Sub amp or Tech 12 JBL amp?

Looking to add more bass to my 21 limited jbl system. I bought the box and jbl club 10 sub package from James a few years ago and it does help depending on the song and the volume of the radio. Some songs really compliment the system while others leave much to be desired even though I know there’s decent bass in the song.

I’ve been contemplating buying the JBL amp James offers which should add some more bass and help the overall sound to all the other speakers too. I’ve also been considering adding a small mono amp with auto on, speaker wire (high level) inputs just to power the sub. The cost is approximately half if I go the mono amp, but will I be happy with the outcome?
I’ve read some threads here and it seems like there are positive reviews for both options.
Thoughts on what option I should go with? Does anyone have experience with the auto on amps? Do they pop when powered? Any negatives going with the auto on feature?

 

Does your system have a bass knob?
It helps a lot on different songs and different genres...
It even helped on talk radio to turn it all the way down to stop the popping Ps...

 

Everything is currently stock except the JBl club 10, no bass knob since I don’t have an aftermarket amp yet. I do have my bass turned up on my factory radio though.

 

Most new amps nowadays have some version of auto-turn on, sometimes referred to as signal sense. I've been running a 5 channel JL amp that has auto turn on and I've never had issues with it popping etc. Only downside is depending on the amp, the auto turn on may or may not work as well as a dedicated remote turn on wire. I prefer to run a remote turn on wire so the amp knows when to turn on and off based on a keyed circuit, rather than from a voltage change over the input wires. All in all both methods are totally good and auto turn on works great in my experience.

I'm not super familiar with how much power the factory amp puts out. It looks like the 10" JBL sub is 200 watts RMS @ 2 or 4 ohms, and it is a single voice coil. I'm guessing the factory JBL amp must put out somewhere in that ballpark for power. It looks like based on their pictures, the 8-channel JBL amp from Tech12Volts is used in conjunction with the factory amp. I'd guess the reason they say the factory sub sounds better after install is due to the DSP tuning the JBL 8 channel is doing to the factory JBL signal, not due to any power increase as the JBL is an 8 channel amp that does 40/60w @ 4/2 ohms respectively. That said, your lack of bass on certain songs is almost certainly due to some signal processing going on in the factory JBL system. You could start by trying something like an Audiocontrol LC2i, and hooking it up so that it's restoring bass on the subwoofer channel. If it still left something to be desired, I'd then wager that the factory amp is underpowering your aftermarket sub. In which case, you could add in a mono amp.

If you're happy with how the rest of your speakers sound, I'd probably start with an Audiocontrol LC2i and see if tinkering with the bass restoration or "Accubass" as they call it, improves the sound. The Accubass in Audiocontrol line output converters acts like a rudimentary DSP and helps restore bass the factory system is rolling off or cutting out. This would be the cheapest way to start, at only $75. If that still left output to be desired, then I'd recommend getting a small mono amp to bump up the power going to your aftermarket sub. I'm not sure if anyone's tested the power output on the factory amps subwoofer channel, but if you have the factory sub and box handy, you could try removing the sub and seeing if the power ratings are stamped on it anywhere, and that would give you a good idea.

Here are some mono amps I pulled off Crutchfield that would work well. Remember you're aftermarket sub is 200 watts @ 2 or 4 ohms, so you'd want an amp that's around that range. I wouldn't go over 300 watts RMS or so at risk of overpowering the sub too much and causing damage. Absolute worst case scenario is down the line your JBL Club sub blows, and you replace it with something that has slightly higher power handling. It shouldn't be a problem though so long as you have the gain set properly. You can probably find these amps cheaper on other sites as well:


Pioneer GM-DX871 Mono subwoofer amplifier — 800 watts RMS x 1 at 1 ohm at Crutchfield - $150
JBL Stage A3001 Mono subwoofer amplifier — 300 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms at Crutchfield - $168
Kenwood Excelon X502-1 X Series mono subwoofer amplifier — 500 watts RMS at 2 ohms at Crutchfield - $200
Alpine KTA-200M Power Pack Compact mono subwoofer amplifier — 200 watts RMS x 1 at 2 or 4 ohms at Crutchfield - $200
Infinity Primus 3000A Mono subwoofer amplifier — 300 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms at Crutchfield - $200
MTX THUNDER500.1 Mono subwoofer amplifier — 500 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms at Crutchfield - $20
MTX TN250.1 Terminator mono subwoofer amplifier — 250 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms at Crutchfield - $200
Kicker 46CXA400.1T CX Series mono subwoofer amplifier — 400 watts RMS x 1 at 1 ohm at Crutchfield - $200
Rockford Fosgate R2-250X1 Prime Series mono subwoofer amplifier — 250 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms at Crutchfield - $200
Kenwood KAC-M3001 Compact mono subwoofer amplifier — 300 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms at Crutchfield - $219
JL Audio JD250/1 JD Series mono subwoofer amplifier — 250 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms at Crutchfield - $230
and the Audiocontrol LC2i on Amazon: Amazon.com: AudioControl LC2i 2 Channel Line Out Converter with AccuBASS and Subwoofer Control : Everything Else - $75

As you can see, for your JBL Club sub's power needs, you'd be looking at roughly $200 for an amp, plus $75 for an LC2i, and maybe another $25 for an amp power wiring kit, total cost $300.

Other option, for an all in one solution, would be to get a Kicker Key mono amp. The Kicker Key has a built in DSP that likely does more robust signal processing than the Audiocontrol's Accubass. I have an Audiocontrol LC7i in my wife's car, and while the bass restoration is good, it still leaves something to be desired. I'm guessing the Kicker Key would do a better job.

Link to the Kicker Key mono amp: Kicker 47KEY500.1 Compact mono subwoofer amplifier with automatic tuning DSP — 500 watts RMS at 1 ohm at Crutchfield - $280. Again, add in cost of an amp wiring kit and you'd be at roughly $300.

If you wanted a no brainer probably almost guaranteed to work and make things sound drastically better, I'd go the Kicker Key route. If you want to tinker with things, and/or potentially spend less, I'd start by getting the Audiocontrol LC2i, connecting it between the head unit and amp, and then seeing if it improves the amps signal output to the sub, and it was still weak after that, I'd then get a standalone mono amp.

 

Lots of info. Thank you!!