Thoughts on my new equipment ....

[blue 10+ year member]

I changed some of my equipment out , and it gave me some new listening perspectives and opinions based on the experience , so I thought I'd share my thoughts ....

I switched my Alpine CDA-7998 for the Clarion DRZ9255 , and that's a pretty big move for me , considering I've used Alpine HU's exclusively for 5 years now..... Here's what I hear : The bass is MUCH improved with the Clarion and the mids and highs are more airy and transparent.... The Alpine had a more foreward and dynamic sounding midrange. While the SQ is better with the Clarion , the Alpine was very close , and considering you can get the Alpine for about $250 on E-Bay , it's still a steal. The Clarion is MUCH more difficult to adjust and navigate the settings , but the EQ allows for much more adjustment. The Alpine's X-overs had more adjustability , but the time delay was also harder to use ..... Since the Clarion is still breaking in , I'm quite sure it will improve even more , and end up REALLY being awesome in the SQ dept .....

Lastly , I owned an Alpine 20th anniversary 7909 , and it was still EASILY the best sounding CD Player I've ever heard in a car .... If Alpine ever brings it back out , but with time alignment , x-over , and eq .... it WILL rule all in my opinion.

Next I upgraded my Diamond Audio D5 amps , for Diamond Audio D7 amps .... and the things I noticed the most is :

#1 - The D7 is easily the best sounding car amp I've heard ( even better than the Zapco Competition and Audisons I owned : just as dynamic , powerful , and detailed as those , but smoother and more transparent )

#2 - The D7 made me realize just how good the D5's really are !!! They sound very similiar , and that's a good thing considering the D5's are *****d out VERY cheaply , both on Ebay and used...... I place the D5 amps very close to the Zapco amps , at a fraction of the price , making them in my opinion , the steal of the mobile audio industry.....

Hope this helps someone......

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[johnecon2001 5,000+ posts]

amp's do not "add" or make anything more detailed FYI. Unless you plan on using Tube amps. Those will color the sound a bit, but otherwise, the differences you are noticing are probably due to the built in crossovers and the new deck.

 

[bri487 5,000+ posts]

the zapco ref is a notch above the d7's, especially with the symballink features.

 

[blue 10+ year member]

the zapco ref is a notch above the d7's, especially with the symballink features.

I've owned the competition series , which is above the ref , and disagree completely //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif JMO

 

[blue 10+ year member]

amp's do not "add" or make anything more detailed FYI. Unless you plan on using Tube amps. Those will color the sound a bit, but otherwise, the differences you are noticing are probably due to the built in crossovers and the new deck.

Everything electronic in a piece of equipment , has a direct effect on the output sound .... That's what is does by it's own inherent nature , what it's designed to do ......

So obviously better designs and better parts can affect how the signal arrives at the outputs , wether negative , neutral , or positive , but it will be affected to some degree. That is why Zapco sounds better than Jensen.

BTW .... I changed the amps out a week prior to changing the HU or anything else.... it was a direct apples to apples comparison , and I am hearing inner detail and texture I did not hear before , but it could be due to the D7's propriatery flux capacitors !!!! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif :laugh: //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif

 

[bri487 5,000+ posts]

I've owned the competition series , which is above the ref , and disagree completely //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif JMO

no shit the C2k's are above the ref's. i was comparing the ref's to the D7's, which the ref's are still better than the D7's.

oh and by the way, i have owned amps from all those lines (c2ks, refs, d7s, d5s)

 

[johnecon2001 5,000+ posts]

Everything electronic in a piece of equipment , has a direct effect on the output sound .... That's what is does by it's own inherent nature , what it's designed to do ......So obviously better designs and better parts can affect how the signal arrives at the outputs , wether negative , neutral , or positive , but it will be affected to some degree. That is why Zapco sounds better than Jensen.

BTW .... I changed the amps out a week prior to changing the HU or anything else.... it was a direct apples to apples comparison , and I am hearing inner detail and texture I did not hear before , but it could be due to the D7's propriatery flux capacitors !!!! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif :laugh: //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif

Ok. If you say so.

I think your tricking yourself a little though. What was probably happening was you weren't fully powering your speakers with the D5's. With the arrival of the D7's you brought more power to the table, which in turn brought out the frequencies that were missing before. As I also stated before, the internal crossovers on the new amp are probably better than the D5's. So in turn the amplifier parts that actually amplify the incoming signal do not change the sound (they merely reproduce it). The better crossovers and the added power are what you are hearing.

 

[blue 10+ year member]

Ok. If you say so.
I think your tricking yourself a little though. What was probably happening was you weren't fully powering your speakers with the D5's. With the arrival of the D7's you brought more power to the table, which in turn brought out the frequencies that were missing before. As I also stated before, the internal crossovers on the new amp are probably better than the D5's. So in turn the amplifier parts that actually amplify the incoming signal do not change the sound (they merely reproduce it). The better crossovers and the added power are what you are hearing.

OK , If you say so ....

But the power is exactly the same , and I'm using the deck's active x-overs , and was using the old deck's x-overs for a week , on BOTH amps ..... must be my imagination //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

 

[blue 10+ year member]

no shit the C2k's are above the ref's. i was comparing the ref's to the D7's, which the ref's are still better than the D7's.
oh and by the way, i have owned amps from all those lines (c2ks, refs, d7s, d5s)

It's an opinion , just like a ******* , and I still disagree with you , no matter what amps you've owned .....//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eyebrow.gif.fe2c18d8720fe8c7eaed347b21ea05a5.gif

 

[bri487 5,000+ posts]

It's an opinion , just like a ******* , and I still disagree with you , no matter what amps you've owned .....//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eyebrow.gif.fe2c18d8720fe8c7eaed347b21ea05a5.gif

i respect an opinion, but the ref is a better amp than the D7. i think you just let the good looks of the D7 fool you.

 

[Randy Savage 5,000+ posts]

POS Esoteric amps //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Will say one thing- an amplifier has one job- to amplify a signal. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[blue 10+ year member]

i respect an opinion, but the ref is a better amp than the D7. i think you just let the good looks of the D7 fool you.

Yes .... I buy ONLY on looks alone .... You can see the cheap and crappy parts quality on the inside of the Diamond amp ....

I see you own JL amps ...... Ha ha he he ha ha ho ho .... hmmm

Whew ! I needed that !

Seriously now ...... your statement is nothing more than your opinion , and I've heard it several times ...... Go away now , or add something significant //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/uhoh.gif.c07307dd22ee7e63e22fc8e9c614d1fd.gif

 

[3.5Max6spd 10+ year member]

POS Esoteric amps //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif
Will say one thing- an amplifier has one job- to amplify a signal. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

lol...

the D7's(Esoterics) though nice amps, great xover section....sonically is no holy grail...

 

[blue 10+ year member]

lol...
the D7's(Esoterics) though nice amps, great xover section....sonically is no holy grail...

You are correct .... but they do sound better than any other amp I've tried in my particular systems. The Zapco Comps would get my next nod , then in order .... Audison , PPI , and some older Rockford series ( DSM I believe )

Funny , though good amps most of them , I never could get these listed amps to sound how I wanted for numerous reasons ....

McIntosh , Butler Tube Drivers , Soundstream , Phoenix Gold , and JL Audio .....

They were decent amps I'm sure , they just didn't click in my system ....

I guess that's why there are so many choices for us all.....

 

[ss3079 5,000+ posts]

you have a big mouth for a 23 poster. and multiple thread abuser . . why dont you F*ck a way OFF aS$hole!!!!!!!!! you dont even know the diff between bridged and stereo! and you think you can come and and talk sh*t .. .what an idiot!!!THESE THREADS SHOULD BE LOCKED, BUMPED, AND BANNED!!!!!!!!!!!

You have such a big mouth for a guy who joined in March of this year and has 405 posts //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif . I suggest you never reply in this thread again ... in fact, don't bother posting until you've grown up.

blue - you have some nice equipment there, and I'm glad you like it.