phrozen5100
10+ year member
CarAudio.com Elite
I've only been using this thing for a month or so, but I figured I might as well review it anyway. I got this thing for $61 shipped from highdesertaudio on eBay. I was a little disappointed when I received it due to the little scratches / missing RF logo, but I figured it would make up for that with its performance...so I got around to hooking this thing up and holy crap was I ever wrong. This had to have been the biggest POS DOA amp I'd ever seen. One channel would put out some power but the background noise and alternator whine was godawful and made me wanna just go **** myself. The other channel didn't work at all. If I didn't have my warranty, I would have gladly set this thing on fire...but, luckily for me I did have a warranty and I sent it back, only to get it repaired within about three weeks. So at that point I got to actually test this thing out...
Power Output: 10/10
No complaints at all here, I'm using this to power my JL XR650-CSi component set.
It does a fine job powering them to their potential. The 2002 models were extremely underrated at 25w x 2 @ 4 ohms w/ 12.6v input. They later updated the power rating to 75w x 2 @ 4 ohms and 125w x 2 @ 2 ohms w/ 14.4v input. These ratings are also CEA-2006 compliant.
Efficiency: 9/10
Can't complain about it, I really can't even notice the current draw from it.
Reliability: 5/10
These things have had a lot of problems in the past, there's no doubt about it. Mine had problems at first which had been fixed, and I'd never buy one of these without a warranty unless it had been performing fine for a while or if it was dirt cheap.
Features: 10/10
This is where this thing really shines. The DSP is really great...not only does it look da*n cool, but it's very easy to work with and very useful. It works like a little computer and has: Gain input -high/low/level, HPF, LPF, Punch EQ, Time Delay, SSF, 5 slots to save settings. The DSP allows you to set your crossover points exactly. This was really the main selling point for me.
Cosmetics: 1/10
Ok, sure this looks the exact same as the X5 which I gave a higher score here. But the design of this thing really pisses me off. Thanks to the little plastic pieces, I can sometimes hear a slight rattling coming from the **** thing which I can't do diddly **** about, it seriously bugs me.
Overall: 9/10
Despite it's reliability problems, I like this thing. The features and price/power ratio just make this thing a killer deal...well, unless you're one of those poor bastards buying directly from RF, in which case this is like $500.00 or so. But the refurbs are a **** good deal, and hard to beat for the price (unless they break after the warranty is over). Just be sure to get a warranty with it...
Power Output: 10/10
No complaints at all here, I'm using this to power my JL XR650-CSi component set.
It does a fine job powering them to their potential. The 2002 models were extremely underrated at 25w x 2 @ 4 ohms w/ 12.6v input. They later updated the power rating to 75w x 2 @ 4 ohms and 125w x 2 @ 2 ohms w/ 14.4v input. These ratings are also CEA-2006 compliant.
Efficiency: 9/10
Can't complain about it, I really can't even notice the current draw from it.
Reliability: 5/10
These things have had a lot of problems in the past, there's no doubt about it. Mine had problems at first which had been fixed, and I'd never buy one of these without a warranty unless it had been performing fine for a while or if it was dirt cheap.
Features: 10/10
This is where this thing really shines. The DSP is really great...not only does it look da*n cool, but it's very easy to work with and very useful. It works like a little computer and has: Gain input -high/low/level, HPF, LPF, Punch EQ, Time Delay, SSF, 5 slots to save settings. The DSP allows you to set your crossover points exactly. This was really the main selling point for me.
Cosmetics: 1/10
Ok, sure this looks the exact same as the X5 which I gave a higher score here. But the design of this thing really pisses me off. Thanks to the little plastic pieces, I can sometimes hear a slight rattling coming from the **** thing which I can't do diddly **** about, it seriously bugs me.
Overall: 9/10
Despite it's reliability problems, I like this thing. The features and price/power ratio just make this thing a killer deal...well, unless you're one of those poor bastards buying directly from RF, in which case this is like $500.00 or so. But the refurbs are a **** good deal, and hard to beat for the price (unless they break after the warranty is over). Just be sure to get a warranty with it...
