Newer 4 ch amps just seem to suk

[Boominburban 10+ year member]

Since when is it the standard for a 4 ch amp to have 1% THD @ rated power ???

ALL of my older MTX, RF, PPI,and Kwood amps are like .1% at the worst, or most are .05%THD @ rated power....

what gives ??? Am I just too OS here ??

I have checked, new PPI,MB Quart, SOME Sundowns,Kwood, RF,MTX .... ect, ect ......they are all 1%thd @ rated power now ....

Whats the point in spending $ on good components, just to settle for 1% thd @ 150 rms to run them loud ???

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[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Sources are better so that makes up for it. New amps don't color like old ABs either.

 

[Boominburban 10+ year member]

Well, what lead up to this was a bit of experimenting in my truck. I run a newer Kwood in it. And noticed that it too, is 1% @ rated power @ 4 ohms. Well, I run it at 2 ohms 4 channel on 2 sets of Infinty Kappa's in the doors. SO, it is presumably even dirtier than that.

SO, I unhooked the Infinity's from the Kwood, and substitute in 2 old RF heatsinks, that I have re-boarded with new 200.2 boards, and the sound is SO much nicer (warmer i guess) and cleaner at all volume levels.

SO, I started looking around to replace the Kwood 5ch with a couple cleaner amps .... and what I found just took me by surprise. I figured that 4 ch amps, that are generally used for mids/highs, would be even cleaner than they used to be ..... HA, not so much .....

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Well, what lead up to this was a bit of experimenting in my truck. I run a newer Kwood in it. And noticed that it too, is 1% @ rated power @ 4 ohms. Well, I run it at 2 ohms 4 channel on 2 sets of Infinty Kappa's in the doors. SO, it is presumably even dirtier than that.
SO, I unhooked the Infinity's from the Kwood, and substitute in 2 old RF heatsinks, that I have re-boarded with new 200.2 boards, and the sound is SO much nicer (warmer i guess) and cleaner at all volume levels.

SO, I started looking around to replace the Kwood 5ch with a couple cleaner amps .... and what I found just took me by surprise. I figured that 4 ch amps, that are generally used for mids/highs, would be even cleaner than they used to be ..... HA, not so much .....

They exist. Just expensive. They still make a lot of power at .05%. How many 160x4 amps where around? They can still do 100x4 at .05

 

[gckless 5,000+ posts]

You probably won't notice 1%. Some can. That being said, the 1% rating is probably due to the CEA standard. And even if some don't rate with CEA, might be rating at 1% just to be comparable. Just a guess.

 

[Boominburban 10+ year member]

Yea, I'd like to buy your ZED to run low/mid/high with, but dam. I can't swing that kinda cheese for my old work truck .....

 

[Boominburban 10+ year member]

Well, I kinda found what I'm looking for. JL HD 600/4- 110dB s/n - .03% thd @ rated - 150 rms per ch. 11 x 9 x 2 inches ...MAN, they are proud of them too ...

Found one here;

JL Audio HD600 4 Car Amplifier Take Out from Conversion Sprinter Barely Used 011170030605 | eBay

But kinda don't trust the seller. Looks like he has two auctions going for the same amp, to see which one brings more $$ ....

JL Audio HD600 4 Car Amplifier Take Out from Conversion Sprinter Barely Used 011170030605 | eBay