hi all...

I am in current need of a new amplifier for my Alpine ZR subwoofer..
I have it running of a Alpine MRV- F305, by bridging 2 of the 4 channels, with gain set to max
there is no OOMph!!!, no kick in the back....pretty crap..
it use to run of a Kenwood KAC-823 bridged.. and sounded awesome, but have since sold the amp with the old car

so, time for a new amp, but on a budget....
my question is... has anyone had experience with this amp
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AA0452&form=CAT2&SUBCATID=1028#4
it's the Jaycar 2 channel AA0452...
i know it's a big jump from what i am using now, but will it give me the punch I am after?

any experience will be much appreciated...
thanks

Hey man im a manager at jaycar.

The response range are really good bang for your buck amps and quite a few people i know have used them with excellent results. Those arnt the best for SQ which makes them perfect for a sub amp!

I am guessing you are planning to bridge the channels?

yep... only 1 sub, so will run in bridged mode to get the most out of it..
i might use the alpine amp to run my front splits if I decide to go with the Response Amp

btw... I am only running 8 gauge wiring at the moment, will that be sufficient for such an amp and power rating?

Alright looked up the specs on that sub:

Power handling is 300RMS. If you bridge that amp on that sub will be over kill. Amp will provide 480RMS @ 4ohm. However set the gains sensibly and you won't have a problem :)

Was 60A worth of blade fuses from memory so i would not be running that on 8GA personally. Especially if you plan to use two amps in the future. 8GA is capable of 56A over a metre. Much less over a longer distance

Bugger... Sounds like i need to upgrade to 4gauge regardless..Can get that at jaycar too!!!
More power is better than not enough, and like you said, set the gains right and she'll be right..

Yeah to be honest mate i use 8GA for cables for subs from amps lol I can't really find much use for it other that as the voltage drop is way to high. Jaycar will have it no worries at all

That is true. Better to have more power and give the amp a bit of room to play. Doesn't stress components either. Just yeah be careful with gains :)

Heres a speaker wire size calculator for you....
http://www.bcae1.com/images/swfs/speakerwireselectorassistant.swf
As Jamie said mind the gains.... Start low... they match the RCA voltage of the Head unit to the Amp.
Start low..

If I get this amp and keep running my other speakers from the deck, it would not be all bass and no clarity?,

Also...since I will be changing to 4GA power and earthing cables, only have a 50a fuse in my inline fuse holder from the battery... Do I need to get a bigger fuse?.. If so, what size should keep me safe? Or would the fuse on the amp see me through?

Depends on how you set everything. Its upto you what frequencies you pass through the sub.

ALWAYS change the fuse at the front to equal the total of the fuses at the back. If that amp takes 60A of fuses and say your other amp takes 40A worth. Then change the front one to 100A

IMO swapping the fuse at the front to a big one isn't necessary - it just means that under normal load situations from the amp, it might blow the front fuse first. If the front fuse is worth < $5, I'd just replace it with a 75 or 100 when it blows - but this might never happen.

DEFINITELY keep a front fuse though - this is a requirement to prevent a fire - eg if some one accidentally shorts the power feed to earth, the fuse blows instead of welding the exposed wire to the body, melting the battery and causing a fire that engulfs the entire car.

IMO, the Jaycar amp is good - I'm running a single Rockford Fosgate 12" sub from an older 2x150 Jaycar amp. I think it's rated at 500W RMS and compared to my previous RF amp that was good for ~ 280W RMS, the music now sounds so much better! I'm sure it's the power and not my tuning skills, but I can't guarantee that :)

I'm using 8" wiring and haven't changed fuses. I don't know what size fuses I have, but I do know I've listened to it VERY loud a couple of times, my gains are just below halfway and I haven't popped anything or smelled any smoke yet. :)

IMO - jaycar amp for subs is a winner.

thanks Oggy.. just what I wanted to hear....
I dont blast the stereo at full vol, so your advise would probably suit quite nicely..
just got to find a nice price to buy it for now... std price is $169..
but i'm sure i can get that down.. somewhere :-)
thanks everyone else for their input

lol I know i could do it at $135 as an absolute minimum. Probably lower then though

would you mind if i pm'd you?

Yeah no worries at all :)