Understanding DSPs a bit more....

[TheTodd]

For what you want to do a separate DSP just might be what you need to use. I’m sort of in the same boat you are with no real ambition to compete but really enjoy my music. I have a 3way up front with one 15 IB run off of 2 4ch amps & a Dayton DSP. I’d highly recommend that particular DSP as it’s fairly inexpensive but has decent features for the dollar... the Mini DSP might be an option for you as well, and I’ve heard several cars that incorporate it with Dirac that sound phenomenal.

I have my mids & tweets running of a 110w x 4 amp and the other amp running 225x2 at 2ohms for midbasses & 450x1 bridged for my sub and it gets stupid loud (for me anyway) and sounds pretty darned good... at least I think so.

I’d like to think you could do 2 4ch amps (1 to mids/tweets & 1 bridged to MBs) and a 3rd big boy for your sub(s) with either the Dayton or MiniDSP, or any other DSP you choose with at least 8 outputs, and be very happy. There are SO many options out there, you just gotta keep learnin, listenin, and researchin until you find what fits you & your budget.

And hit up a meet or 2 or see if there’s any members near you that wanna meet up for a demo session.

[BenevolentDictator]

For what you want to do a separate DSP just might be what you need to use. I’m sort of in the same boat you are with no real ambition to compete but really enjoy my music. I have a 3way up front with one 15 IB run off of 2 4ch amps & a Dayton DSP. I’d highly recommend that particular DSP as it’s fairly inexpensive but has decent features for the dollar... the Mini DSP might be an option for you as well, and I’ve heard several cars that incorporate it with Dirac that sound phenomenal.

I have my mids & tweets running of a 110w x 4 amp and the other amp running 225x2 at 2ohms for midbasses & 450x1 bridged for my sub and it gets stupid loud (for me anyway) and sounds pretty darned good... at least I think so.

I’d like to think you could do 2 4ch amps (1 to mids/tweets & 1 bridged to MBs) and a 3rd big boy for your sub(s) with either the Dayton or MiniDSP, or any other DSP you choose with at least 8 outputs, and be very happy. There are SO many options out there, you just gotta keep learnin, listenin, and researchin until you find what fits you & your budget.

And hit up a meet or 2 or see if there’s any members near you that wanna meet up for a demo session.

I definitely appreciate you for that message....as the day went on I started to realize that's probably the move for me. Thanks again

[BenevolentDictator]

You said your not going to compete so don't get caught up in needing or wanting headroom. I used to try and give my speakers as much wattage as they could handle. Now I give my midbass speakers 75 watts each. They are every bit as loud as when I was giving them 300 watts each. The integrated Helix amps are not bridgeable but they do put out healthy watts at 2 0hms. As Preston stated above, sometimes that speaker will present a 2 0hm load depending on the dynamics of the music. My biggest concern with the Helix V8 that I use was power. Now that I own it and use it I'm glad its only 75 watts as my electrical system never complains. Once you add a lot of power be prepaired to start upgrading your electrical system.

Yeah I already have to upgrade the electrical so it's in the budget. The way I listen to music and what I listen to basically determined that lol

[nadams5755]

arc 1000.6 has 175x6 and bridgeable. add the dsp module and you've got 2ch you can send off to a sub amp.

https://www.arcaudio.com/store?p=107117 and https://www.arcaudio.com/store?p=182416

ps8-50's 50x8 and bridgeable to 100x4 or 50x4+100x2, then it lets you send 2ch line-out off to a sub amp.

https://www.arcaudio.com/store?p=183072

[nadams5755]

could even go the other way: do an arc 1000.2 with the dsp module and pass 6ch line-out to your front-stage amps.

https://www.arcaudio.com/store?p=107115
https://www.arcaudio.com/store?p=182416

[JCsAudio]

Vxi800/8i, powerful DSP and bridgeable amplifier in one tiny box and it sounds really good too. I bridge two channels for 200 watts RMS to each midbass and the other 4 channels at 75 wpc go to each midrange and tweeter. Best part is a huge reduction in required wiring vs traditional separate DSP and amps which makes for an easy clean and stealth install. I run a separate monoblock amplifier controlled via the same built in DSP in the Vxi800/8i through the available pair of RCA pre-outs it’s the perfect three way with sub setup. I can also use my iPad to connect wirelessly to the Vxi800/8i with the bluetooth module which eliminates the clunky laptop and required USB cable. I still need the laptop for REW but it’s still nice.

[Holmz]

There is a belief that massively overpowered amplifiers have more "headroom" to respond to musical transients. IE if you have 250wrms to your mid-range that it will respond quickly and with little effort vs 25wrms.
...

It will be better whenever the power needs to exceed 25W, but a 250W will not be more effortless up to 25W

...
In reality at normal listening levels you will rarely exceed 10wrms into that mid-range based on the voltage of the wave coming out of the amp.
...

On the otherhand 25W RMS will need something like 500W to not clip on the transcients.

So a 25W amp on tweeters and MR can do 1W RMS... but that 250W amp would probably be better on a woofer, as that is where the lion's share of power ends up going.

[BenevolentDictator]

Vxi800/8i, powerful DSP and bridgeable amplifier in one tiny box and it sounds really good too. I bridge two channels for 200 watts RMS to each midbass and the other 4 channels at 75 wpc go to each midrange and tweeter. Best part is a huge reduction in required wiring vs traditional separate DSP and amps which makes for an easy clean and stealth install. I run a separate monoblock amplifier controlled via the same built in DSP in the Vxi800/8i through the available pair of RCA pre-outs it’s the perfect three way with sub setup. I can also use my iPad to connect wirelessly to the Vxi800/8i with the bluetooth module which eliminates the clunky laptop and required USB cable. I still need the laptop for REW but it’s still nice.

How exactly are you accomplishing bridging the amplifier in that manner? When I look at the specs it looks like they only allow it to bridge to 4 channels at 200 watts per.

[JCsAudio]

How exactly are you accomplishing bridging the amplifier in that manner? When I look at the specs it looks like they only allow it to bridge to 4 channels at 200 watts per.

Correct that it is 200 wpc bridged. The bridged channels are set up in the Tun software within the DSP and only for the midbass for channels 5, 6, 7, and 8. For my three way front stage I have 75 watts to each tweeter (ch 1&2), 75 watts to each midrange (ch 3&4), and 200 watts (bridged) to each mid-bass (ch 5/6 & 7/8). The sub has its own monoblock but controlled by the built in Vxi DSP.