Power Acoustik full range class D's

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

I hesitate to open this discussion knowing Power Acoustik's reputation, but I'm doing it anyway.

My component speakers are capable of handling a ton of power - and I need a lot out of them to keep up with my sub.

My current component amp is the Lanzar Opti400x4d (bridged). I've been very happy with it. I bought it used, cheap, and for 2+ yrs it never gave me any problems. Recently, however, it seems to have dropped a channel as my right side is VERY attenuated a lot of the time, and partially attenuated ALL of the time. I can (physically) bump the amp and effect its output -- not good.

So -- I'm replacement shopping. I've been happy with its power, and I definitely like the small size. I'm not willing to spend hundreds of dollars on a high quality amp right now, so I'm strictly limited to the budget side of things. Plus, I have some ebay gift certs I need to use.

I noticed PA's new "Razor" full range class D amps. Specifically the RZ4-2000D.

It's spec'd at 500x2 bridged. I expect more like 250-300x2. Photos show 2x30A fuses.

If this amp is durable at all, and my power guesstimate is in the ballpark I think it could be a diamond in the rough considering the price of

Am I kidding myself?

Click to read more...

 

[ThatChevyGuy 5,000+ posts]

Would probably sound pretty rough

 

[galacticmonkey 5,000+ posts]

Go with the Opti250x2. Will give you a solid, clean 250x2 @ 4ohm stereo. Its cheap too, at around $190 brand new.

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

Would probably sound pretty rough

Because it's class D or because it's Pwr Ac?

I don't follow the amp/sq crowd. When it comes to amps I think it's next to impossible to differentiate a $100 amp's sound from a $300 amp's sound given the same measured power.

I'm sure it would get sloppy if I drove it into clipping expecting 500x2 out of it, but at 200-250 I expect its THD to be well within acceptable limits.

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

Go with the Opti250x2. Will give you a solid, clean 250x2 @ 4ohm stereo. Its cheap too, at around $190 brand new.

It's not that cheap. I was looking at used stuff in the $50-80 range before I remembered the gift certs I have.

Plus, it's huge compared to my 400x4d and that Pwr Ac.

I may make myself a guinea pig unless I come across some first hand bad reviews.

 

[Wingman0121 10+ year member]

I had a Power Acoustik LX2 class AB full-range amp running my component sets for a month and I must say it is one of the worst-sounding amp I've ever owned. It had a really metallic sound to it, my imaging is gone and all of my rock music became harsh.

Then again it is Power Acoustik, I wasn't expecting it to beat my Continuum.

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

I had a Power Acoustik LX2 class AB full-range amp running my component sets for a month and I must say it is one of the worst-sounding amp I've ever owned. It had a really metallic sound to it, my imaging is gone and all of my rock music became harsh.
Then again it is Power Acoustik, I wasn't expecting it to beat my Continuum.

That *****.

I had an old PA Gothic 85x4 I used for a while before switching to a ~'00 Zed Opti.

I had no problem with the pa other than it was more like 50x4.

Ess you see kay ess gets censored??

Wow. Really cracking down here in the ol ca.

 

[Wingman0121 10+ year member]

Nah the word opposite of blow has been censored for quite some time, not sure why.

 

[codylucente]

I have been an avid supporter of power acoustik and created this account just to reply to this. i can be found on SMD forum.

PA is made by Sound Stream and are a great product. i would not touch a lanzar.

I own the Power Acoustik RZ4-2000D and two BAMF-4000/1D strapped. powering 2 MOFO 12's

and yes they do not do rated but there is no noticeable sq drop from these products.

The RZ4-2000D claims 160x4 but i use it to run my 100x4 speakers and it does this well.

i recommend this amp only if your head unit and speakers are higher end such as pioneer

Having the culmination of a PA head unit, amp, speakers, and wire will create poor sq but just the amp will not alter the signal enough to have a noticeable difference.

i am a car audio installer on the boarder of Canada and the USA and have done installs from both country's and people never bring them back with any problems such as poor sound quality. The only problem with brands like these is once you get to the higher power products you must be careful of the resistance of your wire because the parts inside are cheap and will blow easily with a voltage drop bellow 10v

so in short make sure you are using proper gauge solid copper wire not CCA which is a knock off (turns white when you scrape it) and your alternator can handle it and you should not have a problem. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Other affordable but higher end brands are:

FLI, Cadence, and Sound Stream

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

I have been an avid supporter of power acoustik and created this account just to reply to this. i can be found on SMD forum.PA is made by Sound Stream and are a great product. i would not touch a lanzar.

I realize this is old, but I just found it in a search so...

It's hard to give much (any) credit to what you have to say when you're plain wrong right out of the gate. And hating on Lanzar in reference to an Optidrive line amp in favor of anything Power Acoustik is about as backasswards as you can get.

Soundstream doesn't "make" Power Acoustik. Soundstream and Power Acoustik don't really "make" anything - as few brands build anything in-house anymore. It would be more precise (although NOT precise) to say Power Acoustik makes Sound Stream than the other way around.

They are made by the lowest bidder, usually from china, occasionally Korea on some higher priced items.

Power Acoustik was founded as a brand name under Epsilon Electronics in 1981. Epsilon didn't acquire Soundstream until 2002.

Soundstream and now PPI (2004) are clearly Epsilon's attempts at the higher price/quality end of the spectrum while Power Acoustik remains the entry-level line.

Some of SS/PPI's lower end lines likely share parts/designs with some of Power Ac's stuff, but the GOOD SS/PPI likely has little in common with PA.

 

[_S7V7N_ 10+ year member]

PPi phantom and SS Tarantula have similar cases. I don't know about the components used inside. I can say the SS sound "okay" for the money. Haven't heard the PPI's yet but they sell quite a few in the vendor/classified section.

SS TX4.560 goes for about 100 bucks shipped.

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

PPi phantom and SS Tarantula have similar cases. I don't know about the components used inside.

They have the same internals, confirmed by a former Epsilon Group employee. They will not sound any different from each other. From my own extensive listening, the Phantom full range amps add nothing to the sound. They're very low on noise and they pack a lot of power.

For a lower cost small amp look at the new PPI iON amps.

 

[_S7V7N_ 10+ year member]

Thanks for the input Trumpet.

I overlooked this thread was a few months old.