When to put the amp in, ..now or lateR? Options

[amory_Tarr]

Alright, i just bought an alpine 9805 head unit to replace the stock GT tape/radio player. Anyways, i will be adding some form of a RF Punch Amp in in the near future and was just wondering if me and my dad were to put the head in, would it make a differance in finding a used amp to put in now, or is that something that would not be made easier or more difficult if i didnt put it in when i put in the head? Also, how much wattage should i be looking at? for xmas im getting a front component set that'll be powered by the Fosgate(im thinking either the 45.2, 55.2 or 75.2?) and then use the Alpine to power the rear two. Thoughts, suggestions?

Thanks,
Amory

[runriot95]

First off, nice choice on the comps. I have the BA 5.4 Pros and they kick. Don't worry about the Ohm rating, they'll work fine.

I would suggest though that you get a more powerful amp for those speakers. As you noted, they can handle A LOT of power. Yes, you can power them with as little as 20 W but, if you're going to be cranking up your stereo, you'll be doing more harm than good to your speakers.

The analogy that I give is like driving a car. Say you drive your car at 80MPH everyday and you're looking at buying a new car. The max speed on one car is 90MPH and the max speed on another car is 150MPH. Both cars WILL DO 80MPH but the one that is capable of going much faster will do it with more ease and less strain on the vehicle. Consequently, going 80MPH in the first car will be rough and noisy while going 80 in the faster car will be smooth and quiet.
Obviously, this is a simplistic analogy as there are other variables in the ride of a car but the basic premise remains the same - something that is being pushed to it's maximum capability will not perform as well as something that is only running at half it's capability. There is also a point of diminishing returns. Meaning, that you don't want to buy something that has SO much more power than you'll ever use.

I hope I didn't muddy your plans on your system, I just wanted to give you some info to get the most out of your system. The more time you spend planning and deciding how you want your system, the less time and money you'll spend on replacing or upgrading components.