I figured I'd post here to get some insight on exactly how car sound systems are measured and sized for each component. I specifically want to ask about, and focuson, amplifiers for this thread.
About a month ago (or so) my MTX 300xd amplifier (have had it forever) stopped working. The red light came on (when it's supposed to be green). Checked the fuses and found both were blown (under the hood and on the amp) and the fuse area was melted. I assumed it was because I always run it loud for long periods of time and it just caught up with the amp after many years. So I took it apart, cleaned it up and put it back in just to see what happened. Well, it ran fine for a month and it just stopped again yesterday. I checked everything out and I've come to the conclusion that it's just ancient and fried after a lot of abuse.
Here's my situation in purchasing a new one:
1.) I don't have a capacitor, nor did I ever need one, and I want to keep it that way
2.) I'd like to purchase another MTX because this one literally lasted me over 5 years or even longer (can't remember) or a Pioneer to match my subwoofer and head unit.
3.) Need another Mono amplifier with similar ratings (single subwoofer)
Dilemma:
I don't really understand the comparisons of Wattages/Ohms when it comes to different outputs (primary/secondary and specific Ohm outputs). Also, overall voltage in comparison to the other ratings.
Here's an example:
This is the amp I have:
Car Audio Amplifiers - X Thunder 300XD | MTX Audio
Here's a random amp I was looking at:
Coustic 325W RMS Mono Block Amplifier
Reviewing the specs:
From what I can tell these seem to be close to each other:
At each Ohm rating, they're almost identical for watt output, but I don't understand why the newer (possible replacement) says 1000W. Is that just a total of all the possible voltages to make it seem amazing?
Then there's this one:
Car Audio Amplifier - MTX TH Series 350W RMS Mono Block TH350.1D
It's a 350W RMS, but the outputs are much lower than my current one at the different ohm levels.
Main questions:
1.) Why do the different wattages vary with each Ohm level inconsistently (like my links show)?
2.) Can those Ohm levels be set or what do they mean? (Why does it show the different wattages for each level? Is it just when it changes throughout a song or manually changeable?)
3.) Can any of these examples I've shown (or others around those output ranges) work just like, or very close to, the MTX Thunder 300xd of mine that just blew? (without needing a capacitor, etc.)
If you have any suggestions, concerns or input you're willing to share, please do. This is not just for me, but hopefully a good explanation for anyone else searching for something similar to this.
I appreciate the input everyone. The idea is to understand the basics of what's happening so I, and other members, know what these different ratings even mean so we can look into possible component compatibility. Also, the thread is here to get more up-to-date information (since there's not much on this site) and to get first person experience/opinions from members because you guys can describe it in layman's terms so the people who know very little about it, including me, can have a foundation to build from with car audio.
About a month ago (or so) my MTX 300xd amplifier (have had it forever) stopped working. The red light came on (when it's supposed to be green). Checked the fuses and found both were blown (under the hood and on the amp) and the fuse area was melted. I assumed it was because I always run it loud for long periods of time and it just caught up with the amp after many years. So I took it apart, cleaned it up and put it back in just to see what happened. Well, it ran fine for a month and it just stopped again yesterday. I checked everything out and I've come to the conclusion that it's just ancient and fried after a lot of abuse.
Here's my situation in purchasing a new one:
1.) I don't have a capacitor, nor did I ever need one, and I want to keep it that way
2.) I'd like to purchase another MTX because this one literally lasted me over 5 years or even longer (can't remember) or a Pioneer to match my subwoofer and head unit.
3.) Need another Mono amplifier with similar ratings (single subwoofer)
Dilemma:
I don't really understand the comparisons of Wattages/Ohms when it comes to different outputs (primary/secondary and specific Ohm outputs). Also, overall voltage in comparison to the other ratings.
Here's an example:
This is the amp I have:
Car Audio Amplifiers - X Thunder 300XD | MTX Audio
Here's a random amp I was looking at:
Coustic 325W RMS Mono Block Amplifier
Reviewing the specs:
From what I can tell these seem to be close to each other:
At each Ohm rating, they're almost identical for watt output, but I don't understand why the newer (possible replacement) says 1000W. Is that just a total of all the possible voltages to make it seem amazing?
Then there's this one:
Car Audio Amplifier - MTX TH Series 350W RMS Mono Block TH350.1D
It's a 350W RMS, but the outputs are much lower than my current one at the different ohm levels.
Main questions:
1.) Why do the different wattages vary with each Ohm level inconsistently (like my links show)?
2.) Can those Ohm levels be set or what do they mean? (Why does it show the different wattages for each level? Is it just when it changes throughout a song or manually changeable?)
3.) Can any of these examples I've shown (or others around those output ranges) work just like, or very close to, the MTX Thunder 300xd of mine that just blew? (without needing a capacitor, etc.)
If you have any suggestions, concerns or input you're willing to share, please do. This is not just for me, but hopefully a good explanation for anyone else searching for something similar to this.
I appreciate the input everyone. The idea is to understand the basics of what's happening so I, and other members, know what these different ratings even mean so we can look into possible component compatibility. Also, the thread is here to get more up-to-date information (since there's not much on this site) and to get first person experience/opinions from members because you guys can describe it in layman's terms so the people who know very little about it, including me, can have a foundation to build from with car audio.