KillerCom

So I bought new speakers last year and they sound great, but after I start to crank up the volume with the top down the bass starts to get distorted.. In this case what should I do? I have an Alpine cde-121 now but may be looking into another upgrade for a deck.. So my main question is, how do I get a clear sound when the volume is up pretty high? Obviously an amp, but which one is good for what I have and won't blow up my speakers?

Or should I go with this thing?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Alpine+-...&skuId=9442187

Speakers:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Kicker+-+KS+6%22+2-Way+Car+Speakers+with+Polypropylene+Cones+(Pair)/1671393.p?id=1218277759264&skuId=1671393#BVRRWidge tID

TPhong

If your speakers are distorting at higher volumes, amplifying them won't make it better. The speaker link ^ is no good, but I'd recommend you upgrading your stock speakers before amplifying. I would look into a good set of component speakers if you want sound quality.

oth

The usual cause of distortion is turning the volume up beyond what the
amplifier (internal to the headunit in this case) can deliver, so you
are likely right that adding an external amplifier will help.
That Alpine KTP-445 amp is popular and easy to install, but may not
be powerful enough depending on how loud you are trying to go.
That said, it could be worth trying due to the low cost and easy
installation.
Otherwise, there are truly an infinite number of amps that will work -
some things to think about are:
- do you want to to be hidden (if so, physically small is good)
- do you think you might add a subwoofer (a four-channel amp could
potentially power your door speakers and the sub)
You're unlikely to blow up your speakers no matter what amp you choose.

KillerCom

These are the speakers I have in the car now...

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_206KS60...avf=N&skipvs=T

KillerCom

Bump

Will

Wow, that is wrong on so many levels. You're a mod?? Anyway, as long as you haven't blown your speakers already, that Alpine mini-amp will be sufficient. The distortion is caused by the head-unit not being able to push as much power to the speakers as you are asking of it. The head unit is only pushing 18w RMS per channel, and the KTP-445 power pack will increase that number to 45w RMS. It's easy to install, but I believe a dedicated power cable will need to be run from the battery to your head unit (if it's not wired that way already).

Installing a larger traditional amp will also solve your problem, and allow for more options in the future (subwoofer, rear speakers, etc.). But that is always going to be more expensive and more labor intensive.

"A good set of component speakers" will still sound like $hit if they're not amplified.

EDIT: 1500 posts, hooray....

KillerCom

Thanks Will, just the information I was looking for. My car is currently all apart going though a full color change so I'm sure running new wires won't be very labor intensive lol.. But in the event of using an aftermarket amp, what do you prefer so I don't overpower these speakers? And also, if I go through with all of this will this sound good, or will I still be disappointed and be stuck looking to upgrade again?

starchland

Since most decks are capable of outputting 4 speaker channels, is it possible to double them for extra power, since the s2000 only utilizes 2 speakers? possible?

TPhong

No, it doesn't really work like that. Now you could add some speakers behind the seat and utilize the other 2 pair of speaker outputs.

cody08

I would start with getting a better speaker if you want a cleaner sound and more volume. Hertz/Audison is a favorite of mine. I would look at their energy line and their sr4 4 channel amp.