# Will a higher wattage amp make my subs louder?



## skeelo58

So right now, I have 2 12" Alpine Type-R's (2 ohm DVC) with a Rockford p6001bd powering them. I've been thinking of possibly upgrading the amp, but I figured I would ask on here first... Will upgrading the wattage on my amp make a huge difference in the volume of the subs?


I was thinking bout switching to a Kenwood KAC-9104D amp that will push out 900 watts RMS, as compared to the 600 my Rockford gives me.


Will I notice any difference?


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## Duct Tape

what kind of box are they in? ported or sealed?


more power usually will give you more volume, but that really depends on the box type you are using and if its built and tuned correctly for the subs.


I wouldnt waste your money on Kenwood amps though. what is your budget for an amp?


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## skeelo58

It is a sealed box.


My budget is anywhere from 300-500.


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## Duct Tape

The Type R subs are more geared towards a ported enclosure. If you want more SPL I would go that route before swapping out your amplifier.


check out this guy here:

http://poundthatsound.com/ 


he makes some of the best enclosures i've ever seen and could build you a box that would suit your needs.


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## skeelo58

Perhaps you could help me out a bit with the whole sealed vs. ported box thing.... I've always thought that a sealed box would give tighter, more responsive bass. whereas a ported box will give a more boomy, lazy bass. Am I correct in thinking that?


Would the ported box make it sound any better do ya think?


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## Duct Tape

a properly designed ported enclosure can sound very good. it is true that a sealed enclosure will give you a better low frequency extension, but the gain is minimal in most cases. a sealed enclosures require more power to get the same output of a ported enclosure, and will require less volume, so the box ends up being smaller.


you have subwoofers that perform much better in a ported enclosure though. If you have someone who knows what they are doing design and build the box for you, i'm sure you will be happy with the sound from the Type R subs, and they will play much louder than your current setup. if you are into pure SQ, the type r subs really arent the best choice, they are designed more for an SPL oriented setup. but again, with the proper box, they will still sound very good.


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## skeelo58

Hmmmm. Maybe I'll have to look into getting a ported box then.... In my quest for increased spl, my 1st thought was to upgrade my 4 year old amp. Never thought of upgrading the box







Thanks for your help!


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## Herc




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *skeelo58* /forum/post/15144412
> 
> 
> Perhaps you could help me out a bit with the whole sealed vs. ported box thing.... I've always thought that a sealed box would give tighter, more responsive bass. whereas a ported box will give a more boomy, lazy bass. Am I correct in thinking that?



Thats a misnomer. Mainly because the cheapest of the cheap drivers/amps will try to maximize spl over sound quality. So everybody presumes the port causes the crappy bass when in fact it's the crappy everything else.


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## applebonker




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Herc* /forum/post/15210438
> 
> 
> Thats a misnomer. Mainly because the cheapest of the cheap drivers/amps will try to maximize spl over sound quality. So everybody presumes the port causes the crappy bass when in fact it's the crappy everything else.



Yes and no. This depends on the frequency being played and the port frequency. Below the port frequency the sub's performance will fall off. Additionally, playing too far below the port frequency can easily damage the driver (well, most subs that is). Therefore, the general idea the ported


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