Audio Questions

[FormulaNERD]

ok, gonna be redoing all of the audio soon, and i need some help

i dont exactly understand how ohms and bi-amping works so bear with me.

first of all, i DO NOT have the monsoon system.

i'm trying to hook up a SOUNDSTREAM VGA800.5 (Van Gogh) at 2 ohms (100 x 4, 400 x 1 (sub))to

Xstream XSC.5
Xstream SST6.9
2 10" subs (havent decided yet)

first of all, i'm not lookin for HUGE bass, as i mostly listen to rock, and secondly, is this amp enough to power this do you think? i mean, 400W for 2 10's?

this amp is only gonna run about $270

would i be better with 2 different amps, and still keeping around the same price?

ok... so if this amp is fine for my application, how do i go about wiring these speaks for 2 ohms... is this possible? cause i need the 100 rms, not half that @ 4 ohms.

and when it comes to the SST6.9's what's all this biampable talk? i figure if i had the monsoon it would power the tweeter portion, and then an amp would power the actual 6X9, but i dont have monsoon... so how would this go?

[Screamin eagle]

with your speakers specifically, together they will be 3 ohms. If you wire them in parallel that is. Everyone gets confused with wattage. I run alot more wattage to my focal components than I do to my subs. I think I have about 100 rms to each of my kicker 10's. I have like almost enough power going to my components to burn them up.

I have never liked to use one amp for speakers and subs. The only one I have ever kind of liked is the memphis belle, but it's like 39 inches long or something.

When you use one amp, it has to have different power supplies. a class d power supply is good for subs but a class a or class ab is good for speakers. If that amp has different power supplies great.

actually both your sets of speakers are 3 ohm. Use the external crossover that came with them and when you wire it up you will get 3 ohms. Thats a pretty decent load as far as power goes. Not as much power as a 2 ohm but you could push a 4 ohm amp to that if you keep it cool.

If you run that amp, you could hook one speaker to each channel and get abour 75 rms, and both subs parallel for a 2 ohm load and get 200 rms to each sub. If you don't want to spend more money I would try using what you've got. I've never tried a van gogh but I have always loved soundstream.

Bi ampable just means that if you wanted to wire your midbass and tweeter seperately without the crossover you could. I don't know what the impedance for each would be. I'm guessing 6 ohms.

[Screamin eagle]

If you need help wiring it up, you can give me a call.

[jamcllw]

I use a 5 channel amp and it has 2 separate power supplies. It's the same as having a 500 watt 4 channel class A/B amp and a 600 watt class D amp all in one case. Much easier to install. I don't think I'll ever run 2 separate amps again as long as a 5 channel is readily availible.
I know it has nothing to do with your original question but I'm just defending 5 channel amps.

[FormulaNERD]

which amp are you running jam? sounds like a decent amount of power.

and screaming eagle thanks, i understand a little more now.

now i'm just waiting for mikegett and mike2002 to chime in

[jamcllw]

Directed 1100d5
It's a couple of years old and they have newer models out now but the Viper 1100.5 is the same amp with a different case. Ikesound.com has a couple of the refurbished for $185 which is a hell of a deal. They retailed 2 years ago around $700. I paid $300 used about 6 months ago with no problems whatso ever since I've had it. I'm running my Kappa 6.5" components, pioneer 6x9s and 2 JL W3V2's and it sounds damn nice.

[ImSoBored]

I got a Sony xplod 444x4 amp from wal-mart for $100

Runs my 2-12" just fine.

[mike2002]

ive got a vga800.5. its rated at 50x4 and 200x1 (or 400x1 @2ohms)

thing with it, i was told by the soundstream rep that its a vga320.4 in there, and the 4 channel section is actually 80x4. im running phoenix gold zr6.0 components up front and its only about half way up and they scream, the 4 channel section has plenty of power (right now im running line out convertors off the stock deck, so that cant be to high of a voltage, not sure, but a higher quality deck should make them louder)

which 6x9's are you running? you said xtream, but gave the model number for the tarantula's. tarantuala's are the more expensive (better) ones. they're actually a 3ohm system, so you'd get somthing like 100 watts rms out of your amp from them. 1 thing about them, soundstream just started using a new tweeter in there tarantula stuff. the old tweeter is kind of raspy, so they switched it. if your buying online, you wont get the new tweeter

no idea on those components though, never used them. what kind of car is this going in?

[FormulaNERD]

probably an 02 VW GTI...

i was just throwing figures out there, once i get the scheme for the best stuff, i'm gonna order it... (income tax return)

[mikegett]

I don't have much that I can contribute. Bi-amping is a realm that I haven't gone yet. By my understanding it refers to a multichannel amp with crossovers. Allowing you to power tweeters and mids. High end speakers like focal cater to this. The nice thing would be the ability to custom match speakers.
In order to help with the ohms, we will need to know what subs you have chosen. I do suggest that you try to find a local shop prior to buying them. It never hurts to listen to the options. The best would be to purchase the amp and take it directly to the shop. Ask them about scheduling a day to demo some subs with your amp. That will give you a better understanding of what to expect from it. If a shop hesitates, then find another.

[mike2002]

btw, the van gogh's amps are getting or already are discontinued

you will not find a better amp thats new for that price, hands down its the best deal out there, its a $900 amp for $270. ive never seen a amp where you can not only adjust the bass boost (0-+18) but what frequency that bass boost comes in at (30-100hz) tons of other cool things on it too

make sure you grab that amp right away, its got awesome SQ too....and balls to back it up,