what's a good wattage for an amplifier?

Question

i have a 06 nissan sentra and i'm thinking about putting a sound system in my car. i just want some clear and crisp sound with a thumping base, nothing to tear my car off of the frame though. I thought about putting a 1000w amp and two 12's in the back but i dont know if that would be too much for my car to handle. Do you guys have any suggestions?

Answer 1

for clean sound that's loud in the car but not heard well outside of the car, 10's are the best. they have less distortion, much faster response times, take up less space, and usually cost less than 12's. they do, however, require more power for the same SPL, and don't always have the low, low frequency response that 12's can achieve. 1000WRMS will get 10s running nice and loud. if you want clean, crisp bass and listen to a wide variety of music, then a small, sealed enclosure is recommended. if you want boomy, low sound then a ported enclosure is great, and they usually work better if you primaily listen to rap or hip-hop which typically don't require a very versitile sound. if you are only worried about what your car can handle, then don't worry too much. it can handle just about anything you can stand to listen to. you can install dyno-mat or some other acoustical stiffining material in your vehicle if it rattles too much. unless you are prepared to install a high-output alternator and some huge capacitor, most car's electrical systems cannot carry much more than 1500WRMS (all your amps added up) without flickering headlights or the amps shutting off on low-voltage protection.

Answer 2

aight first of all.. didnt u just say you dont want anything that will rip your car off its frame? ... a 1000watt amp and two 12's 'in the back' will take your car and throw it into the living room and bedroom of every house u pass on your way.. lol. if you want something that sounds great and has a nice bump to it, but not exactly like what those **stupid** techno/rap music blasters have.. and as a bonus is fairly cheap considering how much a 1000watt amp costs.. then do what i did. go out and buy 220 or 260watt Pioneer front speakers and then buy 260watt or 300watt Pioneer rear speakers. then what i did is buy a 220 watt dual radio to mount to the dash to replace the factory radio (if you want to redo your sound system then you haf-to replace the front radio or else you will still get static, much less but still there -- you dont hafta buy a dual radio, i just like how it folds down =] ). If thats not enuf.. then go buy a 300-500watt amp and install that. If you enjoy listening to some rap or techno now and then and you want to have a migrane by the time you get home then buy some 10" sub's and hook those bad boys up.

just remember.. if you only buy a 1000 watt amp and 2 12" subwoofers then your making a mistake.. you wont get the great music you expect.. good music dont get me wrong, but not your moneys worth. replace the whole nine and do it right, even if you dont get that rap/techno latenight, wake up every house you pass kind of bass, youll get that perfect clarity rock music and that nice bass. just dont assume with my suggested system you wont get good bass... old people and people walking their dogs always turn their heads with that "D*** KIDS!" look on their face. ill admit..its hard to see their face when my rear view mirror is bouncing up and down while bullet for my valentine and disturbed is blasting.
all sum'd up:
220w/260w fronts (PIONEERS!)
260w/300w backs (*preferably* same brand of speakers as the fronts)
220w++ dash radio (Duals are difficult to install and i dont suggest them unless you know what your doing, go for pioneers, jvc, sony or sum other top notch brand im forgetting)
or if you have the money, add on..
500w amp ..and
2 10" subwoofers for good luck =D

Hope that helps!

Answer 3

it all depends on the subs you plan to get and the wattage they can handle, for two 12's 1000 watts should be good... I have the 12' kickers and I only have a 500 watt alpine amp running them... The subs can handle a lot more than that (like I should get a 1000 watt amp) but with the 500 watt they still hit really really hard....

Answer 4

How the heck are you gonna get CLEAN CRISP SOUND from a cheap a@* radio name brand Dual. Alpine all the way. One 10" in a vented box 500 watt rms amp. Replace door speakers with Alpine.

Answer 5

make sure the subs can handle it and you wont know if your car can handle it until you try it. with that much power you will most likely have a rattle. but that can be easily solved with some dynamat or other types of padding in the problem area.