What's the state of the medium-output subwoofer amplifier market?

[emilimo701 10+ year member]

Hey guys, long time no visit here.

I've had an audiopulse axis that i've been underutilizing. One of the next goals is to built a bass reflex enclosure for it (right now it's a perfunctorily-built sealed box). But also, I'm going to need a new amp. Right now I'm pushing it with a Cadence ZRS amp ~1200 watts at 1 ohm (probably less given that my system is actually running at about 13.9 volts.

It seems that things haven't changed over the past couple years in the sense that the cost of quality mono amps grow exponentially with power output. One of the amps i'm considering now is the MBquart q1.1500 because of its features and the respect that that brand seems to get. I believe they discontinued it but I still see a few floating around on Amazon. About a year ago I was also looking into the 2200 watt audioque amp.

Ideally I'd prefer to buy new, from an authorized retailer where I know the manufacturer warranty would be honored.

I feel like the sundown 1500w amp would be a good choice, assuming that it would meet or exceed specs. The only problem is that it's slightly out of my price range. $450 total is probably my upper max.

I'm probably going to get flamed a little bit for not doing some of my own research or browsing the forum beforehand, but I'm very busy this week and was hoping I could maybe get some quick insight not only to this question but also.... what's going on in the industry in general? It seems that there a very few options in this particular niche, and my old favorite vendor, sonic electronix, seems to be cutting their inventory. I can't speak for any of the others though.

Thanks for any responses,

John

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[Flex68 10+ year member]

I feel like the sundown 1500w amp would be a good choice, assuming that it would meet or exceed specs.

Exceeds!

 

[logiball 10+ year member]

There was a post in the amp classifieds for 4 saz1500d's for $300 a piece. (Get at least the v.2)

 

[dirtyunclerandy 10+ year member]

Exactly how much power are you trying to get?

 

[stopdrpnro 10+ year member]

you could try something other than sundown(like everybody else) and get my treo engineering ssx1400.1. just like the sundown it'll do around 1900@1ohm, will take 16v, and runs cool under 1ohm.

 

[emilimo701 10+ year member]

you could try something other than sundown(like everybody else) and get my treo engineering ssx1400.1. just like the sundown it'll do around 1900@1ohm, will take 16v, and runs cool under 1ohm.

Unfortunately I probably won't be running at 16v, probably more like 13.8. I've heard of Treo and that they're good quality though.

Also, with all things being equal (I realize they won't be), I'd rather buy a new piece of equipment with a decent warranty.

 

[emilimo701 10+ year member]

Exactly how much power are you trying to get?

I have an Axis. The new ones are rated at 1500w RMS but my Audiopulse version was rated 2500w RMS I believe. Either way, I'm not giving it either of those amounts of power. I'm guessing somewhere around 800-900? The Cadence amp it's hooked up to is rated at 1300w RMS @ 1ohm @14.4v I believe. Like I said, the input voltage is about 13.8 tops. With the gain a lot higher than it should be, i'm still only getting 20% (eyeball measurement) max excursion out of the sucka.

 

[emilimo701 10+ year member]

Exceeds!

Right. Maybe even despite the price tag, this is still my best choice?

The only alternatives I've found are the Soundstream Rubicon and Hifonics Brutus. I once owned a Hifonics 4ch amp and returned it, displeased with the noise floor; this shouldn't be a problem with a bass amp though.

As I mentioned, the MB Quart Q1.1500 have nice features and an affordable price but would it end up disappointing power-wise?

 

[emilimo701 10+ year member]

Long story short, I got more SPL with my old 12" kenwood hooked up to an Infinity 600w amp. Not sure where my weakest link is, but I know that I at least want a new amp anyway: one that IS NOT fan-cooled and that would be a good mate for my 15" Audiopulse Axis.

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I haven't been here in like a year but I'm glad to see the forum is still going strong.

 

[Chad1]

That woofer wont take 2500.

 

[emilimo701 10+ year member]

That woofer wont take 2500.

That's what it was rated at, but I was assuming that was kind of a stretch to begin with, especially given the ratings of the new TC Sounds line.

Regardless, I need an amp that can apply more power than my current one.

 

[emilimo701 10+ year member]

Wow... Crescendo's new website and product lineup looks impressive.

Bass Clef Series BC2000D

That for $375 seems like a great deal. I'm assuming the 2250 watt rating at 13.8 volts is within a reasonable distortion range?

 

[Flex68 10+ year member]

Right. Maybe even despite the price tag, this is still my best choice?

"Best choice?" Not sure about ranking it there, but def a known, solid choice.

Good deals can be found, especially if you can wait to find a used one from a trusted source that is in good condition.

 

[emilimo701 10+ year member]

Right. And from reading around, the same be said about that Crescendo it looks like.

I know those Hifonics and Soundstream amps in particular have been denigrated in these forums, but right now those are the only alternatives that I have.

Which brings me back to my original question -- what are some alternatives for this particular application around the given price point? There can't be only 2 or 3 competitors, can there? Or is it "Sundown or nothing at all"? Of course I exaggerate.

 

[TheUnderFighter 10+ year member]

There's plenty of competitors, fret not. Most warranties don't matter when you buy the cheap stuff though. Crescendo is solid, Sundown is good, Treo is good. All the internet brands are making solid stuff. Skar, DD, DC, Incriminator Audio.

I think the weakest link right now is your box. A sealed enclosure is often said to rob 50% of the potential output. You're not going to notice much of a difference (if any at all), between 1200w and 1600w. Maybe you'll notice something at 2,000w, but at that point you might start needing electrical upgrades. If you buy some of the pricier amps in that power range, they tend to be more efficient, and may save you from electrical upgrades.