new subwoofer

[stdeath1101]

so today, a co-worker of mine sold me a 12" rockford fosgate sub for $30...

my question is what else do i need to make it compatible with my car stereo? i'm pretty sure i need a amplifier, but i'm not sure what to look for. someone help me.

 

[zammykoo]

as long as you have an aftermarket headunit with sub outputs then hook up is pretty easy, just get a wiring kit and look for tuts online

 

[JDMb18EFcivic]

well it all depends. what model sub is it? how many watts? how many ohms?

 

[JDMb18EFcivic]

all of these factors play a role when choosing the right amp and wiring kit for your sub! also, do you have an aftermarked deck with preamp outputs, and does your sub have a box with it?

 

[stdeath1101]

i'm pretty sure my head unit has sub outputs... that's what the red and white outputs are for in the back of my stereo right? anyways, here's the info on the sub...

Rockford Fosgate P1S412:
Size 12"
Impedance 4-Ohm
Power Handling 150 Watts RMS
300 Watts Max
Sensitivity 86 dB

...and yea, it has a box with it

 

[96sohccivic]

go get u a 200 to 300 watt mono amp and a wireing kit with at least a 4 gauge wire and a box and u should be set

 

[cujo613]

sine it is a 4 ohm woofer and you are only running one, you won't need a mono block,

A small pioneer or a sony will be able to get the job done.

If you are cheap a 10 gauge amp kit will be fine

You should be able to get an amp in the 150 watt range for about 75-100 anywhere

 

[96sohccivic]

sine it is a 4 ohm woofer and you are only running one, you won't need a mono block,

A small pioneer or a sony will be able to get the job done.

If you are cheap a 10 gauge amp kit will be fine

You should be able to get an amp in the 150 watt range for about 75-100 anywhere

a mono block will work the best and put the most power to one speaker and dont go cheap and get some punny 10 gauge wire dont go no smaller that a 4 gague do it the right way first dont get no cheap sony amp either get a better anme brand u will be happy once u get finished if u do everything right and dont go cheap

 

[Beelzebubba]

If you shop around you should be able to get a Profile California mono amp, sealed enclosure, and an amp wiring kit for less than $100.

 

[Silver Bullet]

wiring kits suck IMO i just go to a audio shop and get some wires and go to autozone for them RCA's

 

[cujo613]

a mono block will work the best and put the most power to one speaker and dont go cheap and get some punny 10 gauge wire dont go no smaller that a 4 gague do it the right way first dont get no cheap sony amp either get a better anme brand u will be happy once u get finished if u do everything right and dont go cheap

A mono block is designed to run rms power at 2 ohms

If he runs just the one sub that would be 4 ohm mono.

So he would be overpaying for power he would not be using unless he upgrades to a second 4 ohm sub.

And again if he is only going to be running the one sub 10 gauge wire would be fine to support the amperage draw of 150 watts

8 gauge would be fine for 300 if he pics up another sub and goes to a 300 watt mono

Running a cheap sony amp on a cheap sub will make no difference. Hell even the profile will work fine and technically thats a cheap amp as well.

And a mono block amp is just an amp that is already internally bridged and can usually be ran into lower impedances, it doesn't make them better

 

[96sohccivic]

A mono block is designed to run rms power at 2 ohms

If he runs just the one sub that would be 4 ohm mono.

So he would be overpaying for power he would not be using unless he upgrades to a second 4 ohm sub.

And again if he is only going to be running the one sub 10 gauge wire would be fine to support the amperage draw of 150 watts

8 gauge would be fine for 300 if he pics up another sub and goes to a 300 watt mono

Running a cheap sony amp on a cheap sub will make no difference. Hell even the profile will work fine and technically thats a cheap amp as well.

And a mono block amp is just an amp that is already internally bridged and can usually be ran into lower impedances, it doesn't make them better

150 watts aint s**t his sub is goin to be all kinds of distorted and a mono block works bad ass wilth just one speaker thats all i use and my system sounds better than 2 12"s and all i got is a ten inch alpine typr s and a jl audio 250/1 mono it sounds great......all im sayin is dont go buy some cheap amp that says it putts out 250 but it only pusses 150 just hit up best buy and tell um what u workin with and they will set u up

 

[Hue G Rection]

You forget that he bought his sub for $30. He obviously is going at least semi-cheap. Also, I've been professionally installing mobile electronics for 5 years, and i can tell you from experience and factual knowledge that 10g wire is good for 150-200W RMS. Trust me.

 

[stdeath1101]

okay, with my setup, what should i look for in a amp though? ex: how many watts etc

 

[jonathan2006]

this is what i got for my 2 10's and its an awesome amp i love it
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7652444&type=product&id=1134701297803

 

[stdeath1101]

so would an amp like that sound good with just one sub? i'm a little confused with all the mono type stuff and what all that means...

sorry i just have no knowledge of car electronics.

 

[jonathan2006]

so would an amp like that sound good with just one sub? i'm a little confused with all the mono type stuff and what all that means...

sorry i just have no knowledge of car electronics.

im not that good with it either. i had a friend go with me and then help me install it.

 

[cujo613]

a mono is designed to specifically run a sub, and run in lower impedances.

Seeing how you have a 4 ohm sub, a little 2 ch will do just fine.

So basically, you can run a 300 watt mono to push a 150 watt sub, but thats all you will really get out of it and you will be paying for a 300 watt amp. You will get 300 watts as soon as you buy another matching sub and hook it up because the impedance will drop to 2 ohm mono.

Like I said a little 2 ch running at 4 ohm mono will be just fine.

Mono by definition is one ch. So it doesn't matter if you bridge a 2 ch amp, it will end up mono

 

[stdeath1101]

a mono is designed to specifically run a sub, and run in lower impedances.

Seeing how you have a 4 ohm sub, a little 2 ch will do just fine.

So basically, you can run a 300 watt mono to push a 150 watt sub, but thats all you will really get out of it and you will be paying for a 300 watt amp. You will get 300 watts as soon as you buy another matching sub and hook it up because the impedance will drop to 2 ohm mono.

Like I said a little 2 ch running at 4 ohm mono will be just fine.

Mono by definition is one ch. So it doesn't matter if you bridge a 2 ch amp, it will end up mono

thanks for clarifying me on that^^^^

and everyone else, thanks for your help, i'll let you know how it turns out

 

[Beelzebubba]

I only recommended Profile California because it's cheap and somewhat durable.