I'm into old school amps. I have owned several models made over the last 10 years and really don't think much of most. Quality has taken a back seat to looks and price. This is especially true the last 5 years. The good companies of the past have either gone out of business or been bought out by the mass productions companies. So, what do you have in the car or closet? I visit the car audio forums, but they are too young to even remember the old amps so they don't really even know what's good. If you never listenend to a good one how do you know what's good?
I've run a red Orion HCCA amp on 2 10" Bazooka Tube subs for over 15 years. I did get new factory drivers 5 years ago when the foam gave out. I also run 2 other black Orion amps and a Nacamichi? for tweeters. These are fed with 25 year old active X-overs. If the speakers have a sound to your liking (some sound horrible) and are installed properly it will sound good regardless of the amps used unless they are over rated junk. Usually you get what you pay for with amps. It costs $ for good circuitry. Ray
I have an ADS PH-15 I'll be putting in my new truck next week. I bought this amp around 15 years ago. Most people at the stereo stores have never heard of ADS. Tom Jenkins
HTML: http://www.v8buick.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=83938&d=1164985954 Using a Zapco AG 650 with MB Quart on all 4 corners and going to a Infinity Kappa 12.1 D DVC subwoofer, BTW SQ on the Zapco is Excellent! AL. http://www.v8buick.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=83938&d=1164985954
How about 10,000 old school non overrated RMS power? These have a home in my storage closet, but they do get to run on occasion.:Brow: Anyone got a 400 amp alternator laying around?
I had one of those Orions several years back. It was the HCCA225 I think. Little amp that didn't weigh much, and it got hot enough to fry an egg, but it was a good little amp! They just don't make them like the old ones anymore.
Love the old Zapco! My buddy said they stopped building their top models because they were not selling well. I would love to have a 9.0 one day!!
You right they made great under seat warmers:laugh: . You said you had an older Alpine, what was it a CDA series? I have a /////Alpine CDA 7878 and it is an all over super clean performance! AL.
I will have to look at the model number. I have slept since then. I always used Alpines throughout the late 80's and up through the early 90's. I used some Clarions back then too. Both did me well. But, the Clarions started going downhill early on and the Alpine never made me happy either. I am currently looking for a certain Rockford Fosgate head unit. It is a black face one with not many options, but it was awesome in the SQ field.
John, I've never heard of Zapco a year ago and then was looking for a SQ set up and Zapco kept comming up in the Hi-Fi Boards. So I bought a old school AG-650 and it is great on SQ!!! It even pushed two Zapco 12s and 4 MB Quarts and never even got warm. The AG-650 has a fan and a outside heat sink. As you said before they don't make them like this anymore. AL.
Here is my present Alpine.... http://www.v8buick.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=47449&d=1114737384 AL.
That looks like mine. I installed it last night again, but never noticed the model number. I looked for that specific number back when I first bought it. It looked great and had a number of options at that time. Like I said, it sounds great in every way other than the tuner. The tuner may have a problem. The owner of the local stereo shop tells me that the new generation of buyer don't really care about tuner quality because they don't use the tuner side of the head unit much these days. Guess that explains the lack of quality. The best sounding head unit I ever owned is a Blaupunkt Munchen! I bought it new back in 1999. I have bought new decks since then only to pull them out and install this Blau. back again. Blau is probably not any good now either.
All Infinity over here-- very clean 4x111 for the doors 314 for the sub and the AudioControl hi-lo converter to keep the original dash unit and steerring wheel controls in place. The AudioControl makes all the difference... Note sub control in lower center dash!
Never owned Infinity amps, but have used their speakers often. Got front and rear Infinity Kappas in the 71 Riv right now.
I can't say much on the amplifiers (never owned one) but found they were not very powerful on the sub channels but did hear from owners that the were clean! Now the Infinity Kappa subwoofers is a defferent story, they are the best SQ units I have ever heard! I had one 10" driver in my wagon and everyone thought it was a 12"!!! http://www.v8buick.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=84093&d=1165197256 AL.
Nice install in the wagon. I am going to finish the Riv system very soon. Haven't decided on what direction to go yet.
Thanks! I was lucky on the new box I built. I never seal it together yet so I will build a new top section so I can install a single 12" sub. I will post the finished project. BTW thanks to you and all that coached me a long is getting my system right! You all are the best!!! :beer AL.
Al, Here's a pic of an amp almost like your's. Nice clean design. http://ampguts.realmofexcursion.com/Zapco_AG_1000/
