Taramps BASS 5K vs DS18 H-KO5

[LFR]

Love to see guys how have played with both units. I have been Korean amps for a long time... Love to see guys with the electrical to back the amp give some real world feed back.

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[metalheadjoe 10+ year member]

Biggest con of taramps is no bass knob.

 

[djdilliodon!]

My first smart 5k died within an hour of installation. My guess it was simply a dud and it happens. My replacement smart 5k has been fantastic. I have two batteries, one under the hood is an xspower 51R and in the trunk is an xspower xp2000. I have an autotech 320 amp alternator and if the car is above 1500-1800 rpm it holds solid at 14.4-14.5 with the clip light solid lol. At idle without revving it voltage can get into the 12’s. I also run a DS1200x4 at 2 ohms. These things are definitely pretty darn efficient! My biggest complaints about taramps is the Xovers and no bass knob. The money saved though imo far out weighs this, again, imo. I have a 9 band EQ i purposely installed to act as my bass knob. I’m currently seeing smart 5k’s for $437 on Amazon. That imo is just incredible! I’m from the days power cost $1 or more per watt so this still kinda baffles me .

As far as the Korean amps go (let the flames begin lol), just cause they are built in Korea doesn’t mean they are good. Internal components mean more than anything! Just cause the boards are the same doesn’t mean the internal components are and that is what makes all the difference! That is also what makes them more expensive (unless whoever is rebranding is just trying to rip people off and using the cheaper stuff). With quality components these tend to take more abuse when it comes to voltage fluctuations. The cons imo are the bigger foot print, cost, and they arent as efficient. It all comes down to personal preference. This applies across the board when it comes to subs and speakers. Sound is purely subjective! What sounds good to me might sound like total azz to you.

 

[LFR]

I order one. I have a line driver/ 7 band eq.
I want to see if its worth moving out of DS18. I didnt order the DS18 H-KO5 yet. Just dropped 5k on my transmission lol. I can get 2 of the smart 5k bass for one DS18

 

[Popwarhomie 5,000+ posts]

I have no complaints with my Smart 5 Bass. I have a 40ah Yinlong lithium bank and 320 amp alternator charging around 15.8 cold and 15.5 hot. I get 0.01 volt drop full tilt.

 

[LFR]

I have no complaints with my Smart 5 Bass. I have a 40ah Yinlong lithium bank and 320 amp alternator charging around 15.8 cold and 15.5 hot. I get 0.01 volt drop full tilt.

Hell yeah

 

[metalheadjoe 10+ year member]

I should add; I recently switched from a Korean 5k (HCCA5000.1dv2) to a Taramps Smart5 bass. Having no bass-knob is a huge negatron to me.

I am thrown-off by how tiny and light my Taramps feels; 5kw should be heavy! I haven't worked my Taramps nearly as hard as I did my Orion, but at moderate levels (140ish db), it sounds good. The subs are delayed compared to the music, and I don't remember that with any of my last three amps. I could adjust timing, but I didn't have to with other amps.

 

[Popwarhomie 5,000+ posts]

A quality RCA bass knob is $20.

Taramps just released this as well.

Taramps EQ Bass - Taramps Store

div class= admake-description id= admake-description div class= admake-description__text div class= container config-container-product div class= box

www.tarampstore.com

 

[Bobbytwonames 5,000+ posts]

I should add; I recently switched from a Korean 5k (HCCA5000.1dv2) to a Taramps Smart5 bass. Having no bass-knob is a huge negatron to me.

I am thrown-off by how tiny and light my Taramps feels; 5kw should be heavy! I haven't worked my Taramps nearly as hard as I did my Orion, but at moderate levels (140ish db), it sounds good. The subs are delayed compared to the music, and I don't remember that with any of my last three amps. I could adjust timing, but I didn't have to with other amps.

Why would your subs be delayed?

 

[metalheadjoe 10+ year member]

Why would your subs be delayed?

Circuitry of the amp.

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

A quality RCA bass knob is $20.

Taramps just released this as well.

Taramps EQ Bass - Taramps Store

div class= admake-description id= admake-description div class= admake-description__text div class= container config-container-product div class= box

www.tarampstore.com

Thats a bad azz Bass Knob

 

[LFR]

I hit Taramps up. I may be able to get em direct

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

My first smart 5k died within an hour of installation. My guess it was simply a dud and it happens. My replacement smart 5k has been fantastic. I have two batteries, one under the hood is an xspower 51R and in the trunk is an xspower xp2000. I have an autotech 320 amp alternator and if the car is above 1500-1800 rpm it holds solid at 14.4-14.5 with the clip light solid lol. At idle without revving it voltage can get into the 12’s. I also run a DS1200x4 at 2 ohms. These things are definitely pretty darn efficient! My biggest complaints about taramps is the Xovers and no bass knob. The money saved though imo far out weighs this, again, imo. I have a 9 band EQ i purposely installed to act as my bass knob. I’m currently seeing smart 5k’s for $437 on Amazon. That imo is just incredible! I’m from the days power cost $1 or more per watt so this still kinda baffles me .

As far as the Korean amps go (let the flames begin lol), just cause they are built in Korea doesn’t mean they are good. Internal components mean more than anything! Just cause the boards are the same doesn’t mean the internal components are and that is what makes all the difference! That is also what makes them more expensive (unless whoever is rebranding is just trying to rip people off and using the cheaper stuff). With quality components these tend to take more abuse when it comes to voltage fluctuations. The cons imo are the bigger foot print, cost, and they arent as efficient. It all comes down to personal preference. This applies across the board when it comes to subs and speakers. Sound is purely subjective! What sounds good to me might sound like total azz to you.

well, actually, Korean amps generally use better components than their Chinese counterparts, so, Korean design and construction usually mean better. I have run both the Traramps and the Hoolegans, and will take the Hoolegans all day long. The damping factor alone is reason enough given the price/wattage equivalents.

 

[djdilliodon!]

well, actually, Korean amps generally use better components than their Chinese counterparts, so, Korean design and construction usually mean better. I have run both the Traramps and the Hoolegans, and will take the Hoolegans all day long. The damping factor alone is reason enough given the price/wattage equivalents.

You will never hear or notice that damping factor. You look inside those amps and see the brands of caps etc and you will sometimes see they are the same or of equal quality. Taramps isn’t Chinese made. Not all Korean amps are created equal either. Class D power is Class D power, if they make the rated power or more, it comes down to efficiency, features, price, and size if space is limited. Of course another important factor is warranty and how well a brand stands by it. It’s never fun when an amp blows and you have to wait for it to be repaired or when you wait and they say it’s not covered. A hooligan 5k is $1000, a smart 5k can be had for $460. The crossovers are junk on that smart 5k but if it blows up, I send it right back to Amazon and get another one in 2-3 days no questions asked (which is exactly what I did). For me paying double for better crossovers isn’t worth it to me. To say something is better quality and not being able to hear a difference isn’t worth it to me either. It all comes down to personal preference.

 

[Eggs]

well, actually, Korean amps generally use better components than their Chinese counterparts, so, Korean design and construction usually mean better. I have run both the Traramps and the Hoolegans, and will take the Hoolegans all day long. The damping factor alone is reason enough given the price/wattage equivalents.

What rms hooligan HKO did you run and did run warm? Been eyeing up the (2) 5k’s or 10k. Thanks