QuestionI'm currently in Afghanistan putting together a sound system for when I get back. I have a '97 Yukon to work with. I recently purchased 3 Kicker 07C10-4 series 10" subs rated at 150RMS w/ 300 watt peaks but need to know an appropriate amp(s) that would match up with these to make them sound crisp without distortion when hitting lows. I don't necessarily need brands(helpful) but sizes more or less. Also, when I mount these would it be wise to have a sealed or ported enclosure? Obviously space is not an issue. Any help on these subjects would be greatly appreciated.
AnswerHi Bruce,
A triple-subwoofer system like yours can be tricky to match with an amplifier, because of the combined load impedance of the subs. You have three 4-ohm subwoofers. If you're combining them on a single amplifier, the only practical wiring method is a parallel wiring setup that will result in an impedance of 1.33 ohms.
You can connect as many subs as you wish to a mono amplifier, provided you remember two things: you can't go below the minimum impedance recommended for the amplifier, and the power produced by the amp will be evenly divided between all the subs. Your 1.33 ohm system will eliminate a lot of amplifier options, because most mono amplifiers are limited to a load impedance of 2 ohms or higher. You're going to need an amp that's stable with 1-ohm loads, and which produces a power output around 300-450 watts at that impedance. (When you look at amplifier power specs, you'll see that they'll typically produce different power outputs at different load impedances. The highest output will usually come with a 1-ohm load, if the amp is 1-ohm stable).
There aren't a huge number of mono amplifiers that are rated around 400 watts at 1 ohm, but there are a few. Some possibilities:
MB Quart RAB 1450
MB Quart DSC 500.1
Polk PA400.1
Memphis 16-PR1.500
Rockford Fosgate P500-1BD
Some of these are rated at 500 watts RMS at 1 ohm. This is probably the highest power rating you'd want to use with your subwoofer system. By the way, when looking at the amplifier specs, always ignore "peak" or "max" ratings and look only at the RMS power ratings.
As for the box design: The Kicker Comp is a pretty versatile subwoofer, and works well in a wide range of enclosures. If space is not an issue, I'd probably use a large sealed box--around 1.5 to 2.0 cubic feet for each sub. A ported box might give you more low-end "kick", but it also might produce some port noise or higher-frequency distortions that would be audible when the subs are in an SUV's cargo area, rather than in the trunk of a car. I think with three subs, you're likely to get as much bass as you want even without a ported box design; and you'll find it much easier to build a sealed box system. I'd recommend building the box so that each sub has its own sealed air space.
Hope this helps!
Brian
