Recommend me a Class D Amp....

[thevic24 5,000+ posts]

OK, let me take this thread back in the original direction....
This all started because I was thinking about getting a Hifonics XXV-COLOSSUS to give a pair of dd1508s 600 watts each @ 4 ohms. If I ever decide to jump into full SPL mode, I figure I could always keep this amp and expand on it further. That is where all the trash talking began when I inquired locally.

The Memphis dealer said Hifonics is junk and to get a Memphis amp. Sorry, I have already been burned on Memphis because I already had a Memphis PR amp and it died several times under warranty. I had ordered a Mojo and another M class amp online, and both of them arrived DOA resulting in me having to file UPS claims. Guess what the root of the problem was with all of them? Transistors snapped off the circuit board due to lack of support on ALL of them!

Next I talked to my buddy who works for a local shop and he took it upon himself to show me that Hifonics was junk by showing and playing the cheapest amp in the line.... I would like to think that the Colossus line is better than the entry level Brutus line. Sorry to offend anyone, but I really didn't have high expectations for the Brutus to begin with and now I really think less of the Brutus line.

So basically, I am stuck with either continuing my quest for a decent SQ Class D amp, purchasing another 25 to Life Punch 150 to power my pair of 1508s (one on each), purchasing another huge Linear Power and getting it modded (which is proving to be more difficult with every passing month), OR purchasing a Digital Designs class A/B amp!

ive had excellent results with an older mtx81000d but thoes are hard to find now but you may want to look into some of the newer fusion amps, there build solid and are quite powerful. iam running a nv-am2500 now and its been a great sounding amp and is somewhat nice on my electrical also

-vic

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Just curious, why would you need the LP modded?

 

[gunz4me 10+ year member]

and this proves what? i scored a 98 on the asvab but that dosent prove anything. if your so **** smart then why cant you find a class d amp that good then because many of us have including some sq record holders.

no if nasa wanted to recruit you, well that might be impressive then.

all in fun, iam just bustin your balls

-vic

Mainly, I blame my location as to why I can't find a decent class D amp. Three of the five custom shops push J friggin L audio as the king of SQ, and I think that JL Audio amps ****. If anything, I won't run a JL Audio amp because everybody and his brother has one in this town. I am only running the Stealthbox/13w6v2 in my Mustang because of the economic stimulus package and the fact that I don't do fiberglass in August! Oddly, I am one of the few locals who has a Stealthbox but that is besides the point....

One of the JL dealers also sells Arc Audio but they have NOTHING to demo. Sorry, but I am not in the mood to pay MSRP for something when I have to put a deposit down just to order it through the dealership AND I can not return it if I don't like it. What kind of BS is that?

The shop that used to carry Diamond and Crossfire no longer carries those lines... To boot, one of the owners of that shop, a friend of mine, is currently in jail

As for busting my balls, I don't care. It is all in good fun

 

[gunz4me 10+ year member]

Just curious, why would you need the LP modded?

More power @ 8 ohms mono or 4 ohms stereo. Take my Linear Power 5002 for example, it will produce 850 watts RMS @ 8 ohms mono after modification The 1502IQ went from 75 watts RMS per channel @ 4 ohms to 120 watts RMS per channel.

 

[thevic24 5,000+ posts]

for what they cost iam not impressed with the jl amps eaither. a friend let me try his 500/1 out to compair it to an older mtx 6500d(yes i liked the older mtx amps) and imo the 6500 sounded much better and was a lot more powerful. that amp is now 6 years old and still kicking.

-vic

 

[gunz4me 10+ year member]

ive had excellent results with an older mtx81000d but thoes are hard to find now but you may want to look into some of the newer fusion amps, there build solid and are quite powerful. iam running a nv-am2500 now and its been a great sounding amp and is somewhat nice on my electrical also-vic

My younger cousin has a 81000d that is in need of repair. I need to see if I can convince him to part with it and get it running right

 

[Saint211 10+ year member]

I have a brutus 2008 on a 12 inch nightshade PORTED and the kickdrums actually sound sick and responsive......

if your kick drums sound like one muddy note, you have some real issues going on somewhere

 

[Macklessdaddy 10+ year member]

I was actually stating a fact... It is not polite to brag...
Bragging would be saying that I scored a 96 on the ASVAB in high school and had every branch of the military trying to recruit me. Oh, I didn't get any extra points because of my race either....

So fuccin what,I scored a 156

minus about 90

 

[gunz4me 10+ year member]

I have a brutus 2008 on a 12 inch nightshade PORTED and the kickdrums actually sound sick and responsive......
if your kick drums sound like one muddy note, you have some real issues going on somewhere

I have auditioned a lot of systems over the past couple of months, and 90% of the time, I can pick out a class D amplifier on subwoofers WITHOUT knowing what amplifiers were installed On some of the systems that were running Class D amplifiers where I couldn't tell the difference, they were running them @ 4 ohms versus 1 or 2 ohms.

Here is the kicker though.... I have to play something fast and accurate to hear a difference like: Bass Mekanik's Tocatta in D or double bass drum pumps from bands like: Disturbed, Slayer, Slipknot, Chimaira, All That Remains, Atreyu, and so forth. Anything rap, hip-hop, etc. I have a harder time telling the difference. These same systems even play my favorite Drum and Bass tracks at a level where it is hard to tell that there is a Class D amp on the subwoofers! Of course, the ultimate letdown is hearing Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon sound like ass On a couple of systems, I was able to track it down to excessive bass boost, but that was not always the case.

Maybe I am getting old or maybe I need to look through my family tree to make sure that I have no canine ancestors:wacky: Regardless, something is amiss and thus far, I have been blaming amplifier topology. Granted, I could be 100% off the mark because some of these systems were tuned by the same moron (i.e. not me) and he LOVES using bass boost! He likes bass boost so much, I have seen some of his installs where he puts it at the 3/4 mark!

When it comes to class d subwoofer amps, I need something other than the usual Alpine, Cadence, Hifonics (Bxi or Txi), JL Audio, Kicker, Memphis, or Rockford Fosgate offerings that are readily available locally. I am also boycotting DEI, but mainly because I disagree with their business practices and will NOT have one of their amps or alarm systems in any of my vehicles.

This is where I get stuck. Do I look at spending close to $1,000 or a little more for a higher quality Class D amplifier or do I just grab another class AB amplifier for a lot less? With the savings, I can dump more $$ into a HO alternator and another battery if needed... This whole wild goose chase is due to the fact that I initially got the wild hair to run a more efficient Class D amp on a pair of friggin 8" subwoofers

 

[MarkyMark 10+ year member]

what about the alpine pdx-1.1000? it's a class D. i'm a newb and i just picked this up. you guys are making me feel bad about my purchase now. i didn't know anything about classes of amps.

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

what about the alpine pdx-1.1000? it's a class D. i'm a newb and i just picked this up. you guys are making me feel bad about my purchase now. i didn't know anything about classes of amps.

Don't worry about it. The OP has no clue what he's talking about.

 

[scoob8000 10+ year member]

I have auditioned a lot of systems over the past couple of months, and 90% of the time, I can pick out a class D amplifier on subwoofers WITHOUT knowing what amplifiers were installed On some of the systems that were running Class D amplifiers where I couldn't tell the difference, they were running them @ 4 ohms versus 1 or 2 ohms.

Or maybe those that you can tell the difference on their owners are treating the gain setting as a volume control and have it the entire way up. You can have distortion with any amp.

I listen to a lot of the bands you listed and cannot tell the difference between a class D and a class A/B powering my subs.

Forgive me for not going back thru 6 pages of crap to look, but where is your sub crossover set at?

 

[gunz4me 10+ year member]

Or maybe those that you can tell the difference on their owners are treating the gain setting as a volume control and have it the entire way up. You can have distortion with any amp.
I listen to a lot of the bands you listed and cannot tell the difference between a class D and a class A/B powering my subs.

Forgive me for not going back thru 6 pages of crap to look, but where is your sub crossover set at?

In my Mustang, the 13w6v2 on the class D output is crossed over @ 60 Hz.

In my Civic, the dd1010a on Class A/B power is crossed @ 80 Hz.

 

[gunz4me 10+ year member]

what about the alpine pdx-1.1000? it's a class D. i'm a newb and i just picked this up. you guys are making me feel bad about my purchase now. i didn't know anything about classes of amps.

There is nothing wrong with that amp and don't let my comments make you paranoid. If it sounds good to YOU, then nothing is wrong.

Don't worry about it. The OP has no clue what he's talking about.

Maybe, maybe not. I would be willing to bet that 95% of the people can't tell a difference between Class D and Class A/B power on subwoofers. I have always been the "lucky one" with regards to group studies and clinical trials

Before my tinnitus got worse, I could tell the difference between pristine vinyl and the CD reproducing music on a high quality home theater setup. I could actually hear where the CD would chop off the high frequencies! I blame heredity for blessing me with this curse of tinnitus all my life:verymad:

Lastly, I have to let the cat out of the bag, yet again. Before I was a DJ, I was a musician and played the trombone in various brass sections for bands and orchestras. I am one of the few who actually has perfect pitch hearing

 

[James Bang 5,000+ posts]

Maybe, maybe not. I would be willing to bet that 95% of the people can't tell a difference between Class D and Class A/B power on subwoofers. I have always been the "lucky one" with regards to group studies and clinical trials

Before my tinnitus got worse, I could tell the difference between pristine vinyl and the CD reproducing music on a high quality home theater setup. I could actually hear where the CD would chop off the high frequencies! I blame heredity for blessing me with this curse of tinnitus all my life:verymad:

Lastly, I have to let the cat out of the bag, yet again. Before I was a DJ, I was a musician and played the trombone in various brass sections for bands and orchestras. I am one of the few who actually has perfect pitch hearing

at least my balls are bigger

 

[loud-n-low 10+ year member]

get a high quality class d, or a high quality class a/b. then listen with your ears not your eyes

 

[gunz4me 10+ year member]

at least my balls are bigger

Well, you could have ragged on me for mixing up T/A with T&A

 

[James Bang 5,000+ posts]

get a high quality class d, or a high quality class a/b. then listen with your ears not your eyes

did you just steal that from Nick in the other thread??? that doesn't even apply to this thread...

 

[loud-n-low 10+ year member]

i run a class a/b 1000 watt us amp for sub. the day is coming where i will be getting rid of it. im considering class d(sundown). i havent owned a class d in 10yrs. I didnt care for it back then,but technology has changed. get something of quality, even though it sounds as if you have answered yourself, you seem to want a A/B, so buy one

 

[sundownz Pro Seller]

Dave Edwards won his class in MECA SQ Finals using an SAZ-1500D //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif