What exactly is the deal with Taramps?

[fatboytyler]

Title says it all. I have been doing my own research and always come back with mixed results. I've got some guys pretty local to me that are running HD8000s on less electrical than what I'm going to have and never dropping below 13.6-13.8 on music. For example, he was running a HD8000 with some ****** 200A alternator and 2 Deka G31s in the back with 2 runs of CCA 0 Gauge. Was getting **** near the full rated wattage and like I said had very little voltage drop. I'veheard of several people switching over to Taramps from their other reputable brands putting out similar power and gaining a fair piece on the meter.

My alternator (which I have but will be installed next week) outputs 285A hot (160-190 idle) and will eventually have 2 XS 3100 in the back and a XS 2700 under the hood. I am going to run either 2 runs of OFC or 3 runs of CCA to my back batteries, haven't made up my mind yet.

I can get a killer deal on a new HD8000, so if they truly are a nice little amp I wouldn't mind pulling the trigger once I get the electrical. I was planning on getting 2 Zv4 15s (or something similar) this coming summer. Even if I don't see the full 9k+ I feel like I could easily get 6-7k at my voltage after drop and rise which slam on 2 Zv15s.

I am like most people, I am very hesitant since it claims 9600 at 13.8 Volts and costs way less than any other 9600W amp. I would certainly go with the 2 ohm version if I got one. And for the price shipped to my door its hard to compete with if I can get 7k+ out of it.

Click to read more...

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Some people gain some lose. Butler gained db with less Korean power. The biggest issue with Brazilin power is the negative rail. Basically it's the car, so when they go pop they can take out more than just the amp. They are very picky with voltage and when things go wrong they go very wrong. I thought a long time about going Brazilian but I'm the type that don't like to wonder if something is going to be ok or pay that much attention to it.

 

[los33]

So pretty much so long as the electrical can stay over 12v then there will be no issue?

500$ for a 3000+ watt amp is not bad at all.. comparing to the sq 3500.1d

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

So pretty much so long as the electrical can stay over 12v then there will be no issue?
500$ for a 3000+ watt amp is not bad at all.. comparing to the sq 3500.1d

You are going to be better off but if you measure your voltage with a high quality DMM it will dip lower than 12v for split seconds. I literally thought about it for months, I found success stories but I also found fails. The fails where a bit more than just toasted amps

 

[Based]

idk if I ever dip to below 12.8... I might. I have a 320a singer alt and an agm 65 in the front and a kinetic hc2000 in the back. I use a stinger volt meter to monitor voltage and I use the amp's clip monitor... I just stay out of clipping unless it's for quick transients like kick drums. I don't always clip the kick drums but some times I do when I feel like it. I know Stinger meters aren't super fast so they can't measure the quick dips but my amp has never gotten super hot... I run the HD3000 1 ohm. I really never go below 14 volts EVER now with this singer 320a alt.... But I used to go into the high 12s on occasion with my stock alt.

 

[fatboytyler]

Some people gain some lose. Butler gained db with less Korean power. The biggest issue with Brazilin power is the negative rail. Basically it's the car, so when they go pop they can take out more than just the amp. They are very picky with voltage and when things go wrong they go very wrong. I thought a long time about going Brazilian but I'm the type that don't like to wonder if something is going to be ok or pay that much attention to it.

What else would go? Even if I were fused properly? What voltages did you find they like/dislike?

So pretty much so long as the electrical can stay over 12v then there will be no issue?
500$ for a 3000+ watt amp is not bad at all.. comparing to the sq 3500.1d

I can get the HD8000 for well less than any place online and even better than than the $690 dealer price I see people getting from time to time.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

By all accounts I've seen the "problems" come when people try to run them at high voltage or below rated impedance. There's a guy locally with a 5K that's doing very nicely. Personally I've had good luck with Brazilian amps but I would consider ANY 8K amp a gamble. The Chinese/Korean ones are notoriously unreliable.

 

[BackintheGame]

Will you please elaborate as to why any 8k is a gamble? As I have also been considering the Taramps 8k.

 

[T3mpest 10+ year member]

You are going to be better off but if you measure your voltage with a high quality DMM it will dip lower than 12v for split seconds. I literally thought about it for months, I found success stories but I also found fails. The fails where a bit more than just toasted amps

Link to that thread? There was a long Caco thread where someone brought it up, but the techs said it wouldn't happen and nobody linked to specific to it really happeneing, at least with taramps. Someone claimed it happened with a banda or some other brazilian amp company, never saw any proof tho.

Anyways if your just looking to play music loud brazilians are better than Koreans, IMO. They are more effecient, smaller, and cost less per watt. What they won't do is do great for competition scenarios.

With a Korean you pay 2 grand for an 8k. It'll put out 8k at one ohm at 14.4. One ohm being the real load, not the nominal load, so you have to wire to .25 to see a real 1ohm and it wont' do that daily. You can usually get more power out of it if you keep increasing the voltage, sometimes 10k+ wired that low if your running 18v dropping to say 16. That being said, running the Korean at a nominal 1ohm load on a normal electrical, it'll be more like 2.5k after rising up to 2.5-3ohms.

With brazilians you can't run 18 volts, you can't let the amp see a real one ohm load, both will break it. You can wire to a nominal 1ohm load though and instead of getting 3k out of it, you'll get more like 5k.

Koreans often put out more power than they are rated at, especially if you have the elecrical to back it up. Brazilians dont' want crazy elecrical or real ohm loads and won't out more than they are rated at, they often put out less since they arent' designed to see their real lowest impedance for most than a short burp. For musical situations, that's fine, for competition, not so much. Brazilians get a bad rap because people want to burp them at .25ohm to get 10k out of them like a korean, they wont' take that abuse.

Taramps wont' shut off until 10.5v or so, as long as your staying above 11 your fine. They like battery voltage 12v give or take a volt here or there. They put out more power as you go higher, but they dont' like over 15.5, they shut off past that. Also if you run it into clipping while maintaing a high input voltage, that is hard on them too. Basically, don't clip them unless your voltage drop is putting you under 13.6. If it is, then a soft clip is fine, if it isn't under 1.6 your overloading their outputs when they clip. Again on music you shouldnt' be clipping things like crazy with a big amp like that on tap anyways.

 

[los33]

Link to that thread? There was a long Caco thread where someone brought it up, but the techs said it wouldn't happen and nobody linked to specific to it really happeneing, at least with taramps. Someone claimed it happened with a banda or some other brazilian amp company, never saw any proof tho.
Anyways if your just looking to play music loud brazilians are better than Koreans, IMO. They are more effecient, smaller, and cost less per watt. What they won't do is do great for competition scenarios.

With a Korean you pay 2 grand for an 8k. It'll put out 8k at one ohm at 14.4. One ohm being the real load, not the nominal load, so you have to wire to .25 to see a real 1ohm and it wont' do that daily. You can usually get more power out of it if you keep increasing the voltage, sometimes 10k+ wired that low if your running 18v dropping to say 16. That being said, running the Korean at a nominal 1ohm load on a normal electrical, it'll be more like 2.5k after rising up to 2.5-3ohms.

With brazilians you can't run 18 volts, you can't let the amp see a real one ohm load, both will break it. You can wire to a nominal 1ohm load though and instead of getting 3k out of it, you'll get more like 5k.

Koreans often put out more power than they are rated at, especially if you have the elecrical to back it up. Brazilians dont' want crazy elecrical or real ohm loads and won't out more than they are rated at, they often put out less since they arent' designed to see their real lowest impedance for most than a short burp. For musical situations, that's fine, for competition, not so much. Brazilians get a bad rap because people want to burp them at .25ohm to get 10k out of them like a korean, they wont' take that abuse.

Taramps wont' shut off until 10.5v or so, as long as your staying above 11 your fine. They like battery voltage 12v give or take a volt here or there. They put out more power as you go higher, but they dont' like over 15.5, they shut off past that. Also if you run it into clipping while maintaing a high input voltage, that is hard on them too. Basically, don't clip them unless your voltage drop is putting you under 13.6. If it is, then a soft clip is fine, if it isn't under 1.6 your overloading their outputs when they clip. Again on music you shouldnt' be clipping things like crazy with a big amp like that on tap anyways.

Much more convincing post!

Keeping voltage above 12 and below 15 is very easily specially with my plan on a quad alt setup.

Got an older tej alt kit.

I have seen the taramps advertising 1 ohm so putting 4 15's on it would be no issue.

 

[bgowdy 5,000+ posts]

Theres nothing wrong with Taramps, they are beasts either way you look at it. The only "issues or problems" ive seen is when people run them lower then rated and try to use higher voltage. In other words "USER ERROR" //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif .... Other then that they are really nice amps and perform well

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

With brazilians you can't run 18 volts, you can't let the amp see a real one ohm load, both will break it. You can wire to a nominal 1ohm load though and instead of getting 3k out of it, you'll get more like 5k.

Is this a typo or am i missing something big here?

 

[los33]

Is this a typo or am i missing something big here?

Have you seen the taramps rms ratings for its amps?

Not saying anything rude just as i am not to knowledgeable on these amps as i have seen them ran, but never had one personal.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Link to that thread? There was a long Caco thread where someone brought it up, but the techs said it wouldn't happen and nobody linked to specific to it really happeneing, at least with taramps. Someone claimed it happened with a banda or some other brazilian amp company, never saw any proof tho.
Anyways if your just looking to play music loud brazilians are better than Koreans, IMO. They are more effecient, smaller, and cost less per watt. What they won't do is do great for competition scenarios.

With a Korean you pay 2 grand for an 8k. It'll put out 8k at one ohm at 14.4. One ohm being the real load, not the nominal load, so you have to wire to .25 to see a real 1ohm and it wont' do that daily. You can usually get more power out of it if you keep increasing the voltage, sometimes 10k+ wired that low if your running 18v dropping to say 16. That being said, running the Korean at a nominal 1ohm load on a normal electrical, it'll be more like 2.5k after rising up to 2.5-3ohms.

With brazilians you can't run 18 volts, you can't let the amp see a real one ohm load, both will break it. You can wire to a nominal 1ohm load though and instead of getting 3k out of it, you'll get more like 5k.

Koreans often put out more power than they are rated at, especially if you have the elecrical to back it up. Brazilians dont' want crazy elecrical or real ohm loads and won't out more than they are rated at, they often put out less since they arent' designed to see their real lowest impedance for most than a short burp. For musical situations, that's fine, for competition, not so much. Brazilians get a bad rap because people want to burp them at .25ohm to get 10k out of them like a korean, they wont' take that abuse.

Taramps wont' shut off until 10.5v or so, as long as your staying above 11 your fine. They like battery voltage 12v give or take a volt here or there. They put out more power as you go higher, but they dont' like over 15.5, they shut off past that. Also if you run it into clipping while maintaing a high input voltage, that is hard on them too. Basically, don't clip them unless your voltage drop is putting you under 13.6. If it is, then a soft clip is fine, if it isn't under 1.6 your overloading their outputs when they clip. Again on music you shouldnt' be clipping things like crazy with a big amp like that on tap anyways.

It was DB-R that mentioned it. It wasn't Taramps but it was a Brazilian. For me the require to much attention. I liked to crank up my Koreans, open the doors up and just let it go. I couldn't do that with Brazilian.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Have you seen the taramps rms ratings for its amps?
Not saying anything rude just as i am not to knowledgeable on these amps as i have seen them ran, but never had one personal.

Would think an 8k would do a little more to be honest.