JL vs Sundown

[Brian_smith06 10+ year member]

I'm very pleased with my three Sundown amps, but the moment JL Audio comes out with that new HD 800/5 amp (75x4 + 500x1), I'm buying one! Small and powerful!
Even with MSRP at $1,100, it's worth it to me.

I'll toss my two 8W7's and replace it with one Image Dynamics IDQ12 (or maybe IDMAX12). One amp and one subwoofer. It'll free up a lot of space in my trunk and save some weight, too.

when does this come out? thats almost exactly what i want. plus that amp is sexy as hell.

really wish i could get 300 watts per side though //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[Enellz 10+ year member]

Wouldn't mind owning a JL amp, and that I always love that sense of "**** man you got blank in your trunk?" question. But in my opnion just way too overpriced. I always though MTV cribs made JL Audio what it is, not consumers.

 

[bamaster 10+ year member]

Haha. Here's the specs on the 800/5:

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/jlaudio_pages.php?page_id=273

According to MSmith on DIYMA, it will be out in May... in mass quantities in June/July.

 

[Cameron_B 10+ year member]

I have yet to fully try out my Sae-1200

I have only ran it at 4 ohms.

It puts out more than 500w at 4 ohms I am pretty certain, and very efficeint.

I will have to test it more though (at 1-ohm), my favorite amp until this point was my old audioque 2200. I wish I could have the same one I had back. Sold it for $350 :/

 

[DARKHART 10+ year member]

Having owned both and currently being a Sundown dealer I would diff go with the 100.4. You will get more that double the power output a 2ohms than the JL and the Sundown will still remain clean while doing it. As stated before the customer service is top notch and Jacob is on the forums nearly every night to answer any questions you may have. The new 100.4's are more flexable than previous models with greater control, they are just an incredible amp at an incredible price point that I don't think can really be matched by others......//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[Tonyguy 10+ year member]

JL. I got my 300/4 for a great price and I love it.

 

[infamous_e46 5,000+ posts]

This is like comparing a stock car to a tuner car

 

[Vermithrax 10+ year member]

This is like comparing a stock car to a tuner car

You mean as in a well built good performing high priced stocker vs. a well modified more powerful less expensive tuner? Or vice versa?

 

[wu501 10+ year member]

I get alot of JL amps in on trade for my stuff if that tells you anything.

Being one of the biggest forum boners doesn't hurt either //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif Sundown is some good stuff though. I have played with a 100.4 and a 1500 and they seemed like solid performers.

 

[badvlvo 10+ year member]

I have owned 4 or 5 JL amps. Bought them all used and they have all been good to me. But someone made the comment that Cribs built the company. Yeah, the retailers cut some huge deals to big names a few years ago and it paid off. They are well built but nothing that special.

I have seen and heard the Sundown equipment and it does the job. It has a higher quality look and feel than the mass produced JL. Then there's the customer service. While I have not experienced this myself, it is almost legendary at this point.

I'm not in the market for amps right now but Sundown will have my business in the future.

I personally like to support the small businesses that produce quality product.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

This is like comparing a stock car to a tuner car

Huh?

Unless Korea started putting Kimber electrolytics in and winding toroids with Litz wire, I'm not sure I follow.

 

[jluv 10+ year member]

I've been running JL amps for a long time and I'm extremely satisfied. They have a 2-year warranty, and my experience with their customer service has been excellent. I recently upgraded my Slash amps to HD amps.

I've never tried Sundown products, but I really have no motivation to do so.

It sounds like you'll be happy with either one.

 

[gunz4me 10+ year member]

I'm very pleased with my three Sundown amps, but the moment JL Audio comes out with that new HD 800/5 amp (75x4 + 500x1), I'm buying one! Small and powerful!
Even with MSRP at $1,100, it's worth it to me.

I'll toss my two 8W7's and replace it with one Image Dynamics IDQ12 (or maybe IDMAX12). One amp and one subwoofer. It'll free up a lot of space in my trunk and save some weight, too.

I am about to rip my back seats out to save some weight and go with a hidden amp rack I am still trying to plot how I can squeeze an IDMAX 12 into the JL Audio Stealthbox without making too many modifications! If/when something happens to that 13w6, I will probably want to try something else!

Now to get back on topic, I would like to give Sundown a try, but I have been gearing up for an old school amp install The main thing I don't like about JL Audio is their main selling point.... It is the fact that their amplifiers are HIGHLY REGULATED! Don't get me wrong, making rated power between 1.5 and 4 ohms is impressive.... I just don't like highly regulated power amplifiers.

 

[bamaster 10+ year member]

I am about to rip my back seats out to save some weight and go with a hidden amp rack I am still trying to plot how I can squeeze an IDMAX 12 into the JL Audio Stealthbox without making too many modifications! If/when something happens to that 13w6, I will probably want to try something else!
Now to get back on topic, I would like to give Sundown a try, but I have been gearing up for an old school amp install The main thing I don't like about JL Audio is their main selling point.... It is the fact that their amplifiers are HIGHLY REGULATED! Don't get me wrong, making rated power between 1.5 and 4 ohms is impressive.... I just don't like highly regulated power amplifiers.

I'm guessing you have a Mustang? How do you like that Stealthbox? I've never heard a 13W6 but it has a good rep.

 

[gunz4me 10+ year member]

I'm guessing you have a Mustang? How do you like that Stealthbox? I've never heard a 13W6 but it has a good rep.

Yep, I have 2006 GT and a 1997 Civic.

But back to the Mustang.... the Stealthbox is OK and geared more towards SQ than SPL. If I had to do it all over again, I would have just built my own fiberglass enclosure and gone with an IDMAX 12. The only problem was I had to have a system in August 2008, and it was WAY too hot outside to even think about playing with fiberglass!

I am gearing up to revamp the system soon and I am going to run some relics that I have in storage right now. Soon it will be time to knock the dust off some Linear Power amps

Right now I am jealous of your Roush supercharger, but I want to do like one of my friends in New Orleans did.... He put a Kenne Bell 2.6 on his 2005 GT with a Modular Mustang Racing Lower end. He is getting 650 to the wheels and has a 175 shot of nitrous on top of that. His current block was built to handle 1,000 horsepower versus his stock block that went boom on 10 psi of boost when he just had the Kenne Belle. Too bad he was banned from the drag strip for running too fast without a roll cage