im planning on getting either a Pioneer DEH-P7400MP or an Alpine 7893 head unit, and 2 JL Audio 10W3's. i have no idea on what amp i should get to power the subs. im going to keep the stock speakers on my integra for now, but i'll upgrade those later on (short on money right now). can you recommend a good amp for me to get to power the subs? also which head unit do you like better? thanks.

 

Both head units are excellent choices. It is really a matter of what kind of display you prefer. The Pioneer (in my opinion) is easier to use from the get-go and the controls are intuative. The Alpine is easy once learned but is more involved initially. Performace on either is first rate and both have great reliability. The Alpine offers the V-Drive 60W x 4 (max) amplifier in comparison to the 50W x 4 (max) of the Pioneer. One thing to note is the the Pioneer DEHP7400MP does NOT have a third set (sub control) of pre amp outputs. I would adivse getting the Premier version (DEHP740MP) which has the third set and double the warrenty.

The 10W3's can handle 250 watts RMS each. An ideal amplifier for the pair would be the JL 500/1. There are other less expensive options as well that would do a good job. What you are looking for is a good quality amp that puts out an RMS power of 500 watts. Disregard the MAX power claims as they are not indicative of what the amplifier really does. Don't be duped by cheap names that advertise extravagent claims. Stick to the major manufacturers and you'll be fine.

Stop by our site and see if there is anything you like. Feel free to give me a call if you have any questions or want more advice on a good amplifier.

Carl
AWE
(800) 831-5622
http://www.audio-warehouse.com

 

cheap amp for 2 10w3's jbl 600.1
good amp (but expensive) jl 500.1
i was told that the jl amp is VERY underrated and actually puts out close to 800 watts... :-\
but still fine with the w3's
also, not sure if u meant w3v2 or not, but if u can or have extra cash... try getting the w3v2's

as for headunits, i would go with the pioneer but thats just personal preference.

 

the most i've seen was from some audio mag review or something stating when they ran the 500/1 JL at a 2 ohm load *and some other funky technological crap i couldn't remember* they were able to get a max of 700 watts...which is not bad.
even at lower voltages the amp still puts out a lil over the 500 rms it claims.
i have the amp myself...first amp i ever owned...very user friendly...
and comparing it to other amps i have looked into/researched..my amp offers
alot of useful features.

 

Check into the Alpine 7894. It has a substantial amp and plays MP3's. The prospect of having 10 hrs on one disk is great. It's one model up from the 7893.
I'll admit, the 7893 looks pretty cool, though

 

mp3s are usefull, but if you are an audiophile and are trying to outfit your car with good sounding equipment, you wont ever listen to mp3s...