So I've been really been wanting to change out the speakers in my CL for a while. At first, the stock system was really missing the low end in all the music I listen to, which is mainly Rock, Acoustic, and some electronic. So I bought a basslink, and it's done wonders for the lowend, but now it's really missing some of that mid-bass punch to it. I've been looking at several speakers including the Infinity Kappas, Alpine Type-s, and ranging all the way up to some of the DLS speakers. Now I originally considered just replacing the stock speakers with the Infinity's because they're rated for 2ohms, but I realized I'm really not going to get much more out of them than what the stock amp will put out to them. I need some help! I really don't know a whole lot about choosing an amp, but what I do know is that trying to match the RMS output of the amp to the rating of the speakers is a good idea. I'm not looking to spend a bank roll of cash, but I'd like to get something that's really a quality product, and is going to sound great!

 

Have a look at the Audison Amp range:
http://www.audison.com/

These Italian Amps are high quality, not overpriced, and sound great
I have a lower end SRx and it blows away the terrible Sony and Altec Amps Ive had. Its been absolutely rock solid, no problem at all.



Not sure about the speakers, but I would personally get JL Audio. Again, blowing away the half-baked Kenwood and Sony speakers Ive had.

 

Audison sounds like they could be a good choice, though I can't really find any online, and what I do find is the higher-end VRx's which are priced in the four digits. Which is really not the path I'm looking to go.

 

Are Alpine amps any good? The MRV series?

 

MRV's are good lower cost amps. There is such a wide range of amps out there. From less than $100 to well over $1k. A lot depends on your budget and how much power you need and what you will be powering.

 

Well, I've been looking at some of the DLS speakers, namely the UP6 as per a few good recommendations here on AZ, though I'm still not sure as I have never listened to a set. I've also considered the Infinity line of components, which are a little less expensive than the DLS. I've also been looking for a good replacement for the rear 6x9s, but really haven't seen anything but 2 or 3-way replacement speakers, and I'd rather just get a set of 6x9 woofers which will only handle the mid-bass frequencies. I have a basslink in the trunk, which I plan to keep. I need an amp which is powerful enough to power a mid-range priced set of components, and possibly in the future to also power a set of 6x9 woofers. I'm not looking to spend a great deal of money, meaning not over $250, but still have a good amp that'll last and provide clean power. As for a set of speakers I'd also like to spend less than $250 on the pair, and any suggestions for a set of 6x9s would be great!

 

The infinity kappas, phoenix gold RSDs, MB Quartz QSD's, and pioneer revs components will probably be the best bang for the buck components in your situation.
(I may be reading it wrong, a bit confused, but I'm seeing that you have 250$ to spend on both components and rear 6x9's? If its 250 for just components, it'd be a huge upgrade, look into the Focals or Rainbow's)

just throwing out some suggestions out there

 

below is the setup i am running and am extremely pleased with it. it's loud as hell, crystal clear,

Alpine CDA-9887 Headunit
Alpine Type X front components
Alpine TYpe S rear speakers
Alpine PDX 4.100 amp for front/rear speakers
Alpine PDX 1.1000 for subwoofer
Single 12 inch Alpine Type X subwoofer - custom fabricated sealed box

 

^ something tells me you like Alpine :p

Ive heard great things about Focals (excuse the pun). Shame there are so many fakes on eBay..
As long as you go for a decent brand that are dedicated to car audio (unlike Sony and Pioneer) and spend a reasonable amount , you should be fine.

In my experience the European and American brands are the best performers, all the Japanese stuff Ive had were no good. (Alpine is the exception)

 

NAH i hate alpine! LOL i've heard alot of great things about Rainbow components & the Pioneers mentioned above

 

Absolute best amps (expensive): Focal, Brax, Helix, Mcintosh, Zapco
Good amps: Infinity, Hifonics, Eclipse, JL, Audison
Not-so good amps: Alpine, Boss, Kenwood, Phoenix Gold, Sony

Everyone thinks Phoenix Gold is still great, but they sold out and have gone down a lot in quality since then.

 

Too much room for debate. No one will debate the best amps choice but, there are others that can be added to that list. Arc Audio, DLS, Genesis, and Audison are all top notch amps. Below those are a ton of amps. The only amp I would put in "not-so good" is Boss. Alpine, Kenwood, Phoenix Gold and Sony all make good amps. Installed properly, they do their job. Install, setup and tuning play a huge part in how the amp performs.

 

how do you figure Alpines new PDX line of amps are not so good or any of their amps for that matter?

 

So you need a 4 channel amp for $250? That's going to be tough and get a quality amp. I would maybe consider used on ebay or some of the car audio forums. To power comps with enough power you need at least 75 watts to do a good set justice and more power is better.

 

I wasn't saying i know everything about amps etc.. i know there are plenty of other good amps out there, i was just comparing the amps i've heard. And yeah the amps in my not-so-good list are decent, almost any amp is, but there are better choices out there.


Never heard the PDX, but that's way out of his price range anyway. The alpine amps would be fine except for the price.. i've heard profile amps and other cheap amps outdo them (running through the same speakers). You're basically just buying the name.

----

But anyway, unless youre going for some kind of SQ competition, almost any amp will be fine.. i just get a little crazy about car audio sometimes.

 

Yeah, looking to spend at the most $250 on an amp. I'm fine with purchasing used, though if I do, I want something that's going to last and not blow up on me in a few months. Although, I'm not looking to get something that's going to be loud, I'm looking for something that's going to sound excellent at a decent volume. I'm not into this bass thumping which can be heard for blocks. I may be only looking for a 2-channel amp, as I haven't been able to find a set of 6x9 woofers, only 2-3ways...and if I get a good set of components up front, they might produce enough mid-bass for the kind of music I listen too.

More than likely I'm looking for front components for under $250. If I can find some good 6x9 woofers for the rear, I'd be interested and might spend a little more for them. Anyone have any suggestions for 6x9 woofers?

 

You can easily find a used JL 300/4 for 200-250. i don't know if you have a TSX or not which needs a balanced differential inputs, which the JL offers. It's a great amp and underrated.

 

Ok, so I'm wondering, should I worry about running a set of components rated at 150watt rms off of a 100watt rms amp? Or should I be looking for both rms's to be equal?

 

You will be fine with 100 watts. You could even run 200 watts if you set it up correctly.

 

The speakers RMS should always be above the Amp's RMS rating (unless you turn the Amps' gain down to limit the output, like AcuraX2 said). Otherwise you can damage the speakers (or even the Amp).

150w running on 100w should be fine. The 150w speaker rating is just the maximum rating.

 

How do you put JL , Audison and Eclipse on the same level as Harmons bottom line Infinity amps and Hifonics.

If this was my Fantasy amp league this is what my team would look like

Absolute best amps (expensive): Focal, Brax, Helix, Mcintosh, Zapco,JL (slash)
Good amps: Alpine Audison, Eclipse, Fosgate Power.
Not-so good amps: Hifonics, Boss, Kenwood, Phoenix Gold, Sony

 

Hey now, there is a slight problem with your list. Audison belongs at the top. As a proud new owner, (and former user of Arc, Zapco, JL, and many others), I can say my LRx6.9 is right up there with the best.

If you want to get picky, I really think you have to break it down by model lines as well. Everything Brax makes is great but, Helix and Zapco have lower lines that are not on par with the likes of Brax, Mcintosh, Zapco C2K, Audison VR line.


Here is my short list:

Best Quality: Brax, Zapco C2K, Arc SE, Audison VRx, Mcintosh

Notch Below that: Zapco Reference, Arc Foose or XXK, Audison LRx, Genesis Profile, JL Slash, DLS Ultimate, several others.

Good amps: There are tons

Bad amps: There are tons

Like I said in an earlier post, there is so much room for debate. Ask this question on any forum and you will get 50 different answers. There are still other amps considered cream of the crop that I did not mention. Stick with good name brands and a quality install and you really can not go wrong.

 

Man, some really helpful suggestions here! I made a purchase on a 2-channel amp, but I'm not sure it's the one I'll be using in my CL for the long run, but I think it'll do for now running a set of components up front. It's a Nakamichi PA-2100 2x100rms, and I'm almost set to purchase a set of DLS UP6's. Wish I could afford something more, but I know it's going to sound much better than the OEM setup as is. Now the hard part comes, mounting the amp in a good location in the trunk.

 

I have tried out many different brands of audio equipment over the years and I have to tell you that once I tried JL audio I will buy nothing else.
This is just my opionion.
If you decide to go with JL and need help i am pretty familair with their products i could help you out if you want.

Good Luck