I noticed not to long ago that the 98 and 99 camaros with the monsoon were 200 watt, but in 2000 they got bumped up to 500 watt. What is the difference in the system and can you tell a difference between them?

 

No difference - just GM playing with numbers.

The 97 and some early 98 models came with a 200 watt amp that was physically smaller than later models. The rest of 98 through 99 came with an amp that was rated at 200-watts RMS. For 2000 and later models, GM changed their advertising to rate the very same amp at 500-watts. Some say this is a peak rating while others just consider it an ILS (If Lightning Strikes) rating. GM also claimed an RMS rating of 240-watts for this amp but the original 200-watt rating given to the amp is probably more accurate. In any case, there is no point is trying to upgrade a 98 or 99 to the "more powerful" 500-watt amp of later years - it's exactly the same amp.

 

I wasn't going to upgrade I have a 2000 w/ the 500, I just wanted to know the difference if their was one. I am one of the few people that is perfectly fine with the output that the monsoon puts out. My complaint is that I have had the car now 11 months and have had to replace the front speakers, and the rear woofers already...... and thanks to the HU and amp split design on the fronts and the 2 ohms on the woofers I was going to go aftermarket, but then decided it was to big a headache.

 

Do you have a Firebird I assume? Firebird tweeters were powered by the HU in front and hatch, on the Camaro -- everything is powered by the amp.

 

No I have a 2000 camaro. I know those door speakers people consider them "coaxials" but I don't since the tweeter that is built in is 4 ohm and runs off the HU and then the woofer part is 2 ohm running off the amp.

 

Who considers them coaxials? They are separate components....by definition, they are not coax speakers...

And as I said in my previous post - in the Camaro Monsoon setup, both the tweeters and woofers are powered by the amplifier, but on seperate channels.

EDIT: You are correct in that the woofer has a 2 ohm impedance and the tweeter 4 ohms.

 

I wasn't implying nayone specific but some people I've talked to call the coax's and obviously I disagree. I thought the tweeters were run off the HU, I had read it somewhere, but I makes just as much sense to have them run off the amp....

 

Yea people just don't understand that there is more to components besides the fact that they are typically separate pieces.

Tweeters actually run off of separate amp channels in the Camaro setup...if the FIREBIRD, the 4 tweeters all around are powered by the HU. I'll post diagrams later.