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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Car Audio / June 2007New Amp!!!!
Hi guys!!! Haven't posted in a while. I bought a new house on Lost Lake on Camano Island and have been doing LOTS of house projects and fishing (I CAN FISH FROM MY OWN DOCK, HOW COOL IS THAT?!). I got a killer deal today at a garage sale. A Phoenix Gold QX180.2. They wanted $20 but I said since I couldn't test it I would only give them $5. THEY TOOK IT, AND IT WORKS PERFECTLY. I'm going to replace the Jensen amp that's driving my Infinity tweets with this PG amp (not that I've had any trouble with this Jensen amp, but what the hell, the SQ very well could be a bit better). My stereo still ROCKS HARD!!!! http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2359697 MOSFET > Hi guys!!! Haven't posted in a while. I bought a new house on Lost Lake > on Camano Island and have been doing LOTS of house projects and fishing (I > CAN FISH FROM MY OWN DOCK, HOW COOL IS THAT?!). I hate you now. :P > I got a killer deal today at a garage sale. A Phoenix Gold QX180.2. They > wanted $20 but I said since I couldn't test it I would only give them $5. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > this PG amp (not that I've had any trouble with this Jensen amp, but what > the hell, the SQ very well could be a bit better). Nice score! Hey Matt! How's it hanging? Hope all's well. We certainly had our share of HEATED debate. Take care, Nick > > Hi guys!!! Haven't posted in a while. I bought a new house on Lost Lake > > on Camano Island and have been doing LOTS of house projects and fishing (I [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Nice score! And look, my wife made me change my handle because she posts to several newsgroups and didn't like "MOSFET" as a name. :( I'm sure there's a way to set up two newsgroup accounts (and two handles) but I'm WAY too lazy to figure it out. Nick > Hey Matt! How's it hanging? > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > > > Nice score! > And look, my wife made me change my handle because she posts to several > newsgroups and didn't like "MOSFET" as a name. :( > > I'm sure there's a way to set up two newsgroup accounts (and two handles) > but I'm WAY too lazy to figure it out. It just ain't the same without "MOSFET" ;) What are you using for a newsreader? OE Can I have two handles? Nick > > And look, my wife made me change my handle because she posts to several > > newsgroups and didn't like "MOSFET" as a name. :( [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > What are you using for a newsreader? > OE > > Can I have two handles? Hrm, not really sure. I think it allows you to have separate profiles for mail/news accounts. Under the File menu, check out the Identities function. >>> And look, my wife made me change my handle because she posts to several >>> newsgroups and didn't like "MOSFET" as a name. :( [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >> >> What are you using for a newsreader? I installed the PG amp yesterday to drive my Infinity tweets (mounted in sail panel) as I mentioned before. Now in truth I noticed absolutely no difference in SQ between the Jensen and Phoenix amp when playing music. HOWEVER, I did notice the noise floor being a bit better with the PG amp. With the Jensen amp there was always an INCREDIBLY faint alternator whine (it was never audible when driving, only when parked, with all acceories and lights on, CD player paused, ear right up to the tweeter and then you had to rev the engine) though it was not a problem I ever worried about (also, I was the only one who could ever hear it). With the PG amp, there is no alternator whine, period; case closed....NONE. So I guess for this reason alone, I'm glad I switched amps because, of course, alternator whine tends to be most audible through the tweeters. There MAY also be a bit less idle hiss with the PG amp, though both amps have virtually none (even with the gains on the amps cranked to the top). MOSFET > Hi guys!!! Haven't posted in a while. I bought a new house on Lost Lake > on Camano Island and have been doing LOTS of house projects and fishing (I [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > MOSFET > Now in truth I noticed absolutely no difference in SQ between the Jensen and > Phoenix amp when playing music. CORRECTION: After another week of listening I have concluded that the Phoenix Gold amp produces what would best be described as a "crisper", more "etched" or detailed sound. This was also confirmed by several friends and my sister-in-law (who, unlike my wife, is really into sound quality and knows her sh.t, for a girl, not to be sexist here....). This does shoot a big hole in my "all amps sound the same as long as they are operating within their low-distortion output parameters which does not always corrospond with the manufactures' given specs, theory" (I feel I always need to throw that in for the nitpickers). I guess things like "slew-rate" and other more exotic specifications I don't fully understand DO make a difference, even if more common specs. like THD, frequency response at 1 watt/1 foot, S/N, dynamic range, ect. are fairly similar from amp to amp. And, of course, construction quality is difficult for the average consumer to discern from one amp to the next. So, I guess I need to rethink this. BUT, the differences are VERY subtle and they really take a well trained ear, EXCELLENT speakers, and a good source to hear. We could hear the differences when listening to CD's, not really MP3's, even those recorded at 320 k/bits. For instance, we had the CD Monkey Business by The Black Eyed Peas which is recorded EXTREMELLY well, AND we had the same disc ripped and burned at 320 k/bits. We heard detail on the CD not audible on the MP3, but again, my wife could not hear a difference nor could most people I would guess (it's VERY subtle). Conclusion: I will now concede that differences in car amps MAY exist, but how much is psycosomatic and how much is real will require more testing (unfortunately, I TOLD my friends I had switched the Jensen amp for the Phoenix Gold amp so this was in no way a "blind" test). But again, I really do think I hear a difference. I would LOVE to hear any thoughts on this matter. MOSFET I told you so might be in order. >> Now in truth I noticed absolutely no difference in SQ between the Jensen >and [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > >MOSFET Yes, I suppose I deserve that......but then again, you're the guy who thinks 6x9's are the end-all-be-all. MOSFET > I told you so might be in order. > [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > > > >MOSFET I'll take a good pair of 6x9's over a crappy low end component set any day. When you add a more suitable amp to your subs, I'm sure you'll have more thoughts on this matter. >Yes, I suppose I deserve that......but then again, you're the guy who thinks >6x9's are the end-all-be-all. [quoted text clipped - 59 lines] >> > >> >MOSFET > When you add a more suitable amp to your subs, I'm sure you'll have more > thoughts on this matter. I have a single thought when it comes to a new amp for my subs: CLASS D!!!! I'd like to go either MTX or Alpine. So in this regard, anyway, I think we are on the same page. MOSFET The 100 ampere Accuvolt was a fun toy as I used it only for the sub amp and had the voltage set at 15.7. It was fun for about 6 months but I have since taken it out. It DEFINITELY increased the bass on my non-regulated Soundstream Ref. 700 (700 watts RMS/.05 THD at 14.4 volts 2 or 1 ohm bridged). These drive my pair of 12" MTX MXS's (identical to 7500 series) in a slot ported enclosure. My wife even noticed the huge increase in bass, and if she noticed it, I KNOW it's real because she has no interest in this stuff and has a tin-ear. But it came with a cost. Because I have found NO-ONE who makes HO alternators for a '99 Subaru Forester (and trust me, I have CHECKED via countless internet and phone inquires), I was finding I could actually (can you believe this?!?!?!) run my Optima Yellow Top dead (or nearly dead) when CRANKING low bass AND DRIVING over an extended period!!!!!!!!! Of course, the Accuvolt, like a cap, cannot produce current from thin air. I had my alternator checked and it was operating fine, so that was certainly not the problem. The Accuvolt was simply sucking my battery dry! At lower bass levels, the battery wouldn't go dead and would stay charged which begs the question........WHAT THE HELL IS THE POINT OF THE ACCUVOLT (the bass would then sound the same as before)?????? If I competed in SPL contests (or had a very HO alternator that put out only 14.4 volts as my SS amp can handle 16 volts, no problem and put out MUCH more than it's specified wattage (at that voltage level) I could see this being a useful device. I think I might try hooking it up to the car's ignition system (this is what it was ORIGINALLY designed for, in particular Jacobs has a whole line of racing ignition products) and see if a hotter spark will increase gas mileage and performance. However, this particular Accuvolt was designed SPECIFICALLY for the car sound environment as it is capable of putting out 100 amperes at up to 16 volts. No racing car would EVER need that much current. No.........this was your classic "cheater" device (like those incredibly low-impedance amplifiers back in the day when competitive classes were determined by manufacture rated 4 ohm power). My next purchase MUST be either a HO alternator or a Class D sub amp if I truly want more bass..........long-term. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2359697 MOSFET > Because I have found NO-ONE who makes HO alternators for a '99 Subaru > Forester (and trust me, I have CHECKED via countless internet and phone [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > which begs the question........WHAT THE HELL IS THE POINT OF THE ACCUVOLT > (the bass would then sound the same as before)?????? The point is exactly what you used it for... the problem IS your alternator: you were simply drawing more current than it could produce. There's nothing "wrong" with the alt itself... it's just the "wrong" one for the application. Your battery was running down because it was discharging the needed current that the alt couldn't supply, and since the system was maxing it out, it couldn't provide charging current to the battery either. VBR is better. At 320 you are encoding even when there is nothing ther to encode -- X-OvrDistortion |
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