Night and day - Amp upgrade for front stage

[fintheman]

Okay, hopefully this will help you guys out decided what to spend money on.

I have the CDT Audio 61 ( I think thats the number)

I was running a hifonics zx8000 to them for the longest time, and I thought it was alright as some people said they amps don't matter "too" much in SQ, just a little bit.

So I got my Soundstream VGA 400.2 in today.

Holy ****, the difference between the amps are night and day. So much more response, clarity, my highs are now more audible, and its much more smoothed out and more comparble to a tube amp because of the harshness I had before.

Don't go cheap on your front stage for your amp, I did, and now I know the difference. My system just went up a notch in my book.

One more notch to go (viper d2500.1 / new alternator (180 amp from 110 amp) / 0 or 1/2 gauge running to the viper from a bus bar/ optima redtop) to one 15" XXX inside a 4.7ish cubes at 30Hz.

Get ready to blow up

[DBfan187]

Um, yeah. Theorietically you're sending TWICE the amount of power to your fronts, so yeah. You would here a difference.

[fintheman]

Well, its not louder (I still have to adjust the gains properly)

I kind of rigged the zx8000 to run at the same power (I took the RCA, and put a splitter on it) and ran it to both (200x2) but I had to adjust the gains for each side.

I mean, its not that I am talking about, the SQ level just went up a notch

[jujumantb]

and I thought it was alright as some people said they amps don't matter "too" much in SQ, just a little bit.

I bet at low volume they sound exactly the same Headroom is your friend. though, with more power, I would hope they will sound better. I could easily audibly tell the SQ difference at high volumes from my 80x2 to my 130x2 upgrade.

[jujumantb]

I mean, its not that I am talking about, the SQ level just went up a notch

Either headroom difference or psychoacoustics, the amp wont sound "a notch" better putting the smae power out, but as long as you're happy with it

[BigProof]

some of you people have NO idea what you're talking aoubt, not to mention spelling and punctuation. you can have 2 different 100 watt amps on 2 different sets of the same components and one pair could sound totally better at the same sound level, the type of amplifier does have a lot to do with SQ especially with the highs. sending more power will certainly make it louder but not necessarly better

[squeak9798]

some of you people have NO idea what you're talking aoubt, not to mention spelling and punctuation. you can have 2 different 100 watt amps on 2 different sets of the same components and one pair could sound totally better at the same sound level, the type of amplifier does have a lot to do with SQ especially with the highs.

It's not worth your time......save your keystrokes This debate will go on for ages, and no one will ever come to a clear conclusion.

Though, here is Dan Wiggins take on it: http://forum.soundillusions.net/article.php?a=214 (bottom half of page)

[Kali77]

Squeak,
I have only been on this board for a few months but I justed wanted to say YOU THE MAN!! You always bring facts to the table. I value your opinion that is for sure.

Kali

[tRiGgEr]

Sound Quality difference between my old SS 405s and my Vga320.4 was not night and day but there was a difference there. There are reasons why Helix, brax, nakamichi, zapco, JL, amps cost so much. Your buying quality equipment.

[paikiah]

This thread is for newcomers.

snore

[n2audio]

Whether he meant it or not -- Dan basically said the biggest difference between a Mcintosh 100w a/b amp and a profile 100w a/b is psychoacoustics. The technical differences he mentioned (S/N, freq. response, THD) can be measured, only in extreme cases can they be heard, and I'm certain he's aware of that.

Ah - why do I bother??

It's the same as the ford/chevy, import/domestic debate.

[jujumantb]

you can have 2 different 100 watt amps on 2 different sets of the same components and one pair could sound totally better at the same sound level, the type of amplifier does have a lot to do with SQ especially with the highs.

Have you done a blind test on this? Doubt it. Give me some facts on why at the same power level, one amp will sound that much better than another.
And what do you mean by "type" of amp? Class of amp you mean? To clarify, we are obviously discussing the differences between the same "type" of amp, not a class D vs class A/B etc...

[squeak9798]

Give me some facts on why at the same power level, one amp will sound that much better than another.

Different EQ settings.........


















Sorry, couldn't help myself. Anyways, to quote Richard Clark:

----without comparing with the same identical speakers, eq settings, environment/install, volme level etc even identical amps will sound different-------

Basically, everything must be exactly equal for two amps to "sound the same"....even the same amp. This, unfortunately, is not how the hobby works.....unless you are in a lab, two amps will never be set up identically. If one's a little more inefficient, it will draw more current from the battery, possibly causing more of a voltage drop on the system, causing the amp to perform differently. Amp's can have different clipping behavior (yes, most people clips their amps slightly without knowing it). Etc Etc......

[squeak9798]

The technical differences he mentioned (S/N, freq. response, THD) can be measured, only in extreme cases can they be heard, and I'm certain he's aware of that.

I dunno........

So, to sum up: amps can sound different, from just a technical standpoint.

Not saying you are wrong, but that's verbatim what he said

[psycho72]

It's the same as the ford/chevy, import/domestic debate.

Aw man that one was settled a long time ago, everyone knows domestic is better