Kicker Amp setup

Gang need some help - decided on new amp, speakers, towers and sub. Should all be in for install this week-end.

looking at ideas on best way to setup in my 2006 Outback V.

4 Cabin Polk DB 651
2 Bow Polk DB 651
4 tower Polk DB 651
Total 10 Speakers

1 sub - Polk

2 Kicker IX 500.4

1 Dual Zone Controller

In an ideal scenario I would want to control the power to the Towers trough the radio balance or any other way.

How do you recommend I set-up?

PS - as back up i can always use the extra Kenwood stock amp from original install for extra power

"1 Dual Zone Controller"-I have this from Kicker-control the tower seperatly from the cabins/sub. Love it!

No comment on the other stuff other than some who have had the Polks have upgraded to Exile and stated they wish they had bypassed the Polks.


"PS - as back up i can always use the extra Kenwood stock amp from original install for extra power"-why not use all 3 amps-use this one to power your sub-if it works for that, 1 for cabins and the other for the tower.


keep in mind im no stereo expert by any means--they should be commenting before to long to give better advise.

Which model Polk sub? Which model Kenwood amp do you have?

If you are going to go with just two IX500.4’s, I would go this route:

Amp #1: Run the two bow speakers off two channels at 4 ohms. Wire the 4 cabin speakers in parallel and run them off the other two channels (at 2 ohms).

Amp#2: Bridge two channels to drive the Polk sub at 4ohms. The sub MUST be a 4 ohm single voice coil sub. Wire the 4 tower speakers in parallel and run them off the other two channels at 2 ohms.

This is not ideal but I think it’s your best bet given the amps that you bought. Ideally, you should have bought a Kicker 700.5 instead of the second IX500.4 if you wanted to stick with two amps. Otherwise, you should buy a third amp, a mono amp for your sub and run your four tower speakers of your second IX500.4.

Al

Have you bought the IX500.4's yet?

You could run your 4 tower speakers on a 2-channel amp instead, wiring them in parallel as Al said. That could possibly save you a few bucks on the amp and also means fewer wires running up your tower tubes.

I have similar components to you (Kicker/Polk) except I only have to worry about 4 cabin speakers vs 6... As already mentioned, 3 amps is ideal.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bergermaister

Have you bought the IX500.4's yet?

You could run your 4 tower speakers on a 2-channel amp instead, wiring them in parallel as Al said.

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Agreed. I was working on the assumption that he already ordered the equipment.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bergermaister

Have you bought the IX500.4's yet?

You could run your 4 tower speakers on a 2-channel amp instead, wiring them in parallel as Al said. That could possibly save you a few bucks on the amp and also means fewer wires running up your tower tubes.

I have similar components to you (Kicker/Polk) except I only have to worry about 4 cabin speakers vs 6... As already mentioned, 3 amps is ideal.

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4 speakers on a 2 chnl amp is no different then 4 speakers on one half of a 4 chnl amp.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cab13367

If you are going to go with just two IX500.4’s, I would go this route:

Amp #1: Run the two bow speakers off two channels at 4 ohms. Wire the 4 cabin speakers in parallel and run them off the other two channels (at 2 ohms).

Amp#2: Bridge two channels to drive the Polk sub at 4ohms. The sub MUST be a 4 ohm single voice coil sub. Wire the 4 tower speakers in parallel and run them off the other two channels at 2 ohms.

This is not ideal but I think it’s your best bet given the amps that you bought. Ideally, you should have bought a Kicker 700.5 instead of the second IX500.4 if you wanted to stick with two amps. Otherwise, you should buy a third amp, a mono amp for your sub and run your four tower speakers of your second IX500.4.

Al

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The above scenario will also work if the sub is a dual 2 ohm when wired in series.

I see no issue here with heat, given you are running Class-D amps.

Staying in the Kicker Class-D IX lineup, The OP could check out the IX1000.5 to drive all 6 in-boats and the sub.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MLA

The above scenario will also work if the sub is a dual 2 ohm when wired in series.

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Good point!

Thanks guys VERY helpful - i really did not want to go with 3 amps. But will if it makes sense as I already own it. I don’t remember the watts of the Kenwood stock amp but it was not bad and running all 6 Cabin speakers and Sub.

Maybe i should consider keeping Kenwood to run 2 Bow speakers + sub and have 4 Cabin and 4 Tower on 2 iX 4 channel?

This may be stating the obvious here but watch your power output ratings on the amp when you are "sharing" a channel with speakers in parallel and going two ohm. If you have 2 speakers at 60 watts RMS each on a single channel, then you'll want that one channel of the amp to be able to put out 120watts+ at 2ohm to properly feed both speakers. 'Tis better to overpower speakers than underpower them I've learned. This is also where the suggestion for the 2-channel amp for your tower came from.