Hey AVIC'rs!! Soooo, since you guys are technology nerds like myself, I had a question regarding thoughts on a Subwoofer upgrade for my truck..Here goes breath>

 

I am currently running an older Alpine mono sub amplifier (MRP-M350) in my truck that powers a single 12" Sony Xplod Sub (Older "Red" Model) in a hatchback style Q-Logic Box (Small/Medium)..Current sub is rated @ 330W Max RMS..Even though it shows the big fat 1200W on the face..Nice Marketing Ploy!!

 

The Amplifier pushes out 200 Watts RMS Max on a single channel 4 Ohm connection...NOW!! If I run dual-subs in line @ 2 ohms, it pushes 350 Watts RMS... <--This is just for informational purposes..Link!!

 

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500MRPM350 ... i=0&tp=115

 

SOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo...I was thinking of upgrading my current Sub with the JL Audio 12W3V3-4

 

http://www.crutchfield.com/s_13612W3V34 ... ofer&ssi=0

 

This sub is rated @ 500 Watts Max RMS (Single Coil 4 ohm)...but has a min/max range from 100W-500W....So the question posed is this..

 

I really don't want to replace the amplifier itself for two main reasons...A) I don't want to go to the trouble or a secondary installation, as well as spend MORE money. Secondly, I am not a big advertiser when it comes to the sound in my truck. I like it loud and emotional, but I don't need doors to rattle or sound like a "Rave" coming from a mile away. I listen to mostly "Heavy Metal" 80's to Current..so it is not known for being the most notoriously bass heavy music around...Newer metal today is more bass heavy, and production quality has changed..so yeah!! I like the bass to sound rounded and thick!! Just not "Sub, sub, sub...Hip Hop/Rap-ish"

 

So given the information I have provided...BEFORE I invest...Do you guys think that I will sorely be underpowering this subwoofer with the Amplifier I currently have? I clearly understand that if I want to get the most out of it, you should push the sub with ample power to avoid distortion...But given JL's website information that 300 Watts RMS is "Optimal" for this sub....It kind of puts me at the low end spectrum of "Optimal", but on the higher end of "Satisfactory"...I just don't want to invest the $250 on the sub if it's just gonna sound like shit with the Amp I have....Any thoughts or suggestions here? Thanks..

 

Peace ~ HFoM

**UPDATE**

 

 

Well, in the interim while I eventually get some responses on this post, I decided to do this...I went ahead and purchased the Sub. The way I see it, I am probably not going to notice any significant sound degredation due to lack of power overall. However, I am expecting to see some improvement or difference in response and clarity over the older Xplod sub. Being that I really don't "Blast" my music at a volume that constitutes trunk rattling and rearview mirror skewing, I will be more or less looking for a much richer/tighter response overall, and not how hard/loud I can push the Sub.

 

As a backup, if I find that the current Alpine amplifier is creating issues with the Sub in terms of overall performance, I am gonna pickup the Alpine MRP-M500 which is rated @ 300 Watts RMS for a single channel 4 Ohm subwoofer connection. It runs for $199.00 at Crutchfiled, and is essentially the replacement for the MRP-M350 that I currently own. I guess I will just do process of ($) elimination here if the Sub doesn't reach it's potential for my application ...Thanks for any follow up thoughts!!

 

Amp Link:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500MRPM500 ... tml?tp=115

 

Peace ~ HFoM

Just a thought.... unsure of how much bass is the "right amount" for you. I would personally have to steer you away from that amp purchase though. Never been a fan of the alpine amps until the PDX line came out. I personally believe they kick JL's slash series amps butt. My point is for a few more bucks you could buy last year's PDX-1.600 from an authorized dealer and be happy. Regardless of the bass level desired I would buy the best amp in the price range. http://www.cartoys.com/products/product ... erralID=NA

 

I had it pushing a 12" Boston G5 and noticed the difference from the JL 500/1 I replaced it with. Now it is pushing a JL13tw5 and just wish that the G5 could comfortably fit in my new truck. My two pennies...

Werty...Thanks for the feedback

 

The sub came in and despite my worries, the amp is not causing any distorting...I realize that 200W is not the optimal power for that sub, but considering the type of music I listen to, I am not finding that I have "too little" bass overall. In fact, I almost feel like I have "too much": will explain later. I could immediately tell a huge difference in the performance and capability of this sub, so I am quite pleasantly pleased with the results so far. In fact, I need to really dial it in. I am not a car-audio "know-it-all" so I need to find someone to help me to get things right...(Gain, Amp EQ, etc,)...I mean, I can get it sounding like I want it to, but there is always a "right-way" to do things...I played with some of the HU settings and got the sub sounding better than at first.

 

One thing I did notice is that this sub is clearly shedding light on the quality or lack thereof of the sound of my door speakers. This is what I mean when I say I almost have "Too Much" bass. I have Infinity References (6.25 Front, 4.5 Rear), and they aren't powered by anything other than the amp in the AVIC (14Watts x 4)...However, the sub is kind of showing them up if you know what I mean. At this point, I am almost inclined to plan for a multi-channel amp down the road. Possibly a door speaker upgrade as well. I was doing some more reading, and I actually took an interest in the Alpine PDX-5.

 

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-k4VcStPPX7 ... PDX-5.html

 

I am going to take the weekend and really play around with trying to get the sub sounding a little more dialed in, and then go from there. I am a glutton!! Everytime I get involved in upgrading something, I start thinking small, and end up spending the farm!! LOL!! Thanks for the response!!

 

Peace ~ HFoM