buying amps need input
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=36735
Printed Date: May 14, 2024 at 8:50 AM
Topic: buying amps need input
Posted By: gcorrea
Subject: buying amps need input
Date Posted: August 03, 2004 at 8:17 PM
i want to upgrade my amps but cant seem to make up my mind about a specific brand, because every day i hear something different from everyone. i am using two 12 inch kicker comp vrs dual 2ohm voice coils. im currently using two coustic amp460 250watt rms mono at 4 ohms. ive had these amps since i was in high school and never had a problem with them im now 31 years old and still pounding. none of the amps today have the reliability of the original old school amps,or power. my wife is a sales manager at best buy so that means i can get a real good discount on rockford fosgate, but i dont want discount to be my choice for that brand. ive also heard good things about power acoustik like alot of watts for the buck, and 1 ohm stable on their mono blocks, same goes for hifonics. i want about 400-450 watts rms to each kicker. mtx and phoenix gold sound good too but cost a little more than i want to spend on two amps. anyone have any input or suggestions on what amps to get. thank you.
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gcorrea
Replies:
Posted By: pimpincavy
Date Posted: August 03, 2004 at 8:51 PM
I have a older power acoustick amp and I have ever had a problem with it. I cant vouch for the newer stuff though. They ted to overrate their wattage to, although not to the extent some companys do. Hifonics makes some killer amps, specifically the brutus, but at 1500W, it might be more then you need. However, im sure you could find a lower powered hifonics amp that would work well for you.
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Posted By: styper
Date Posted: August 03, 2004 at 9:11 PM
I have had Rockford for a while, I used to have a Punch 150 back in 1995, now I have a Rockford 800.2, the old punch was built better, however the new rockford is good, and if I could get a deal on Rockford I would go with Rockford, I believe they are still made in the USA.
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S type R.
Posted By: xtreamcc
Date Posted: August 03, 2004 at 9:15 PM
I'm using a power acoustik amp to power a Rockford 12 while waiting till I can afford a new amp and sub. I have had no problems with this amp and it pushes this sub hard but stable. I'd personally say go with a Power Acoustik mono block over anything Rockford has. All the RF stuff is really get'n away from their older and more reliable Punches.
PS: The HiFonics Brutus comes in 500, 1000 or 1500 watt models
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"Shiny chrome when used in conjunction with bikini models is particularly effective in inducing brain deficit disorder"
02 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Monster System on its way.
Posted By: Ravendarat
Date Posted: August 03, 2004 at 9:32 PM
I cant believe I am hearing Power Acoustic suggested over Rockford. I sell Power Acoustic DVD players, screens and head units and have so far been unimpressed by there quality. I also sell Rockford, and while its true they arent anything like there old stuff they are still a more reliable product than what I would think the Power Acoustic stuff is. While I dont have experience with there amps, if there quality control is on the same par as their mobile video products than I would have to say I am unimpressed.
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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer
Posted By: xtreamcc
Date Posted: August 03, 2004 at 10:16 PM
Dont get me wrong Raven, I love Rockford, I've used their subs for as long as I've been doing car audio and have never failed to be impressed. I dont, however, like their amps. They dont really push enough power for my tastes. I was only suggesting that if he got a mono block from Best Buy (where he was talk'n about get'n his stuff for the discount) that he get a power acoustik because none of the rockford mono blocks that are worth a crap (like the 1500.1bd or the 1000.1bd) are sold at best buy. Anyway, power acoustiks video products are crap, that goes w/o saying, but I have used a couple of their amps and haven't been disappointed. Anyway, just clear'n things up a bit, dont want people to think I dont love my rockfords now  ------------- "Shiny chrome when used in conjunction with bikini models is particularly effective in inducing brain deficit disorder"
02 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Monster System on its way.
Posted By: robbyrob717
Date Posted: August 04, 2004 at 1:12 AM
hifonics is a great amp. always has been and will be as far as i can see. i've seen those amps play loud in cars for years. very good name. rockford is nice too. they may have more available in your wattage range. and power acoustik has been improving but i would go with rockford or hifonics over it. but all would sound good.
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94 Pontiac Sunbird 3.1 V6
alpine deck
audiobahn 3.5 fronts w/ tweeters
audiobahn 6.5 rears w/ tweeters
* sold rest of system to save up towards new car. $3000 spent on it.
Posted By: robbyrob717
Date Posted: August 04, 2004 at 1:15 AM
also i would say audiobahn but i think its like a curse word here. o well i think your best bet will be rockford fosgate.
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94 Pontiac Sunbird 3.1 V6
alpine deck
audiobahn 3.5 fronts w/ tweeters
audiobahn 6.5 rears w/ tweeters
* sold rest of system to save up towards new car. $3000 spent on it.
Posted By: gcorrea
Date Posted: August 04, 2004 at 6:01 PM
thanks for the input but as you can see everyone has their loyalty towards a specific brand. i guess like the old saying goes seeing is believing or in this case hearing, maybe then i can make a choice. till then my coustics should keep on working. thanks guys.
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gcorrea
Posted By: 2002sportside
Date Posted: August 04, 2004 at 7:13 PM
I have no brand loyalty. One car has an Alpine deck, Kenwood amp, and MTX sub. It works but I know I need to upgrade. The other car (the toy) has a Panasonic deck, Planet Audio amp, PPI components, and a Rockford Fosgate sub. With that said I would go with the Hifonics over Power Acoustik. Right now if I were buying amps I'd consider RF, Hifonics and maybe Orion, Soundstream, and Phoenix Gold... but I need to do more research on them. I've always been an RF fan but I think the Hifonics offers more bang for the buck, especially since you can't get RF's Power series amps with her discount. Keep researching it until you decide what you want.
Posted By: customsuburb
Date Posted: August 04, 2004 at 8:02 PM
I would never use Power Acoustik over RF, and I think Power Acoustik has always been overated (I have one of their more recent amps that claims 170 watts RMS and has a 15 amp fuse....it might put out 100 watts but no where near 170). And they might be stable at 1 ohm for half a second before it exploded. I would also argue that RF's newest line of amps is better then the generation before (like they dont get extremely hot unlike the previous generation of RF). I have never heard or used a Hifonics amp but I have heard that their stable to 1 ohm rating is not very accurate and that their older stuff was definitely better (I think they took the same route that soundstream took). With that said I would go with RF. They make excellent, underated amps and they beat everything else in quality that Best Buy sells. You might try the 8002 if you have 4 ohm DVC subs, if you have 2 ohm DVC subs then your out of look with RF at best buy because they don't make a 800 watt punch mono block amp. -------------
Posted By: Ravendarat
Date Posted: August 04, 2004 at 9:24 PM
The new generation of RF amps have been, so far, bullit proof to me. I have moved quite a few of them and had zero problems so far. I have no problem recomending them.
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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer
Posted By: fuseblower
Date Posted: August 06, 2004 at 9:24 AM
I am not a fan of Rockford but with the choices you have the RF amp would be your best choice.
Posted By: forbidden
Date Posted: August 06, 2004 at 9:14 PM
Which I would agree with as well.
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Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.
Posted By: gcorrea
Date Posted: August 06, 2004 at 11:15 PM
i was thinking the hifonics brutus bx 5ooD mono block at 1ohm for its 500 watt rms, since i have dual 2ohm voice coils, one amp for each sub. the problem i have encountered now is that nobody carries the brutus series locally just the zeus. my high end local shop carries the total mobile audio mono block at 450 watts rms into a 4 ohm load but like said before i dont know anything about the company, just that the founder of the original rockford fosgate had starded this new company and ended selling to jl audio. about performance, durability ,idont know much. but at 269.00 for each amp ive been tempted to go for that brand. you guys know any thing on total mobile audio or should i keep op on looking for the perfect amp. thanks for the imput guys.
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gcorrea
Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: August 06, 2004 at 11:34 PM
Their loss, because you can order one.------------- Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.
Posted By: quantumtheory
Date Posted: August 07, 2004 at 8:40 AM
I have 2 MB Quart QAA/1000/2500 AMPs in each of my cars. Personally I think they sound the best out of all the stuff Ive owned. They are both 1000w at 4ohms, and have almost no distortion. Also to those who I know are going to bring this up, yes MB Quarts is now owned by rockford, but by no means did rockford sacrifice the quality of MB Quart.
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