Have JL XD400/4 - need more power. Suggestions ?

[E368 10+ year member]

I need a more powerful / cleaner 4ch amp to drive the 2-way (tweeter + 8" driver) in the front of my car. Now I have this amp:

JL Audio XD400/4 Class D 4-channel amplifier is rated at 75 Watts RMS x 4-channels in 4-ohm at 20 to 20,000Hz with a signal-to-noise-ratio of 104 dB and a total harmonic distortion of 1% while receiving 14.4 Volts.

Width 8.5 in

Depth 7.1 in

Height 2 in

My budget is $1000 and I need an amp that isn't much larger than the JL. Max dimensions would be:

Width 9 in

Depth 10 in

Height 3 in

I have searched the normal candidates (JL (HD600/4 is probably too big), Alpine, Focal, etc) but everything is either small and cheaper (not real, old-school BIG Watts) or physically huge. Can anyone recommend a few brands or models to consider?

Driver specs:

Woofer

Size - 200 mm (8")

Power Handling 100 W Continuous Power / 300 W Peak Power

Impedance 4 Ω

Frequency Response 35 ÷ 3k Hz

Sensitivity 93,5 dB/Spl

Magnet - High density flux ferrite

Thanks

Click to read more...

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

75x4 is plenty. Talk about the install itself.

But yes there’s a few that have 200-250x4 for that size and under $1000

The DD SS4B is the one I want to upgrade mine with.

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

ihttp://www.arcaudio.com/p/moto-600-4/amplifiers_moto-series?pp=24 shits on the JL amps...

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

I like a lot of power on my speakers, and I have also found that cutting back on power without changing anything else still left me with a shockingly loud presence of full sound in the car. This is with 6.5" midbass woofers with a sensitivity quite a bit lower than your 8" speakers, and 1" tweeters, powered separately with 4 amplifier channels.

What are you urgently seeking that you believe more power will handle today?

 

[E368 10+ year member]

I like a lot of power on my speakers, and I have also found that cutting back on power without changing anything else still left me with a shockingly loud presence of full sound in the car. This is with 6.5" midbass woofers with a sensitivity quite a bit lower than your 8" speakers, and 1" tweeters, powered separately with 4 amplifier channels.
What are you urgently seeking that you believe more power will handle today?

My goal was to be able to listen at higher volumes with less distortion. My thinking was that the JL's 75W RMS @ 1% THD isn't very clean power and going to something more powerful would improve the high-volume punch. Am I on the wrong path?

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

My goal was to be able to listen at higher volumes with less distortion. My thinking was that the JL's 75W RMS @ 1% THD isn't very clean power and going to something more powerful would improve the high-volume punch. Am I on the wrong path?

You are on the wrong path. 1% is inaudible by far. A speaker itself has a higher distortion profile.

Output mostly comes from install. If you have a lot of cabin noise, quiet it down. If the doors are not sealed, seal them up to stop the backwave.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

You are on the wrong path. 1% is inaudible by far. A speaker itself has a higher distortion profile. Output mostly comes from install. If you have a lot of cabin noise, quiet it down. If the doors are not sealed, seal them up to stop the backwave.

Sorry to say thats only half of it. Power makes a noticeable impact when it comes to output. There's only soo much you can do to refine the acoustics, after a certain point you need a bit of brute force especially if you are trying to keep up with a huge sub stage.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Sorry to say thats only half of it. Power makes a noticeable impact when it comes to output. There's only soo much you can do to refine the acoustics, after a certain point you need a bit of brute force especially if you are trying to keep up with a huge sub stage.

It does but his power is fine for what he has.

To get a good gain his drivers will strain and add even more distortion.

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

It does but his power is fine for what he has. To get a good gain his drivers will strain and add even more distortion.

wtf

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

wtf

Look at his driver specs. If he tosses a 150 on them they will be maxed out. Raising distortion.

He will have to back it off in which case he won’t be gaining anything.

I like having power but I don’t use half of it.

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

Look at his driver specs. If he tosses a 150 on them they will be maxed out. Raising distortion. He will have to back it off in which case he won’t be gaining anything.

I like having power but I don’t use half of it.

how on earth do you know he is hitting power compression or excursion limits? not to mention there is no doubt its going to be clean for the lower distortion from the amp no nearing its output limits.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

how on earth do you know he is hitting power compression or excursion limits? not to mention there is no doubt its going to be clean for the lower distortion from the amp no nearing its output limits.

Do you know you hear the speaker before the amp? Go look at some good drivers distortion profiles. You will see they are around 5%

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

Do you know you hear the speaker before the amp? Go look at some good drivers distortion profiles. You will see they are around 5%

we aren't arguing main source of distortion. we are arguing if he is distorting the signal before the drivers even hit their limits vs driver being non linear.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

we aren't arguing main source of distortion. we are arguing if he is distorting the signal before the drivers even hit their limits vs driver being non linear.

1% is not distorting the signal.

Here is food for thought. A very good midrange. Ranges .05% all the way to 3%THD. http://medleysmusings.com/ssrev12/

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

1% is not distorting the signal. Here is food for thought. A very good midrange. Ranges .05% all the way to 3%THD. http://medleysmusings.com/ssrev12/

what the ****? you are smoking crack today brotater?