[rasterman]

A lot of batteries are made locally because they are so heavy to freight around. This means one factory spits out a bunch of walmart brand, then the same plant spits out a bunch more identical batteries labeled diehard for sears, then a bunch more identical batteries labeled for NAPA etc.

So local reviews count more than brand or model names. Some review sites/magazines take this into account, others ignore it.

There are some batteries which are made in one spot and trucked to wherever they are being sold. Typically those would be the super premium ones where they have a lot of profit margin in the first place. But now you know you're paying for freight, not necessarily battery quality.

 

[BoarderM]

The 35 has top mounted battery terminals while the 25 has both top and side terminals. I think the side terminals are for GM cars but that's what I used because I wanted the versatility of tapping into the sides for future upgrades. There are 2 types of battery that you can use. There's the regular flooded battery and the AGM type. AGM's tend to be better because of the purity of lead and overall technology.
Looking at your amp specs, it looks like you can draw up to about 76 amps(1023/13.4) with them. If you add your car's essential operating draw, headlights, wipers, maybe heated seats and fogs, you probably easily exceed your alternator's max output capacity. This is when your car starts taking from the battery.
Since you are looking for a battery that "can handle a good load under sound system blasting", I would suggest a deep cycle battery. A starter battery is just that. It is meant to start your car. If you were to discharge a starter battery more than a few times, it would never be the same. A deep cycle battery is designed to be discharged hundreds of times and still offer the same power after it's recharged. Keep in mind that a battery upgrade is only part of the equation when you have a high electrical load. You might want to consider an alternator upgrade as well.

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

yeah, if you feel you will be discharging the battery a lot, a 'marine' battery or other battery designed for deep cycling would be best.

For a more 'normal' but 'upgraded' auto battery, consider the top-of-line battery from O'Reilly's , made by DEKA (East Penn ?) and is a sealed, silver-improved AGM technology. Long replacement and prorated warranty too. Many folks like Optima and they make a deep cycle type.

 

[tdelker]

Optima 'yellow top' is a favorite for deep cycle automobile batteries. Autozone often has 20% discount coupons and free shipping, making these a good value.

 

[kmssgoten]

cool will keeping