Now im replacing them with JL Audio C5s, nah not a shame at all...

Originally Posted by KeithGTP03

GAH!! You're running morel elates on a 50x4 amp? They're probably toast. Shame.

ZAPCO DC650.6 6channel and it has

Stereo 4 ohms: 6x50 watts
stereo 2 ohms: 6x90 watts
Bridged 4 ohms: 2x180 watts
T.H.D. +Noise: <0.025% @ 4 ohms.

And a lot more, its old but it still works....Any other recommendations or brands I should consider???.

im not sure the exact RMS, but your right....so my amp has to be more than 500rms to run my entire system. 500rms is a lot though depending on what your system need....i gotta add these numbers up to get the correct RMS....

Originally Posted by Dee23

nah, not a shame at all....at that time 6yrs ago those Morel Elates 6.5s and 6x9s both component sets did me pretty good over the years and both were over $1600 A piece. Now im replacing them with JL Audio C5s, nah not a shame at all...

I know how much they cost. I ran them too. Wish I still had them. I am also running C5's right now. I like them, but don't love them like I did the morels. Major downgrade. I know what that Reference amp is rated for, and it's a 50x4 for a 4 channel setup. If you bridge them, it's still only 90x2. Those morels can handle up to 200w each. That amp will be fine for the C5's. But it blows my mind when people spend 1,500 on a pair of speakers and then spend 1/3 of that on the amp to drive them.

One amp or 2 is a question for yourself. If your one amp is capable of running your whole system, so be it. Take for instance the Crescendo C1100.4... the damn thing is stable down to 1 ohm per channel (although that's not advertised on the site, this information has been tested to be true many times). That can easily be configured to run an entire modest system. As for going JL CS or Focal.... Hybrid Audio is the big kahuna in the SQ department at the moment imo. Then again, I am absolutely NOT and NEVER will be a hardcore SQ guy.

Originally Posted by KeithGTP03

I know how much they cost. I ran them too. Wish I still had them. I am also running C5's right now. I like them, but don't love them like I did the morels. Major downgrade. I know what that Reference amp is rated for, and it's a 50x4 for a 4 channel setup. If you bridge them, it's still only 90x2. Those morels can handle up to 200w each. That amp will be fine for the C5's. But it blows my mind when people spend 1,500 on a pair of speakers and then spend 1/3 of that on the amp to drive them.

Indeed... 'tis like seeing a Critical Mass UL12 on a Boss amp lol.

Personally i have always ran two amps for my setup.

1 for the high's and 1 for the sub.

Its really all in personally opinion but i like two amps vs 1.

Originally Posted by KeithGTP03

I know how much they cost. I ran them too. Wish I still had them. I am also running C5's right now. I like them, but don't love them like I did the morels. Major downgrade. I know what that Reference amp is rated for, and it's a 50x4 for a 4 channel setup. If you bridge them, it's still only 90x2. Those morels can handle up to 200w each. That amp will be fine for the C5's. But it blows my mind when people spend 1,500 on a pair of speakers and then spend 1/3 of that on the amp to drive them.

Im not really a stereo wiz but 6yrs ago I definately didnt know that much, so at that time I guess they set the system up whereas the highs wasnt getting that much power bc it sounded good where it was and my Image Dynamics sub is only a 10" sub so I assumed its not pulling that much power...not sure tho

So I called JL Audio and they said I have a good Amp and the Morels are great, they said for the price the C5s would be the closest in quality/sound to the Morels.....I like clear high clean sound over the sub and bass (hence 10" sub). The bass i have in my other Regal...So what speakers can I run that is more similiar to the Morels?

And I think channel 5/6 are more powerful in this AMP, would that work?