Best Sound Quality 4 CH amp aside from a JL 300/4

[theothermike 10+ year member]

my opinion is in my sig

Mike-

 

[BMW Sidewayz 10+ year member]

Man I knew this was gonna happen.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif . So many choices, so many brands I never even heard of. I can Almost blame some companies for their marketing stratergies. There amps for $200 that produce 75x4 and the're amps that cost $400 that produce 75x4 and I dont care what anyone says, There will be a difference in sound, cuz if it werent, then y would people buy the more costly one if they both do the same. I would like to stick to known brands just because I wouldnt really know about these amps I never heard before, there will always be someone out there saying the words "NO THIS AMP IS BETTER" not really knowing how much experience is behind their opinions. Thats why I'd rather go with a reputable brand. Sorry if Im being blunt about this, but some of you know what Im talking about.

Looka here!!! So many choices

http://ampguts.realmofexcursion.com/

I WILL MAKE MY BUDGET $400 for a 4ch amp. Im considering these brands:

Focal

Sound Stream

Rockford Fosgate

Eclipse

JL 300/4

Kenwwood and Alpine

I looking for a company that builts their amp with the sole purpose of High Fidelity and nothing else. REMEMBER GUYS, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

Thanks Guys for the additional Information

 

[boostdfoci 10+ year member]

I have never heard of any problems with the JL 300/4. I thought that was a great amp?

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

There will be a difference in sound, cuz if it werent, then y would people buy the more costly one if they both do the same.

Status? Ability to brag to their friends? Penile issues?

Who knows...but you can't look at the price of something and conclude that it sounds different.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

There amps for $200 that produce 75x4 and the're amps that cost $400 that produce 75x4 and I dont care what anyone says, There will be a difference in sound, cuz if it werent, then y would people buy the more costly one if they both do the same.

The difference that you will hear is the difference in actual power capabilites. The more expensive amp was designed to produce its "rated" power with what amounts to no distortion. Not inaudible distortion but closer to BML distortion. As such it will usually be able to produce 25-50% more than its rated power before distortion becomes audible. The cheaper amp is probably going to be right at the 1% distortion level at rated power and going past that point will send the distortion through the roof. As long as you keep them both away from the level of audible distortion, the difference in sound will be non-existant. IMO the best way to go about buying an amp is buy as much power as you can and then use the gain to attenuate the output keeping the amp in the meat of its linear range ensuring distortion is not an issue. What the extra coin gets you is an increase in reliability and power.
I don't have any experience with the newer Soundstream amps but I have been looking at them myself.

I'm not a huge fan of the newer Punch series amps.

Alpine and Kenwood make decent amps.

You said that you wanted to avoid the lesser known companies but let me plant a little seed here...the engineer behind Zed Audio is the same engineer behind the classic Hifonics amps as well as several others.

 

[Qbenjamin 10+ year member]

Go buy an am from Pyle and then go and buy one from Orion........Usually about a $200 price difference. You pay for what you get. That's doesn't mean that just because it is more expensive that it is better. A lot of time manufacturers will charge more just because of the name. (JL in particular, my first 300/4 blew out channels 3-4 four months after I had it).

 

[Qbenjamin 10+ year member]

Alpine and Kenwood make decent amps.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/ohsnap.gif.17c4c91be09a7a4a3995fb7145adac39.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/bsflag.gif.21f42eccd34b7d1eb1608fb1b59b69c3.gif

Kenwood stop producing quality amp about 8 years ago........They are just as bad as Sony.

 

[bikinpunk 10+ year member]

I'm actually glad someone asked this, because I had been thinking about this for a while.

If power is power, then when you go to buy an amp you buy according to your needs. In my case, I am running active, so I don't NEED x-overs and all that on my amp. So, that should save me money when it comes time to buy. However, I just get a weird feeling about buying a kicker amp over something like a Zed or Sundown, where I've heard a lot of good things about them. The price is the only thing that has stopped me. For someone like me, is it true that I should only look for an amp to do the power that I need, and not really worry about if it has more SQ capability than one that's $100-300 more? I'd really like opinions on this.

 

[BMW Sidewayz 10+ year member]

Go buy an am from Pyle and then go and buy one from Orion........Usually about a $200 price difference. You pay for what you get. That's doesn't mean that just because it is more expensive that it is better. A lot of time manufacturers will charge more just because of the name. (JL in particular, my first 300/4 blew out channels 3-4 four months after I had it).

Another case of channels going bad on JL Audio Amplifiers //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/uhoh.gif.c07307dd22ee7e63e22fc8e9c614d1fd.gif and you know what!//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/mad.gif.c18f003ab0ef8a0d9c27ca78d77a6392.gif ... Im tired of these companies taking consumers for a ride. If JL is hyped up to be one of the best , then why so many issues with their amps. Its almost sad to admitt, but 80%-90% of companies are all about getting rich and less on quality and or consumer, its up to us to pay more attention and demand moreits like You have to be an audio engineer to buy a good amp or speakers. If it was up to me and I had the money and the power or everybody thats a car audio fanatic make an event called Judment day where companies are competing against each other in a nation-wide competition. like Nascar, having only a certain amount of watts, speakers, speakers size, amps and one general Head Unit Etc, all in the same year make and model car SO there's no EXCUSE about this and that!.

This is my solution, but for every enthusiast to demand this from them, seems impossible andI'lll never happen!. so I guess will just keep getting bs from them.

Im so pissed right now! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/mad.gif.c18f003ab0ef8a0d9c27ca78d77a6392.gif //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/mad.gif.c18f003ab0ef8a0d9c27ca78d77a6392.gif //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/mad.gif.c18f003ab0ef8a0d9c27ca78d77a6392.gif

HELOTAXI:

Let me correct myself.... when I describe "better SQ, what I mean is, the ability of the amp to have cleaner sound during high volume and or when musical notes hit their peaks. Here's another example:

Why does RF **** now? yes they do, and they are trying to win people back by making 25 to life, thats after abusing the consumer with shitty expensive products. I forget what series amps, but after the company was sold and the Trapezoid amps ( they simply sucked!) where introduced right after the Black Punch 200x2 ***** ana,eventho the power was the same in the birth sheets, it was clearly different when hooked up. the low notes wherent the powerful and solid, the highs peaked with distortion. I can be sure the the guts on an amp play a role in PERFORMANCE ( refere to as SQ by me, MISTAKE)

Anytime someone sells an OLSCHOOL RF on ebay, that seems to be the main factor the fact the its "old SChool" and RF is well aware, I think is too late, once you loose a consumer's trust it hard to almost impossible to gain it back. Think about it.. why do people ask for so much $$ if these amps are so old. I have one myself and I LOVE IT.

SORRY FOR JUMPING OFF SUBJECT Guys.

 

[WulfComp 10+ year member]

Have you looked into DLS? They have nice SQ amps, and their classic series will keep you well within your budget.

 

[SocMunky 10+ year member]

Well if your dead set then, I'd highly reccomend those Zed Audio amps. Steve Mantz Designed the old (like 80's?) hifonics, some planet audio tube amps, rodeks, esx amps, us acoustics amps and nakamichi if I recall correctly. Wonderful amps, can't go wrong with them.

Steve Mantz (ZED Audio) History:

http://members.shaw.ca/pferlow/steven_mantz_history.htm

Edit: Heres the 4 channel amp of his:

http://ampguts.realmofexcursion.com/Zed_Audio_Draconia/

 

[ace_800 5,000+ posts]

Zapco or PG Xenon

 

[BMW Sidewayz 10+ year member]

Well if your dead set then, I'd highly reccomend those Zed Audio amps. Steve Mantz Designed the old (like 80's?) hifonics, some planet audio tube amps, rodeks, esx amps, us acoustics amps and nakamichi if I recall correctly. Wonderful amps, can't go wrong with them.
Steve Mantz (ZED Audio) History:

http://members.shaw.ca/pferlow/steven_mantz_history.htm

Edit: Heres the 4 channel amp of his:

http://ampguts.realmofexcursion.com/Zed_Audio_Draconia/

In order of preference so far. I will continue to researching the important factors, even their value. And I understand the Mainstream products are mainstream ( about the $$$) for some reason when things go mainstream they tend to loose quality maybe for the purpose of mass production. Thanks guys. Ive taken every recommendation into consideration. Thanks again car audio fanatics!!!

1.Zed-- Draconia

2.Focal

3.Audison

4.Sound Stream

5.JBL

BTW What is Burr Brown????

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

Alpine and Kenwood make decent amps.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/ohsnap.gif.17c4c91be09a7a4a3995fb7145adac39.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/bsflag.gif.21f42eccd34b7d1eb1608fb1b59b69c3.gif
Kenwood stop producing quality amp about 8 years ago........They are just as bad as Sony.

You sir, are sadly mistaken. I cannot comment on anything from the "regular" Kenwood line as I have no hands-on experience with any of that stuff that's any newer than from about '97 or so. Their upmarket offerings, however, (the eXcelon gear and the Performance Standard line that preceded it) are inarguably solid pieces.

I've got a KAC-X401M from the 2001 model year that I've been banging on daily for a few years now that shows no signs of giving up anytime soon that will certainly make a lie of your statement and that's only a single example...

 

[ace_800 5,000+ posts]

In order of preference so far. I will continue to researching the important factors, even their value. And I understand the Mainstream products are mainstream ( about the $$$) for some reason when things go mainstream they tend to loose quality maybe for the purpose of mass production. Thanks guys. Ive taken every recommendation into consideration. Thanks again car audio fanatics!!!
1.Zed-- Draconia

2.Focal

3.Audison

4.Sound Stream

5.JBL

BTW What is Burr Brown????

Unfortunitly Sound Streams newer stuff is not as good as their amps back in the mid to late 90's. IMO Zapco will give you a better product than the SS or JBL but cost more and close to the ZED, Audison, or BB, but will cost slightly less.