Important Information For Those Who Own or Are Thinking Of Buying CT Sounds Products

bbeljefe

CarAudio.com Elite
If you own or are thinking of buying any large CT chassis amps, please read this post and watch the short video I'm including here. I was a CT dealer for a long time but have dropped the line and this post will demonstrate but one of the myriad reasons why I no longer sell the brand.

To begin with, the amps I'm talking about are the 2.2K, 3K, 4K, 7K and while it's yet to be confirmed, the 125.4. The problem with these amplifiers is a conspicuous lack of any sort of vibration damping in the center of the rather wide PCB (board). The designer of these boards saw fit to design them with holes that are meant to have posts in them that house rubber or vinyl mounts that would secure the PCB and stop any vibration damage and, the boards are currently manufactured with those holes in place. However, none of these amps, up until the time I dropped the line, have them inside.

The result of this manufacturing omission is the genesis of much of the talk you've heard about CT amps being subject to going up in smoke at any time and that talk is not rumor or bashing, although it is often presented as such by people who do not actually know or understand the problem.

If you have one of these amps DO NOT install it inside the cabin of your vehicle, whether it's on an amp rack or not, because the vibrations from sound pressure will eventually cause the legs on at least one FET to break away and, of course, let the smoke out of it.

My experience has been with two 2200.1s and two 3000.1s, all of which have broken legs on FETs and one of which has been to repair twice for the same problem. The 2.2Ks were mounted on a sturdy amp rack in a trunk and they lasted about 10 months. Those were the longest lasting, btw. One of the 3Ks went up in smoke about 40 minutes after it was installed on an amp rack that was in front of a box and the other lasted six days on an amp rack that was mounted above the blow through opening in a truck. That amp was sent to repair (after CT refused to even give me an RA number for it) and was then put on an amp rack in front of a very sturdy single 18 box. Prior to the CT amp being installed there had been an Audiopipe 3K in that location for about four months and after it smoked in ~8 days, we installed a Skar Audio 4500.1 and that amp has been playing for about two months now.

I've also had conversations with a handful of other former CT dealers, all of whom have experienced similar issues with these amplifiers.

Lastly, if you've had problems with these amps please contact me by phone or text at the number listed on my facebook page (facebook.com/audioanarchyllc) and send any photos you have as evidence of said problems.

Thanks!

BB

Oh and, here's the video I mentioned....


 
I was in your shop last week talking to Eric, I think that was his name, and I brought up CT and he told me the issues y'all and your customers have been having with warranty work dealing with CT.

 
I know ct 7k doesn't have good board surport but my buddy has been running a ct 7k for over a year and it's mounted on top his box. Never had any problems yet. I think it's hit of miss with these ct amps... I still wouldn't buy one. Lol

 
I know ct 7k doesn't have good board surport but my buddy has been running a ct 7k for over a year and it's mounted on top his box. Never had any problems yet. I think it's hit of miss with these ct amps... I still wouldn't buy one. Lol

It isn't hit or miss as that would indicate the possibility that some amps have the necessary protection and some don't. And to my knowledge, that's not the case.

The thing is, we know that the lack of vibration protection is a problem. We also know that if the amplifier is subjected to vibration, it will at some point fail. When that will happen is entirely subject to a number of factors, including but not limited to:

1) The intensity of the vibration.

2) The frequency (in Hertz) of the vibration.

3) The frequency (in time) of the vibration.

Everything has an Fs (resonance frequency) and the boards in these amps are no exception. My guess would be that subjecting them to their Fs is probably the quickest path to failure but, sufficiently high levels of vibration at other frequencies can also cause failure, albeit at differing periods of time. So in the end, no one can predict how quickly they will fail or at which frequency, without a significant amount of research... which isn't something that's really warranted.

What that means for your buddy's amp is that no one knows when it will fail but there is a very high probability that it will.

 
He slams full tilt every day all day and plays 20hz-30hz songs. And some amps do have protection and some don't. The ones from Coleman Don't and the ones from Paul Kim do. But like I said I WOULD NOT SPEND MY MONEY ON CT SOUNDS.

 
I hate hearing all of this cause my amp slams my sub. I've been on the hunt looking for a nice amp to replace it with now.

 
I hate hearing all of this cause my amp slams my sub. I've been on the hunt looking for a nice amp to replace it with now.
If it works it works. I would but some cash to the side for a bad day.

This goes back to getting what you pay for. A statement everybody gives me crap about/

 
If it works it works. I would but some cash to the side for a bad day.
This goes back to getting what you pay for. A statement everybody gives me crap about/
I mean the amps are not $100 or nothing but lesson learned huh. I've been looking at a VFL 175.1 and a DD M2b. Want to do some more research on the DD amp.

 
Activity
No one is currently typing a reply...
Old Thread: Please note, there have been no replies in this thread for over 3 years!
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.

Similar threads

As for your setup, the circled input in that reply is where the LOC (built into the amp) is located. You don’t need a LOC other than that. All you...
35
4K
Had a set of Ecplise 6x9's back in the day in my '99 Grand Cherokee. The SE8495s iirc those were so sweet sounding. Wish I hadn't sold the GC with...
3
1K
609c is very good for their price. I haven't used the Pioneer but I'd figure if they're comparable price they should perform similar.
1
988
actually have 4 coaxial in the doors. so better for me to procure 2 comp and put in the front door and send the 2 front coaxial behind the back seat.
11
2K

About this thread

bbeljefe

CarAudio.com Elite
Thread starter
bbeljefe
Joined
Location
Shreveport, LA
Start date
Participants
Who Replied
Replies
47
Views
18,188
Last reply date
Last reply from
MrFoca
Screenshot 2024-03-07 184329.png

Doxquzme

    Mar 27, 2024
  • 0
  • 0
IMG_3075.jpeg

Daniel Lee

    Mar 27, 2024
  • 0
  • 0

Latest topics

Top