What should I consider when shooting for high power?

[ImBob 2]

So let's say I want a Zcon and have 2500-3000 watts for it, and it is going in a car with a 130 alternator. What all electrically is likely needing to be upgraded (and maybe the question is not that simple?)?

I think you'll need at least 0 gauge power wire, solid grounding, and probably the big 3...sound good so far? But then what is the next step people take? Bigger battery? An extra battery? Bigger alternator? Alternator and battery?

So 2500 watts or so probably isn't high power to some lol, but a noob wants to know what all you get into when you start trying to feed beasts like Zcons significant power.

[dgonso965 0]

So P=IV

If you want more power, you need more current and voltage. Voltage is pretty much constant in a car so you have to focus on getting the current to the amplifier(s) higher. The thicker the wire, the greater the flow of current allowed. 0 gauge is probably fine for what you want. If you get an additional battery and wire it in parallel, you would increase the amperage; however, you do need to charge these batteries. That 130 alternator will probably not keep up with the two batteries. If you were just to get an alternator, that would not really work well either because the alternator is not always engaged in modern cars; therefore, does not always produce a current that can be used by the amplifier(s). So the best thing would be 2 batteries in parallel and a better alternator if you plan on playing loudly for extended periods of time. Def do big 3. I would recommend having a system 2000 watts rms or under so you dont have to really worry about all of this. One battery and the stock alternator with the big 3 would do fine with 2000 or under. You can get a system of 2000 W ssound very similar to a system of 3000 W. The 3000 W will be louder, but is it really worth all the extra money and time for the small gain in db?

[ImBob 2]

Thanks for the info. I knew it'd be more hassle and money to go to more extremes, just want all the info in front of me to help make a decision. I am about to go over 1,000 for the first time ever in a stereo, so I'm not exactly sure what to expect. And if I get bitten by the bug hard, I may want more and more and more lol. I guess a smart thing would be to see what I can do with a system without major upgrades off around 2,000 watts and then decide if I really want to take te next step.

[Impious 1,476]

Unless you are competing in SPL there's really not much point in going over the 1500w-2kw mark.

[jcarter1885 994]

I would say upgrade battery underhood, add a battery in the trunk, do Big 3 wiring, add a volt meter to watch voltage. From there I would decide my next step depending on voltage issues.

Depending on size of vehicles alternator, upgrading the alternator may be needed as well.

[stevemead08 752]

You can't underpower a sub. Start small power and grow

[Kangaroux 47]

Unless you are competing in SPL there's really not much point in going over the 1500w-2kw mark.

I know a lot of people who would disagree with that statement lol some people just like loud daily drivers.

[ssh 924]

You can't underpower a sub. Start small power and grow

Then why did one of your videos list the zcons as being underpowered?

[Impious 1,476]

Unless you are competing in SPL there's really not much point in going over the 1500w-2kw mark.

I know a lot of people who would disagree with that statement lol some people just like loud daily drivers.

I could have qualified that statement a little better....but for someone like the OP with a single sub setup there's not really any point. If he were running a half dozen drivers then yes that's a different situation.

[Kangaroux 47]

Unless you are competing in SPL there's really not much point in going over the 1500w-2kw mark.

I know a lot of people who would disagree with that statement lol some people just like loud daily drivers.

I could have qualified that statement a little better....but for someone like the OP with a single sub setup there's not really any point. If he were running a half dozen drivers then yes that's a different situation.

Agreed. There are plenty of ways to make a setup loud and sound good without throwing thousands and thousands of watts of power at it. I would stick with around 2000w and focus on just making the box efficient. You will get close to the same performance at a lesser cost. Worst case scenario you lose like 1db on the meter, lol

[ImBob 2]

Ok well I guess box design is going to be something I look into closely. All I have now is Winisd Alpha to check boxes...if that's worth anything.

Displacement is obviously a key too, but I can probably only afford to go with a single sub for now, so most likely an 18.