Researched and narrowed it to three, which would you choose?

[Bumpin' Goalie]

I'll agree with Suicide Bobb on the audible differences being likely minimal, thus helping the cheaper one.

Second, I agree with quattro's position of wanting the best of the options, with price as the last priority as they are all quite similar in cost.

I'm just in this thread keeping everyone as honest as possible and sharing my personal experience. Enjoy the show lol.

[Bumpin' Goalie]

im not saying u would notice a difference, u really woudlnt unless the mbq clipps at higher power

another thing imo u have to question is this. if the mbq does more power than sundown and aq, costs less, why isnt mbq doing better than sundown? why isnt mbq the forum boner and nut hugged company?

the fact its cheaper and does MORE power, makes me question the quality of the power. i have no proof, im not claiming its clipped or dirty power, but it just makes me think/wonder/question.

Not answering the direct question, simply the generalization:

People sometimes toss around "psychoacoustics". Believing something is better can make you perceive it as better. And sometimes, a higher price tag causes this belief and perception. It's very common. Is brand name Ibuprofen better than the Walgreens equivalent? The ingredients and proportions are identical; the names and price are not.

[Buck]

Ok, with all the technical and marketing stuff aside, I still say AQ.

/thread

[Cruzer]

Not answering the direct question, simply the generalization:

People sometimes toss around "psychoacoustics". Believing something is better can make you perceive it as better. And sometimes, a higher price tag causes this belief and perception. It's very common. Is brand name Ibuprofen better than the Walgreens equivalent? The ingredients and proportions are identical; the names and price are not.

depends. can u prove the walgreens equivalent is equal? u cant dont even try.

i work for a place that makes the generic brands, we supply walmart, walgreens, costcos, etc. etc. some things we can make are equal, but others we have not yet matched.

for example washmouth is easy, alcohol and the flavor, simple, but something like baby lotion, u can provide a nice lotion, but there are some characteristics that are hard to match.

clearly im against higher priced stuff. i dont buy sundown amps when i can buy AQ or mbq. i certainly dont buy JL and suggest no one buys it.

but i dont buy boss and sony either. i believe there is a happy medium, be it mbq, or aq.

[quattro88]

Believing something is better can make you perceive it as better. And sometimes, a higher price tag causes this belief and perception.

There is a metric ton of analytical research to back this type of consumer behavior (spent the better part of a decade working at an ad agency for one of the largest auto manufacturers in the world).

Good point, back on topic. ;-)

[Buck]

depends. can u prove the walgreens equivalent is equal? u cant dont even try.

i work for a place that makes the generic brands, we supply walmart, walgreens, costcos, etc. etc. some things we can make are equal, but others we have not yet matched.

for example washmouth is easy, alcohol and the flavor, simple, but something like baby lotion, u can provide a nice lotion, but there are some characteristics that are hard to match.

clearly im against higher priced stuff. i dont buy sundown amps when i can buy AQ or mbq. i certainly dont buy JL and suggest no one buys it.

but i dont buy boss and sony either. i believe there is a happy medium, be it mbq, or aq.

I see your point, but if I could afford Sundown, I would buy it.

[quattro88]

Ok, with all the technical and marketing stuff aside, I still say AQ.
/thread

< laughing >

[05fronty]

aq makes some great amps. my friend has 2 3500's and they have been legit. now i have had my discus for like a year and 3 months. not a single issue. doesn't get hot only warm in the dead of summer. very easy on the electrical also. in fact i will find another one to strap to my sa's

[Bumpin' Goalie]

depends. can u prove the walgreens equivalent is equal? u cant dont even try.

i work for a place that makes the generic brands, we supply walmart, walgreens, costcos, etc. etc. some things we can make are equal, but others we have not yet matched.

for example washmouth is easy, alcohol and the flavor, simple, but something like baby lotion, u can provide a nice lotion, but there are some characteristics that are hard to match.

clearly im against higher priced stuff. i dont buy sundown amps when i can buy AQ or mbq. i certainly dont buy JL and suggest no one buys it.

but i dont buy boss and sony either. i believe there is a happy medium, be it mbq, or aq.

I'm just providing food for thought I also stated it as a question to stimulate the thinking process lol.

I'm taking a small break from analyzing technical aspects and calculating the sciences. It's relaxing!

[Cruzer]

I see your point, but if I could afford Sundown, I would buy it.

but would u run JL? thats the question. haha

i like talking about these things, but its also very difficult. unless u buy them, how will u know, how will anyone know? all we have is good reviews from both amps.

especially talking amps, its hard for the average person to know if its doing rated power, if its truly clean, or clipped, etc. etc. i know i dont

[quattro88]

Oh and FWIW, I initially included a comparable Sundown in my searches but discounted them as new they fell out of the price point range of the others. Had to keep the price parameters w/in an appropriate range in order to adequately weigh the performance qualities of one vs the other. Same with Audison.

[AndyWood7]

Yeah, read through your thread Andy (funny title BTW). Sorry to hear you're having issues. My gut says HU, but that's more b/c it's a Sony than anything else. Never had a lot of faith in their car audio stuff. Perhaps try swapping something else in. Hope you get it sorted accordingly.

With the exception of the AQ's quality, I'd concur with everything you've mentioned.

Thanks man.

If your pushing 2 600rms subs, I would probably go with the 1500, unless the AQ does more than rated. I like to have extra power on tap, you will probably lose a bit through the system. Also, I like to bump up a wire size when I hit 1000wrms. MB has the 2 gauge.

I also use a rubber washer between the amp feet and mounting surface. Someone mentioned the plastic feet. Peace.

Andy

[Buck]

but would u run JL? thats the question. haha

i like talking about these things, but its also very difficult. unless u buy them, how will u know, how will anyone know? all we have is good reviews from both amps.

especially talking amps, its hard for the average person to know if its doing rated power, if its truly clean, or clipped, etc. etc. i know i dont

I wouldn't run JL, I just don't like JL products. I just buy what fits my budget. And it really doesn't matter in the end what you buy I guess, as long it gets loud or sounds good and does what you want it to do.

It's also kind of like clothes. Why would you buy expensive clothes when you could go cheaper ones? It might be kind of a status thing.

[Cruzer]

I wouldn't run JL, I just don't like JL products. I just buy what fits my budget. And it really doesn't matter in the end what you buy I guess, as long it gets loud or sounds good and does what you want it to do.

It's also kind of like clothes. Why would you buy expensive clothes when you could go cheaper ones? It might be kind of a status thing.

interesting that u bring that up. t shirts for example. i buy cheap shirts other than my band tshirts. well i go through cheap shirts because they dont last as long, get holes, whatever. but the band tshirts that cost a little more, are still good. also cheap tshirts are thin, where band tshirts or more expensive tshirts are about the right thickness. (does this mean if u go too cheap on an amp, its power might not be as clean? hehehe)

for jeans i buy levi, and i either get to fat or lose to much weight before they go bad. i wonder if i bought cheap walmart jeans would they get holes before i no longer needed them.

kinda goes hand in hand tho. as long as it does what u need/want. i buy the cheap shirts because i dont like the expensive ones(other than band t shirts) ya they dont last long, but replacing them is cheap and isnt too frequent.

i would rather buy a little more expensive amp and never replace it, than to risk cheaping out and might have to replace it in a year or two. but all depends on what u want/need it to do

[Bumpin' Goalie]

I wouldn't run JL, I just don't like JL products. I just buy what fits my budget. And it really doesn't matter in the end what you buy I guess, as long it gets loud or sounds good and does what you want it to do.

It's also kind of like clothes. Why would you buy expensive clothes when you could go cheaper ones? It might be kind of a status thing.

Status is a dominant variable in society today.

As far as JL, I find it hard to dislike their Slash series amplifiers in general. Can be found for great prices used as well. Compare them against some popular amps, and you'll probably be surprised People just need to realize the niche that JL fills and act accordingly.