Questionhey i have two L7 15in dual 4 ohm kickers in a ported box i don't think I'm going to be able to power both of them without going through a lot of money so i think i'm just going to have the one hooked up but i'm hearing conflicting opinions on what amp to get for it. i was looking at the zx1000.1 and the zx850.2 but i'm not sure which to choose or if i would be better off with a different amp all together. I was also wonder if it would sound better with just one hooked up or using the amp to power both even tho its half the power to each one.
AnswerHi Kris,
With a dual 4-ohm subwoofer like the L7, it can be tricky to find an amplifier that works well with a pair of subs. Most mono amps, including just about all Kicker amps, are designed to produce maximum power with a 2-ohm load, but you can only combine your subs for a 4-ohm or 1-ohm load.
However, there's really nothing wrong with using an under-powered amplifier to drive a subwoofer system. I'm sure you've heard that "under-powering blows subs", but the fact is, that's a myth. You could connect your subs to a 200-watt amplifier, and while you wouldn't be able to drive them to their maximum output level, they'd play at a reasonable listening level and you wouldn't risk damaging anything.
Another thing to consider: while the L7 carries a 1000-watt RMS power rating, Kicker recommends a maximum of 750 watts RMS when they're used in a ported box.
Generally, I think a mono amplifier is the right choice for a subwoofer system. However, you might want to consider separate amplifiers for each sub, instead of trying to drive both with one huge amp. You could buy a pair of ZX750.1 amplifiers, or even ZX500.1's, and they'd match up very well. If you wanted to take it one step at a time, you could buy one amp and use it to drive both subs (at a reduced output level) until you're ready to buy another one.
If your two subs share a box chamber, or even share a single port, then you don't have the option of driving a single sub; you'll need to connect them both. If they're in completely separate chambers with individual ports, however, then you might consider connecting only one sub, depending on the amp you pick. For example, if you buy a ZX750.1, you can connect it to a single sub and get 750 watts. However, if you connect it to both subs, you'll have to wire them for a combined 4-ohm load, and the amp won't produce much more than 400 watts. You can try it both ways, and see which sounds better to you--again, under-powering a subwoofer doesn't hurt a thing.
To sum up, I'd probably buy a ZX500.1 or ZX750.1 for now, with plans to add a second one later and connect one amp to each sub. I don't think a ZX1000.1 would be the right choice; it's too much power for a single sub, but would be limited to 500 watts RMS output if you used it for both subs. If you're certain you want to use a single amplifier for both subs, and the ZX2500.1 isn't an option, then the ZX850.2 is the one that will give each sub the most power. However, I think a pair of smaller mono amps is your best option.
Hope this helps!
Brian
