Audio advice - amp or powered sub?

"Chairman Kaga" (mike-mckinnon)
12/10/2015 at 12:27 • Filed to: None

Last year I replaced the stock head unit in my CRV with an Alpine 52-BTE. Not great, but good enough for me. I mostly listen to podcasts, audiobooks, and 90s lo-fi indie rock, so a true audiophile system wasn’t my priority.

I just installed a complete set of decent JBL components in the front and coaxials in the rear. They’re 5.25”, which is smaller than stock but soooo much crisper. The one thing the setup lacks is bass. As in, LACKS. There is none.

Alpine makes a nifty 45Wx4 amp that plugs right into the output from my HU, then into the stock wiring harness. No muss, no fuss. Great user reviews. It’s also perfectly rated for my speakers.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500KTP445A/A…

I get an under-the-seat powered 8” sub for just a few bucks more. It’s not high end, but based on the user reviews and recommendation from Crutchfield’s support, I think it’ll be fine. I’d just need to pull the sub-out from the HU and some juice from a spare in the fusebank (I have an LX, so there’s an unused 30amp fuse for the powered seat that I don’t have), easy peasy.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_777B8PTD/Sou…

I just don’t know which to get with the remainder of my X-Mas gift cards. I’ll likely get the other piece next spring, so it’s not an all or nothing proposition. I just want to get the piece that will make the greatest overall improvement to the quality of audio right now.

Advice?

DISCUSSION (7)

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > Chairman Kaga
12/10/2015 at 12:35

Depends what your definition of “bass” is. Amping your components will fill in the midbass ranges and make everything sound better in general, but nothing hits like a proper sub.

ceanderson920 > Chairman Kaga
12/10/2015 at 12:41

I would say get an amp, they make the entire system sound better. Also you can always turn them up or down depending on how you want your speakers to sound.

Chairman Kaga > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire
12/10/2015 at 12:44

I don’t need to rattle my teeth out, but I do want a fuller sound. I’m also a bassist and I do like to really hear the low end.

The CRV is notoriously boomy thanks to the interior design and hard surfaces and ist also generates a lot of road noise, so I’m thinking sub-range bass might actually have a better overall positive than pumping up the mid-bass (the speakers are only rated to 65hz). I’m not going to spend $500 to Dynomat the car either.

misfitmascots > Chairman Kaga
12/10/2015 at 12:59

Powered sub. An amp with those speakers will sound full, but they are still 5 1/4 speakers. Unless you’ve put sound deadening on your doors.

Chairman Kaga > misfitmascots
12/10/2015 at 13:19

Nah. The way the doors are constructed would require me to unskin them, unless I JUST Dynamatted the space directly behind the speaker. Aint worth the trouble!

Kofi > Chairman Kaga
12/10/2015 at 13:47

Powered sub brah

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > Chairman Kaga
12/10/2015 at 14:04

I’ve found amplified components are generally enough for my tastes now (even without sound deadening), but back when I was .. uhh .. less mature ... I thoroughly enjoyed my 12” powered sub. As did any nearby road travelers.