What has been the most reliable amplifier you have actually used yourself to date?

[2RZ-FE 10+ year member]

MTX Blue Thunder Pro 1502
Arc 2050 CXL
JBL 180.2
JBL BP 1200.1
RF Power 501BD
JBL GTR-1001

I did have a lower end PPI amp in 1999 it was chrome and grey 50x4 running my JL VR6.5 comps. Had that for awhile no issues.

 

[shredder2]

I've never had more than 3 at one time over the years, from Audio Art 100hc's or Power 50m's back in the 90's to more modern Korean amps.

Out of all I was floored when I dead shorted my Aak4000.1 and it survived without a sweat. It was billowing smoke for like 15sec till the fuses blew and I just couldn't get there faster or I would have. My blood ran cold with serious pucker factor when I saw what I did. I wrote off $800 immediately but had to see if it was really gone.

To my astonishment it fired up no issues once the power/ground's we're switched out and wire fuses replaced.

I beat on that poor amp @ .5 daily hard clipping it constantly in AZ. Anyways, it got sold and still is around doing fine I hear.

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

I think that amp was pretty much the same as Gold series. The MTX started cheapening everything to meet Circuit City price points.

I wouldnt have any Idea on that.You are prob correct for sure. I collected that line up for a short period and ran a set up in my 92 Integra. They did ok. I did put the back seats down and ran two 9500 series 12s that slammed really nice and ended up putting Zeus VII,VulcanVII and Pluto VII. in the rear floor boards. I should had kept that Zeus and Uleysses I had back then. Still have the Vulcan, and Pluto, and a Gemeni. I later ended up collecting and running Kicker KS series amps. Those were great! Also

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

The older Fosgate amps. I have ran them from the time of the punch 50 all the way up to the Power TD1500 amps. These days I don't think you can go wrong with Korean amps for durability. I'm running Brazilians now, cant say much about them except they put out a ton of power.

Back in 88-90 just about everyone around me were running RF Punch 45HD and 75s. I bought some and tried them out. I had (2)45s, (2)75s,(1)30 and (1)150. I was at a shop in Waco- Jacks Stereo(about 78miles from me.. the closest at the time) getting the 4 still water kicker 10s wired up properly and dialed in, when a single cab truck can in and wanted a Hifonics PlutoVII hooked up to a pair of RF 12s. I think everyone in the shop were laughing theyre azz off. Man .. after it was in and up and running. LOL it surprised everyone. Hifonics VII series became my lunch money saving buys afterwards. I last5 ran the DSM series 200x and 400x series. Last RF amps for a very long time

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

MTX Blue Thunder Pro 1502
Arc 2050 CXL
JBL 180.2
JBL BP 1200.1
RF Power 501BD
JBL GTR-1001

I did have a lower end PPI amp in 1999 it was chrome and grey 50x4 running my JL VR6.5 comps. Had that for awhile no issues.

Ive never ran any arc amps.Ive always wanted too.. I did run a single DVC2 ohm 1k rms 12 that I sure wish Id kept. I gave to a good friend of mine doing a SQ truck. Ive ran and collected JBL GTQ series and the Concord/JBL series amps, and GTS series(still have a 600 left)and GTQ High current series(have a 190 and 360 left). Ive always liked the GTQ series amps

 

[Jimi77 5,000+ posts]

I wouldnt have any Idea on that.You are prob correct for sure. I collected that line up for a short period and ran a set up in my 92 Integra. They did ok. I did put the back seats down and ran two 9500 series 12s that slammed really nice and ended up putting Zeus VII,VulcanVII and Pluto VII. in the rear floor boards. I should had kept that Zeus and Uleysses I had back then. Still have the Vulcan, and Pluto, and a Gemeni. I later ended up collecting and running Kicker KS series amps. Those were great! Also

Love the old Hifonics amps, but you really had to dedicate some space to those things.

 

[Jimi77 5,000+ posts]

Ive never ran any arc amps.Ive always wanted too.. I did run a single DVC2 ohm 1k rms 12 that I sure wish Id kept. I gave to a good friend of mine doing a SQ truck. Ive ran and collected JBL GTQ series and the Concord/JBL series amps, and GTS series(still have a 600 left)and GTQ High current series(have a 190 and 360 left). Ive always liked the GTQ series amps

I still have some Clarion Arc clones. Same board, cheaper heatsink. Good amps.

 

[Grimmjoww]

Love the old Hifonics amps, but you really had to dedicate some space to those things.

I remember those, they were huge af.

 

[Grimmjoww]

Ive never ran any arc amps.Ive always wanted too.. I did run a single DVC2 ohm 1k rms 12 that I sure wish Id kept. I gave to a good friend of mine doing a SQ truck. Ive ran and collected JBL GTQ series and the Concord/JBL series amps, and GTS series(still have a 600 left)and GTQ High current series(have a 190 and 360 left). Ive always liked the GTQ series amps

Them old MTX amps were solid, back then they were always trying to compete with Fosgate.

 

[dsw1204]

I had an Alpine amp that I got in the mid-80s (can’t remember the model number) and ran perfectly until I gave it away in the early 2010s. Can’t get more reliable than that.

Surprisingly, I think this is the first Alpine listed in this thread.

 

[Chris Heaviland]

Kicker ZX-1500. Had that amp for over 10yrs and never shut down. A good runner up would be my MMATS D300HC.

 

[Boominburban]

I still have my 1992 Kenwood 23 series amps. I used the 823 and 923's in my build again, a couple years back, for the three way active front stage, and they are still killin it, and sound great ...

 

[SilverSquared 10+ year member]

2nd gen Orion 250 HCCA. I've had it bridged on 2-D2 subs for over 4 years (2003 to 2007). NEVER an issue. All parallel wiring. That amp is still going strong today, never been burned up.

 

[Carverfan]

1st Carver 4120 (circa 1989)
2nd Xtant 1001DX
Still use them everyday!!!

 

[IpItHurtz2]

Over the last 6 years Ive had 4 amps starting with DS18 Gen-x 6000.1 great amp and I ever ran it at .5 for over a year.
Second amp and this one gets a lot of hate cause of the brand but let me tell you this was one hell of an amp the Rockville DBCOMP5 ran for 2 years and for 399 crazy value .

Next amp was Sundown SFB 8k ran it for 6 months was powerful but not what I was looking for.

And now to the best one yet for SoundQubed Q 4500 V2 I e had it now for little over a month korean board and It puts the SFB 8k shame