Xtant: past and present

[BringDaBoom 10+ year member]

I saw alot of what were deemed "higher end" installs back in the day (mid-late 90's) using Xtant amps. Ive never had any personal expirience with them but got the vibe that they were pretty solid amps.

My question is how were they really and how are they now? If they were good, did they go the way of many good amps from those days and get bought out/water down or do they still make great amps? Or where they really not that great?

I'm just curious as I used to like the chassis on them and they were some really sexy lookin amps. Talkin about these:

Click to read more...

 

[thegreatestpenn 5,000+ posts]

after they were bought out by mtx, people shyed away. I had a 404m and it was probably the cleanest component amp I ever used (not the best, but the cleanest).

 

[BringDaBoom 10+ year member]

after they were bought out by mtx, people shyed away. I had a 404m and it was probably the cleanest component amp I ever used (not the best, but the cleanest).

OK so they were bought out. So much of that happened, man unreal. Thanks for the input.

P.S. when did the buy out occur? Should I stumble across some models, what models are "pre" buy out (I.E. what years)

 

[thegreatestpenn 5,000+ posts]

I dunno when the buyout was, but I can usually tell the post-buyout amps by how they look. All the pre-buyout amps look like the one you have pictured and have the weird mounting and board modules. the newer ones don't

 

[Raffi 10+ year member]

I have 2. A6001 Mono and A4004 4 Ch. Love them both. Best amps I have owned.

 

[thegreatestpenn 5,000+ posts]

^ those are post buyout, glad to hear they are still good tho

 

[Raffi 10+ year member]

^ those are post buyout, glad to hear they are still good tho

I thought it was the opposite. Mine pre buy out the one above post.

 

[thegreatestpenn 5,000+ posts]

def not

 

[Raffi 10+ year member]

def not

Cool....I guess they still made them good after the buy out..

 

[BringDaBoom 10+ year member]

Ok, I know what differences you're talking about (pre and post). I can tell the chassis apart.

And yes that is good to hear tha they still are good amps. Appreciate the info guys.

 

[JLJunkieMX107 10+ year member]

I have owned the Xtant X1001, 301A, and 202m. Some of the best amps I have ever owned. I kick myself for getting rid of the X1001. The 202m was one of the cleanest component amps I have owned.

 

[lashlee 10+ year member]

Pre buyout were the originals, 2200ix, 2100b, 2140b, 3150c, 3150x, 3300c, 3300x, 4180c, 4180x, 1001d, 1001dx, P500a, 301a, 302a, 403a, 121m, 202m, 404m. I still have one of the dealer binders that I got when the store I worked at became a dealer. The originals also were sold with the brushed stainless in the beginning, (C series) then the polished covers were sent with the second generation (X series). I at one point had a 3150x, 3300x, 1001dx, and now have an x603, x604, and an x1001 in my install. The 603x, 604x, 1001x, x603, x604, x1001, and a series were after the buyout, and weren't always that bad. The biggest problem after the buyout was that Lloyd Ivey wanted to shift the focus away from Xtant, so the only thing that was developed after were the 1.1's, and that was initiated before the buy.

I love them, and I only have two complaints. First, they are huge!!! I've got 63" of amps crammed into the trunk, and the 5 channels could used 6 channels inputs and the passive rear channels to be active. I think they are versatile, and I recently put a 403a on the roof of my S10!! Tennessee heat, black truck and a fan make things run cool!!!