Is an amp going to make a difference?

whitewhale2010

whitewhale2010

New member
Alright, so I'm ordering an amp this weekend to hook up to my after-market speakers and just wanted to know how noticeable the sound quality difference I am VERY picky when it comes to audio quality so I will definitely notice any improvement just wanna know if it's actually worth all the $$$ hahaha. Guess I'll find out regardless though lol

And also, what's the easiest way to wire the speakers to an amp mounted under the passenger seat in a 4th gen 4runner? Any help is appriciated!!!

And for anyone curious about the amp I'm ordering:
Rockford Fosgate Punch P400-4 4-channel car amplifier 50 watts RMS x 4 at Crutchfield Signature

And if you wanna know what speakers I have they're in my signature
 
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I think all you add there is 30W RMS.
Because at low to mid volume I doubt, the Rockfords amp sound quality would really be superb vs your Kenwood head unit's internal amp. And they are to drive door speakers....

IMO, just like you have a Samsung TV with built-in Blu-ray player, and you still want to buy an external Sony blu-ray player for the sake of picture quality - not worth the extra spending

I would save and add a little for a mid priced Sub and amp package. In that way I'll get the sound quality of the kenwood driving the door speakers and @ the same time loudness(when desired) of the external amp driving the Subwoofer(w/enclosure) and sure there is a difference, quality and loudness .

just my opinion.
Edit : Always consider stereo or quadro for external amp if you want class
 
borgzman said:
I think all you add there is 30W RMS.
Because at low to mid volume I doubt, the Rockfords amp sound quality would really be superb vs your Kenwood head unit's internal amp. And they are to drive door speakers....

IMO, just like you have a Samsung TV with built-in Blu-ray player, and you still want to buy an external Sony blu-ray player for the sake of picture quality - not worth the extra spending

I would save and add a little for a mid priced Sub and amp package. In that way I'll get the sound quality of the kenwood driving the door speakers and @ the same time loudness(when desired) of the external amp driving the Subwoofer(w/enclosure) and sure there is a difference, quality and loudness .

just my opinion.
Edit : Always consider stereo or quadro for external amp if you want class
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Hmmm..... Guess I'll just see who it turns out when it gets here lol, as long as there's some increase in quality I'll be happy. And just to let you know, a pair of subs is totally going to be my next addition, I love me some bass lol :fro:


Clemsonfan15 said:
I think the difference will be noticeable. Any reason you went with that amp?

I like this amp and it's in the same price range: Alpine MRX-F30 4-channel car amplifier — 50 watts RMS x 4 - Features & Specs at Crutchfield.com

Those speakers can handle twice the amount of power that that amp can put out. 50 watts per speaker is pretty good though. Unless you like really loud music you shouldn't need any more power.
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I decided to go with this one b/c it had awesome reviews, it's priced well, and I know RF is a good brand. Something nice and simple too, I don't want anything too big and fancy, just something that will sound good even at higher volumes lol

Also, multiple tests have shown the RF's amp output to be more around the range of 72 watts per channel so there's some extra bang right there hahaha.
 
Off topic:
LOL!
Is your HD tuner really sounds nice compare to ordinary FM tuners ?
I'm planning to upgrade my headunit. Thanks

yeah..go ahead buy that rockford:cool:
 
borgzman said:
Off topic:
LOL!
Is your HD tuner really sounds nice compare to ordinary FM tuners ?
I'm planning to upgrade my headunit. Thanks

yeah..go ahead buy that rockford:cool:
Click to expand...

Hell yeah I'm gonna buy it! I'll try and post some picks once everything is installed and done with, might be a week or two though

YES it does. The difference in sound quality is VERY noticeable and with the HD you get new stations, plus HD versions of the stations you love already! It's like listening to a CD, so much better then a stock radio lol. The only problem with this unit is that the reception isn't as good as others. I can only see that being a real problem if you live in a rural community far away from the broadcasts though. I live smack dab in the middle of Houston TX so picking up stations isn't ever a problem for me. Also, if you plan to upgrade to an HD unit, I would check to see how many HD stations you have around you if any to see if it's worth the upgrade. Even if you don't have any HD stations near you this is a great little head unit
 
back to topic...
oh, that rockford is bridgeable...2 CH @ 4ohms = 200W

all you need is sub later :cheers:
 
I have a 15 inch sub in mine with a 2000 watt kenwood amp :o blows my mind
It was a fun little experiment lol
I'm probably not going to keep it since the last time I went off roading the wires came unplugged, sparked, and shorted something behind my deck so now I have to pull that apart >:o haha but yeah
 
Mickman91runner said:
I have a 15 inch sub in mine with a 2000 watt kenwood amp :o blows my mind
It was a fun little experiment lol
I'm probably not going to keep it since the last time I went off roading the wires came unplugged, sparked, and shorted something behind my deck so now I have to pull that apart >:o haha but yeah
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What sub were you pushing 2000 watts to?
 
RF amps as long as I can remember have been under-rated as far as their advertised RMS numbers.

I think it'll make a noticable difference. I just took out the OEM JBL Synthesis nav HU and installed a Kenwood DDX-616 and noticed a huge difference in just that swap (more power and more options for adjustment). When you add an amp, especially with already having the upgraded speakers, you'll see quite a difference.

Every time you double the amount of power (ex. 30 watts to 60 watts), you gain 3 decibles of sound level. As for quality, aftermarket speakers will like having more power vs. having just enough power and they will perform/sound better as a result.

On a side note...nice choice for door speakers. I have been a fan of Polk for a while. I'm planning on installing MM6501 components in the front doors and I have a set of the 6.5" DB coaxials for the rear doors. Also going to install a MM840 DVC 8" sub. The plan is to power it all with the Alpine PDX-5.
 
Offroader5 said:
RF amps as long as I can remember have been under-rated as far as their advertised RMS numbers.

I think it'll make a noticable difference. I just took out the OEM JBL Synthesis nav HU and installed a Kenwood DDX-616 and noticed a huge difference in just that swap (more power and more options for adjustment). When you add an amp, especially with already having the upgraded speakers, you'll see quite a difference.

Every time you double the amount of power (ex. 30 watts to 60 watts), you gain 3 decibles of sound level. As for quality, aftermarket speakers will like having more power vs. having just enough power and they will perform/sound better as a result.

On a side note...nice choice for door speakers. I have been a fan of Polk for a while. I'm planning on installing MM6501 components in the front doors and I have a set of the 6.5" DB coaxials for the rear doors. Also going to install a MM840 DVC 8" sub. The plan is to power it all with the Alpine PDX-5.
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Yeah, I've taken a ride with some friends that have RF amps and they sound pretty awesome. I'm looking forward to the improved quality and more options, I like messing with all the EQ settings and stuff to make it sound just right hahaha

I love my Polk speakers, especially the components. They do a good job with any type of music lol. I was amazed when I first listened to them compared to the stock 4runner speakers

I haven't done a lot of research on subs yet b/c I won't be able to afford them for a couple months, but for now I have my eyes on this: Rockford Fosgate R250-2x10 Prime Series powered sub — sealed enclosure with 250-watt amp and two 10" subs at Crutchfield.com

Looks nice to me, but like I said, I don't really know much about subs so I'll definitely be doing some more research before I buy anything lol
 
whitewhale2010 said:
I haven't done a lot of research on subs yet b/c I won't be able to afford them for a couple months, but for now I have my eyes on this: Rockford Fosgate R250-2x10 Prime Series powered sub — sealed enclosure with 250-watt amp and two 10" subs at Crutchfield.com

Looks nice to me, but like I said, I don't really know much about subs so I'll definitely be doing some more research before I buy anything lol
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I may not be the best person to recommend whether a pre-built enclosure is good or bad. I have never bought a pre-built. I have always bought the sub I wanted and built my own enclosures to fit my specific vehicle/size requirements and tuning frequency I'm after.

Not sure how much bass you're after...but two 10's is going to put out alot of sound. Also have to think about whether you're willing to give up the space in the rear for that box.

I assume your Runner didn't have the JBL system with OEM sub? If you'd rather not give up the floor space, you could always look for someone who wants to sell their OEM JBL sub enclosure. It fits into the passenger rear quarter behind the plastic trim all nice and stealth and holds an 8". Even an aftermarket vehicle specific enclosure for our Runner's (like the JL Stealth)...isn't as stealth as that OEM enclosure. You can get quite a bit of sound out of an 8" sub if you pick the right sub to fit that enclosure and feed just a bit of power to it.
 
Offroader5 said:
I may not be the best person to recommend whether a pre-built enclosure is good or bad. I have never bought a pre-built. I have always bought the sub I wanted and built my own enclosures to fit my specific vehicle/size requirements and tuning frequency I'm after.

Not sure how much bass you're after...but two 10's is going to put out alot of sound. Also have to think about whether you're willing to give up the space in the rear for that box.

I assume your Runner didn't have the JBL system with OEM sub? If you'd rather not give up the floor space, you could always look for someone who wants to sell their OEM JBL sub enclosure. It fits into the passenger rear quarter behind the plastic trim all nice and stealth and holds an 8". Even an aftermarket vehicle specific enclosure for our Runner's (like the JL Stealth)...isn't as stealth as that OEM enclosure. You can get quite a bit of sound out of an 8" sub if you pick the right sub to fit that enclosure and feed just a bit of power to it.
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That's actually a good idea, I might start looking around for an OEM enclosure. Like I said, I don't really know much about subs, I was just screwing around and thought those looked cool. One 8" would prob be the best way to go because I don't want deep, pounding, here it from 3 miles away bass, I just want to make sure I can clearly hear all those nice low bass notes lol. Also, not loosing and trunk space would be super awesome
 
whitewhale2010 said:
Oh, and you assumed right, I just don't have the JBL system, just the standard 6 speaker set up
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That may be one more thing you need to aquire then. What does your passenger rear quarter plastic cover look like? Does it have the big gaping hole/storage box? If that's the case, you may need to also find the rear quarter plastic that goes along with the sub enclosure option since the panel will then be flat with a preforated circle for the sub.

It may be a bit more trouble/research sourcing the sub enclosure and plastic trim panel that goes along with it and may end up a bit more $$ going that route....but IMO, it will be worth it to keep the floor space and the OEM look.
 
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Unless you can rob the equipment out of a salvaged 4runner, that isn't the route I'd take. It's a good system, but by the time you get done with it you could have had something much better. Without the JBL system stock, here's what I'd do. Chose the appropriate 10" or 12" sub (just run a single sub setup, 10" would probably do well) and amp. Build you box with one of these two designs.
1). Follow J.A.'s cargo box design, but seal it off (or a section of it) to house the sub. Details can be found here.
2). Build an actual drawer system. You can build it as tall/wide as you want. One the width of the floor between the wheel wells and about 6" tall would work well. You'd still have a full "floor", a sub" and also a drawer for storage. It wouldn't be in the way at all, and if done right you probably wouldn't notice a difference in cargo space. Here are the pics of what I'm talking about, you'd just want to seal off the back section for your sub. This method would be easier than the above as there's less wood work/angles to mess with.

If you're not good with tools, you could easily have someone that is build either of those for cheaper than what you could get OEM parts for. The 8" is great for what it is, but it's not a 10" or 12". I wouldn't go through that much trouble/cost for just the 8". I made the swap to the 8" and absolutely love it, but all I had to do was drop the sub in and add amp, already had the enclosure/panels. See link in my sig for my install.
 
The enclosure for a sub makes ALL the difference in a world, You can put a 12" sub in a box that's too small, and it will sound like garbage, or you can take an 8" sub and put it in an enclosure built for the sub, and it will sound a helluva lot better then then 12. I ALWAYS custom build my boxes, most of the way the sub will sound is from the enclosure it's in.

and referring to your original post, an amp on your speakers will make a huge difference over an internal amp in your Head unit. Maybe not at low volumes, but high volume is where it's going to shine.
 
subst4nce said:
and referring to your original post, an amp on your speakers will make a huge difference over an internal amp in your Head unit. Maybe not at low volumes, but high volume is where it's going to shine.
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I agree... The amp will be able to put out more power before it starts to distort. Also in an amp there is usually frequency cut off filters that can be dialed in. They also have high pass filters for tweeters and low pass for larger speakers or subs. These will help keep the speakers from distorting at higher volumes.

If you really want better Sound Quality you will need an EQ! This is where you will really notice a difference.
 
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