Top Brand Amplifier Rankings

[bri487 5,000+ posts]

Not true...depends whether your dealing with him or his kid.

you two had a kid together?

 

[3.5Max6spd 10+ year member]

There are many threads on the subject, but I have not seen one that explains things in simpler terms. I'm a car guy so if someone could explain the differences in the higher brand amps listed below in term of cars, or on a scale of 1-100 it would help me understand if amp A is better than amp B, how much better is it. I'm from the 90's so back then the standard was PPI art, US Amps and P.G. The first thing that came to mind was Arc XXK vs Arc SE (Camaro vs Corvette). The XXK give you niiice bang for the buck (camaro), but you know you are not getting their top of the line (corvette). And you pay alot more for features but don't get much more wattage for your dollar. Here are some brands I'd like to hear about and how they rank against each other (since I've been hearing so much about them):
Genesis

Brax

Tru

Sinfoni

PPI Art

P.G. from mid 90's

US Amps mid 90's

Arc XXK and SE

Zapco (new)

McIntosh

From the highest build quality standpoint, most attention to detail and flawless boards (like a piece of fine jewelry) I do not think it gets any nicer than Brax/Helix, Sinfoni, Audison VRx, and McIntosh. I have not been as impressed by gut pics of the Genesis series 3 to say that other than their heatsink, they are as flawlessly and seamlessly put together as the Audiotech fischer product or the gorgeous handwork of the Sinfoni. The Gennies look similar in build to say the Celestra.

As far as features and raw power go I feel the Arc SE's and Zapco C2k offer a better watt/per dollar value in the higher end scale and are not known to be colorful in nature- just amplifiers. Using 1% components and competetive specs.

 

[CBFryman2 5,000+ posts]

i think the best amps out there are kickers SX/KX/ZX amp line. ZX/KX are rated at 2500 at two ohms and actually put out at least 2700 at the two ohms, not only that they ares stable at 1 ohm and for burmping they go dow to .5.
I also kike the DD amps and RF's Power series. both put out assloads of power

"The 20.1 really comes alive at 0.25ohm" //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

there are other amps out there that can handle almost a dead short between the terminals. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Talk about powa //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eek.gif.771b7a90cf45cabdc554ff1121c21c4a.gif

 

[Towncar 10+ year member]

From the highest build quality standpoint, most attention to detail and flawless boards (like a piece of fine jewelry) I do not think it gets any nicer than Brax/Helix, Sinfoni, Audison VRx, and McIntosh. I have not been as impressed by gut pics of the Genesis series 3 to say that other than their heatsink, they are as flawlessly and seamlessly put together as the Audiotech fischer product or the gorgeous handwork of the Sinfoni. The Gennies look similar in build to say the Celestra.
As far as features and raw power go I feel the Arc SE's and Zapco C2k offer a better watt/per dollar value in the higher end scale and are not known to be colorful in nature- just amplifiers. Using 1% components and competetive specs.

Lets not forget the fit to finish,and quality on the ms amps //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/yumyum.gif.0556df42231b304b9c995aefd13928a8.gif

http://ampguts.realmofexcursion.com/Phoenix_Gold_MS1000/

 

[stuckinok 5,000+ posts]

id go with

SONY explode

DHD

Rockwood

Pyle

but iam bias....

 

[kublkmax 10+ year member]

I just knew a fight would break out over this topic. The classic Arc Vs Zapco. Bottem line they are both great and I mean great amps, powerful clean and efficant. It just comes down to where your loyalties lie. I for one Love my Arc's becasue that is what I run in my car and have not been happier. But if someone told I had to give up my XXK's then my choice would be the SE's or if funds where abundent the Sinfoni or Tru. Some some spoke about the Kicker stuff. Yeah it is powerful but how is the control and efficiency? What is power with out control.

 

[binterpid 10+ year member]

Lets not forget the fit to finish,and quality on the ms amps //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/yumyum.gif.0556df42231b304b9c995aefd13928a8.gif
http://ampguts.realmofexcursion.com/Phoenix_Gold_MS1000/

amp sucks:naughty:

 

[bri487 5,000+ posts]

I just knew a fight would break out over this topic. The classic Arc Vs Zapco. Bottem line they are both great and I mean great amps, powerful clean and efficant. It just comes down to where your loyalties lie. I for one Love my Arc's becasue that is what I run in my car and have not been happier. But if someone told I had to give up my XXK's then my choice would be the SE's or if funds where abundent the Sinfoni or Tru. Some some spoke about the Kicker stuff. Yeah it is powerful but how is the control and efficiency? What is power with out control.

who's fighting?

 

[Towncar 10+ year member]

amp sucks:naughty:

Thats why you have one right //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

Yeah it is powerful but how is the control and efficiency? What is power with out control.

Control ?

Efficiency is fairly well on them...no worse than your typical amplifier.

But I'm not sure what you mean by "control".

If you are referring to the signal itself...they have no less "control" than any of the amps you mentioned.

If you are referring to signal processing, the SX series are very hard to beat. About the only thing that trumps them in signal processing is the Zapco DC series.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

the dc still has more tuning capabities than the kicker sx. the processing in the dc is the same as the new dsp processing from zapco, its just built in. they have all the processing you will ever need. i wont give up mine for anything.

But the Kicker SX series are a another option for amps with insane amounts of built-in digital processing. I wanted to atleast give them a mention since they and the DC series are pretty much top dogs in the built-in processing category.

Just something else for him to potentially look into.

 

[Hintzyboy 5,000+ posts]

I for one loved my Memphis amp I had a few years back. A little overpriced, but very reliable. Anything from Memphis is bascially bulletproof.

P/S: "bulletproof" is a figure of speech. I know some jackass is going to see this post and ask if you can really shoot the amp.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/waycrazy.gif.f4a380c3f94043939fd369defd9e6be2.gif

 

[binterpid 10+ year member]

Thats why you have one right //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

lol one hell of an amp my only complant is how the speaker terminals and power terminals were made... Tend to break easily, besides that amp is a monster.

 

[ex_03]

From the highest build quality standpoint, most attention to detail and flawless boards (like a piece of fine jewelry) I do not think it gets any nicer than Brax/Helix, Sinfoni, Audison VRx, and McIntosh.

Yes the Irish brand of amps! Loved them, but so pricey for what little power. Dang class a circuitry!

 

[Makaveli7haDon 10+ year member]

what about jbl/crown? imo best looking amps and codeveloped by the most well known pro audio amplifier makers?