I'm looking to get a smallish sub, and don't know what impendance to go with. It will be either 2 or 4, the sub being a Kicker Solo-Baric (if that matters.)

Not sure if it matters really, since the amp has yet to be purchased, but I was wondering if there is any real difference? I am thinking that 2ohm will be the way to go to get the most power out fo the amp (also to cut cost)

Thanks for the help.

 

I usually figure out which amp I'm gonna run and base it off of the wattage and how much of it you want to use for the sub.

I'm not a pro at this so I'm unaware of any benefits of either ohm.

 

You have more choices, since you're going to be buying the sub and the amp at the same time. If the amp is just going to be driving your subwoofer, you may as well get a mono amplifier. Just make sure that if you get the 2-ohm subwoofer, that whatever amp you choose is stable into a 2-ohm mono load (not all of them are).

For a dedicated subwoofer amp, the best bang-for-the-buck would probably be one of the digital switching amplifiers. (You may see these called "Class D" or "Class T", although those are marketing terms, and not engineering terms like "Class A" or "Class AB".)

On a per-Watt basis, the digital switching amps tend to cost less, draw less current, and generate less heat. I don't think they're the best choice for full-range amps, sound-wise, but for a subwoofer, they're fine.

Scott

 

all things being the same (equal power into that load, same box design, etc), the higher impedance offers more control. This is due both to the woofer's design and the amplifiers 'overhead'. A low impedance is harder to drive, therefore there's more 'headroom' or dynamic ability with an 8ohm load than 4ohm. The same goes for 4ohm over 2ohm.

In my Subaru, I'm currently running a JL 500/1 class D sub amp for a 10W6V2 sub that's dual 4ohm voice coil (wired for mono or 2ohm). The amp is rated to put 500 watts into 2-8ohms and this is a 'matched' system from JL Audio...it's a Stealthbox meant for my car and the 500/1 is what they recommend. Running two 4ohm coils in parallel gets the efficiency of the 4ohm design, but with the max power out of a 2ohm load.

Hope this explanation makes sense. If not...let me know and I'll try again. Side note - I've got a spare 500/1 if anybody wants one....it's overkill for the projec I'm working on for the MCS (6.5" subs in the side panels).

 

I have to just step in here and throw my .2 cents in as I have been around car audio for a long time. You have many more factors than just impedence and amp power to look forward too. In fact, if you went with any single round 10" speaker (even single voice coile) in the right box, (preffer vented if going single voice coil) you will get a ton of volume.

As for the impedence goes, how is your amp throwing 500 watts in a 2ohm load and an 8ohm load? It physically can not have the same output thru-out the impedence range.

And there are draw backs like you said to a 2 ohm load, versus a 4 ohm load that you didnt mention. That is heat, lower impedence is going to make a lot more heat, and if you use a sealed box with this type of woofer, there is limited cooling. Vented means its going to cool the Voice Coil down a lot better.

Just helping out with what you said already.

I think the setup that you should get would be either a single Solo Baric 8" in as big a vented box as you can fit in there, but you lose low bass with small cone surface.
Other than that, go with either a vented round 10" or the biggest sealed 12" box you can get. Now, if you want a custom box, you can have a 12" vented box made, using like a Kicker Comp VR or such woofer, would rattle your head off in the car.

As for an amp, I LOVE Kenwood eXcellon amps, I would recommend one to anybody, you can finde them on the internet from lastyear and get like a 1000 watt mono amp for like 250, and trust me, they are killer power amps.

Just my two cents on this stuff.

 

sure it can if it's designed for that! JL 500/1. More info on the R.I.P.S dynamic optimizing circuitry is here. Basically, it monitors the impedance and adjusts to deliver rated power (500x1 into 1.5-4ohm for my amp...I was wrong about the 8ohm rating).

As for cooling the voice coil, that's purely an electrical function. Make it large enough and vent the pole piece and drive it with a proper, unclipped signal below max rated power and a sealed box is just fine. Also, most modern woofers use the basket as a heatsink, and that's exposed to the air outside the box, so some small cooling effect is seen from this as well. A vented box may circulate air, but the mechanical function of the woofer must be suitably beefed up as well since there's no sealed backwave to damp motion. There are pro's and con's to each design.

<---- used to work in the biz with some big name audio engineers and know my way around Ohm's law.

 

i did the Infinity BassLink and been very happy.

 

Here's a link to a neon grill kit. http://www.audiobahn.com/Audiobahn06/pages/grilles.html

My mini is hyper blue so, I exchanged the interior lights with blue ones and covered my subs with blue neon grills. Wheee!