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New member Username: Cassanova792Post Number: 1 Registered: Nov-04 | I just bought the 6 channel refrence amp from infinity and then realized that i only have 4 speakers (currently have the infinity kappa perfect 6.1). So can anyone explain to me the benefits of a 6 channel speaker. And is it better to get a 6 channel amp then buy a 2 channel amp for the subs or should i have went and bought a 4 channel amp for more power and a 2 channel for the subs. PLZ HELP! |
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New member Username: Cassanova792Post Number: 2 Registered: Nov-04 | i meant to say wut is the benefits of a 6 channel amp. |
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New member Username: OhiopilotPost Number: 5 Registered: Nov-04 | I wish Infinity made that amp in a higher power range, because I'd love to solve all my needs with one amp. The beauty of a 6-channel is that you can power all 4 main speakers (Left Front, Right Front, Left Rear, Right Rear) and ALSO power subs OR additional Front or Rear speakers. EXAMPLE: In my BMW Z4, I have a little JL Audio 3-way component set for the front, a 4" and a 6.5" rears. With a 6-channel, I can drive all 3 pairs with one amp. Now, if I want to run a sub here, I have to add another amp to drive the trunk subs, but the 6 channel let me drive all my main speakers with 1 amp instead of buying one amp for front channel and a second for rear (and a 3rd for sub). EXAMPLE2: In my Honda Civic Hybrid, I have a pair of Polk MOMO components in the front, a pair of 6X9's in the rear and STILL have another 2 channels to drive subs in the trunk. Usually, 4 channels have similar power and then the other 1 or 2 have higher power with a sub in mind. Like I said, I *wish* I could find a 6-channel with the power ratings I need for the Honda, but I'm stuck with running a seperate amp for the trunk subs. Hope that helps explain the useage. #1 key, though, is to try to meet (but not exceed) the RMS rating for each channel. Don't run 100W rms power to little 50W rms speakers...unless you enjoy changing fried speakers... |
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Silver Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 288 Registered: Nov-04 | I'll tell you one bad thing about multi-channel amps. Unless you buy a good amp, lot of them pick up noise from the other channel. I found that out the hard way. So if you really need 4+ channel amp, invest, don't settle for a cheap one. Any amp over 4 channel is not worth buying cause the power will be too low. Up to 4, you can get pretty strong watts, after that, it doesn't justify the money you spend vs stock power from HU. You'll get almost 5x the power with 4 channel amp plus one 2 channel amp. That is how I have mine configured. Audiobahn A4125HCT (up to 375W rms x 4) and 150W x 2 rms for the rear, 300W rms for the for front channel. You can't beat that combo, even with the best 6 channel amp you can find. |
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New member Username: OhiopilotPost Number: 9 Registered: Nov-04 | Different strokes for different folks. Personally, I deal in higher-end 2 seater vehicles (Z4, Boxster, and a TT). Space is a premium, and if you expand your horizons to include expensive, quality brands past the typical Best Buy fare, there are plenty of quality multichannel amps to choose from. However, there are still good ones to pick from in the more common retail lines. This JL audio amp would work well for non-competition setups that require more than 50W per channel (http://www.jlaudio.com/amps/5005.html.) Alpine and several others make good 50W*4-channel plus bass amps for, again, non-competition everyday "I play it loud but not enough to break windows" useage. I think poo-pooing on 5+ channel amps on a whole is a mistake because it ignores that every product has a perfect target/useage. The key to a professional installer isn't rigidly adhering to one setup philosophy and forcing it onto every installation. Quite the opposite. While some basic tenets of sound must be upheld, a true pro can be flexible and find the right tools for almost any install scenario that makes the customer happy AND is a positive reflection on the installer's talents. A key to that is being open to all the (quality) tools at your disposal rather than developing the natural tendancy for bias and exclusion. That also means weighing the acoustic quality of the cabin of the vehicle and knowing what is overkill quality that will be wasted/missed due to cabin factors (noises, space, etc, not much use decking out a road-noisy Miata with ultra-clear gear, but clean volume is a plus to overcome having the top down at 70mph) and customer's music selections (no too many thumping bass rifts in chamber orchestra music, but fidelity is paramount, especially in a silent-cabined sedan). In the miata, a minute amount of noise spillover isn't going to be heard or matter, but space is a premium. In a sedan where the main music is chamber/classical, you'd better come loaded for bear with big guns. Flexibility. Different strokes for different folks. |