Alrite, it didnt look like any1 posted this stuff, so i just thought i would start a post. I'm kind of new to the whole modding and i really have not found information about certain things.

First, i got an amplifier pushing 2500 RMS... yes its a big amp, so i know i need power upgrades
do i get a capacitor? or do i get another battery and bigger alternator?

the little booklet that came with the amp says to get a larger alternator and a secondary batter
but i hear a capacitor reacts quicker thus creating a better sound.

any information someone can give me would be much appriciated, thanks guys

 

All will help.

A amplifier will drain more power when under a massive load such as a bass drop or when you have the volume cranked up. The more the speakers pound, the more power will be drawn. Pushing 2500 watts will kill your battery first and then your alternator.

Alternator: Your vehical comes stock with a 90A alternator. at 14.6V (tib's operating voltage) your alternator can push a grand total of 1314W Peak power. This rating will not be used constantly by your amplifier unless you are listening to a SPL competition track or bass tape. In order to listen to a bass tape and not worry about your alterntor you will need about 250A alternator.

Battery: This will prolong the life of your batteries and your alterntor as well. it provides a 2nd point to draw power from. The 2nd battery will not cure anything, just prolong the life of your alternator and batteries. It does not replace a capacitor because of a capacitor's ultra-quick reaction times.

Capacitor: A capacitor is probly the most worthwhile upgrade. A capacitor is basically a quick reacting battery with alot of amperage capacity. Think of it like a first line of defense to protect your battery. The capacitor will discharge before your battery will and this will definately prolong the life of your battery and alternator. It does not replace a battery because of a battery's massive energy storage capabilities.

Think of a capacitor like a bucket of water with a hose pouring into it. Any time you want you can get alot of water out of the bucket and the bucket will refill as fast as the hose pumps into it. The hose being your alternator, and the water being the electricity powering the amplifier. Your electrical system will not be under a 2500 watt load the whole time, but when the wattage exceeds the alternator rating, the capacitor will pick it up. When it's prolonged, and the bucket gets 1/2 full, you're pulling from your battery. When your battery dies (and it will eventually) you're running on strictly your alternator. Your alternator will attempt to keep up with the amplifier by sending max current. When you try to pull max current through the alternator, (bassically a short circuit) it too will die.

Without some sort of upgrades, you will end up with acid pouring out of your battery, a car that won't start because your alternator went bad and no sterio at all. You should upgrade everything. A cap only costs $50 on ebay.

 

i looked up on some stuff today too in my *spare* time at school lol, more like just not doin work but anyways, i think i will upgrade everything since im gonna be gettin another amp for my interiors, thanks for the help and you explained it very well, now my problem is findin everything i need lol and another question, can i jus use any alternator or...? and also would it just be easier (and cheaper) to get a second smaller alternator and battery just for the sound system?

 

you'd be better off buying a bigger alternator. there's a topic on this board somewhere.

 

The BRAND of amplifier you have will make a HUGE difference as well. Do some research on your brand and see if others have had problems with power dips and bat/alt trouble. I use to have a BOSS 3000 REVD. It was a hard hittin amp, and it hit my electrical system pretty hard as well. I have since upgraded to an elementaldesigns amp. The BOSS with a capacitor would make my lights dim and my car;s engine literally pulsate to the beat when I cranked it up.!!! The elemtnal designs amp has more power, more punch, and now I can crank it and you can't even tell the electrical system is effected. When you are talking that much power, good componets are a must.

You should definatley get a cap. You can get rather large caps now-a-days. go for a large cap and I'm sure you will be fine. Use 0 AWG for power AND ground. Also might consider the "Big 3 Wire Upgrade" its a DIY that you will probably have to search the archives for. I used 0 AWG for that as well. Good luck with your setup!!! fing02.gif fing02.gif fing02.gif

 

5 classes of amplifier

Class A Full Wave amplifier- most power use, best sound quality.

Class B Half wave amplifier- Uses little power, only uses the positive side or negative side of the input, sux for sound

Class AB 2 half wave amplifiers- put together. they also use alot less power then a class A amplifier but have some naturally occouring distortion at the changeover between + and - , - and +

Class C Clipping amplifier- Is not suitable for car sterio amplfiers, uses less power then A or B or AB. The Class C amplifier is uses mainly for PA systems

Class D Digital amplifier- Uses digital pulses and modulates pulse width to create a flowing waveform. Probly sounds like alot of mumbo jumbo... Basically it's the most efficient amplifier and can accurately reproduce sound below 400 HZ. it's the only choice for a subwoofer amplifier


These are your choices. Alot of manufacturers won't tell you what you're buying. Class A is best for mid/high range sound. Class AB is more efficient power usage but less quality. Class D is absoloutely the best for bass but cannot be used for higher frequencies due to quantum limitations.



Brand does not matter a single bit except for quality of product or if you know for a fact that they use a speciffic type of amplifier. There are digital enhancements and speciffic features associated with different manufacturers. When it all boils down though, it comes to these 5 choices of amplifier which are pretty limited in design and nothing more.

 

^^I dont agree. If you do enough research you can find out a lot about what different manufacturers offer in there amplifiers. OR, do not offer. For example, the compenents used in the NINe.1 amp from elementaldesigns was specifically compared with JL's 1000.1. Now, the JL is a fine amp, but, the circuitry and quality of components was far superior in the NINe.1. Thats why I went with this amp. It runs very very cool and affects the electrical environment on the car to a minimum.

Now, comparitively, take an older Rocford Fosgate amp. These amps where made to be overdriven. These are the amps that allowed the kid in the 92 Civic with 2 12's to stomp the competition with 3 times the power and twice the subs. These amps where stable down to 1 OHM and below, yet they ran EXTREMELY hot in the setups, but were also very reliable.

The same thing can be said with how each amp draws currents through your car. DrivingTibNaked is very correct about considering what kind of amp will sufficiently power your speakers. But, just like there are ALL makes and models of cars with 2.0L engines, every make and model has its benifits and downsides. You may be able to pick up a cheap amp that slams out 2000 or 3000 watts, but, it's efficientcy could be quite low. As opposed to, but not necessarily, a more researched and possibly more expensive brand that will put out the same wattage, but be more efficient and will in turn be less harsh on the over all electrical environment on your car.

I'm not saying go out and spend 600.00 on an amp. I found the one that fit MY needs: a powerful amp (1200+watts) that was very efficient AND had minimal draw on the alt and battery. It only cost 350.00 shipped and is exactly what I wanted. So I ended up replacing one 1500 watt amp with another 1500 watt amp and the difference was NIGHT AND DAY! Comparitively, the NINe.1 has never made my lights dim or my car's engine "pulsate" to the beat like the BOSS amp did. Same wiring, same cap, same alternator, same battery! And yes, both were rated a Class D amplifier.

My point is do your research. Manufacturers and models DO make a big difference. First, figure out what kind of amp you need, like DrivingTibNaked suggests. This is the easy part. Once you figure this out, the real research begins....go to car audio chat rooms and different sites and manufactures and "evesdrop" their problem threads. You'll find out what each manufacturer's strength's and weakness are REAL quick!

But......like all of us who try to shed light on topics here,.....this is just my .02 cents! smile.gif

 

well, i didnt do my research well on what i needed to get my amp to work like i want it to lol but i did do research and knew i needed a kicker, so i have the KX2500.1 amp, just in case u guys were wondering, i decided to pound my amp to show off yesterday after school, must say it was so loud it started shakin my body kit lol but power started cutting off in the next song (bass was too frequent and strong) so yea. My dad is going to talk to his friend who makes alternators and get me one, i think im gonna follow DrivingTibNaked's advice and upgrade everything because i want to do competition. But like you said tibbytib, the creator of the amp is important because i had a 1200 watt visonik amp and yea it made my sub pound but the difference was night and day when i changed the amp. The kicker has more of a thump and has better sound quality. And what is the DIY with the "big 3 wire upgrade"? if you could get me the link i'd be happy smile.gif lol

 

You need to learn to use the search feature.....

http://www.rdtiburon.com/index.php?s...=4759&hl=big+3

Consider this a present for you....now what about the parts from that wrecked tib you were talking about?

 

I'm telling you the truth, it's not a .02.

There are -5- types of amplifiers. The layouts are the exact same on each type. From there, the only thing you can do is choose your component values and increase tollerances on components to a point where it's not cost effective for the price of an amp.

If you look at a schematic of rockford fosgate's amplfier, kicker's amplifier, and a amplifier that i design, they will look identical. They will have different features of course(My amplifier lacking in just about all features). But the main driving force of the amplifier will be the same.

Look for ruggedness in design, and higher tollerances. Usually a 2 ohm stable amplifier will be a good choice. Amplifiers that require fans will usually go bad after a few years when the fan gets clogged up or bearings go bad. Moving parts fail, electronics (if correctly calculated) will stay good for many many years.



When i say "manufacturer means nothing", i didn't mean go buy a noname brand. I was saying a Class D 1400W amplifier from Kicker is the same as a Class D amplifier from Rockford Fosgate. They have different features, but from respectable companies you will not have a problem with premature equipment failure.

A class A, B, AB, C, amplifier will always use more power then a class D. All respectable companies will know how to correctly construct the speciffic type of amplifier they are trying to make. There aren't many differences except bonus features.