TSC17
10+ year member
Member
First let me thank Don (6spdcoupe) for all his help. Based on my wants and needs he recommended a great system, and added plenty of technical support throughout the process. He's a great guy to deal with.
I have a 007 Acura TL Type S with an oem 5.1 surround system. The first part of the system upgrade was to change the front comps, amp, and sub, and run the center and surround channels off of the oem amp. I listen to a lot of DVD-A music, so keeping the center and surrounds was a must. Later I'll probably upgrade the speakers and amplification for those channels as well. When I listen to 2 channel music, I usually turn down the center and surrounds and let the Germaniums up front and Vanadium sub in the rear do all the work.
First, the DLS A7 amp. This amp is built like a tank! Just look at the detailed photos of it below. Everything is solid, and even all of the knobs and switches are metal. I had a Zapco before, and they used plastic switches, knobs, and gain pots.
It will put out 60w x 4, but I have the 4 channels bridged to make 200w x 2. The sub amp puts out 300 @ 4ohm, 440 @ 2ohm, and 600 @ 1ohm. My sub is wired for (just under) 2 ohms.
The amp is very well built and engineered, and puts out plenty of clean power. DLS Ultimate Series amps aren't necessarily cheap, but in this case you get what you pay for.
The Rainbow Germanium components are as good as advertised. Everybody talks about how good the tweeters are, but what most people fail to report on is just how much bass these produce! They go very low, and are as fast and accurate as you need them to be. The crossovers have so many different wiring configurations that you'll need to give yourself several days to test all of the combinations to find the right one to fit your needs. Regardless of your install, there is a setting that will work well for you.
Now for the sub...Rainbow Vanadium 12. Unfortunately not many people go for these because they look at the price, the power handling, and the Xmax value. They have no idea what they are missing! This is the most musical sub I have ever experienced by far. I've heard a lot of subs that struggle with music from 50hz to 80hz, but these shine from 80 on down. I'm amazed at how fast and accurate this thing is. No matter what kind of music I throw at it, or how fast the drum beats are, the Vanadium never misses! It blends in with the Germaniums just like it should...seamless. If you're looking for max SPL, or throwing a couple thousand watts at a sub, this one probably isn't for you. If however you're looking for a sub that is fast, musical, and has the ability to extend very low when needed, this is THE sub. They tend to prefer smaller enclosures, which is good because I already had a 1cf sealed. Drum beats now hit fast and hard in my chest, and I can feel the strums of bass guitar in my seat. SQL at it's best...
As for listening, I still have the oem amp pushing the center and surrounds. I'll use all channels for 5.1 music, and then I usually turn down the center and surrounds for 2 channel music. It's amazing how good this DLS/Rainbow combinations sounds. I still have a little bit of a hiss issue that I've determined to be on the oem end, but I'll get that squared away in time.
I am extremely pleased with the quality of sound coming from this combination. I'm listening to CD's I've had for a long time as if it were the first time. There are some details in music that I now hear in my car that I've never even picked up on in my home 5.1 system that I've invested heavily into.
DLS A7 Ultimate Series "The Big Five":
Germanium Comps:
Vanadium 12" sub:
Mounted in 1cf sealed enclosure:
Finished look:
I have a 007 Acura TL Type S with an oem 5.1 surround system. The first part of the system upgrade was to change the front comps, amp, and sub, and run the center and surround channels off of the oem amp. I listen to a lot of DVD-A music, so keeping the center and surrounds was a must. Later I'll probably upgrade the speakers and amplification for those channels as well. When I listen to 2 channel music, I usually turn down the center and surrounds and let the Germaniums up front and Vanadium sub in the rear do all the work.
First, the DLS A7 amp. This amp is built like a tank! Just look at the detailed photos of it below. Everything is solid, and even all of the knobs and switches are metal. I had a Zapco before, and they used plastic switches, knobs, and gain pots.
It will put out 60w x 4, but I have the 4 channels bridged to make 200w x 2. The sub amp puts out 300 @ 4ohm, 440 @ 2ohm, and 600 @ 1ohm. My sub is wired for (just under) 2 ohms.
The amp is very well built and engineered, and puts out plenty of clean power. DLS Ultimate Series amps aren't necessarily cheap, but in this case you get what you pay for.
The Rainbow Germanium components are as good as advertised. Everybody talks about how good the tweeters are, but what most people fail to report on is just how much bass these produce! They go very low, and are as fast and accurate as you need them to be. The crossovers have so many different wiring configurations that you'll need to give yourself several days to test all of the combinations to find the right one to fit your needs. Regardless of your install, there is a setting that will work well for you.
Now for the sub...Rainbow Vanadium 12. Unfortunately not many people go for these because they look at the price, the power handling, and the Xmax value. They have no idea what they are missing! This is the most musical sub I have ever experienced by far. I've heard a lot of subs that struggle with music from 50hz to 80hz, but these shine from 80 on down. I'm amazed at how fast and accurate this thing is. No matter what kind of music I throw at it, or how fast the drum beats are, the Vanadium never misses! It blends in with the Germaniums just like it should...seamless. If you're looking for max SPL, or throwing a couple thousand watts at a sub, this one probably isn't for you. If however you're looking for a sub that is fast, musical, and has the ability to extend very low when needed, this is THE sub. They tend to prefer smaller enclosures, which is good because I already had a 1cf sealed. Drum beats now hit fast and hard in my chest, and I can feel the strums of bass guitar in my seat. SQL at it's best...
As for listening, I still have the oem amp pushing the center and surrounds. I'll use all channels for 5.1 music, and then I usually turn down the center and surrounds for 2 channel music. It's amazing how good this DLS/Rainbow combinations sounds. I still have a little bit of a hiss issue that I've determined to be on the oem end, but I'll get that squared away in time.
I am extremely pleased with the quality of sound coming from this combination. I'm listening to CD's I've had for a long time as if it were the first time. There are some details in music that I now hear in my car that I've never even picked up on in my home 5.1 system that I've invested heavily into.
DLS A7 Ultimate Series "The Big Five":
Germanium Comps:
Vanadium 12" sub:
Mounted in 1cf sealed enclosure:
Finished look:
