What Kind of amp should I be looking for?

Question

Peak power an RMS are confusing the @#$% out of me. (lol) I have 2 kenwood 12" subs that say they are 1200 watt subswith 50-400 watts RMS. They are 4 ohm. What kind of amp should I be looking for? I figure like an 800 watt amp, but Im afraid the amp will say its 800 watt but really be 400 watt. So then a 1600 watt amp?? Arrgg..... Im so new to this and I bet this is like a nobrainer.

Answer 1

throw out the peak watts out of your brain, they mean nothing, RMS watts is the actual working numbers of watts that will be produced.  looks like your subs are 400 watts RMS, get a 2 channel amp if you are going to use 2 subs, amp that puts out 400 watts RMS= perfect amp for those subs

Answer 2

also watch out for the proper ohm load between your speakers and your amp......dont just buy an amp because of the wattage be sure to check back to get the proper ohm load

Answer 3

These guys above are giving great advice. I'd like to add a note for your shopping:

Two subs with a 2 channel amp should work great so long as they have single voice coils.

What you do is look for an amp that puts out around 400 Watts RMS @ 2ohm - wiring your 2 - 4 ohm subs in parallel and bridged will reduce impedance to 2ohms and allow the amp to push out more watts to your subs.

Amps should indicate on their boxes they RMS Power @ 2 and 4ohms - if thats not indicated try to find the technical specifications for the amplifier online prior to purchasing. Also, make sure (if using a 2 channel amp) that it is bridgeable - which essential makes the amp mono instead of stereo - this isn't really a big deal because we (most humans) can't really notice stereo sound at such low frequencies in such a compact soundfield (your car)

this method will help you get the best bang for your buck...

Answer 4

Look for an amp that will match ur rms watts, not the max watts