Were you running less than 2ohms? If you were then thats why it got so hot. Either that or the 2500.1 just runs a lot hotter then my 750.1. I never really checked but the other day after blasting my music for a solid 40 minutes, the amp was pretty warm but I could leave my hand there all day. What it comes down to are there better amps than Kicker? Yes, but Kicker and JL do make solid amps, and I would even say they are some of the best amps.

 

JL Audio is one of the best brands in car audio. They get a lot of hate because they set the benchmark for subs for over a decade and their amps have always been top shelf. Kinda like the Yankees. Nobody likes a team that always wins.

The 12W7 is an outstanding subs and one of the best ever. Excellent choice. As mentioned you will need a lot of power to do that thing justice. 1000 watts would work just fine and the JL 1000/1 is a perfect choice.

Kicker, MTX, Rockford Fosgate all make very solid gear and are readily available at Circuit City or Best Buy.

 

For an arm and a leg!

 

Even local shops want an arm and a leg, they wanted $450 for my zx750.1 when I got it online for $250. I asked how much they paid for them and he wouldn't tell me. I'd never buy any audio equipment, home or car locally. And that install prices are ridiculous, $70 for an amp install. Thats 30 minutes of work if you know the car. I wouldn't have been able to afford my system if I had to pay to get it installed.

 

When I was young(er) and dumb(er) I paid Worst Buy to install my amp. When I was tearing down my Accord after totaling it I found that they ran the power and RCAs next to each other to save time. It's safe to say I wasn't the happiest about it.

 

I was running the amp at 2 ohms, sub was a dual 4. IMO, there are better amps than Kicker as you mentioned, but amongst the best, I'd have to pass on that. Honestly, I think there are much better brands and although JL is quite pricey and makes an excellent product, for the same price I'd stick with an Aura NS driver. I've listened to one 10 in 1 cu. ft. sealed off a DLS A6 and it had nice output and got extremely low. It will also cost about the same as the JL and I'd take it over that any day.

As for amps, another recommendation I would make are the PDX amps. Though they are 2 ohm and 4 ohm stable only, they are VERY efficient and super tiny in size.

As for why it's cheaper to buy online, it's because online sellers don't have to worry about the same overhead costs as a shop does and the shop can give you the product instantly. Not only that, you receive a warranty on the amp. Though I agree a warranty is not needed, in some cases it is if the owner uses it properly. I've seen on very few occasions, one actually, that a product stopped working within its warranty time and was not due to user error.

 

Some amp brands to consider are: planet audio class d amps. US amps, Digital Designs, and older model orion amps if u can find them.

 

ok, amp and sub decided on. but now the question that i've overlooked before was to whether or not i the box should be ported. or just buy the box that JL makes for that amp. There box isn't ported.


So is a ported box better or their Wedge system just as good?

 

It really depends on your style. I prefer sealed, some prefer ported. Sealed boxes can provide very crisp, tight bass, while ported boxes are generally louder and richer, but can sound mushy and washed out too.

 

i had a bandpass box before....hrmm