For a subwoofer amp what is most important.. Amps in question generally would be the memphis mojo (or similar) vs zapco 1100.1 / 6.0x. If i could afford the zapco 9.0x this wouldnt even be a question.
With the memphis mojo your looking at a class D rating 2200RMS at 14.4 @ 2ohm. SRN=90dB, input voltage up to 5v, 0.5THD, DAMP=unk, slew=unk, etc..
With the zapcos (1100.1 or 6.0x) your looking at a class AB rating 1100rms-1200rms at 2ohm. SRN=95/100, input voltage to 16v, 0.014/0.015THD, DAMP=250/1000, Slew=32v/40v, etc....
Sub is an RE X'X'X 12" ported at 2.1cf tuned to specs at 28hz (sQL setup). Ive spoken with there tech support and they ask me how much you going to power with and i say 1200rms and they consistanly tell me to power with 1600rms or more.
Whats your guys input on this regardless of brand names. Just look from a technical standpoint and listening level.
whats going to give me the most difference, cleaner less power or more raw power?
TraGedy, go with Zapco. That is your best choice hands down. Memphis is not in the same class as Zapco. Go to Zapco's website and read up on class D amps. They may sound good on paper, in reality, they get killed by class AB. Zapco's C2K 6.0 is the best amp in the series. Trust me, that amp will more than drive the RE sub. Orion 250 and 275 HCCA G4 will also work great. Unlike most cheap amp companies, when Zapco/Orion say 1000w, you really get 1000w of clean power. The others, you'd be lucky if you got half the rated power without distorting/clipping. If you love your RE sub, then DO NOT buy class D amps.
I know what you mean Isaac and i totally agree with you that the zapco is in a different class than the memphis.
That doesnt quite fully answer my first question that i stated previously. You did mention that the class AB would be much better than class D and that was somewhat what i was getting at. If this was about a zapco amp with 1000rms and a memphis amp at 1000rms there wouldnt even be this post. What i am asking is does the more power make a difference. Even if the memphis is over rated and it only supplies 1800rms or 2000rms thats still about 3/4 more power than the zapco. But does that make any difference? The zapco has the cleaner power and signal granted but is that really audible when it comes to subwoofer freq. I will most likely go with the zapco series on my components, but i am trying to decide on a decent 1200rms for the sub or pushing it with more.
TraGedy, if Memphis put out clean 1800w - 2000w rms, then yes it would make a difference. But since it's not a great brand and is a class D, any distortion/clipping at that high volume WILL blow your sub. As for being able to hear sound quality at low frequency, that is a definate yes. I tested Orion HCCA 275G4 amp against 1800W rms class D amp. Using same cd, I was able to get much smoother and tighter bass from G4 than class D amp. I personally would NEVER buy class D amp again. If you're into loud noise, then it's good enough, but for high quality sound, not worth the risk/money. The only class D amp that I would recommend is Zapco's C2K 9. Unlike most class d amps, this one is full range amp with wide bandwidth. Almost like class AB amp.
I have to ask, I've searched for this X'X'X' sub. Well you can only guess the kind of things you get with X'X'X' lol. But anyways, what is this X'X'X'sub? And how do I find it?
Hey tragedy I dont want ot sit here and pretty much post exactly what Isaac is saying but my post would look very similiar to hisas far as what amp to use and the difference being noticable between class d and A/b in subs the answer is YES. If you can do it go class A?B your subs will sound much more pure.
Ok so if we were to put up another amp against the zapco, lets say a class AB that pushes true 1800rms, 8v input, .5thd, damp 100-200, srn around 95 (i just made up the numbers) which would you prefer as a mono amp.
So were talking a 1200watt gain vs the higher inputs,damp,and lower thd.
And another thing is it true that once the sub reaches full excursion added more power wont really do anything?
Joe, you can drive any amp into clipping. The pros of class AB is that it has wider bandwidth, better SQ, and more versatile cause it can be used as sub amp, mid/high drivers. Class D is just for subs. It can't be used for any other purpose cause it distorts too much past around 300hz.
TraGedy, unless your fictional amp is as well made as Zapco, I'd still choose it. If you drive a sub past is full excursion point, you won't get any more SQ. In fact, it'll start to get worse.
