To Cap or Not?
 

Interested to hear your guys feelings on running a capacitor? I will be running one 5 channel amp Alpine PDX5 and have 4 midrange speakers and two 10" subs under rear seat of my truck. I keep hearing mixed reviews but want to now if they are necessary when putting together my system. Thanks

do a search bro...this topic comes up 10x a week.

Opinions are very subjective but I will just go without and do the big "3" upgrade. I dont know if it matters but I have two batteries being a diesel pickup.

Well given the total system power you have and the fact that you have a heavy duty vehicle with dual batteries and a high output alternator (they always are in those vehicles)...my opinion is you don't need a cap.

Let reading be your friend !! Do not go by what other people think but instead read Ohm's Law and let him be your guide. But to save you some time I will be nice enough to tell you that you can never have too much Capacitance. You figure out what to do next, GL.

And you should really have no need for a Big 3 upgrade in a HD pickup with dual batteries given the system you are looking at.

^^i agree...that's a relatively low powered system that won't see any "real" benefit from wasting your money on extras you don't need.

a properly designed DC electrical system will never have a capacitor in it PERIOD.

but in the real world poorly designed systems are rampant (or electrical compromises are made) then a capacitor could perform a useful function.

a circuit with too much capacitance will be unstable under steady state or transient conditions (yes there is such a thing as too much capacitance)

In AC circuitry perhaps, depends on aplication, in DC not likely for car audio.

Perhaps then since you know so much about DC circuitry you should be designing them properly and selling them as amplifiers named "VROOM":appl:

haha thats a GREAT idea!! i say you do it.. make a lot of money homes