[Pavlo]

Hey guys, I’m trying to pick an amp for my set-up, and I have hit a wall as I do have a specific requirements for the amp, one of which is it must be small (stealth reasons).

This is my current set-up:
•2 x Focal 100KRS (RMS 50w, 4ohm)
•2 x 4" theloudest.com (RMS 90w, 4ohm)
•2 x SWS-8XI (RMS 150w, 2ohm)
•and a MS-8

So I need a amp to run the Focals and the SWS-8XI on four separate channels, the 4" loudest.com mids will be run from the MS-8 (I hope the MS-8 is powerful enough to run them). The other issues apart from matching RMS and ohms, is it needs to be no bigger than 8" wide x 10" long and 2.5" deep, as it’s all going under the trunk.

The only perfect amp I’ve found is the JL HD600/4 with R.I.P.S technology which is perfect as I won’t need to worry about battery voltages (as I have a European E87) and load impedance. This means I would receive the same power output at 4 ohms as at 1.5 ohms each time. But its pricey around £500 here in the uk.

The other choice which is both cheap, small and powerful is the VIBE LiteBox Stereo 4 which looks like it would be perfect:
4 ohms: 90 watts x 4 chan.
2 ohms: 125 watts x 4 chan.
But I wonder if the SWS8 maybe alil underpowered at 125w each.

Any recommendations or advise on another amp what to do would be much appreciated.

[cdgatti]

What about the JL XD400? Sligthly less sound quality than the HD600, but still very powerful and small, AND much cheaper. Assuming the mids you are talking about being powered off the ms-8 are the rears that will work fine.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by cdgatti

What about the JL XD400? Sligthly less sound quality than the HD600, but still very powerful and small, AND much cheaper. Assuming the mids you are talking about being powered off the ms-8 are the rears that will work fine.

x2

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...13&postcount=1

Use the XD400/4 for the Focal and the SWS, the MS-8 will take care of the rears nicely.

[AWBimmer]

Technic, off topic but amp related, my installer said he's gonna run my infinity reference 7541a amp to power the focal 2 way and the SWS's (4ohm).. 1 channel each for SWS and 1 channel each for Focals...

Does that make sense to you? I was planning to also run my sub woofer with the same amp later down the line but realise i could do with something a little smaller for when I have a proper enclosure etc etc.

He also said he'll keep the OE HU to power the rears..

I asked him about bridging and he said he DEF wouldn't recommend that as the sound output will not be to it's full potential.. what are your views and which amp would be best for running 2 way focal krs 100, SWSs' and 2x 10" Infinity Ref subs??

[Pavlo]

Originally Posted by cdgatti

What about the JL XD400? Sligthly less sound quality than the HD600, but still very powerful and small, AND much cheaper. Assuming the mids you are talking about being powered off the ms-8 are the rears that will work fine.

Originally Posted by Technic

x2

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...13&postcount=1

Use the XD400/4 for the Focal and the SWS, the MS-8 will take care of the rears nicely.

That was my original option. I wanted to go for the XD400, BUT... At only 90w per channel for the SWS8, I thought they would be seriously underpowered, as I really want to make use of their 150w RMS, but yes size and price wise they are perfect.

Yes - theloudest.com 4" will be for the rears, but again Im worried that at nearly 200w RMS for the pair, they would be underpowered if I run them from the MS-8. (Im really trying to make the rears work hard, as they normaly are useless)

Do you think this set-up with the XD400 would be underpowered?

[ctuna]

xd 600/6 two channels bridged?

[Pavlo]

Originally Posted by ctuna

xd 600/6 two channels bridged?

I thought about that but, my SWS8 are 2ohm, need them to be 4ohm or have a dual voice coil....

[sg92]

take a look at the Hertz Hdp4. lots of power in a small package.

[bmw325i]

Idk if it would be any cheaper but an Alpine Pdx f6 would work for you.

[TMR]

Look into the new ArcAudio Mini amps.

[Pavlo]

Originally Posted by bmw325i

Idk if it would be any cheaper but an Alpine Pdx f6 would work for you.

At that price I would go for the JL HD. But yee it would be quite good.

[Pavlo]

Originally Posted by TMR

Look into the new ArcAudio Mini amps.

Well the Vibe Lightbox offers the same performance and technology as the ARC just costs half the price.

Im really starting to stray towards the XD400/4, just dont know about the power tho, anyone had the XD400 powering SWS8...

[AWBimmer]

What's your budget OP?

[Pavlo]

Originally Posted by AWBimmer

What's your budget OP?

About £200/£250...

[kaigoss69]

Go with the Vibe.

[AWBimmer]

I just bought a JL Audio 360/4 - 360Watt 4 CH amp.. not sure if it floats your boat but day 1 and it's real light weight, looks sexy and man does it give some power £219 from www.caraudiosecurity.com

I'm not being biased but I don't know much about JL amps so have recommend what I bought and what works well.

[Pavlo]

Originally Posted by AWBimmer

I just bought a JL Audio 360/4 - 360Watt 4 CH amp.. not sure if it floats your boat but day 1 and it's real light weight, looks sexy and man does it give some power £219 from www.caraudiosecurity.com

I'm not being biased but I don't know much about JL amps so have recommend what I bought and what works well.

well the JX is not powerful, or small enough. soo not an option ... looks like it its between the XD400 or Vibe.. I would go with the XD400 is someone could confirm its powerful enough to run the SWS8 (2ohm).. Technic, you've installed a few XD400s can you confirm this!

[kaigoss69]

I ran the Earthquakes with 150W per side and I can't say that I was able to get them to bottom out or distort. The lower the frequency, the more power you will need, so if you're not planning on running these together with a trunk sub, I'd say get as much power as possible. Extra "headroom" is a good thing to have, so the amp does not run out of juice during demanding transient peaks.

The Vibe will not give you headroom in that sense, since the 125W per channel is still less than the speaker's rating. But it should be a good value in terms of getting the most watts for your money.

Another option would be the XD600/6. You can bridge 4 channels into 2 ohm, as long as you don't ask the amp to produce more than 200W per bridged channel. If you set the gains correctly, and you keep a close "ear" on the sound from the woofers when you have it cranked way up, you should never get into that territory anyway. At 200W per channel, the Earthquakes will likely distort badly, and/or bottom out. At the same time, the amp may go into protection and shut down, but I would not expect it to get damaged. Modern amps have a lot of safeguards built-in.

[Pavlo]

Originally Posted by kaigoss69

I ran the Earthquakes with 150W per side and I can't say that I was able to get them to bottom out or distort. The lower the frequency, the more power you will need, so if you're not planning on running these together with a trunk sub, I'd say get as much power as possible. Extra "headroom" is a good thing to have, so the amp does not run out of juice during demanding transient peaks.

The Vibe will not give you headroom in that sense, since the 125W per channel is still less than the speaker's rating. But it should be a good value in terms of getting the most watts for your money.

Another option would be the XD600/6. You can bridge 4 channels into 2 ohm, as long as you don't ask the amp to produce more than 200W per bridged channel. If you set the gains correctly, and you keep a close "ear" on the sound from the woofers when you have it cranked way up, you should never get into that territory anyway. At 200W per channel, the Earthquakes will likely distort badly, and/or bottom out. At the same time, the amp may go into protection and shut down, but I would not expect it to get damaged. Modern amps have a lot of safeguards built-in.

Exactly, Im not going to have a sub for the time being so really want to make these SWS8 work hard, hence yes def want to make use of there 150w.

The XD600 is to big to fit under my trunk... im now thinking maybe to just use the RF P300.2 for the SWS8 at 150w x2 (2ohm) and then just run the Focals and rears from the MS-8 but again not sure if the MS-8 can also handle the Focals and the Rears, so may now need the the RF for the SWS8s and the XD400 for the Front and Rears arggh.. but thats two amps and MS-8 i really dont have that space dont where it could all goo hmmmm...

[kaigoss69]

Originally Posted by Pavlo

Exactly, Im not going to have a sub for the time being so really want to make these SWS8 work hard, hence yes def want to make use of there 150w.

The XD600 is to big to fit under my trunk... im now thinking maybe to just use the RF P300.2 for the SWS8 at 150w x2 (2ohm) and then just run the Focals and rears from the MS-8 but again not sure if the MS-8 can also handle the Focals and the Rears, so may now need the the RF for the SWS8s and the XD400 for the Front and Rears arggh.. but thats two amps and MS-8 i really dont have that space dont where it could all goo hmmmm...

Really? I dry fit a HD600/4 and a HD900/5 under there. Keep in mind, mine is a 335 so I do NOT have that deep storage area on the right side. The HD and XD600/6 have very similar footprints, with the XD being a tiny bit smaller. Check again, you should be able to put that amp in there no problem.

[Pavlo]

Originally Posted by kaigoss69

Really? I dry fit a HD600/4 and a HD900/5 under there. Keep in mind, mine is a 335 so I do NOT have that deep storage area on the right side. The HD and XD600/6 have very similar footprints, with the XD being a tiny bit smaller. Check again, you should be able to put that amp in there no problem.

Sorry yes! u can, prob was looking at another amp, Anything under 11" should fit the HD600/4 would prob be the best out of all the options but its over $1000 here in the UK... If I could get it for about $400 I would get it in a heart beat..... But the Xd600 when bridged is 4ohm per channel and my sws8 are 2ohm soo cant really use it

[alpina527]

I have the XD400 driving a pair of SWS-8 4ohm in mine and there is more than enough power.

I located mine on the left side of the trunk where the CD changer normally sits