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NDA
Original Poster
10,205 posts
94 months
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Hopefully this is in the right section.
Could someone recommend a small but decent amp for a car? Very limited space and it only needs to accept an iPod, I don't need other functionality.
Thanks......
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14-7
5,714 posts
60 months
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No head unit?
What car and budget?
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NDA
Original Poster
10,205 posts
94 months
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Just the speakers are currently fitted.
No budget, a new Morgan Roadster....
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parapaul
2,711 posts
67 months
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NDA
Original Poster
10,205 posts
94 months
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That looks good - thanks. The only volume control would be on the iPod I guess?
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parapaul
2,711 posts
67 months
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Yeah - gain on the amp would be set up during install, then everything else would be done on the ipod.
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NDA
Original Poster
10,205 posts
94 months
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parapaul said: Yeah - gain on the amp would be set up during install, then everything else would be done on the ipod. Do you have one of these amps? Happy with it? It looks the part.... Perhaps overkill in a Morgan, although I like overkill! 
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parapaul
2,711 posts
67 months
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NDA said: parapaul said: Yeah - gain on the amp would be set up during install, then everything else would be done on the ipod. Do you have one of these amps? Happy with it? It looks the part.... Perhaps overkill in a Morgan, although I like overkill! I don't - but I have a healthy interest in ICE, and if one of these will fit under the boot floor in my 3 series, I will have one. Just need to measure the space. Overkill FTW 
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Deluded
3,423 posts
60 months
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These a tiny little things - http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/jbl-gt5-a402e.htmlNice and easy to hide away under a seat or behind the dash etc. Also not bad putting out 40w RMS per channel. Ideal for powering a pair of components etc. Maybe a little OTT styling wise but ideal if you want to hide it away. No external volume control but tbh, I doubt you will find an in car amp with a volume control. They are all designed to run from a source like a head unit. The Ipod volume control will be your only option unless you run through a head unit or an equalizer.
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redtwin
5,860 posts
51 months
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I am guessing this would work by using a 3.5 to RCA lead from the iPod and plugging that directly into the amp input?.
That's a new one on me.
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Deluded
3,423 posts
60 months
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Yes, it should work. You would need to use the ipod line-out though (intergrated into the charging socket) as the headphone socket alteady has amplification and would be too loud. You could run a lead from the headphone socket to the high-level input in the amp though, although sound quality wont be as good. Something like this will do - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RCA-COMPOSITE-AV-TV-CABL... ... obviously just using the red/white audio jacks to plug into the amp. You could wire in a USB port to allow charging though :-) I would have thought using the Ipod controls will be very fiddly and soon become a chore when driving though.
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DennisCooper
993 posts
40 months
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Hi
I'm extrapolating a little from your post with regards to the points below
1. Operating and using an iPod I think would come under the same rules as for a mobile phone i.e banned unless there is some holder and a way to control the ipod without actually holding it. I'm not 100% sure, but as pointed out above, to adjust things like volume, track selection etc would mean you having to swipe through various screens and multiple screen taps to get to desired songs etc. This all means your eyes off the road for longer than is allowed, even if the unit is held in a cradle. I suspect, you'll need a head unit which has iPod control functionality at the very least.
2. I'd have thought the Morgan is 'fairly' noisy when driving - I may be completely wrong of course! but if so, then you'd need to consider the RMS power outputs of a chosen amplifier and the sensitivity of the speakers chosen. High efficiency speakers will not need as much amplifier power to drive them. Are you looking to just have 2 speakers placed somewhere for 'just something to hear' ? or are you looking for 'good levels' of audio performance? I'll stop short of saying you are looking for higher end audio performance though!
3. Some car audio products nowadays are absolutely tiny and perform fantastically well and often seriously surprises people when shown just how physically small items are. The Alpine PDX range mentioned above is very well regarded, so keep them in mind. Other brands products to consider are the Rockford Punch PBR range, Massive Audio Nano range, Soundstream Picasso range and Phoenix Gold SD range. There are indeed other high quality brands also offering products.
I do suggest taking your car to a reputable car audio installer who'll be able to advise better and suggest products. Although you may not have currently thought of it, there's some 6 inch subwoofers on the market which will astound you with their performance and will be able to be fitted in a suitable small enclosure in the car (most likely as I've not seen the interior of your car!) and adding something like that will provide excellent results without having to be overbearing and will overcome the noisier cabin itself.
Cheers, Dennis!
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NDA
Original Poster
10,205 posts
94 months
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DennisCooper said: Hi
I'm extrapolating a little from your post with regards to the points below
1. Operating and using an iPod I think would come under the same rules as for a mobile phone i.e banned unless there is some holder and a way to control the ipod without actually holding it. I'm not 100% sure, but as pointed out above, to adjust things like volume, track selection etc would mean you having to swipe through various screens and multiple screen taps to get to desired songs etc. This all means your eyes off the road for longer than is allowed, even if the unit is held in a cradle. I suspect, you'll need a head unit which has iPod control functionality at the very least.
2. I'd have thought the Morgan is 'fairly' noisy when driving - I may be completely wrong of course! but if so, then you'd need to consider the RMS power outputs of a chosen amplifier and the sensitivity of the speakers chosen. High efficiency speakers will not need as much amplifier power to drive them. Are you looking to just have 2 speakers placed somewhere for 'just something to hear' ? or are you looking for 'good levels' of audio performance? I'll stop short of saying you are looking for higher end audio performance though!
3. Some car audio products nowadays are absolutely tiny and perform fantastically well and often seriously surprises people when shown just how physically small items are. The Alpine PDX range mentioned above is very well regarded, so keep them in mind. Other brands products to consider are the Rockford Punch PBR range, Massive Audio Nano range, Soundstream Picasso range and Phoenix Gold SD range. There are indeed other high quality brands also offering products.
I do suggest taking your car to a reputable car audio installer who'll be able to advise better and suggest products. Although you may not have currently thought of it, there's some 6 inch subwoofers on the market which will astound you with their performance and will be able to be fitted in a suitable small enclosure in the car (most likely as I've not seen the interior of your car!) and adding something like that will provide excellent results without having to be overbearing and will overcome the noisier cabin itself.
Cheers, Dennis! Hi Dennis - and thanks for that...... I may never actually use any audio equipment in the Morgan (it arrives in September, so I don't have it yet) and I suspect, like some other rather noisy cars I've had, that I'll rarely listen to music. My thought was to have a playlist playing, and that's it - no track selection on the move. Because there's not much space, I simply wanted a very small amp or head unit that I could plug my iPhone into....
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