Amplifier Comparison: MTX Thunder 4202 VS Pioneer GM-X402

[Jodhvir Minhas]

Hey all, good to be on the forum. I'm a newbie to car audio, so I came to ask for some help. I'd like to upgrade the audio system in a recent new purchase; a 1996 Honda Accord.

I have some old amplifiers laying around from previous builds, as my uncle used pay for professional installations. But, this time around I'd like to try upgrading the system on my own and increase my knowledge on car audio and HiFi audio as a whole.

So, I came to ask if anyone could help me compare these two old amplifiers laying around and see if I could honestly still make use of them. The amplifiers are an MTX Thunder 4202 and a Pioneer GM-X402. Ultimately, is one better than the other?

I haven't bought any other equipment yet, seeing as I had these laying around and wanted to start with the amplifiers first. For context, I'd like to upgrade all 4 speakers in the car and add a subwoofer. I know these are both only 2-channel amplifiers, so I'm wondering if this causes some trouble. Also, I want to be able to keep the original head-unit; I have a huge cassette collection and still use them regularly. I plan to just use an FM transmitter for things like Bluetooth or USB connection.

Any advice is much appreciated as I really don't know where to start!

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[Doxquzme Premium Member]

First off, get yourself one of these:

Pioneer PDR-609 CD Recorder Player Tested | eBay

<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;">This Pioneer PDR-609 CD player/recorder combo is an excellent addition to any home audio setup or vintage audio collection. The audio inputs include coaxial/optical and the audio outputs are digital optical TOSLINK. It also has a range of...

www.ebay.com

Convert all your aging tapes to CD then you;re not limited on HUs you can source. I did this years (with Elite PDR-99/ Elite Cassette) ago and never looked back.

As for the two amplifiers, the Pioneer wins in this face-off. That said, you really need to nail a few things down. Which accord, sedan,coupe, trim.

You could use both the amps for front an rear speakers, or sell them both and get a something like this for $85

DI550.4 Full-Range Class-D 4-Channel Car Audio Amplifier, 1,040 Watts, 2-4 Ohm Stable, Mosfet Power Supply, Bridgeable - Recoil Audio

Class D 4-Channel Amplifier, 1040 Watts Max Power, RMS 130 Watts x 4 Channels@2 Ohm; RMS 80 Watts x 4@4Ohm; RMS (Bridged): 260 Watts x 2@4Ohm; Peak Power: 260 Watts x 4@2Ohm Featuring a high-speed MOSFET power supply, premium-grade internal components, as well as 4-way protection circuitry, the...

www.recoilaudio.com

That would take care of the 4 speakers (6.5" front and 6x9" rear package tray speakers. Depending how you end up going with the Hu situation will determine a host of other things such as do you need an LOC, not always needed with amps such as the one I listed but may be desirable for a number of other reasons.

If you throw a sub into the mix, how elaborate do you want to go with that?

Are better off with a 5 channel amplifier and a passive sub in the trunk or do you think adding a powered sub under the seat will suffice?

Much or all of this will be decided by the budget. Once you have decided what the goal is that you can afford, that will help most of us help you.

THere are a number options

 

[Jodhvir Minhas]

Hey Doxquzme, thanks for the reply! Gonna try to answer some of the questions you asked.

It's a great idea to convert the cassette collection for sure; I'll definitely look into the recorder you mentioned. That being said, I'd like to try to keep the original HU just to keep the originality of the car; it's super clean! So preservation came to mind first, so I guess I will need a LOC for sure? As for the car itself, it's a sedan but I haven't looked up the trim yet using the VIN & I've yet to register the vehicle.

Is it really worth selling the amplifiers? Like I always see listings on FB Marketplace, but they're on there forever so I'm not sure if they actually sell or not?

In terms of the subwoofer, I do have an old box with older speaker's laying around; like I mentioned it's all from my uncle's previous systems. It is passive. The speakers in the box are already fitted in but I'd end up replacing those as well.

Budget wise, I don't want to be spending too much but at the same time I'm not sure how much a budget friendly system that produces good sound will cost me.

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

I would sell the two. They are good amplifiers but they are dated. the mtx could fetch $45 to $125, lets say $60. The Pio is a Carrozzeria , or Premier amplifier that in good condition should fetch, conservatively, $100. If we take that baseline of $160.00, you could land a 5 channel amp (for example) for just a little more, say one of these. I just followed this seller and he offered it to me for $210.00. That would provide you with output of 80x4 and 500 x1 for all your speakers.

NVX NDA501 N-Series 1480W Class-D 5-Channel Car Subwoofer Amplifier 810021843148 | eBay

Product SKU: 181095 ID: nda501. NVX NDA501. NVX N-Series NDA501. NVX VKN2BK. NVX XIV65 V-Series Interconnect Cable. NVX XWS1275 Speaker Wire. NVX Black Handle Stainless Steel Utility Knife. NVX XCAP1F.

www.ebay.com

Throw in some NVX or Recoil speakers font/rears for around $180.00.

Fronts $79.99

NVX NSP65 6.5" 2-Way N-Series Coaxial Car Speakers w/ 20mm Silk Dome Tweeters | eBay

Product SKU: 69252 ID: nsp65. Download the NVX NSP65 Product Manual. NVX SDRLR1 Sound Damping Rubber Roller. NVX SDRLR2 Sound Damping Rubber Roller. NVX SDBSK2 1.38 Square Feet Damping Kit. NVX SDSK2 1.38 Square Feet Damping Kit.

www.ebay.com

Rears $99.99

NVX NSP69 2-Way Coaxial 6x9 220 Watt Car Audio Speakers w/ Silk Dome Tweeter | eBay

Product SKU: 69254 ID: nsp69. Download the NVX NSP69 Product Manual. NVX XGR69 : NVX XGR69 Speaker Grills. NVX SDRLR1 Sound Damping Rubber Roller. NVX SDRLR2 Sound Damping Rubber Roller. NVX SDBSK2 1.38 Square Feet Damping Kit.

www.ebay.com

Use your existing subs if they are up to it and a decent 5 channel LOC like one of these (offer him $51.00):

SoundQubed Q-LOC5 Active Line Out Converter 2-5 Channel w/LED Clipping Lights | eBay

The Q-LOC5 safely integrates modern high-output head units with SoundQubed amplifiers. A high to low output converter also lets you tap into a powered speaker signal to add a subwoofer to your factory system.

www.ebay.com

That's a pretty budget friendly upgrade.

 

[Jodhvir Minhas]

Thanks buddy!

Given me a lot to think about in terms of what to do; I've been watching YouTube videos on this stuff all day as well so I really appreciate the help!