Is This Amp Right For My Subs??

Question

I have a 2003 BMW 325i with 2 12" Alpine Type R SWR-1242D subwoofers and 2 Kenwood KAC-8103D 1000 watt amps sitting in a ported enclosure with a Dual XD7600 head unit. I am very aware that my amplifiers are underpowering my subwoofers. I just purchased a Kicker ZX450.2 amplifier. I have read amazing reviews about this amp and am planning on running just this amp to my subs and getting rid of the 2 Kenwoods in hopes of purchasing an even larger amp later. My first question is with this new amp, will I be able to feel the difference or would it be smarter to at least add 1 of my Kenwood amps to the mix? My next question is what is the best way to setup my amp to my subs? I need to know what would be the the best setup to get the most out of my system? What gauge wire is required and is this negotiable or does it absolutely require that size gauged wire to function properly? Anything would help but I would appreciate serious answers. Thanks

Answer 1

hey that is a good amp but to be honest the most you can get out of that amp safely is 450 watts....2 type rs can safely handle 1000 watts rms continuously...but it will work and should sound pretty d**n decent with enough power for any normal person....those are dual 4 ohm subs right?

http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/rftech/wo...

1. wire the 2 subs just like it shows in wiring option NUMBER 2 in the link above  (youll probly have to take them out of the box if theyre not wired this way already

2. that is a two channel amp but you want to bridge it for what will come out to be around 100% increase in power(double than that of amp being unbridged)

To bridge it....after youve wired both subs like i showed connect both positive leads to the left positive (L+) on the left set of terminals...and both negative leads from the subs to the right negative terminal (R-) ...i hope this isnt confusing....one negative terminal and one positive terminal will be left unused and thats one on each side not one whole side unused) its basically combinig both channels into one channel instead of splitting the subs up between 2 channels......

this is your best option because you need this for a 4 ohm load and if you dont bridge them you wont have much power i have two type rs and they are monsters when you give them enough power...........

8 guage wire would probably suffice but id strongly reccomend 4 guage power and ground with the ground being less than 18 inches.....

adding another amp other than an identical ZX450 is likely to cause problems and reduce sound quality.......

using this method will use about 50% of your available system power which is pretty good and you dont have to worry much about blowing them....if you get another amp down the line youd do well to find one thats 1 ohm stable and wire those subs accordingly and if youre careful you can get the most out of your investment...good luck and let me know if i helped