So I picked up a new Polk db104DVC pretty cheap ($50, why not?)... but I'm thinking just putting into my OEM box with that power isn't going to cut it... hehe. I may or may not still use the OEM box, but I'm going to need an amp recommendation. Or a couple of suggestions maybe.

I'm looking for something inexpensive, but not cheap. I'll pay for quality if it's worth it, but I'm not made of money, you know?

This sub is rated at 270 rms and 540 peak and is dual 4 ohm voice coil.

I could probably find one in a few hours that would work, but I'm not really an ICE person, so I'd rather take some other recommendations first.

Price range... well, ideally I'd like to be under $100... but I'm already thinking that's just not going to be possible. I really don't know what amp prices are like. But something affordable. I don't need top of the line by any means.

BTW, any comments on the speaker itself? I had always had a good impression of Polk products and like I said, found this on clearance. Worst case it gets eBayed and I start with something else.

Thanks guys.

 

As an example only.. would something like this Sony get the job done?

And with the DVC... parallel or series? Seems like the above amp would match up well if wired in parallel - 2x250 @ 2 ohm?

Is my logic right about that? I get the concept of DVC, but I don't think I quite grasp the amp relationship... as in, 2 channel or 1 channel? Does it depend on how I wire it?

Please correct me where I'm wrong so I can really understand what I'm looking for.

 

Yes, if wired inparallel, you'll be able to run it at 2 ohms, wired in series @ 4ohms.

For something relatively cheap and decent quality, check out Kicker/Sony/Pioneer amps. Here is a special CC is having right now that doesn't seem to be a bad deal for what you are looking for

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Pione...oductDetail.do

 

That Sony amp isn't appropriate if your sub's DVCs are wired in parallel, because that would be a 2 Ohm load, and the amp is only spec'd to handle 4 Ohms when bridged.

If you want that amp, you could either wire the voice coils in series for an 8 Ohm load, where the amp would produce 400w bridged. You could also feed the amp a mono signal, not bridge it, and get 200w going to each of the sub's 4 Ohm voice coils.

It sounds like you're wanting either a mono (single channel implied) amp that supports 2 Ohm loads, or a stereo amp that will handle 2 Ohm loads bridged. Mono amps are popular for subs now, and you can use one if you'd like, but it's not necessary. The Sony you're asking about would perform just as well, the wiring would simply be different (as I described) than for a single-channel mono amp.

Since this is for a sub, you can go cheap without degrading your SQ much, it more important to have clean power on the mid-hi speakers. As for price, Not sure what your range is since you initially said $100, but then asked about the Sony at $180, but there are amps in that range which will get the job done. One way to save would be to get less power, and a single 10" with just 100w gets very loud in a tC's hatch.

 

WTF? His sub is 4 Ohm DVC. Parallel would be 2 Ohm, but series is 8 Ohms, NOT 4 as you stated. And no, he can't use that amp with the sub wired parallel, because it won't handle the 2 Ohm load when bridged to a single channel. It appears you didn't look to see that it's a 2 channel amp before replying, and/or you don't understand the load implications when bridging 2 channel amps, versus running them in stereo mode.

The Pioneer amp you linked to would be fine, he could parallel wire the sub and get 360W since it's spec'd to produce that at 2 Ohms. This would be slightly less power than the Sony amp (200x2 @ 4 Ohm or 400W bridged into 8 Ohms), but no one is going to hear a difference between 360 & 400w, and the Sony costs slightly more. Either amp would be a good match for the sub in question, but the sub wiring would be different for each.

 

Thenks for the input... both of you. I'm not buying right away but I'm trying to be able to figure out what I will need when I do go to buy something.

And I'll probably need an enclosure... but I might talk to the doc about that and see what he can do for me.

 

the kicker zx300.1 would fit that bill perfectly.

rated @ 300x1 @ 2ohms, which is great for that subwoofer (and all the new zx series amplifiers from kicker come underrated... it'll probably put out 330-340 watts)

here's how to wire it-


and here's a cheap place to get it-
http://search.ebay.com/search/search...0.1&category0=

an enclosure wouldn't be hard to make either... let alone expensive. Probably 2-3 hours of work depending on how slowly you work and like $40-$50 in supplies.

you'd need a box of 2" wood screws, a bottle of elmer's wood glue, a terminal cup, a tube of caulk sealant, some black carpet, spray adhesive for the carpet, and a piece of 3/4" MDF.

13"x13" front/rear panels, sides would be 11.5"x10.5", and the top/bottom would be 13"x10.5". Mark the center of one of the 13"x13" pieces, and make a circle with a diamter of 9 3/16'ths from that point, and cut it out. In the back panel, cut out a hole for the terminal cup. screw/glue everything together, run a bead of caulk along the edges to make sure everything is sealed up, carpet it, and voila, custom made box. (this is all assuming you have a drill/saw/jigsaw already or have access to them)

 

Thanks for the link! Seems like a good price too (at least so far from ones I've been browsing) - er... wait, those are refurbs on eBay, well, most of them. There are a couple new ones. Hmm.

I'm not sure about making the box though. I could probably have access to the tools somewhere but don't have them myself. So I might just get one elsewhere. I recall seeing an OEM looking box somewhere for a single 10"... but don't remember where. I'll probably look for something like that.

 

the guy that made those custom fiberglass side boxes no longer makes them

check car audio sites too... icix/caraudio.com/etcetcetc. kicker amps are always on there. you can probably find someone to make you a box while you're there too.

 

I don't think it was fiberglass though... it was pretty boxy like a regular mdf box. It might have been a one off, but I swear they were being sold somewhere. I'll have to look around.

I've been spending WAY too much money lately, so I have to watch myself for a few weeks...

 

you disappeared for a while there, and now your back and catching up hahaha

 

Ha, ya, it's not even that actually. I got in a little car part buying frenzy (not a real lot of stuff though)... and bought a bit more than my budget should allow. TRD exhaust is on the way. A fender panel and new shift **** from the doc. Front strut bar went on recently. New overlays. New cooling plate. And now a new sub.

I get bored and buy stuff.

It's kinda fun though.

 

*sigh*

i get bored, and all i can do is spend like a grand now. I've bought all the little mods already


ANYWAYS, yeah,

 

dont put that sub in the Bazooka sub box. it sounds terrible. I have the same sub . I put it in that box and it was sad

 

Good to know. Though if I reuse the box, I'm still going to have a separate amp for the power. There's no way that Bazooka would have enough power for it.

 

im useing an mtx 282.kinda old but it was from the 12.5volt rated days. puts out 300rms. rated at 180 =)

 

have you bench tested it?

 

benched from factory

 

*adds MTX to the list of companies that provide bench tests for their amplifiers*

 

pretty much any "good" brand should.

Ive had ... Planet audio,rf,mtx,PPi,kicker,a/d/s. DD

pretty much any brand that you know is not bs'ing will give you one