I'm looking for a 4 channel amp that is less than 2in high and pretty small. I want to be able to fit an amp under the passenger seat. Does anyone have any recommendations for very small 4 channel amps that have around a 50watt RMS x 4 @ 4 ohms, per channel.

 

Alpine PDX.

You can get a 100x4 or a 150x4. More than enough to power most speakers.

And they are like 11" long and stackable.

 

I found this sony, http://www.amazon.com/Sony-XM-4S-4-c.../dp/B000PB2LII
Sony XS-4S

but can't find any reviews on it, does anyone have any experience with sony amps?

that alpine is sweet, maybe still a little big, but definitely overkill for what I'm looking for.

 

I believe the Alpine PDX LayinLo mentioned is pretty much the only one that can push what you want it to push and still fit under a seat. You should have plenty of space with the PDX. My amp is under my driver's seat and it is about 13 inches across. And that is only the width of the amp. There is still a decent amount of room to let the wiring run into the amp without rubbing up against anything.

Anything else that is not mini-sized like the PDX is going to need to go in the trunk.

I have never run a Sony amp myself, so I cannot write much about that. But for what it is worth, I have never run into anyone running a Sony amp either.

 

Almost forgot. It looks like the PDX does not have any cooling fans. I would recommend against using it under a seat because of that. Speaking from experience, I think you can expect it to overheat a lot because of the lack of fans.

 

the alpine costs 2-3x the sony, but produces twice the power. My speakers can only handle 50-80 RMS, so the alpine would be overkill by far.

 

You can never kill a speaker by giving it too much power. Speaker blow from distorition and clipped signals is what causes it to blow. Key is too buy as much power as you can and adjust accordingly.

This is the one I have and fits under the seat pretty snug. I just screwed it down and it works. It does sit slightly sideways but I love all the connections on the same side. Easier to install.

http://kenwoodusa.com/products/ListP...k3=155&pr=2720

 

Sony really isn't known for making anything spectacular for cars. But, if you're not an audiophile, than it probably won't matter all that much. But, the PDX amps from Alpine are supposed to be pretty impressive. The 100Wx4 PDX would be fine with your speakers if they handle 50-80RMS. Always better to have more power than to have less. When you have less, you push your amp to where it "clips" the signal...and clipping is what blows speakers...not too much power. And, they are designed as a Class D full signal amp...and Class D amps run very cool. So, they won't need a cooling fan and would be fine under the seat.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to what you want out of the sound of your system, your budget and what sounds good to you. If you can, go listen to that amp at a local Circuit City/Best Buy. If you like it, go for it.

 

good idea, the alpine is also a lot cheaper than I expected, I found one a place selling the alpine unit for $300.

I know sony home theater is pretty good, I just have yet to here their car audio products.

 

would 100watt RMS at the amp be overkill for 50watt RMS speakers?, and if I wire in parallel a tweeter to the front speaker, and using a 50watt RMS signal to the front speaker, what will the final wattage be for both speakers?

I thought class D was for subs, correct me if I'm wrong.
I'm trying the regular speakers.

 

I would go with the kenwood. You will get a decent amp for a nice price IMO. If you are really concerned with just pusing the speakers. If you want more clairty I would go with the alpine. The kenwood will give you the clarity but not that of the alpine. The kenwood will do the job for about half the price.

 

clarity would be my final goal. the stock speakers were loud enough and this is a nice upgrade.

but my main factor really is size, I need to fit the amp under the seat.

 

Well, give the Sony a shot if it seems to be a better fit. It is not fan-cooled either, so I would still recommend against using even that under your seat.

That Kenwood davids2004 just linked to looks like it would be the best fit. RMS 60w x 4 and it is fan-cooled.

Whatever you do end up installing, be sure to run it for a while and post a review of how well it works.

 

I have the kenwood and it works very well for me. I do have a sub hooked up to it as well and it does get a little hot, but this is in texas. The connections are all on the same side as well so it makes it easier to install. IMO it works very well for what I need and does have nice clarity. But in the end it is up to you. If you ever decide to add a small sub this will work for that as well by bridging two channels together.

Good luck whatever you do.

 

didn't see that link at first, that kenwood looks nice, but way too big for an underseat application. I think I'm going to go with the Alpine, it's a good balance of price and power.

for subs I was planning on an Infinity basslink, nothing too powerful but enough to be a good sounding system.