I'd take the Alpine between those two (I'm not a big fan of Sony Xplod stuff). Amongst the cheaper Crutchfield amps listed, I'd go with this infinity:
http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Produ...08R475A&tp=115

 

flash, you recommendation is for more power than the basic 50W x 4 i was originally shopping for? i don't really need a lot of power, but i don't want to "under-do it" either.

thanks for your help. you can tell i'm a noob on this stuff!

 

You will get better response / clarity out of an amp that isn't being overworked. Get an amp that will be more than adequate for your speakers and you'll enjoy better quality sound, regardless of the volume. However, understand that a big amp can destroy small speakers at very high output levels.

 

I wouldn't be too concerned with the stated power output. If you actually tested these guys, the output would probably be close. Anything above 50 watts should be plenty. I wouldn't worry about getting too much power to your speakers. Boston Acoustic comps can take plenty of power. The more power, the more "headroom" you'll have--that means that you can basically crank it until your ears bleed and it won't be distorted.

I just like Infinity amps more than Sony or Alpine (although there's nothing wrong with Alpine).

 

In my last car my sub and amp were Elemental Design. They're a great bang for the buck internet audio company. I highly recommend their stuff if you need a nice amp. The nine.4 is their 4-ch amp.

http://www.edesignaudio.com/index.php?cPath=1_22

 

Alpine makes a quality product.. Stay away from Sony, I find the newer stuff to be over-rated on claimed watts

 

i had jl and loved it but i have also heard the alpine and they sound great and are very small.

just make sure you don't overload the speakers with to much power otherwise you'll fry them. the jl's are very nice because they send the same power to speakers in a certain ohm range so when it says 75 watts it doesn't vary depending on the ohm level. a speaker at 4 ohms and one at 6 will see the same power

 

I'm partial to classic Phoenix Gold amps myself. They're ZXti and Ti series have been great to me. And look the part too.

 

Do you know if the Alpine amp will work with all 6 speakers (2 dash, 2 rear & 2 subs in the doors)?

BT

 

Audison amps are VERY versatile, in that every cross-over, gain, etc. is built into the amplifier. I purchased a 6-channel amplifier (and 1 channel for subs). Here's an install I did last summer:
http://dougturner.com/porsche/sound_system_2009/

 

-1 SONY. Crap. Junk. Fill in the blank.

 

Pay a little more and get quality - your amp is hugely important to the ultimate sound (with good speakers) and IMO you cannot have too much power. You can always remove it if you sell your car. Look at it this way: Let's say you have a flood in the basement. A sump pump with twice the capacity will move the water out more easily with less heating up and will be smoother and last longer. You will not regret spending a few $ more. My $0.02.

 

I have this amp in my........Jeep Wrangler. It is a full-range Class D amp, very compact (that I was able to mount it in between the seat tracks under the driver's seat) and the sound is decent for a full-range Class D. Been there for 2 years now with, a lot of times, having the interior exposed to moisture, and still running strong. IMO, it is a good amp, good enough for the Jeep but, to the OP, your P-car deserves something better. I wouldn't want a Honda-level Xplod amp in my P-car. There are a lot of options out there.......Audison, Memphis, JL, Zapco, etc. and they have some models that are surprisingly inexpensive.

 

Focal 4.75 or Solid 4