SQ Amplifiers...

[ric 0]

Im currently checking out amplifiers to be used on an SQ setup in a sedan. Currently looking for good sounding amplifiers that have tremendous flexibilities on its crossover network.

As of now all I have seen perfect would be from brand names such as DLS namely the ultimates and Audison namely the LRx.

Are these the only options available with those requirements? i find it hard to look for amps with the same crossover functionality like those 2 that can do an active setup.

Any other recomendations? Hoping to get feedback possibly that would not go over the said prices of the amps. Possible even cheaper than those two. The lower the price with the same quality and spec would be better.

Thanks alot.

[lithium 358]

sundown amps can do active.

[ric 0]

do sundown have good sound charateristics like DLS and Audison?

[vladd 26]

sound characteristics depend on the install. The difference between class a/b amps in sound is very very minuscule.

[johnecon2001 82]

sundown amps can do active.

Any amp can do active. The SAX-100.4D simply has crossovers on board making it so you don't have to run an external unit.

[lithium 358]

sundown amps can do active.

Any amp can do active. The SAX-100.4D simply has crossovers on board making it so you don't have to run an external unit.

ya thats what i ment. my bad

[ric 0]

sound characteristics depend on the install. The difference between class a/b amps in sound is very very minuscule.

counld you elaborate on this more vladd to help enlighten me? i just want to understand...

as far as what i have experienced, the DLS amps tends to sound warmer compared to the audison on the same speakers i heard. focal V1. but the audison tends to give out a more detailed top end?

[vladd 26]

did you hear both the amps in the exact same setup? Same vehicle, same speakers in the same install?

After you a/b a bunch of amps you start to realize that 10% of effort in the install simply does more for the sound than nicer amps will. And I will say that you have to have a well trained ear to hear the differences.

If you're concerned with SQ you should be concerned with your install first and foremost

[anarchyaudio 0]

The setup for your front stage will make a huge difference also. Dependant on the car the speaker placement more so than the actual amp. 99% of the a/b amps have less that 1% total distortion, that changes alittle as you lower the ohms down but with a front stage set up everything should be 2-4 ohms. With no real difference in the over all quality of the sound.

[johnecon2001 82]

sound characteristics depend on the install. The difference between class a/b amps in sound is very very minuscule.

counld you elaborate on this more vladd to help enlighten me? i just want to understand...

as far as what i have experienced, the DLS amps tends to sound warmer compared to the audison on the same speakers i heard. focal V1. but the audison tends to give out a more detailed top end?

Gross... Amplifiers should do nothing more than their namesake. Amplify things.

I don't want my amps changing the way things sound..

[akjay907 0]

SUNDOWN 100.4 FTW!

bad ass amp, crossovers for each channel too

[///M5 2,833]

Im currently checking out amplifiers to be used on an SQ setup in a sedan. Currently looking for good sounding amplifiers that have tremendous flexibilities on its crossover network.

As of now all I have seen perfect would be from brand names such as DLS namely the ultimates and Audison namely the LRx.

Are these the only options available with those requirements? i find it hard to look for amps with the same crossover functionality like those 2 that can do an active setup.

Any other recomendations? Hoping to get feedback possibly that would not go over the said prices of the amps. Possible even cheaper than those two. The lower the price with the same quality and spec would be better.

Thanks alot.

If your goals are as you state, you should separate the crossovers from the amplifiers as none of them will truly be flexible enough. Obviously they are exceptions where companies lump a high end processing unit with the amplifier like the Zapco's, but the rest are not really flexible enough. First off, I'd cross off all amps that don't have time alignment and independent left right equalizers.

[ric 0]

did you hear both the amps in the exact same setup? Same vehicle, same speakers in the same install?

After you a/b a bunch of amps you start to realize that 10% of effort in the install simply does more for the sound than nicer amps will. And I will say that you have to have a well trained ear to hear the differences.

If you're concerned with SQ you should be concerned with your install first and foremost

not relly on the same car and wirings but speakers and HU are the same. Im simply basing it from the learnings and experiences i got from Home Audio. Just not sure dude if it really dosent apply anymore to car audio.

im guessing that the differences i got from the sound would be from the slopes used in the amps mention, namely 12db on the DLS and i think 18db on the audison... assuming that 12db crossover solpe tends to gove a warmer sound or have mo mids and lower end on it...?

[johnecon2001 82]

did you hear both the amps in the exact same setup? Same vehicle, same speakers in the same install?

After you a/b a bunch of amps you start to realize that 10% of effort in the install simply does more for the sound than nicer amps will. And I will say that you have to have a well trained ear to hear the differences.

If you're concerned with SQ you should be concerned with your install first and foremost

not relly on the same car and wirings but speakers and HU are the same. Im simply basing it from the learnings and experiences i got from Home Audio. Just not sure dude if it really dosent apply anymore to car audio.

im guessing that the differences i got from the sound would be from the slopes used in the amps mention, namely 12db on the DLS and i think 18db on the audison... assuming that 12db crossover solpe tends to gove a warmer sound or have mo mids and lower end on it...?

A difference of 6dB on the slope will simply let more of the audio you are trying to remove into the speakers. It shouldn't discolor the sound to the point where things sound "warmer". That sounds more like something in the converters is messing around with the sound.

[ric 0]

Im currently checking out amplifiers to be used on an SQ setup in a sedan. Currently looking for good sounding amplifiers that have tremendous flexibilities on its crossover network.

As of now all I have seen perfect would be from brand names such as DLS namely the ultimates and Audison namely the LRx.

Are these the only options available with those requirements? i find it hard to look for amps with the same crossover functionality like those 2 that can do an active setup.

Any other recomendations? Hoping to get feedback possibly that would not go over the said prices of the amps. Possible even cheaper than those two. The lower the price with the same quality and spec would be better.

Thanks alot.

If your goals are as you state, you should separate the crossovers from the amplifiers as none of them will truly be flexible enough. Obviously they are exceptions where companies lump a high end processing unit with the amplifier like the Zapco's, but the rest are not really flexible enough. First off, I'd cross off all amps that don't have time alignment and independent left right equalizers.

i think i would simply be using the time alignment and independent left right equalizers of the HU... might be going with an Alpine 9887 or something...

[ric 0]

did you hear both the amps in the exact same setup? Same vehicle, same speakers in the same install?

After you a/b a bunch of amps you start to realize that 10% of effort in the install simply does more for the sound than nicer amps will. And I will say that you have to have a well trained ear to hear the differences.

If you're concerned with SQ you should be concerned with your install first and foremost

not relly on the same car and wirings but speakers and HU are the same. Im simply basing it from the learnings and experiences i got from Home Audio. Just not sure dude if it really dosent apply anymore to car audio.

im guessing that the differences i got from the sound would be from the slopes used in the amps mention, namely 12db on the DLS and i think 18db on the audison... assuming that 12db crossover solpe tends to gove a warmer sound or have mo mids and lower end on it...?

A difference of 6dB on the slope will simply let more of the audio you are trying to remove into the speakers. It shouldn't discolor the sound to the point where things sound "warmer". That sounds more like something in the converters is messing around with the sound.

Hmmm. thanks alot for that, good point!...

i guess after of of this, all im just after is possiblly getting the best possible score in an SQ competition. and i just simply want to be sure that this is something that can be used for a winning piece... otherwise i might look into something else like the ones i mentioned above.

i might be going by the way with a focal 3way , a DLS 3way or a morel 3way in case your wanderring...

[johnecon2001 82]

Hmmm. thanks alot for that, good point!...

i guess after of of this, all im just after is possiblly getting the best possible score in an SQ competition. and i just simply want to be sure that this is something that can be used for a winning piece... otherwise i might look into something else like the ones i mentioned above.

i might be going by the way with a focal 3way , a DLS 3way or a morel 3way in case your wanderring...

Hopefully you'll be running those speakers active then.. I don't know a whole lot of guys that use or win with passive component sets.

[seanbw 1]

did you hear both the amps in the exact same setup? Same vehicle, same speakers in the same install?

After you a/b a bunch of amps you start to realize that 10% of effort in the install simply does more for the sound than nicer amps will. And I will say that you have to have a well trained ear to hear the differences.

If you're concerned with SQ you should be concerned with your install first and foremost

not relly on the same car and wirings but speakers and HU are the same. Im simply basing it from the learnings and experiences i got from Home Audio. Just not sure dude if it really dosent apply anymore to car audio.

install is extremely important in home audio, where would you be without properly designed cabinets and crossovers for the drivers in a home theater "speaker." your seating arrangement, room shape/size, speaker location, size, power and the accoustics of the room itself all play an important role in how home audio sounds... think of a car as the same way, perhaps even more flexible as it is much easier to "deaden" an entire car than it is to build a "quiet" room for your theater.

[ric 0]

Hmmm. thanks alot for that, good point!...

i guess after of of this, all im just after is possiblly getting the best possible score in an SQ competition. and i just simply want to be sure that this is something that can be used for a winning piece... otherwise i might look into something else like the ones i mentioned above.

i might be going by the way with a focal 3way , a DLS 3way or a morel 3way in case your wanderring...

Hopefully you'll be running those speakers active then.. I don't know a whole lot of guys that use or win with passive component sets.

that is correct! and thats why im really considering this because of the flexibility of the xover, just like the DLS and Audison. Independent xovers on the channels. not to mention this is alot cheaper... hehehe! thats why im really looking at this.

[///M5 2,833]

Im currently checking out amplifiers to be used on an SQ setup in a sedan. Currently looking for good sounding amplifiers that have tremendous flexibilities on its crossover network.

As of now all I have seen perfect would be from brand names such as DLS namely the ultimates and Audison namely the LRx.

Are these the only options available with those requirements? i find it hard to look for amps with the same crossover functionality like those 2 that can do an active setup.

Any other recomendations? Hoping to get feedback possibly that would not go over the said prices of the amps. Possible even cheaper than those two. The lower the price with the same quality and spec would be better.

Thanks alot.

If your goals are as you state, you should separate the crossovers from the amplifiers as none of them will truly be flexible enough. Obviously they are exceptions where companies lump a high end processing unit with the amplifier like the Zapco's, but the rest are not really flexible enough. First off, I'd cross off all amps that d on't have time alignment and independent left right equalizers.

i think i would simply be using the time alignment and independent left right equalizers of the HU... might be going with an Alpine 9887 or something...

If your headunit has independent L/R and T/A why would you want them in an amplifier???

Oh, btw the 9887 doesn't have L/R.

You really should focus on the install and not worry so much about the amplifier.

[ric 0]

additional flexibility when needed i guess. i think its better to have something more when needed then not have nothing to spare...

thanks alot for the inputs guys. based on all of the responses, i would really need to work hand in hand with the installer...

[///M5 2,833]

IMO, flexibility is all in the processing and processing has no place in amplifiers. I repeat it is my opinion, but in a perfect world an amplifier would do just that amplify and nothing else. A gain block is your best friend, in particular if SQ is your goal.

Processing and integration should be independent, but the majority of the work is the install. A cheap set of speakers optimized in an install will outperform the best set you can buy bolted into the stock locations with no treatment. If you truly want to "compete" and are paying an installer expect your install bill to be significantly larger than your equipment bill and if it isn't you cut the wrong corners.

[ric 0]

thank you so much M5, i am really learning alot from you...

just a pop up... whats a gain block? is it something that increases the output voltage of an HU lets say 4V preout to a 8V or higher? somethinmg that most SPL competitors used?

[JimJ 11]

A gain block is a term sometimes used to describe an amp with absolutely no features other than...being an amplifier No crossovers, filters, EQs, time alignment, coffee makers...

[ric 0]

just to clarify...

based on everything in here, it seems that everything will boil down to the install, so does that mean that any amplifier will do as long as the install is correct and that simply is where my focus should be... INSTALL?