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Thread: Tiny amp options for door speakers

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    Tiny amp options for door speakers

    Finally getting around to replacing my front door speakers, going with infinity kappa 6.5's.

    While demo'ing speakers at the local fry's, I liked the 6.5" kappa's better than anything else. I couldn't find a sales person to check, but I don't think they amp the demo speakers at the display I was checking them out at, they had seperate screening rooms for amped setups where you could select the amp/speakers/sub/sub amp, this was just a wall of speakers for each size tied to a crappy radio.

    anyways, if they don't sound as good as I heard in the store I'm thinking of getting a small amp - I don't really have anywhere to mount a massive 4 channel amp in the truck.

    My rear speakers I replaced a long time ago with phoenix gold 5x7 shallow mounts, they're OK but I may replace them with infinity reference or kappa 6x8's if I were to install an amp for the door speakers.


    I found the alpine 'power pack', which offers 45x4 rms and is quite small -
    http://www.amazon.com/Alpine-KTP-445.../dp/B003VVYL46

    Also the clarion version of what looks like the same thing 50x4 rms -
    Amazon.com: Clarion Mobile Electronics XC1410 D-Class 4-Channel Amplifier: Car Electronics

    and the RF PBR300x4, which offers 75x4 rms
    http://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosga...words=pbr300x4


    I think I can fit any of these up front, if not inside the dash than certainly under the front center console.

    Any thoughts? I've found a lot of people using the alpine for later model f150's than ours and they all have really good things to say.
    Last edited by Blind; 04-29-2014 at 01:48 PM.

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    The rear compartments behind the back seats is a nice easy place to put the amp. The passenger side held my 7 channel Phoenix Gold amp as it was huge. I'd say that amp was at least 24"L x 14"W x 3"D. The drivers side has the jack in it which can be taken out for more space if needed.


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  3. #3
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    my passenger side has the jack which I will not remove.
    my drivers side has my sub amp and power distribution block. I do not have room for anything larger than what I'm looking at here as I intend to have everything 100% hidden.
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    Worlds Shiniest HD F-150!
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    Have you seen the JL Audio XD version 2 ?

    XDv2
    The amazingly small XDv2 amplifiers are huge in audio performance, thanks to our advanced NexD™ switching technologies.

  5. #5
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    they're nice, but very far out of what I'm willing to spend on an amp, I care about $150 to make the speakers sound good, not $400+ ;)
    JL Audio XD400/4v2 4-channel car amplifier — 75 watts RMS x 4 at Crutchfield.com
    It has near exact specs of the $150 rockford (75x4 rms)

    if I had lotto money, then maybe I would get one of their 5 channels to replace my sub amp + power the 4 doors

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    Worlds Shiniest HD F-150!
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    That's what I did...they are pretty small XD400/4 doors & 600/1 for sub. They both hide behind the seat compartment.




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    Worlds Shiniest HD F-150!
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    If you do them. I'd be interested in how they work out and sound.
    It sounds like they would also work good on a motorcycle.

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    almost all the reviews for all 3 amps on amazon are from harley bikes.

    "now I can blast van halen at 90mph and hear it!" etc

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    Quote Originally Posted by Blind View Post
    almost all the reviews for all 3 amps on amazon are from harley bikes.

    "now I can blast van halen at 90mph and hear it!" etc
    Sadly, that's not about good sound quality it's about louder.
    A good mobile amp is about sound quality and a pleasing "balance".
    Those type of amps can make it "louder" but you may have hiss, distortion etc.
    __________________

    I wear ear plugs when I do a riding road trip. This keeps you from going deaf.



    NOTE: There is no audiophile on a Harley with 90mph wind noise pounding in your ears.

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    dragginNCrds
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    i have a amp at home that i believe would go in the dash.. that is a 4 channel.. let me look when i get there and i will post back...

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    I already posted my thoughts on LR. But bottom line, Ive had the Alpine for over 2.5 years now in my work van pushing some Focal 5x7's, and push the hell out of it. It does just fine, stays relatively cool compared to a standard amp, and sounds great for what it is.

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    The Rockford may be the best sounding of the three, but unfortunately it doesn't have the guts to drive the load presented by the Kappas.
    The Clarion will have the least desirable sound quality. Class D and hi/lo inputs makes it a band aid not an upgrade.
    That leaves the Alpine which will provide a step up from stock.
    Had you went with 4 ohm speakers I would recommended the RF Punch. I use their old school amps, hard to beat them.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shady Al View Post
    The Rockford may be the best sounding of the three, but unfortunately it doesn't have the guts to drive the load presented by the Kappas.
    The Clarion will have the least desirable sound quality. Class D and hi/lo inputs makes it a band aid not an upgrade.
    That leaves the Alpine which will provide a step up from stock.
    Had you went with 4 ohm speakers I would recommended the RF Punch. I use their old school amps, hard to beat them.
    the alpine and clarion are nearly identical, the only difference being the clarion also offers rca lo inputs, the alpine is only hi inputs. I assumed I would get better signal quality with using the lo level RCA outputs from my pioneer headunit than the speaker line hi level outputs from it going to the alpine.

    All 3 are class D.

    RF makes a 2 channel version of that same amp, the PBR300x2 which is 2 ohm capable as well.

    http://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosga.../dp/B007AQ2WXU

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    Quote Originally Posted by Blind View Post
    the alpine and clarion are nearly identical, the only difference being the clarion also offers rca lo inputs, the alpine is only hi inputs. I assumed I would get better signal quality with using the lo level RCA outputs from my pioneer headunit than the speaker line hi level outputs from it going to the alpine.

    All 3 are class D.

    RF makes a 2 channel version of that same amp, the PBR300x2 which is 2 ohm capable as well.

    http://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosga.../dp/B007AQ2WXU
    You are correct regrading the low level input being better than a speaker level input. But both the Alpine and the Clarion have hi and lo level inputs. So in that regards they are equal. The Alpine is probably borrowing the same op amps they use in some of their head units ie:a step up from stock.

    They are all class D which helps create more power and less heat with less costly components. Common to use class D for subwoofers ( no ill effects on low frequencies) and has become more common in car audio in recent years. But the RF uses a type of transistors that are known to be more musical, MOS FET.

    The two channel RF looks cool. Probably the same as the four channel but the amps are internally configured differently to handle the load and more than likely add substantial headroom ( the amps ability to deliver more dynamics without clipping).

    So it depends on what your budget is and if you want two or four channels. Me personally, two channel and sub with no fill in the rear.

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    Here are my small amps lol
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