# Wal-mart Amp Kits Any Good?



## thapranksta (May 11, 2007)

Are Wal-mart amp kits any good, in particular the Scosche kits? I didn't realize that amp kits cost so much money.


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## Sephiroth619 (Jun 24, 2005)

I don't see why it isn't.


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## durwood (Mar 7, 2007)

If you're short on cash but want a good kit

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12615

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12884


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## ArcL100 (Jun 17, 2005)

Usually the cheapie kits run the smallest tolerance for a given gauge, or some to the point where 4 gauge is in actuallity 5-6 gauge, etc.

That being said, I've bought them and used them before with no complaints.

-aaron


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

I use the scoche battery terminals and scoche fuse holder from wal-mart and it's done very well for a couple years now, in fact that are actually holding up! Cheap as hell!


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## khail19 (Oct 27, 2006)

ArcL100 said:


> Usually the cheapie kits run the smallest tolerance for a given gauge, or some to the point where 4 gauge is in actuallity 5-6 gauge, etc.
> 
> That being said, I've bought them and used them before with no complaints.
> 
> -aaron


The walmart kits actually say 5 ga or 9 ga right on the wire, but they are decent quality Scosche stuff. The kit I got came with plenty of 5 ga and 9 ga wire, fuseholder, distro block, 2 sets of RCAs, remote wire, and all the connectors for around $30. It was enough to wire my wife's car for 2 amps.

The Scosche 5 ga wire is actually larger than some cheapy Hitron 4 ga that I bought earlier, so it's a pretty good deal I think.


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

Since I'm on the "wire is wire" bandwagon, I see no reason why not to buy that stuff. I might be hesitant about walmart-grade RCA cables but for power and speaker wire I'd use it.


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## Thumper26 (Sep 23, 2005)

yeah, aside from the smaller gauge wire, there's nothing wrong with it.

x2 on the 'wire is wire'. I was on a pretty tight budget with my first dual amp setup, and so i did a lot of digging before deciding that the walmart "speaker king" wire is just as good as anything else. Fast forward three years to now, that wire is still fine, no issues with the jacket becoming brittle, etc.

I will add the only thing I don't like about it is the positive just has + signs printed on it, and between them being forced through layers of raammat and being handled, it's hard to see the correct one. if you wire is like that, put a piece of heatshrink on one of the wires on both ends in case it fades in the future.


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## boarder124 (Mar 16, 2006)

I have used many wal-mart kits and have never had any bad luck.


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## squatchie16 (Jan 29, 2007)

Ii have seen quite a few of the MAXI-fuse holders melt from the walmart kit, although that was 2-3 years ago and most likely an isolated incedent. otherwise the price seems about right for what you get.


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## thapranksta (May 11, 2007)

durwood said:


> If you're short on cash but want a good kit
> 
> http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12615
> 
> http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12884


I think I'm going to try out one of these Kicker amp kits. They look like good stuff - flexible and appear to be pretty protected.

Here's some closer pictures I found of the Kicker CK8 kit.
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/pictures.php?id=3936


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## SQfreak (Feb 13, 2007)

I have been using them forever WIRE IS WIRE IS WIRE IS WIRE IS WIRE. Shoot I use nomex once and it worked fine.


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## SQKid89 (Feb 22, 2007)

I had good luck with their kits back when they were carrying metra. i used to buy a couple extra sets of the 4ga kits they used to carry just to wire up new things or friends' cars. not a single complaint on their power wire, other than the odd-ball "5ga" size over the more standard 4ga


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## legend94 (Mar 15, 2006)

I used a kit from wal-mart for 3 years. I think I have a Stinger kit now  
I say go for whatever is the cheapest and flexible enough for your install. Also, the rca cables are usually not the best  The ones in the kits seem kind of cheap, but Im not sure if a difference in sound is audible or not. The thing I hate most is the connections of the cheapie rcas


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## Hillbilly SQ (Jan 26, 2007)

only gripe i've had is the ends on the rca cables don't have very solid connections on the ends. other than that, long as you keep an eye on that fuse holder i don't see why it wouldn't be unsafe. the kicker kits are def nicer tho but also expensive.


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## thapranksta (May 11, 2007)

I just got a Kicker amp kit (8 gauge complete kit) for $34.95 shipped. *Thanks durwood.* That is about the price of going to Walmart to get a Scosche kit and then buying the speaker wire that doesn't come with the kit. That Kicker kit has wiring that contours and twists like a motherf##### with no troubles - I thought that would definitely come in handy and it would be more durable in the long run. Plus the Walmart kits have such vague descriptions on the label.

I'm going to have to buy a smaller rated fuse (40 amp) because the kit comes with a 50 amp fuse.


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## Thumper26 (Sep 23, 2005)

thapranksta said:


> I'm going to have to buy a smaller rated fuse (40 amp) because the kit comes with a 50 amp fuse.


that fuse is fine. you fuse for the ampacity of the wire, not the summed totals of your amps. if it's a 4 gauge kit, you can put a 125 amp fuse in there and be fine. that fuse is in case the power wire ends up shorting out against the car chassis.


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