I know that this is a daily talked about issue but why are we so hard on cheap amps. I must admit, I am hard on cheap amps also but why. We all think of the starter amps as being trash but sometimes it all depends on the set-up and install. This issue came to mind while cleaning up. I ran accross some pics of one of my friends car that won some IASCA comps with some motorola tweets, kenwood and a starter amp. I remember the system was super clear and sounded like you were in the movies. Yes, it could not compete when it came to spl but he wanted clarity.
Because most cheap amps sound like crap and fail very easily and list inflated, lying-azz specifications. But there are some inexpensive amps that don't fall into this category like US Acoustics, Lightning Audio, Blaupunkt, to name three off the top of my head. So if people can spend $75 for a poorly-built POS that sounds like a tin can, or $100 on something that actually produces music and will last past next week I will always push them to find the extra $25.
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Support the12volt.comI will recomend some cheap amps and sobs to somone thats just wants a little bass and has no money at all, but the thing is that some kids want that laud nice clean bass that everyone around them has, but do not want to pay for it. and as soon as you tell them that this is in your budget they like it. but just remember to let them know it will not hit like his or her friends. because the first thing that will happen is that they will go around saying that this guy said this would sound good and it sound like crap, and then your bad name starts. Itonly takes one. I have a couple of sony,lighten audio, and legacy subs to prove my point. I let them listed to one of these cheap subs and then let them listen to a rockford, eclips,jl,or my new line of directed subs to show them the difference. this puts everything in perspective for them and they now know what we are talking about. and the old saying ( you get what you pay for)
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what i find when installing cheap amps is often they are subject to engine noise, being that the manufacturers dont address this as an issue when designing the power supplies.... by the time the customer pays extra for the additional troubleshooting / install time / filters needed to recitify the problem, they could have spend that amount getting themselves into a better quality product that would not be nearly as susceptable to these problems, and sound far better.....
I'm not unduly harsh on cheap amps just to be an audio snob, but i do try to explain to customers why "it's worse to spend too little".....
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Kevin Gerry
Certified Electronics Technician
MECP First Class Installer
Owner/Installer
Classic Car Audio
since 1979
The reason I usually bash cheap amps is because there usually isn't even a big price difference between a quality low cost amplifier (like the ones Dyohn cited) and "cheap" amplifiers.
I bash "cheap" amplifiers because they inflate their specs to make newbs think they're getting a good deal. I hate that. People aren't getting a good deal.
Can you create a fine sounding system off cheap stuff? You bet.
Are there better, cleaner, longer-lasting values out there? Yes.
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New Project: 2003 Pathfinder