Best Quality Amps Ever?

[evildave101 10+ year member]

ive got 3 old cobalt amps, 2 of them ive been running for around 15 years with no problems at all. they have outlasted most of the trucks they have been installed in.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Amps don't matter when it comes to sound quality. That has nothing to do with quality amps. The quality of an amp has to do with the reliability and build quality of the amp, not some mythic "sound" quality.

 

[ThatChevyGuy 5,000+ posts]

PPI Art series. Greatest amps EVER

xeleventymillionjillion. I have never heard a sweeter "600' watt amp, EVER!

 

[ThatChevyGuy 5,000+ posts]

Amps don't matter when it comes to sound quality. That has nothing to do with quality amps. The quality of an amp has to do with the reliability and build quality of the amp, not some mythic "sound" quality.

Bullshit.

 

[Pl8er 5,000+ posts]

Amps don't matter when it comes to sound quality. That has nothing to do with quality amps. The quality of an amp has to do with the reliability and build quality of the amp, not some mythic "sound" quality.

What amp are you running right now in your car?

I know this has been covered but I don't believe that an amp makes sound quality, but an amp ADDS something to the original signal. Sometimes that is a pleasant sound other times its distortion, color, etc......the best "sound quality" amp is the one that adds the least to the original source (imo) and the best quality amp is the one that doesn't break

 

[MrDave 10+ year member]

An amp built with quality components will ultimately produce a different signal than an amp that isn't. 400 watts isn't the same in a cheap amp as it is in an expensive amp. Doesn't matter what it's rated for. Quality components in an amp help you realistically see more of that power.

When a well built amp can more effectively convert power through better components, as well as produce an UNdistinct sound, you have what you would call sound quality. As one posted stated, amps have "sound signatures" about them. Charactersitics to the color they add. A great amp will add nothing, or just what the speakers need.

Saying amps don't have any effect on the quality at which your speakers play is ridiculous.

Oh...and to answer the poster, out of the several higher end amps I have used, I have been most impressed with TRU Technology amps.

 

[CrossFired 10+ year member]

Bullshit.

Yep, Total Bullshit!//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

 

[rasta4life 10+ year member]

these amps are not super old but still old is the PG TI amps.Great amps for their size,clean ab class sounding amps and powerful.High end!

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

What amp are you running right now in your car?

Right now nothing. Sitting in the garage ready to be installed are a trio of Sundown amps. In the past I've used almost exclusively Orion HCCA amps that I've had for close to 13 years now. I got them back when there was no such thing as a budget amp worth having.

I know this has been covered but I don't believe that an amp makes sound quality, but an amp ADDS something to the original signal. Sometimes that is a pleasant sound other times its distortion, color, etc......the best "sound quality" amp is the one that adds the least to the original source (imo) and the best quality amp is the one that doesn't break

An amp that measures the same (or inaudibly close to the same) will sound the same. There is no reason whatsoever to spends thousands of dollars chasing some mystical sound. If you want 100w for your system, it makes a lot more sense to me to buy a 200w budget amp and only try to get 100w out of it, keeping it well in its comfort zone where it will measure really well, than it does to drop a lot of $$$ on some 100w amp that brags about how far beyond inaudible its THD is, adding a 0 into the price for every 0 in the THD measurement. This is then attached to a set of speakers that are going to have distortion possibly into the double digits. I've heard systems using cheap amps that sound like trash, but pretty much every one of those were setup by morons. I've heard systems that sounded amazing built on budget amps that were smartly utilized. The system cost a lot less than one using big dollar elite amps and sounded just as good. Speakers and install/tuning matter in the final sound of the system amps don't.

 

[funkmaster 10+ year member]

I dont have much exp with new high end gear, but here are some of the badass amps ive owned in the past

HiFonics VIII Atlas & Odin (Ill always have a special place in my heart for these, they were my first true "highend" amps)

Soundstream Class A 10.2

MMats DHC1400.05 & SQ4070

And my current amp setup, in my 85 CRX Si:

Precision Power Art series A300 & A200

 

[MmatsDude 10+ year member]

Lets be real here. there is a ton of talk about all the old school stuff. IMO, the PPI, Rockford, Lanzar, Soundstream, Zapco, Linear Power, earthquake, Planet Audio, Nakamichi, Orion, Coustic RS, Xtant, US Amps, ...................all kicked ***! Back in the day there was nothing to this day that compares to them, other than Zapco. Zapco has been building a fine product forever and I feel thay wont move from that stand point EVER. Now, from a pricepoint I dont think there is a better amp out there than the Sundown gear. For ultimate SQ gear the Zapco can't be beat, keep in mind I said "be beat", are there equals? Of course, better...no. I read alot in this thread and it brings back alot of memories, what I wouldn't give for a few Power 1000's for a old Skool SQ set up. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/boink.gif.91933e72f927f2cefc79aff02573090c.gif:boink:

Wtf? Were missing something here. Mmats amps back in the days were the ones that broke the most records, till they got out of competing in 2003 I believe. They dominated the DB Drag circuit For 3 years they held the Extreme Cup trophy and held the Death Match record for 5 consecutive years. So theres nothing up to this day that compares to them, other than Zapco? Yeah right.

Seems like everyone forgets wtf is mmats all about. Records speak for themselfs.

 

[Pl8er 5,000+ posts]

Right now nothing. Sitting in the garage ready to be installed are a trio of Sundown amps. In the past I've used almost exclusively Orion HCCA amps that I've had for close to 13 years now. I got them back when there was no such thing as a budget amp worth having.
An amp that measures the same (or inaudibly close to the same) will sound the same. There is no reason whatsoever to spends thousands of dollars chasing some mystical sound. If you want 100w for your system, it makes a lot more sense to me to buy a 200w budget amp and only try to get 100w out of it, keeping it well in its comfort zone where it will measure really well, than it does to drop a lot of $$$ on some 100w amp that brags about how far beyond inaudible its THD is, adding a 0 into the price for every 0 in the THD measurement. This is then attached to a set of speakers that are going to have distortion possibly into the double digits. I've heard systems using cheap amps that sound like trash, but pretty much every one of those were setup by morons. I've heard systems that sounded amazing built on budget amps that were smartly utilized. The system cost a lot less than one using big dollar elite amps and sounded just as good. Speakers and install/tuning matter in the final sound of the system amps don't.

Can you show me a budget amp and a high end amp that measure the same or close enough to not notice a difference in sound? The name can't carry the product alone, there has to be some difference. Now personally I would not spend XXXX on amps. My tru cost me about 300 after the upgrades and a repair to channel D, but when I remove the tru and install my US Amps 4085, there is a difference. Power is about 10rms different but the rest of the system is the same. Its not that the Tru, to me, makes the system sound better...but the tru does less to the cd than the U.S. amps does.

I do get what your saying, but why would you spend the extra money on Sundown amps when you could get some roadgear at wal-mart and save a bunch and just do an excellent install? Because you want the longevity of a solid amp and also its been proven that sundown stay closer to reference than the road gear would (i'm assuming on the road gear part LOL).

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Sundown amps are fairly cheap. Really cheap compared to what the snobbish "audiophiles" insist that you have to run.

You're still missing my point. I'm not comparing a budget 100w amp and a high end 100w amp. If I was looking for a 100w for my system I'd be looking at a budget amp that could do significantly more than that (like 2-3x) before clipping. Most budget amps (not talking garbage amps, BUDGET amp) are more than capable of delivering well below 1% distortion at low (compared to the rating) power. As long as you set the gains to keep the amps in this region they are not going to be audibly distinguishable.

Are more expensive amps more reliable? Sure. Are they the 5x+ more reliable that the cost would indicate? Not a chance. If you're a person that thinks that balls to the wall is the only way to run your equipment, then this doesn't work for you. That's user error, not proof that you have to spend a stupid amount of money on what is really the least important part of a good to excellent sounding system.

 

[Pl8er 5,000+ posts]

Sundown amps are fairly cheap. Really cheap compared to what the snobbish "audiophiles" insist that you have to run.
You're still missing my point. I'm not comparing a budget 100w amp and a high end 100w amp. If I was looking for a 100w for my system I'd be looking at a budget amp that could do significantly more than that (like 2-3x) before clipping. Most budget amps (not talking garbage amps, BUDGET amp) are more than capable of delivering well below 1% distortion at low (compared to the rating) power. As long as you set the gains to keep the amps in this region they are not going to be audibly distinguishable.

Are more expensive amps more reliable? Sure. Are they the 5x+ more reliable that the cost would indicate? Not a chance. If you're a person that thinks that balls to the wall is the only way to run your equipment, then this doesn't work for you. That's user error, not proof that you have to spend a stupid amount of money on what is really the least important part of a good to excellent sounding system.

Minus the fact that most high end amps are going to already have more headroom anyways (my tru is spec'd @ 65 per channel and was given a 83.X rating when the upgrades were done (burr-brown)).

I'm going to say something that almost never happens on CA.com. Your point is taken, and although at the beginning of this conversation I disagreed, strictly off of your example, I change my mind and agree with what you are saying in this situation.

I still say sundown is considered at least Class-B amps (leaving class A strictly for much much more expensive amplifiers). So you are by no means using a "budget amp".

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Minus the fact that most high end amps are going to already have more headroom anyways (my tru is spec'd @ 65 per channel and was given a 83.X rating when the upgrades were done (burr-brown)).

That's only about a decibel of headroom. I completely understand your point about being able to use pretty much all that power without getting any artifacts in the sound. If I could find Tru amps or Helix or Brax at the price you paid for yours, I'd buy them. Don't get me wrong, they're solid amps and I'd gladly run them for the build quality and reliablity, but I don't put their "sound" on a pedestal. They are well designed and well built with quality components, but there are plenty of amps out there that meet that criteria at a fraction of the price. I see a lot of the really pricey European amps more as industrial art than some magic key to great sound.

I'm going to say something that almost never happens on CA.com. Your point is taken, and although at the beginning of this conversation I disagreed, strictly off of your example, I change my mind and agree with what you are saying in this situation.

It's nice to see civil discourse and critical thinking actually occurring on this forum. It doesn't happen often.

I still say sundown is considered at least Class-B amps (leaving class A strictly for much much more expensive amplifiers). So you are by no means using a "budget amp".

I put them at the top of the budget category, maybe the bottom of the mid-level. My point is that they aren't some high dollar amp. My soon to be installed system will have 4 Sundown amps that I will have right at $1k invested in all purchased new from authorized dealers or direct from Sundown. I couldn't do the same with Alpine. Couldn't touch the RF Power series (only RF amps I'd even consider anymore). Maybe Hifonics and that's definitely a budget amp. My real point is that the Sundowns are great amps at a pretty low price point, priced with what most consider budget amps.