Amps and subwoofers. How much power?

[jbrasure]

Hey Folks,

Right now I have this stereo equipment in my Insight:
* Kenwood Excelon KDC-X789 headunit
* Four Infinity Reference 6012si speakers (50 watts RMS each)

I would like to add a subwoofer, because my stereo REALLY needs some bass. I would also like to power the 4 main speakers from an amp to help improve volume and clarity.

I'm assuming that an 8" 200 watt sub will work well in the Insight. However, maybe that will be too much bass. What has your experience been. I listen mostly to electronica, new age, and orchestral motion picture soundtracks. I light tight bass, and don't want to wake up the neighbors.

Here are some subs that I'm considering:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-rvVEPZYLC7 ... I=158XSL82

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-rvVEPZYLC7 ... =107MM2084

I don't know much about amplifiers, and I have never installed one before. However, based on my research last night, it sounds like I need two amps:
* A 4 channel amp for the speakers, 50 watts RMS per channel
* A 1 or 2 channel amp for the sub, which can produce 200 watts RMS

This leads to some questions:

1) Will these two amps overpower my DC-DC converter?

2) If this is too much power, what should I do to lower the wattage? Should I get a smaller subwoofer, or maybe only use 2 main speakers instead of 4?

3) Do I really need 2 amps? Is there a way to do this with 1 amp?

4) Since my speakers are rated at 50 watts RMS, should I get a 4 channel amp that produces at least that much power. Crutchfield recommends gettting an amp that has slightly more power than the speakers need. Maybe I should get an amp that produces 60 watts per channel???

5) A simpler solution would be to add a powered subwoofer like the Infinity Basslink, and then install some bass blockers on the front speakers. However, I assume that won't sound as good as using a separate amp. Do you agree?

6) I've heard of the Wayland sub. Is that still available?

Thanks for putting up with all of these questions!

James

[Fenrir]

Model your system after John Wayland's Shoebox Sub kit. The work as been done for you. Wayland knows what he's doing.

[jbrasure]

Originally Posted by Fenrir

Model your system after John Wayland's Shoebox Sub kit. The work as been done for you. Wayland knows what he's doing.

That sounds like excellent advice. The only thing I'm concerned about is losing the two rear speakers (Wayland's design doesn't use them). Does it really sound better with just 2 speakers?

James

[Rick]

Having heard Insight with the 4 speakers and ones with 2 speakers and a sub in back, I agree with Wayland. The sound stage is much better with the door speakers and the sub in back. Now if there was no other choice then having the 4 speakers is probably a tiny bit better, but when you consider that skeaker fires directly in to the back of the seats it's not a great situation.

[jbrasure]

Excellent. Thanks for your recommendations everybody. I'm going to work on finding a used Wayland Shoebox sub, or build a similar system with similar components. I'll take some pictures when I get it installed.