I'm about to put in a relatively simple system in my 2007 Camry. It comes stock with 6 speakers - a set of tweeters, 6.5's and 6X9's in the back. I plan to change the speakers only and set them up with an amp, no sub as i'm more into clarity than punching bass. I have a couple general questions:
1) What should I look for when choosing an amp? I'm getting a 4-channel amp...other than that not too sure what to look for. What should the RMS rating be on the amp in relation to the speakers (a little higher or lower)?
2) Also, I will not be changing the stock deck, so is it possible to bridge the power from the stock deck? For instance, I will be putting component sets in the front. If i power those with an amp, will the stock stereo put out more power to the remaining 2 speakers or should I power all speakers with an amp?
3) Lastly, with only 6 speakers, what can I do for better sound staging? The 6X9's are in the rear deck and I don't want them to overpower the front components. What should I look for (ie RMS rating) in the 6X9s to not overpower the front speakers? And should I go with 2 or 3-way rear speakers?

Any help would be great, thanks.

 

In general, there is no such thing as too much power. Get the biggest amp you can afford. Biggest doesn’t mean physical size necessarily. I would amplify all the speakers in your car. So if the 4 channel will do that, great. You can use your factory head unit with no problems. There are lots of ways to do this but the simplest is to use your amplifiers Hi-level inputs (if it comes with them). If you looking to get better imaging and staging, I would suggest some sort of processor. It's a bit of a band-aid fix, but if your using stock speaker locations, it should work fine for you.

 

OR,
Leave the original rear 6x9's running off the factory deck.

Get components and tweeters running off your amp for fronts. Your amp will need crossovers.
In general, its ok to have the rms rating of the amp, 10 to 20% higher than the rms rating of the speakers.
Then, never, ever, drive them into clipping or they'll be destroyed. Headroom is a good thing, especially if you're looking for clarity.
Good luck.

 

A 4channel amp will be perfect for your setup. All speakers must be powered by the amp, don't use the headunit amp for anything, there is absolutely no reason to do so if you have an amp. The power going to the front will be the same as the rear, and thats perfectly fine.

A good quality 4x50w amp is what you're looking for. Just for an example, the Fosgate P400-4 is exactly what you want (link - http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/products/product_details.asp?cat_id=2&series_id=6&family_id =21&item_id=108230&locale=en_US&p_status=).

Buy a quality 6.5" component set and replace the speakers and tweets with it.** Connect to the front channels of the amp. Crossovers are included with the comp set so wiring is easy.

For the rear, I would recommend getting two 6.5" woofers instead of 6x9" full-range speakers. You don't want sound coming from the back, and since you'll have a 6.5" comp set in the front already, there will be no lack of sound, those speakers are amazing, especially higher end with enuff power! Midbass and lower freq only to the rear is the way to go!

**Now the only decision that remains is whether you think you'll add more speakers in the future. This is important because if you're not going to add more speakers, and are going with the current setup indefinitely, make sure you buy 2ohm speakers all around! If you make the mistake and buy 4ohm speakers (which take up 90% of the speaker market, so you'll have to look around for the 2ohm), you will only get half the power from your amp, effectively wasting cash. The above Fosgate I mentioned is a 400W 4-channel amp, but if you buy 4ohm speakers, you'll only be getting 200W out of it no matter how you wire it, in which case you might as well get a 200W 2-channel amp which will achieve identical sound for your application (but leave you with some cash in your hands).

In conclusion, if you're going with a 4-channel amp and are happy with a rear pair and front component set, you have to make sure you buy 2ohm speakers and a 2ohm component set.

 

thnx everyone for the replies, helped alot

 

my suggestion would be to get the 4/channel amp and try running the current speakers off it, you may be pleasantly suprised. I have seen people replace stock speakers and not come up ahead... I'm not saying you won't make an improvement by going aftermarket... but at least if you knew what the stocks sounded like (amplified) beforehand, you would have something to compare to

 

Currently it seems you have two options. Both options assume same total power.

1. Get a 2-channel amp and 4-ohm speakers. This will use all of the amps power, be a bit cheaper then the 4-channel, but will have the disadvantage of only being able to control the balance (left/right), meaning the 4-channel has four ways to control the sound remotely to the 2-channel's one.

eq. Fosgate P400-2, $349, 2x200W since each channel will power two 4ohm speakers in parallel. Each speaker receives 100W.

2. Get a 4-channel amp and 2-ohm speakers. This will use all of the amps power, and you will have full control over each individual speaker (front/left - front/right - rear/left - rear/right). It is slightly more expensive, bigger and heavier.

eg. Fosgate P400-4, $399, 4x100W, each channel powering a 2ohm speaker.


As far as future upgrade consideration, the 4-channel will always give more options and more control, so the only reason to go with a 2-channel for your particular application would be the 20% savings and the slightly smaller size and lower mass.