What size amp would i need to power a single 12" sub?

I'm planning on getting a Rockford Punch 12" Single-Voice-Coil 4-Ohms Subwoofer for my trunk ('04 Explorer) and need advice on what type of amp will be sufficient to power it.... I'm not very familiar with car audio and don't want to spend any more money than necessary... I was looking at a
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Rockford Fosgate Punch 600W Bridgeable 2-Channel MOSFET Amplifier with Selectable Bass Boost ($199)



for the record i don't plan on adding any additional speakers or subs to my car

 

Depends on the subwoofer and what type of sound you're looking for. The cheaper amps won't give you as clean a sound. I'll tell you what I run and maybe it will give you an idea. I run dual JL 12w3v2 12 inch subwoofers with JL audio 500/1 amp to power it. I also run two sets of JL tr570cxi 5x7s powered by JL 300/4 amp. Head unit is sony 52wx4 7700 cd/mp3 player. The sound is very clean, highs are high, woofer gives good deep bass when needed. Great system, I highly recommend JL Audio products. They sound great. The setup I mentioned runs about $2500 installed but you can get it done through ebay and an install shop for around $1500 installed. There is also something called a Stealthbox that you can install that runs about $600 that hides your woofer. It is a neat setup.

However, when choosing an amp, be sure to check to see if it is a mono, 2 channel, or 4 channel. This is because if you buy a mono, you can not power anything other than the sub with it. 2 channel will run the fronts or rears but not both. 4 channel will run fronts and rears. Hope this helps you.

 

It's always better to buy an amp that puts out a bit more power than the sub is capable of handling. That way you won't distort the sound by cranking the amp output all the way up.

 

Sorry, here's a little more. If you are not planning to add additional speakers, you could get away with using a mono amp. It may be a little cheaper or you may get one that has a little more oomph. Again JL is the way to go. Also, take into account the rms power of any speakers and amps. Don't pay attention to the large writing on any amps, they are meaningless.

 

The manufacturer usually specifies the recommended amp power for a given sub. Check www.crutchfield.com or www.sounddomain.com for such specs. As Maticuno suggested, it doesn't hurt to have a sub amp that puts out more power than the sub is rated for. You can "restrict" the amp's output by adjusting the gain control on the sub amp.

 

Try Ebay, go to the High Desert Audoi Store. I bought my sub&amp from them and am VERRRRY satisfied. All Rockford Fact. Refurb stuff and they are a Cert RF dealer. Give 'er a look!!

O yea, If ya wait, watch and SNIPE somebody, you can get a reeeeeallllll cheap price, got my amp&sub for under $100.

 

Which is why a watt is a watt, and you cannot hear the difference between a cheap amp and good amp properly tuned.

You are correct. Expecting the cheap amp to do its published ratings, and using the gain as a volume **** and not to match th voltage of the preouts of the H/u is.......where guys "hear" the difference in the sub they are burning up.

 

Alright so i'm still eyeing this particular subwoofer:

Rockford Fosgate P212S4 ($129)


Punch Stage 2 12" 4-ohm component subwoofer


Key Features:

• molded polypropylene woofer cone
• 60-ounce magnet
• frequency response 20-200 Hz
• power range 50-200 watts RMS
• peak power handling 400 watts
• sensitivity 86 dB
• 4-ohm impedance
• top-mount depth 5-13/16" (without removable magnet cover. With cover, depth is 6-1/8")
• sealed box volume 0.85 cubic feet
• ported box volume 1.75 cubic feet
• Recommended Q-Logic Box Type: 1, 2, 3
• warranty: 1 year

Having browsed the crutchfield site i found this mono-sub amp for my sub:

Alpine MRP-M350 ($199)


<>200W x 1 Mono Subwoofer Amp


<table border="0" bordercolor="blue" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr><td colspan="5" valign="middle">Key Features:
</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td valign="top">» </td><td colspan="3" valign="top">200 watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td valign="top">» </td><td colspan="3" valign="top">350 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td valign="top">» </td><td colspan="3" valign="top">requires 8-gauge power and ground leads — wiring and hardware not included with amplifier</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td valign="top">» </td><td colspan="3" valign="top">MOSFET power supply</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td valign="top">» </td><td colspan="3" valign="top">low-pass crossover, 50-200 Hz, 24 dB/octave</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td valign="top">» </td><td colspan="3" valign="top">15 Hz subsonic filter</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td valign="top">» </td><td colspan="3" valign="top">variable Bass EQ bass boost (0-12 dB at 50 Hz)</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td valign="top">» </td><td colspan="3" valign="top">preamp- and speaker-level inputs</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td valign="top">» </td><td colspan="3" valign="top">blue power LED</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td valign="top">» </td><td colspan="3" valign="top">extra-large gold-plated terminals</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td valign="top">» </td><td colspan="3" valign="top">9-3/16"W x 2-7/16"H x 9-9/16"D</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td valign="top">» </td><td colspan="3" valign="top">1-year warranty</td></tr></tbody></table>


Again... i understand many of you have superior systems and want to recommend your particular set ups but i'm not looking to go too big with my system... i'm looking to spend under $500 for everything (sub, amp, sub box, wiring kit)... and i'm pretty happy with the parts i picked out.... i'm just looking for confirmation from more experienced car audio peeps that this sub and amp are compatible and that i'm not mismatching them in terms of their specifications

 

That would be fine.