Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Audio Ideas Please

But is it a good idea to run high power through the factory amps?? Would it hurt them at all? I mean I know that the HU will boost up the power but 65 watts seems allot to throw into a amplified system.

You would want to bypass the factory amp.

About the Alpine internal amp, well...I believe they are above average, but if you were to find a 30w x 4 V12 amp, I'm quite sure it would not fit in the HU. Saying they use the same technology as the V12 amp is a pretty generic comparison. You could argue that a Jensen amp uses the same technology as the V12.

I doubt there are too many people who could tell the difference between 15 and 30 watts from a high quality amp.

Dave

Anyone saying that Alpine is junk obviously doesn't know much about car audio. Every thing I have ever read on car audio rates Alpine and Clarion at the top of the heap. Personal opinions aside, this is based on actual 'measured' sound reproduction! They may not have all the gee wiz features but if sound is what you want you cannot go wrong with either one!

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1999 SE V6 MTX / Borla Cat-Back(welded on w/clipped Cat) / Enkei RS6 wheels-Yokohama AVID H4 rubber / Clarion CD head unit / Clarion 6CD changer under passenger seat / 2 MTX 10" subs in sealed enclosure / 2 MTX Thunder amps (1 200x2, 1 100x4) / Cerwin Vega 5x7 plate 3ways / ASC Power Moonroof (like the controls better than factory) / Medium Steel Blue Metallic exterior-Moonlight Blue Cloth interior / Limo Tint rear 3 windows / 35% tint front doors / KKM True-Rev / Energy Suspension bushings-inserts (waiting to install) / 2000+ cupholder insert / TH Fix / Fog Light Fix / RS Shift knob(dealer freebie)

I hope I didn't come across like I think that alpine is junk. Alpine makes a fine product, at one time, they were far and away the best head units. Clarion and Eclipse probably passed them for a while in SQ. But Alpine could arguably be the best product currently.

I just don't think that any built in amp, regardless of brand, will not be as good as an equivalently powered external amp of similar quality.

Alpine's built in amp is probably better than the comptetition (pioneer, sony, etc). Still, I really don't think that 99% of the buying public, all else being equal, could tell the difference between a pioneer and alpine internal amp.

Go Alpine!! ;-)

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99 SVT
Sony ES CDX-C910
Sony Digital EQ/X-over
Sony Changer
McIntosh MC440M
Adire Audio Shiva
MB Quart/Vifa seperates

I have to agree on the internal amps. You just cannot squeeze a high-performance amp into a DIN sized HU and still have room for the radio and cd components! It's a simple matter of physics.

I didn't mean to jump on anyone, it's just that I get irritated when someone says there Pioneer HU is the best and that Alpine or Clarion suck. That is just not true. Facts are facts, and opinions are opinions but you can only change opinions. I'm sorry I'm ranting again!

The point is, if you want "gee-whiz" features get whatever you feel has the best ones, but if you want top quality sound reproduction then the previous statements have it covered!

Now I just want to get this strait, if I get an aftermarket Head Unit then I'm going to have to run speaker wire from the deck to the speakers?? Then I'm better off getting an outside amp if I have to go through all that crap. The reason I ask if it is needed is because all I did was hook up my buddies new deck to all of the factory wiring harness and it sounded great. I would rather not run speaker wire if I didn't have to.

Unless your going very high end on the speakers(mainly high-power) you shouldn't need to run speaker wire! The majority of 6x8 replacement speakers are designed for 40-45 watts RMS. The factory wiring is sufficient to handle this.

Sorry, forgot to mention that if you were to get a sub(or two, or three) then you would have to run speaker wire to that. Of course you would probably mount the amps in the trunk and the sub would be an easy run to make.

the alpine amp has a regulated mosfet power supply in it at least my cda7864 does

Ok everyone point and laugh at the retarded one!!! - :-0 I just thought that I would blow the stock amps by puting in a higher powered deck. That the extra juice would fry the amps thus, problem. I thought I would have to run the speakers right from the deck no stock wiring hence larger pain in the ass than I was looking for. Thanks for giving me a flashlight now if I could just figure out how to turn it on. LOL