looking for opinons/stories/fails on Audio

[r3vRob]

So today I've read through countless threads on amp bypass, running new wires, new amps, speakers, HU's, subs, etc. Currently I have a 1987 325is with a fader switch and premium audio, The wiring diagram as per the sticky did not match sooooo no bypass for me nor am i going to re wire the car. SOOO I've decided to run a new amp. Here is where I want YOUR opinion ----
Question 1 - who makes a quality 4 or 5 channel amp (Ive seen the jenson & the MB quart luke swears by, and not that they are bad just wanna see what else people have used)

Question 2 - Is there a thread of someone connecting STOCK wiring to an aftermarket amp ? (PRE 88')

Question 3 - I do plan on putting in a 10 or 12 inch sub fairly soon, would you suggest 1 or 2 amps? Meaning a 4 channel for the speakers and a mono for the sub or a 5 channel for all? I do have an old 2 channel lying around as well as a mono block that i could dedicate to a sub (this is why i ask this question).

Question 4 - For those who suggest two amps, what HU do you suggest that has more than one pre amp input?

and finally
Question 5 - Who has the best prices in the central NJ area on amps, installs, enclosure etc.

note I have read through threads but I just want to hear opinions to better narrow down my last decision before I spend a couple hundred $$
Thank you kindly

[bmwm42]

Im using an alpine cda 9847 head unit 3 preouts boss ce2500 5 channel amp alpine type r dvc 10 sub on luke box and premium speakers no complaints

[r3vRob]

Im using an alpine cda 9847 head unit 3 preouts boss ce2500 5 channel amp alpine type r dvc 10 sub on luke box and premium speakers no complaints

How long have you had the boss amp? I see them around but havent found any real reviews about them

[bmwm42]

A month or so no complaints

[StereoInstaller1]

Rob, let me see if I can offer a little illumination to help you with what you are going through right now.

First, the basic truth: All the crap out there is the same. Only the stickers have been changed to protect the profits.

Not that long ago, a customer was bragging about his "bad ass brand new $1400 DLS amps" that were "made in Denmark". I looked at the box and immediately said "bullshit, bud. This is Chinese, see how it says "PRODUCT of Denmark?" That means it is made wherever the fuck does it cheapest, on the same assembly line as all the other Chinese crap sold under a million different stickers.

So, we laid his $800 1200 watt monoblock DLS amp on its back and pulled the cover off. They we grabbed a Memphis "Power Reference" 1000 watt monoblock with a full retail of $400 and pulled the cover off of it.

The only difference was the color of the LEDs and the heatsink. Every single part was exactly the same everywhere...he was a bit pissed, he knew he had been fooled, too.

Once upon a time, there were hundreds of amp manufacturers. There were guys in Florida, a whole bunch of guys in Arizona and another bunch of guys in California...a few more scattered around, too.

One of them got the bright idea to shave a few bucks off of their costs. They figured out that they could have circuit boards made in China, heat sinks made in Mexico and boxes printed in India. When they assembled them in Arizona, they wrote "MADE IN THE USA" all over them. Sooner or later they got busted, and it was not just the dirty rotten car amplifier companies that did that crap, it was all of them...but that is not the point here.

The point is that those Chinese dudes do not give a flying fuck about your "Intellectual Property"...so for a period, we had lots and lots of counterfeit crap...but now that is gone too. Now they just put different stickers on them and hope you will buy something.

The reality is that virtually all amps on the market are the exact same piece.

No, I am not kidding, nor am I exaggerating. If you look at 10 different random "4 channel amps" between any 10 of them, 8 will have the same controls, the same layout, the same parts, the same circuit board...even if a few parts are moved around, they are still the same shit with a different sticker.

Fortunately, that "same shit" is pretty damn good. You really can roast the classic "old school glory" amps...the HCCAs, the A/D/Ss, my beloved Harman/Kardons, the Nakamichi...even the stupid pile of shit McIntosh amps with just a couple hundred dollars of cheap Chinese amps.

This is why I don't generally bother posting crap like "get a blahblah 2000, its the best". First, they really are all the same. You guys who know whats up need not share stuff like ARC, Tru, Butler, BRAX, Zapco...we all know hand made exotics are out there, I don't think this guy is looking for the best amps ever made, he just wants some good shit.

Second, I would rather teach someone how to look past the bullshit.

If I were buying a new amp today, something I wanted to have in my car a LONG time, I would head straight to the new Soundstream Reference series. It is different because it was developed by a guy I actually know and trust...but still built in China, of course.

If you don't wanna drop $500ish on a big gorgeous amp, take your pick. Head over to Amazon, they still have the Jensen Power 5500 available, as does Sears, both shipped from the same vendor. You can also head to sonicelectronix and search for 5 or 6 channel amps, they have dozens, generally. Looks-wise, i LOVE the look of the MBQuart amps, they is sexy!

When you do compare, look carefully at the end caps. Look at the connectors and the controls, look at the layout. You will see exactly what I mean.

Personally I am a big fan of single chassis installs. I like the look, I like the space savings, I like less connections...and they generally perform well enough to make me giggle for a couple hundred bucks. The 350 watt bass channel on most 5 channel amps needs to see a 2 ohm load to get its maximum power, but there are millions of woofers that will give you a 2 ohm load, so just pick one that matches your sub box well...the price of performance has dropped so much it is hard to believe.

Hope this helped.

Luke

[r3vRob]

^ lol thank you luke, honestly that was one of the greatest responses I've ever read... it does shed light on things in greater detail. Now alls I gotta do is order and install which will be a whole other thread all together. Still looking for a pre 88 amp wiring reference though.

[5Toes]

Soundstream Reference is so hot. I will have one in the next few months...

[StereoInstaller1]

^ lol thank you luke, honestly that was one of the greatest responses I've ever read... it does shed light on things in greater detail. Now alls I gotta do is order and install which will be a whole other thread all together. Still looking for a pre 88 amp wiring reference though.

I keep meaning to tell you: the wiures in the trunk are the same IIRC. There are 2 grey pair for the front, 2 black pair for the rear. Those 8, plus the remote.

Unless you are going top do one of my amp racks, then you want the power and the ground too, as those run the relays for the fans.

Luke

[Jean]

I LOVE my cheap "MB Quart 4.125" amp...cost me less than $200 and it's way MORE than enough for a basshead like me . 250x2 wrms for front stage and 500x1 into a single 12" in Luke's box!

Pure awesome