Need some help here Swez, or anyone for that matter

I just got a Boston Competitor C110 Subbox. The quality on this little guy is amazing. I was wondering what amp i should use. Boston reccomends using up to 850 watts. I am a little pressed on cash right now and my friend said he would give me a bazooka el1500 600 w mono amp for way cheap. Is this a good amp? I haven't used bazooka amps before. If this is trash, what is a good alternative. Also i am running infinity kappas all around(4) and was wondering if i should get an amp to run them as well. Thanks

Replies (12)

Buickman94 on 03/31/2003 14:46:25
How much money do you have to spend, and how much is he asking for that amp?

Tuffgong on 03/31/2003 15:09:04
he is only asking like 40 bucks for it so it is way cheap.

Swez on 04/1/2003 18:48:36
See if he'll let you try it for a week, before you buy it. If you like it, great price! That Boston Comp sub, got a link or specs on that one?

Here's a link to that amp from Bazooka: http://www.sasbazooka.com/productAutoAmplifiersEL.asp?id=140

EL1500
Voltage 10.5-14.4
Channels 1
Sensitivity 450mv - 8v
Frequency Response 20Hz-20kHz
Fuse (4) 15A @ 60A
Crossover Low Pass ONLY
Protection Speaker, Ground, Thermal
Max Power Output 700
Power @ 4 OHM 385 x 1 RMS
Power @ 2 OHM 500 x 1 RMS
Power @ 1 OHM Not Recommended
Power @ .5 OHM Not Recomended
Signal To Noise Ratio 100 dB
Hi Input Level 1.0 - 10.0V
Battery Voltage Range 10.5VDC - 15.0VDC
Crossover Range 50-250Hz,sloped @ 12db/Oct
Bass EQ 12db @ 45Hz
Remote Control *Optional* (ELA-BCM)
RCA Input yes

Also, for interior amps.. the best deal I know on a quality 4 channel amp, is the USB-4065 or -4085 series. These are made by US Acoustics and you can review the specs and prices at Crutchfield or thezeb.com. You may find them cheaper at Ebay too.

Swez

Tuffgong on 04/1/2003 22:30:34
The link for the sub is
www.bostonacoustics.com/SeriesPage.asp?ID=37&SpecID=6
I am running infinity kappa 6 1/2 in the front and 5 1/4 in the rear, i have a nissan 300 zx so there isn't a lot of room. What would be a good amp for them. ALso i was thinking about getting an alpine v12 300watt amp for the sub. now would this power it well enough? or should i go for the higher watt bazooka?

Tuffgong on 04/2/2003 01:29:06
sorry the alpine amp is an ALPINE MRD-M300 600 WATT CLASS D AMP

Swez on 04/2/2003 08:48:49
OK, looked at that sub... nice package and a passive radiator too... not bad. This gives the size of a sealed enclosure and the performance of a ported box, w/o the added bulk. Very good!

That Alpine is rated at 300 RMS watts @ 2 ohms. Not bad for a good bump. Your sub seems to be able to take more power... if you are so inclined, the M-500 is a bit more expensive, but get 500 RMS @ 2 ohms here. These are pretty expensive for what you get power wise.

Have you looked at the JBL BP 600.1 Mono Class D amp? May not be as flashy looking, but >600 RMS @ 2 ohms and well under $300.00 off several web sites.

Have a look: http://www.justamps.com/ Has them on sale now for $219.00 each. An exceptional value for the performance.

Again, for interior speakers: "Also, for interior amps.. the best deal I know on a quality 4 channel amp, is the USB-4065 or -4085 series. These are made by US Acoustics and you can review the specs and prices at Crutchfield or thezeb.com. You may find them cheaper at Ebay too". Link: http://www.thezeb.com/caraudio/us_acoustics.html

Alpine makes a few nice 4 channels too, but more expensive and not the best value out there. If you want to match amp brands, consider the USX-800D. Also at zeb link page. Good features and well prices too.

FYI: If you go with larger amplifiers here, you may run into power management issues with this vehicle. Do you know what the Alternator output rating is for this Nissan? Also, what size battery do you have in there now? If less than ~750 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps), you may have some light dimming issues if your Alt is less than 110A output.

Swez

Tuffgong on 04/2/2003 13:27:50
ok heres what ive found on ebay. the jbl 600.1 going for $174.00 which appears to be a good deal from the other sites. ALso i found a JBL P80.4 POWER SERIES 4CH 360W AMP going for $145.00. How would this amp be for mt interior speakers? ALso on the alternator i am looking into the output. Would getting a capacitor help the problem?

Swez on 04/2/2003 19:11:18
That's a very good price on the JBL 600.1. The 80.4 is not as robust an amp as The US Acoustics. If memory serves me right, is ~40 watts RMS x 4 @ 4 ohms per channel on that 80.4.

Still better than a typical HU amps that nets 15-25 watts RMS, so way ahead even with 40 watts/ch. If you have high effiency speakers, 40 watts will go a long way. (that's about +2->4dB more SPL per channel than most HU's can provide)

About power draw... the 600.1 draws 57 amperes at full power and the 80.4 is probably at least 30A.... but if your alt is >110A... should do the job. If not, and you do get some dimming, can easily fix that with larger gage wiring ALT/BAT & BAT/GND. Cross that bridge when and if you get there and need a fix.

FYI: Forget the CAP idea.... they are a very poor option for chronic power shortages. A larger battery is often the best bet as it takes ~2,000,000 1 Farad caps to store the same amount of power an 800 CCA rated battery will provide. They (CAPS) make great paper weights. or audio jewlery... but just an expensive bandaid approach to a beefier power supply system. You can buy a great battery for about the same price as a decent Cap....

Swez

Tuffgong on 04/2/2003 21:51:29
Thanks alot swezz. Really helped me out. Well my plans changed a bit. On the speakers i opted for MB Quart 6.5 in the front and 4in for the rear, my car can only handle the 4s, unless i got out my skill saw. Anyway, i put them in and they sound great. They handle 120 watts each. I also came into a bit more money so i might be able to do some upgrading for my amps. Any suggestions? Also do you know where i can get an amp rack, or just specs so i can build one?

Swez on 04/3/2003 06:30:19
Most guys I know, make their own amp racks. Some as simple as a carpeted board installed in trunk or just mounting the amps under the seats or back/sides of the sub box.

In your case, having that passive radiator sub design, sides of sub box are an option... but if you get ripped off, everything is gone.

May I suggest that you get some physical dimension data on the amps you are planning to buy, then map out some possible locations. Consider your wire runs as well.

The amps mentioned earlier... 600.1 and 80.4, tend to run pretty cool under normal listening conditions. However, if the spot you choose has limited air flow, cooling fans might be something to consider as well.

www.soundomain.com has pics of some neat installs. Might want to hop over there and see what others have done and see if you can use some of those ideas???

Swez

Tuffgong on 04/4/2003 01:47:28
ok so i was thinking about mounting the amp to the side. first would it mess up the box by screwing into it? also the only decent amp i could find that would fit the dimensions of the box
(12-3/16"Wx12-3/16"Dx11-1/4"H) was an alpine mrp-m350 d class
(9-1/2" x 2-5/16" x 10-1/2"). is there any other amp you would reccomend that could fit on this box? or would this be fine until i get the funds and buy two good amps, one for my interior, and a decent rack for my car?

Swez on 04/4/2003 08:44:53
If the sub enclosure is carpeted, (seems like it is in the .pdf file) screwing the amp to the side should be fine, as long as balance (of the box) is not a major problem.

Can always remove the amp later and the carpet will generally hide the screw holes with a little rubbing of the weave. Just be sure to predrill your mounting screws with a small pilot hole and use small screws.... #6 x 1/2" should do it.

This amp should be adequate (350 RMS @2 ohms) for this system and when ready to add an interior amp, them get a rack system and go from there.

Looks like a nice match here... form, fit & function!

Swez