Ive got nothing but good reviews on this amp :/ I keep getting told the alpine is underpowering the subs the subs are 400 rms a piece and they are only getting 250 a piece which is what worried me. Everyone has their own opinion on EVERYTHING audio so im just trying stuff out my own way, if im wrong oh well if im right then yay. Its a daily driver sound system I dont blast it very often unless im doing a demo for someone whos interested in hearing it. I dont have alot of money to spend on a big *** fancy audio setup (which someday I hope to own) but right now im experimenting. I believe wiring them at 2 ohms is probably the way to go, from what an audio shop in muskegon told me. I dont know much about wiring, Im hoping i dont need to get a new wiring harness all I want to do is swap amps if thats possible.

Im from a small town near Hesperia Michigan, yes im a girl, my name is sarah. lmao

lmfao!

no wiring harness needed.... just loosen all ur terminals on ur Alpine, pull it out, and insert Kenwood..
I live in Michigan also! By Lansing.... what do u want for ur Alpine?

Car audio is not a matter of opinion. Preference perhaps with listening styles, but not opinion. We know what works and what doesn't, and what parts are quality and what aren't. I'm sure you'll try it out and find out that the subs sound exactly the same. Want to know why? You will not be able to tell the difference between 500W and 800W even if that new amp could push 800W, which I and others here very heavily doubt it can based on experience. If you've ever looked at an SPL chart, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Once you get to a certain point, each gain in power will result in a smaller gain in SPL.

This chart will explain what I'm talking about:



Observe that it takes 100W to get to 110db SPL, it takes 300W to get to 115db SPL, and it takes 1000W to get to 120db SPL, so if you're sitting between a "wishful thinking" 300W difference from your current 500W amp to your theoretical best 800W on the new Kenwood amp, then at that point you're probably going to gain a whopping 2db SPL. What comes into play with how loud your subs get is more based on speaker quality and sensitivity.

I don't know who you talked to, but they obviously have absolutely no idea what they're talking about. Not only will the change be inaudible if this new amp can somehow put down more power, but it is a fact that Alpine amps are CEA certified to produce their rated power and Kenwood amps are not.

Oh, well I guess that kinda sucks it wont really make much of a difference, but idk i just think that alpine was a tad small for what I needed, it does push them real good but it kinda scared me knowing my subs were underpowered. Plus me being a nooblet and all I wanted my subs and amp to kinda run hand in hand brand wise. But idk as long as it sounds good im happy.



I may or may not sell it idk if I decide to I'll let ya know :P


I do have a fierce audio single 12" ported box for sale and it sounds sexy if anyone wants it. 55$ Bought it for like $110.

It sounds like it might be too small, but believe me, its good enough. Subs don't necessarily need to have their maximum rated power in order to sound great. Let me give you an example.

I used to use a Directed 1500D amp, which provided 1000W @ 1 ohm RMS. I thought it was too small, so after it burned out due to unknown reasons, I picked up a Hifonics 1600W @ 1 ohm amp. This was to power a massive 1600W @ 1 ohm 15" sub. At maximum volumes, I could tell absolutely no difference at all. It sounded exactly the same even though I increased power by 60%.

My only concern is that if you do install the Kenwood sub, take care not to raise the gain too high or you'll cause it to distort, clip, and blow your subs. I've also noticed that these Kenwood amps tend to overheat fairly easily at high loads in warmer weather conditions, so when installing, I would space it out from the board or mounting surface by a few washers to allow some airflow to run behind it.

Nice post X, agreed 100%.

Hooked the amp up just now.. The highs and lows suck.. But then again I barely messed with the settings and I did it in a hurry to make sure it works.. I do definitely need a capacitor what'* a good brand? Also any recommendations on wiring the subs would be appreciated, ill put pics up probably tomorrow so u can see what im talking about.

O LORD! LOL... another thing we need to teach ya. Caps r a gimmick! The companies state they store power correct? what has to put power into it? An alternater... what causes dimming lights and voltage drop? currant draw that exceeds the output of a alt at idle. so thats just another thing for the alt to power, and as soon as the bass hits one time the cap is "emptied" and the alt is always trying to play catch up.

what will really help is a big three upgrade, BUT that amp ur running shouldnt be drawing enough power to experience voltage drop... ur lights r dimming? If u go to a real car audio shop u will never see them selling a capacitor, and will laugh at u if u mention one.

and as for wiring them, since they r svc, u r pretty limited, ur gonna have to stick to a 2 ohm load

Sorry, lol

caps are not a gimmick, they regulate voltage the same way a big battery would. they draw power constantly while the amp only draws max current while near the highest amplitude part of the wave.