Printer Friendly Forum Posts - Zstat or Sundown Audio?

Zstat info from zstatcaraudio ZD(2011).pdf. As I recall it has no voltage range info.

Similarly the max INPUT of the Sundown 1000d is 3x40 = 120A x 14.4V = 1728W, hence a max output of 1728 x 0.8 = 1380W...
Or optionally, 1kW out @ 80% efficiency @ 14.4V means an input current of 1000W/14.4V/0.8 = 87A or 72% of its fuse rating which is a more reasonable "design" - ie, fuses are not normally run at 100% of rating, and 70%-80% is a typical "average max" design rule.
Furthermore, maybe the Sundown can still provide 1kW output down to 1000W/(3x40A)/0.8 = 10.4V.
FYI - the above are simply P=VI calcs and knowing about energy conservation and allowing for losses (inefficiency) between input & output.

Whether the Sundown is a better amp is a different issue altogether - ie, sound, reliability etc.
But IMO for an amp not to provide its own protection fusing is somewhat baffling however the Zstat claims to be self protecting. But then why would Zstat specify a supply fuse as low as 70A when such fuses should be sized to protect the cable being used - even if that cable is rated for hundreds of Amps? (Not that the fuse has to be that big.)

The car audio industry is full of what I refer to as male bovine poo. IMO specs often do not make sense - eg, that output power is directly proportional to input voltage when that should not apply to 12V amplifiers greater than a few hundred Watts (depending on speaker Ohmage/impedance) since they use SMPS (switched-mode) power supplies and therefore should not look like plain resistive loads. (There will be some max current that their components can tolerate, but that that max happens to coincide with the "nominal" voltage & output for each amplifier they produce...)

Not that I've been across class D amps - the last I looked was a few years ago. (But I decided that if I wanted such power I'd probably build my own class D and overcome all the malebovinepoo to do with long high-current 12V distribution and ratings issues etc.) But class D should certainly overcome some of the limitations of analog classes - eg, big internal caps etc, and I would have hoped some industry reform - eg, insistance on RMS ratings - eg "Watts" meaning stock standard historical Watts - ie, average power aka "Watts RMS" and not their useless & arbitrary "peak" Watts etc. Traditional "Music Power" aka "Watts peak" may also be acceptable but since that is always twice Watts (RMS), ~~watt's~~ what's the point? Or haven't we progressed beyond last millennium's need to make things ~~sound~~ seem twice as big as they actually are - ie, 2kW Music Power & 1kW are the same thing.

Sorry, a bit of a rant... But beware the specs. IMO a good amp specifies its Watts output (RMS!) into whatever speaker impedance at whatever input voltage range, and (therefore) its max current demand. And of course supply its own protection fusing etc if needed unless it specifies what external fuse should be used (size & type) and that that fuse is at the amp (tho it could be for the supply itself) - but then why do they not incorporate that themselves - why leave that hassle to the installer... are they after a get out of warranty excuse?

As to amps and quality etc, I don't know. That's where others on this site are far better to comment.