| Author |
Message |
MOSFET
Guest
|
 Posted:
Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:37 am Post subject:
DISCUSSION TOPIC: Do You Like/Use Old Amps? |
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|
I've been into car audio for a LONG time (over 20 years) and boy, have I
seen equipment change. I remember in High School friends of mine would
proudly show off their multiple sets of 6x9's (Jensen was the best) powered
by a booster/EQ. Cassette was king.
In all categories, gear has gotten better year by year. Manufactures now
"bundle" functions into a single component (just try and go out and buy an
outboard EQ or crossover). Head-unit displays now resemble computer
monitors and new amplification technology (class D, class T, etc.) is making
amplifiers much more effecient.
But one thing I have been noticing in the last few years are people seem to
be using older amplifiers (eight years or older) a good deal of the time.
I'm wondering if there's something to that. I, for one, use a nine year old
Soundstream Refference 700 to drive my MB Quart 6 1/2 Ref. Premiums (it is
BY FAR the oldest component in my system). I find that this amp is about
the toughest, yet sweetest sounding amp I have ever used. I have heard many
others talking about how good their older amps sound.
So, if all types of gear have been getting better over the years, what could
explain older amps sounding or performing better? Well, first let my
clarify that I'm not saying that older amps are more powerful, just better
sounding and better made. I believe that part of a possible explanation
lies in car audio competition and how that has changed over the years.
Picking up an old (or even newer) copy of a car audio mag. should convince
anybody that car audio competition helped drive the industry. Amplifier
manufacturers loved to tout how many trophies their brand had won at this or
that competition.
IASCA was the king of competitions 10 years ago and this organization placed
the most emphasis on SQ, not SPL. I believe this had a role in amplifier
design. Also, back in the day, SPL competitions were based on wattage
clasifications at 4 ohms, not number of speakers, so amp makers designed
what were called "cheater amps" that could handle very low impedences (so
many speakers could be parelled to one amp). Besides these cheater amps,
however, many amp makers like Soundstream designed ALL of their products to
handle low impedence loads. I don't believe there are any manufacturers
today who design all of their amps to handle low impedence loads (this is
one concrete example of a change in the industry). This emphasis on handling
low impedences found it's way into all parts of the amp industry and made
for generally tougher amps.
Anyway, does anybody agree with me? Disagree?
MOSFET
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Tony F
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:57 pm Post subject:
Re: DISCUSSION TOPIC: Do You Like/Use Old Amps? |
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The first amp I ever owned that made me jump up and say "Holy crap that
sounds SWEET!!!" was a Soundstream MC245x (I think that was the model name).
I remember in particular listening to some vocal music and it was so
smoooth. Anyway, with all this talk about amps sounding alike it makes me
wonder what it was that I heard - or thought I heard. Did amps in the old
days really differ in SQ?
I can tell you this. Unless another company comes out with something that
grabs my eyes and ears more than Phoenix Gold ZX and/or Titanium series
amplifiers, I'll be using those until I can't hear any more. I'll buy 'em
used off of eBay or any other place I can get them. So in 20 years from now
I'll be this middle-aged man touting my PG amps and people will be like,
"What the hell is this guy talking about?" But there will always be a few
that will remember and think, "Damn...I haven't thought about those old PG
amps in a long time!"
Tony
--
2001 Nissan Maxima SE Anniversary Edition
Eclipse CD8454 Head Unit, Phoenix Gold ZX475ti, ZX450 and ZX500 Amplifiers,
Phoenix Gold EQ-232 30-Band EQ, Dynaudio System 360 Tri-Amped In Front and
Focal 130HCs For Rear Fill, 2 Soundstream EXACT10s In Aperiodic Enclosure
2001 Chevy S10 ZR2
Pioneer DEH-P9600MP (Just gettin' started) |
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MZ
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:11 pm Post subject:
Re: DISCUSSION TOPIC: Do You Like/Use Old Amps? |
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| Quote: | I've been into car audio for a LONG time (over 20 years) and boy, have I
seen equipment change. I remember in High School friends of mine would
proudly show off their multiple sets of 6x9's (Jensen was the best)
powered
by a booster/EQ. Cassette was king.
In all categories, gear has gotten better year by year. Manufactures now
"bundle" functions into a single component (just try and go out and buy an
outboard EQ or crossover). Head-unit displays now resemble computer
monitors and new amplification technology (class D, class T, etc.) is
making
amplifiers much more effecient.
But one thing I have been noticing in the last few years are people seem
to
be using older amplifiers (eight years or older) a good deal of the time.
I'm wondering if there's something to that. I, for one, use a nine year
old
Soundstream Refference 700 to drive my MB Quart 6 1/2 Ref. Premiums (it
is
BY FAR the oldest component in my system). I find that this amp is about
the toughest, yet sweetest sounding amp I have ever used. I have heard
many
others talking about how good their older amps sound.
So, if all types of gear have been getting better over the years, what
could
explain older amps sounding or performing better? Well, first let my
clarify that I'm not saying that older amps are more powerful, just better
sounding and better made. I believe that part of a possible explanation
lies in car audio competition and how that has changed over the years.
Picking up an old (or even newer) copy of a car audio mag. should convince
anybody that car audio competition helped drive the industry. Amplifier
manufacturers loved to tout how many trophies their brand had won at this
or
that competition.
IASCA was the king of competitions 10 years ago and this organization
placed
the most emphasis on SQ, not SPL. I believe this had a role in amplifier
design. Also, back in the day, SPL competitions were based on wattage
clasifications at 4 ohms, not number of speakers, so amp makers designed
what were called "cheater amps" that could handle very low impedences (so
many speakers could be parelled to one amp). Besides these cheater amps,
however, many amp makers like Soundstream designed ALL of their products
to
handle low impedence loads. I don't believe there are any manufacturers
today who design all of their amps to handle low impedence loads (this is
one concrete example of a change in the industry). This emphasis on
handling
low impedences found it's way into all parts of the amp industry and made
for generally tougher amps.
Anyway, does anybody agree with me? Disagree?
|
There are better amps available today than before. They're more efficient.
They're more powerful. They have better protection circuits. They can
drive lower impedance loads. They're less prone to noise. They're easier
to hook up. But they're also more expensive. That's the reason you see
more people using older gear.
(running 2 amps that are over 5 years old) |
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Kirby
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Feb 15, 2005 9:27 pm Post subject:
Re: DISCUSSION TOPIC: Do You Like/Use Old Amps? |
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The way I see it, is that for component amps, people seem to be using the
older ones, as the new subwoofer amplifiers are much more efficient these
days. But I too am using an Alpine amplifier that is probably about 7 years
old. Wait a minute, maybe it's because they last so long.
"MZ" <zarellam@removetwcny.rr.comspam> wrote in message
news:K6-dne-SWd2lmY_fRVn-3g@giganews.com...
| Quote: | I've been into car audio for a LONG time (over 20 years) and boy, have I
seen equipment change. I remember in High School friends of mine would
proudly show off their multiple sets of 6x9's (Jensen was the best)
powered
by a booster/EQ. Cassette was king.
In all categories, gear has gotten better year by year. Manufactures
now
"bundle" functions into a single component (just try and go out and buy
an
outboard EQ or crossover). Head-unit displays now resemble computer
monitors and new amplification technology (class D, class T, etc.) is
making
amplifiers much more effecient.
But one thing I have been noticing in the last few years are people seem
to
be using older amplifiers (eight years or older) a good deal of the
time.
I'm wondering if there's something to that. I, for one, use a nine year
old
Soundstream Refference 700 to drive my MB Quart 6 1/2 Ref. Premiums (it
is
BY FAR the oldest component in my system). I find that this amp is
about
the toughest, yet sweetest sounding amp I have ever used. I have heard
many
others talking about how good their older amps sound.
So, if all types of gear have been getting better over the years, what
could
explain older amps sounding or performing better? Well, first let my
clarify that I'm not saying that older amps are more powerful, just
better
sounding and better made. I believe that part of a possible explanation
lies in car audio competition and how that has changed over the years.
Picking up an old (or even newer) copy of a car audio mag. should
convince
anybody that car audio competition helped drive the industry. Amplifier
manufacturers loved to tout how many trophies their brand had won at
this
or
that competition.
IASCA was the king of competitions 10 years ago and this organization
placed
the most emphasis on SQ, not SPL. I believe this had a role in
amplifier
design. Also, back in the day, SPL competitions were based on wattage
clasifications at 4 ohms, not number of speakers, so amp makers designed
what were called "cheater amps" that could handle very low impedences
(so
many speakers could be parelled to one amp). Besides these cheater
amps,
however, many amp makers like Soundstream designed ALL of their products
to
handle low impedence loads. I don't believe there are any
manufacturers
today who design all of their amps to handle low impedence loads (this
is
one concrete example of a change in the industry). This emphasis on
handling
low impedences found it's way into all parts of the amp industry and
made
for generally tougher amps.
Anyway, does anybody agree with me? Disagree?
There are better amps available today than before. They're more
efficient.
They're more powerful. They have better protection circuits. They can
drive lower impedance loads. They're less prone to noise. They're easier
to hook up. But they're also more expensive. That's the reason you see
more people using older gear.
(running 2 amps that are over 5 years old)
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MOSFET
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Feb 15, 2005 10:35 pm Post subject:
Re: DISCUSSION TOPIC: Do You Like/Use Old Amps? |
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But they're also more expensive. That's the reason you see
| Quote: | more people using older gear.
(running 2 amps that are over 5 years old)
Yes, that's certainly a consideration. Speakers tend to wear out so they |
get replaced. Head-units get replaced because although they, too, sometimes
wear out, folks want the newer features today's heads provide (Sirrus/XM
control, MP3, DSP, fancy displays). Amps just sort of linger around...And
for most people, amplifiers represent the largest investment in a system.
I certainly agree that today's amps are more powerful, and yes, I use a
newer (three year old) RF amp for my subs.
But, again, I contend that there has been a change in the industry. Amp
makers don't seem to emphasize SQ today, just power. I believe also that
part of this has to do with the MP3 revolution. You hear audiophiles bitch
about this ALL THE TIME. As a society, we actually seem to be moving away
from quality sound, and of course this finds it's way into our automotive
amplifiers. The other thing I have been noticing is that the general
construction of amps seems to be going down. I have a friend who just
bought a Pioneer amp (I know, it's Pioneer) and this thing is HUGE (too huge
for it's power specs) and built really shabby, IMHO. When I go to Car
Stereo stores I see the same thing from all manufactureres. It's all about
size and power today.
MOSFET |
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MZ
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Feb 15, 2005 10:44 pm Post subject:
Re: DISCUSSION TOPIC: Do You Like/Use Old Amps? |
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| Quote: | Yes, that's certainly a consideration. Speakers tend to wear out so they
get replaced. Head-units get replaced because although they, too,
sometimes
wear out, folks want the newer features today's heads provide (Sirrus/XM
control, MP3, DSP, fancy displays). Amps just sort of linger around...And
for most people, amplifiers represent the largest investment in a system.
I certainly agree that today's amps are more powerful, and yes, I use a
newer (three year old) RF amp for my subs.
But, again, I contend that there has been a change in the industry. Amp
makers don't seem to emphasize SQ today, just power. I believe also that
part of this has to do with the MP3 revolution. You hear audiophiles
bitch
about this ALL THE TIME. As a society, we actually seem to be moving away
from quality sound, and of course this finds it's way into our automotive
amplifiers. The other thing I have been noticing is that the general
construction of amps seems to be going down. I have a friend who just
bought a Pioneer amp (I know, it's Pioneer) and this thing is HUGE (too
huge
for it's power specs) and built really shabby, IMHO. When I go to Car
Stereo stores I see the same thing from all manufactureres. It's all
about
size and power today.
|
I see the opposite happening. While some of us certainly have a place in
our hearts for some of these oldies but goodies, I think you have to
acknowledge that the selection has become more broad, and that today's "best
of the bunch" is far superior to yesterday's equipment. What's happening is
that a lot of crap has flooded the market to try to provide a cheap
alternative for one faction of the market base, but at the same time,
there's a ton of high quality gear out there that's built with more
precision and better components than the older stuff. But it'll cost ya!
But from a sound quality aspect, even the cheaper stuff today is pretty
good. You can buy a sonically transparent amplifier that will provide gobs
of power for only a couple hundred dollars. It's really brought
installation to the forefront of the quest for perfect audio reproduction,
as it now becomes the major deciding factor in the overall sound quality of
the system. |
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MOSFET
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Feb 15, 2005 11:23 pm Post subject:
Re: DISCUSSION TOPIC: Do You Like/Use Old Amps? |
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| Quote: | I see the opposite happening. While some of us certainly have a place in
our hearts for some of these oldies but goodies, I think you have to
acknowledge that the selection has become more broad, and that today's
"best
of the bunch" is far superior to yesterday's equipment. What's happening
is
that a lot of crap has flooded the market to try to provide a cheap
alternative for one faction of the market base, but at the same time,
there's a ton of high quality gear out there that's built with more
precision and better components than the older stuff. But it'll cost ya!
But from a sound quality aspect, even the cheaper stuff today is pretty
good. You can buy a sonically transparent amplifier that will provide
gobs
of power for only a couple hundred dollars. It's really brought
installation to the forefront of the quest for perfect audio reproduction,
as it now becomes the major deciding factor in the overall sound quality
of
the system.
Yes, I suppose I do recall that there were a lot of crappy amps built 10 |
years ago, too. It's just that these amps don't survive and the good ones
do, so it seems like older amps are built better because the ones that
survive ARE built better. Hmmm. I guess I might need to rethink this
theory of mine.....
MOSFET |
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Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Feb 16, 2005 1:32 am Post subject:
Re: DISCUSSION TOPIC: Do You Like/Use Old Amps? |
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|
Manufacturers are finding cheaper ways to build amps also. Back in the
day, 50 watt amp weighed say 10 pounds, now with the plastic world we
live in, same amp weighs 4 pounds.
Whats ruined car audio are the walmarts and best buys. You get all
these Pacos buying Sony Xplod crap. Other companies look at them and
see there selling a ton of shit components so they follow suit. I bet
Sony sells 1000X more crapo Xplod amps than any company that makes
quality components. Its all about money, not what sounds good. |
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Kirby
Guest
|
| Posted:
Wed Feb 16, 2005 1:46 am Post subject:
Re: DISCUSSION TOPIC: Do You Like/Use Old Amps? |
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|
To the real manufacturers, it is about the quality of stuff. Focal, and
Audison for example. Great quality gear, for the price you pay. Of what I've
been told a while ago, correct me if I'm wrong. MB Quart going to Circuit
City. Circuit City didn't like the prices of their stuff, so they had to
lower their standards, along-side the prices. Again, I may be totally
incorrect.
<ephedralover@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1108499535.061411.263410@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | Manufacturers are finding cheaper ways to build amps also. Back in the
day, 50 watt amp weighed say 10 pounds, now with the plastic world we
live in, same amp weighs 4 pounds.
Whats ruined car audio are the walmarts and best buys. You get all
these Pacos buying Sony Xplod crap. Other companies look at them and
see there selling a ton of shit components so they follow suit. I bet
Sony sells 1000X more crapo Xplod amps than any company that makes
quality components. Its all about money, not what sounds good.
|
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Charley
Guest
|
| Posted:
Wed Feb 16, 2005 2:45 am Post subject:
Re: DISCUSSION TOPIC: Do You Like/Use Old Amps? |
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|
I use a mix of old and new. My oldest are a set of 4 PPI-2300 amps. 300x2
Class A power. Horrificly inefficient, but damn do they sound nice. I use
them to drive Memphis Power Reference 6.5" separates. Plus I could weld
with them if I needed to. :)
On the newer side, I use a Clarion Power System 3-way crossover. I use a
pair of Lanzar VIBE 231 amps to run my subs (Memphis Power Ref 10" DVC's)
Use what works.
Personally, I like the sound of a Class A amp over that of a class D or T.
And I'm willing to pay the price in terms of power consumption and heat
exchange to get what I want. Lots of people aren't. Also, cars are getting
smaller, lighter and tighter. Frankly, I think you'd be hard pressed to
make a 2300 be happy in, say, a new Jetta and you CERTAINLY won't get four
of them to play nice in a jetta without a MAJOR custom install job. I think
that tends to put a damper on things because a lot of people (out here,
anyway) are leasing their cars, rather than buying them. So people tend to
gravitate to the smaller, lighter more efficient amps because they are less
expensivce to buy, easier to install and easier to remove at the end of a
lease.
"MOSFET" <ntanner@whidbey.com> wrote in message
news:na6dnawCk4_S4YzfRVn-1w@whidbeytel.com...
| Quote: | I've been into car audio for a LONG time (over 20 years) and boy, have I
seen equipment change. I remember in High School friends of mine would
proudly show off their multiple sets of 6x9's (Jensen was the best)
powered
by a booster/EQ. Cassette was king.
In all categories, gear has gotten better year by year. Manufactures now
"bundle" functions into a single component (just try and go out and buy an
outboard EQ or crossover). Head-unit displays now resemble computer
monitors and new amplification technology (class D, class T, etc.) is
making
amplifiers much more effecient.
But one thing I have been noticing in the last few years are people seem
to
be using older amplifiers (eight years or older) a good deal of the time.
I'm wondering if there's something to that. I, for one, use a nine year
old
Soundstream Refference 700 to drive my MB Quart 6 1/2 Ref. Premiums (it
is
BY FAR the oldest component in my system). I find that this amp is about
the toughest, yet sweetest sounding amp I have ever used. I have heard
many
others talking about how good their older amps sound.
So, if all types of gear have been getting better over the years, what
could
explain older amps sounding or performing better? Well, first let my
clarify that I'm not saying that older amps are more powerful, just better
sounding and better made. I believe that part of a possible explanation
lies in car audio competition and how that has changed over the years.
Picking up an old (or even newer) copy of a car audio mag. should convince
anybody that car audio competition helped drive the industry. Amplifier
manufacturers loved to tout how many trophies their brand had won at this
or
that competition.
IASCA was the king of competitions 10 years ago and this organization
placed
the most emphasis on SQ, not SPL. I believe this had a role in amplifier
design. Also, back in the day, SPL competitions were based on wattage
clasifications at 4 ohms, not number of speakers, so amp makers designed
what were called "cheater amps" that could handle very low impedences (so
many speakers could be parelled to one amp). Besides these cheater amps,
however, many amp makers like Soundstream designed ALL of their products
to
handle low impedence loads. I don't believe there are any manufacturers
today who design all of their amps to handle low impedence loads (this is
one concrete example of a change in the industry). This emphasis on
handling
low impedences found it's way into all parts of the amp industry and made
for generally tougher amps.
Anyway, does anybody agree with me? Disagree?
MOSFET
|
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Scott Gardner
Guest
|
| Posted:
Wed Feb 16, 2005 6:52 am Post subject:
Re: DISCUSSION TOPIC: Do You Like/Use Old Amps? |
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|
The PPI-2300 wasn't a class A amp - it was class AB just like the rest
of their models. There WERE class A amps available for the car, but
they were nowhere NEAR 600 Watts. The PPIs were nice amps, though.
Scott Gardner
On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 21:45:33 GMT, "Charley" <photos@agileemmy.com>
wrote:
| Quote: | I use a mix of old and new. My oldest are a set of 4 PPI-2300 amps. 300x2
Class A power. Horrificly inefficient, but damn do they sound nice. I use
them to drive Memphis Power Reference 6.5" separates. Plus I could weld
with them if I needed to. :)
On the newer side, I use a Clarion Power System 3-way crossover. I use a
pair of Lanzar VIBE 231 amps to run my subs (Memphis Power Ref 10" DVC's)
Use what works.
Personally, I like the sound of a Class A amp over that of a class D or T.
And I'm willing to pay the price in terms of power consumption and heat
exchange to get what I want. Lots of people aren't. Also, cars are getting
smaller, lighter and tighter. Frankly, I think you'd be hard pressed to
make a 2300 be happy in, say, a new Jetta and you CERTAINLY won't get four
of them to play nice in a jetta without a MAJOR custom install job. I think
that tends to put a damper on things because a lot of people (out here,
anyway) are leasing their cars, rather than buying them. So people tend to
gravitate to the smaller, lighter more efficient amps because they are less
expensivce to buy, easier to install and easier to remove at the end of a
lease.
"MOSFET" <ntanner@whidbey.com> wrote in message
news:na6dnawCk4_S4YzfRVn-1w@whidbeytel.com...
I've been into car audio for a LONG time (over 20 years) and boy, have I
seen equipment change. I remember in High School friends of mine would
proudly show off their multiple sets of 6x9's (Jensen was the best)
powered
by a booster/EQ. Cassette was king.
In all categories, gear has gotten better year by year. Manufactures now
"bundle" functions into a single component (just try and go out and buy an
outboard EQ or crossover). Head-unit displays now resemble computer
monitors and new amplification technology (class D, class T, etc.) is
making
amplifiers much more effecient.
But one thing I have been noticing in the last few years are people seem
to
be using older amplifiers (eight years or older) a good deal of the time.
I'm wondering if there's something to that. I, for one, use a nine year
old
Soundstream Refference 700 to drive my MB Quart 6 1/2 Ref. Premiums (it
is
BY FAR the oldest component in my system). I find that this amp is about
the toughest, yet sweetest sounding amp I have ever used. I have heard
many
others talking about how good their older amps sound.
So, if all types of gear have been getting better over the years, what
could
explain older amps sounding or performing better? Well, first let my
clarify that I'm not saying that older amps are more powerful, just better
sounding and better made. I believe that part of a possible explanation
lies in car audio competition and how that has changed over the years.
Picking up an old (or even newer) copy of a car audio mag. should convince
anybody that car audio competition helped drive the industry. Amplifier
manufacturers loved to tout how many trophies their brand had won at this
or
that competition.
IASCA was the king of competitions 10 years ago and this organization
placed
the most emphasis on SQ, not SPL. I believe this had a role in amplifier
design. Also, back in the day, SPL competitions were based on wattage
clasifications at 4 ohms, not number of speakers, so amp makers designed
what were called "cheater amps" that could handle very low impedences (so
many speakers could be parelled to one amp). Besides these cheater amps,
however, many amp makers like Soundstream designed ALL of their products
to
handle low impedence loads. I don't believe there are any manufacturers
today who design all of their amps to handle low impedence loads (this is
one concrete example of a change in the industry). This emphasis on
handling
low impedences found it's way into all parts of the amp industry and made
for generally tougher amps.
Anyway, does anybody agree with me? Disagree?
MOSFET
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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Scott Gardner
Guest
|
| Posted:
Wed Feb 16, 2005 6:59 am Post subject:
Re: DISCUSSION TOPIC: Do You Like/Use Old Amps? |
|
|
I have three older PPI "Art Series" amps right now, an A300.2, and
A600.2, and an A1200.2. There are several reasons I like them, and
keep in mind these are all PERSONAL preferences:
1) I like the way they look. With the Art Series, most people either
loved them or hated them. I loved them when they were new, and still
do.
2) The PPI Art Series amps have earned a reputation for being
accurately rated (conservatively-rated, actually), and for being
solidly-built and reliable.
3) I like that fact that as amplifiers, all they do is amplify. I've
always preferred outboard signal processors for things like
equalization and crossovers. For one, you have greater flexibility
when you divide the functions among several components, and I believe
the quality of the components used in external crossovers and filters
(like Audiocontrol) is probably higher than those built into
amplifiers.
None of this is a knock on modern amps. I know that I could probably
find a reliable amp that I liked the looks of, and I could bypass all
of the built-in signal processors and continue to use my outboard
components. That's why I said these reasons were my own personal
preferences - I'm not trying to change anyone else's mind.
Lastly, you'll notice I didn't say anything about sound quality. I'm
one of those who believe that any two amps will sound the same when
they're delivering the same amount of power, as long as both amps are
operating within their design parameters.
Scott Gardner |
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MOSFET
Guest
|
| Posted:
Wed Feb 16, 2005 8:06 am Post subject:
Re: DISCUSSION TOPIC: Do You Like/Use Old Amps? |
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| Quote: | The PPI-2300 wasn't a class A amp - it was class AB just like the rest
of their models. There WERE class A amps available for the car, but
they were nowhere NEAR 600 Watts. The PPIs were nice amps, though.
Soundstream made a few Class A amps. The most powerful of those was the |
Reference Class A 10.0 with a whopping 25 watts per channel into 4 ohms.
Class A amps tend not too be as powerful and use much more current because
unlike class AB amps that use a switching power supply (the amp employs one
stage to "push" the speaker and another stage to "pull" the speaker) where
one half is " switched" off when the other half is "switched" on, Class A
amps are ALWAYS on in both halves. Audiophiles claim that in Class AB amps,
when each half switches on and off, distortion is created, they claim this
is not present in a Class A amp where the power is always on in both stages.
(forgive me if I am not using exactly the right terminology as I am no EE)
Mr. Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor III
(I hate using my full name) |
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MZ
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Feb 16, 2005 8:09 am Post subject:
Re: DISCUSSION TOPIC: Do You Like/Use Old Amps? |
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| Quote: | The PPI-2300 wasn't a class A amp - it was class AB just like the rest
of their models. There WERE class A amps available for the car, but
they were nowhere NEAR 600 Watts. The PPIs were nice amps, though.
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Now that you've told him it's not class A, it won't sound as good... |
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Scott Gardner
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Feb 16, 2005 8:16 am Post subject:
Re: DISCUSSION TOPIC: Do You Like/Use Old Amps? |
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On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 19:06:52 -0800, "MOSFET" <ntanner@whidbey.com>
wrote:
| Quote: | The PPI-2300 wasn't a class A amp - it was class AB just like the rest
of their models. There WERE class A amps available for the car, but
they were nowhere NEAR 600 Watts. The PPIs were nice amps, though.
Soundstream made a few Class A amps. The most powerful of those was the
Reference Class A 10.0 with a whopping 25 watts per channel into 4 ohms.
Class A amps tend not too be as powerful and use much more current because
unlike class AB amps that use a switching power supply (the amp employs one
stage to "push" the speaker and another stage to "pull" the speaker) where
one half is " switched" off when the other half is "switched" on, Class A
amps are ALWAYS on in both halves. Audiophiles claim that in Class AB amps,
when each half switches on and off, distortion is created, they claim this
is not present in a Class A amp where the power is always on in both stages.
(forgive me if I am not using exactly the right terminology as I am no EE)
Mr. Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor III
(I hate using my full name)
Pretty good explanation. With a Class A amplifier, there doesn't |
necessarily have to be two halves, since it's possible to make a Class
A amp with a single output device. As you noted, class AB requires a
pair of output devices to perform the "push-pull" function.
Scott Gardner |
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