My personal favourites are hands down the early HCCA Orion pink amps; 2x25, 2x50 and 4x25. Series 1-3 only.
I even prefer them over the unicorn Pioneer ODR optical digital class A amps from the early 90s. Sweet, open and totally consistent, very current hungry and they like 14 Volts.
Plenty of other decent sounding products, incl some PPI, Alpine, Soundstream, Phoenix and RF (altho I find most RF are a little too coloured for this conversation).
Very tough to really post anything concrete, unless the system remains the same and has an amp swap done for back to back testing. Lots of systems responded positively to amp swaps from something else to the HCCAs during my time in the late 80s to the late 90s.......still feel that way today; altho I must confess I have not sat in a modern Sound Q vehicle.
I even prefer them over the unicorn Pioneer ODR optical digital class A amps from the early 90s. Sweet, open and totally consistent, very current hungry and they like 14 Volts.
Plenty of other decent sounding products, incl some PPI, Alpine, Soundstream, Phoenix and RF (altho I find most RF are a little too coloured for this conversation).
Very tough to really post anything concrete, unless the system remains the same and has an amp swap done for back to back testing. Lots of systems responded positively to amp swaps from something else to the HCCAs during my time in the late 80s to the late 90s.......still feel that way today; altho I must confess I have not sat in a modern Sound Q vehicle.
Best I've every heard
Hello all, well i'd have to say that i've been in this game since around 1985' when I was in Mortuary School in Dallas, Tx. at that time Dalworth CB & Car Stereo was the Big Dogg in the Oak Cliff & Desoto area in the DFW. That's when Balla's were Balla's and without a doubt Zapco was the "KING" with Orion coming in second place, follow by Alpha Sonic if you wanted good sound on a budget. At this time the Zapco Studio was the competetion amp of choice in the USA because it is what we called a cheater amp. It allowed you to comtete in a low wattage class; but do to Robert Z. design it would smoke all amps rated 3 times the power and sound was as or better than most home audio amps except the Altec 9440A best of the best period home, studio, or concert the cost $3000.00 Ea. in 1980' rated at 200 watts per channel rated a class A 200 @ 8ohm, 400 @ 4ohm, and 800 @4ohm bridged .006 THD or (1600 2ohm "w/fans" bridged). the Mcintosh MC2500 was a good home audio amp. To this day I run zapco c2k 4.0 on upper mids & Highs "front pillars', Arc Audio SE4200 on front stage midbass "doors". The pair of sub mono amps are Arc Audio KS2500.1's each on a 12" sealed sub. This is the best combo of amps that I have personally ever heard. The c2k is dead quite with the finesse and sound quality to die for on the upper mids & tweets, the SE 4200 bridged is a moster on the midbass and the KS2500.1 has the balls and control the Robert Z. has been looking for in his last 40 years in the business. It works me and i've own Orion HCCA, Harmon Kardon-CA260's, Linear Power, PPI, X-tant, old school Sound Stream, ADS, old school fosgate, Brax. But remember it's not so much of the amps as it is the electrical system and install. I can make all the above amps sould like gold; but the question is the best of the best Zapco C2K Series & Arc Audio SE Series same designer mix and match as you like hands down the Benchmarks! IMHO
Hello all, well i'd have to say that i've been in this game since around 1985' when I was in Mortuary School in Dallas, Tx. at that time Dalworth CB & Car Stereo was the Big Dogg in the Oak Cliff & Desoto area in the DFW. That's when Balla's were Balla's and without a doubt Zapco was the "KING" with Orion coming in second place, follow by Alpha Sonic if you wanted good sound on a budget. At this time the Zapco Studio was the competetion amp of choice in the USA because it is what we called a cheater amp. It allowed you to comtete in a low wattage class; but do to Robert Z. design it would smoke all amps rated 3 times the power and sound was as or better than most home audio amps except the Altec 9440A best of the best period home, studio, or concert the cost $3000.00 Ea. in 1980' rated at 200 watts per channel rated a class A 200 @ 8ohm, 400 @ 4ohm, and 800 @4ohm bridged .006 THD or (1600 2ohm "w/fans" bridged). the Mcintosh MC2500 was a good home audio amp. To this day I run zapco c2k 4.0 on upper mids & Highs "front pillars', Arc Audio SE4200 on front stage midbass "doors". The pair of sub mono amps are Arc Audio KS2500.1's each on a 12" sealed sub. This is the best combo of amps that I have personally ever heard. The c2k is dead quite with the finesse and sound quality to die for on the upper mids & tweets, the SE 4200 bridged is a moster on the midbass and the KS2500.1 has the balls and control the Robert Z. has been looking for in his last 40 years in the business. It works me and i've own Orion HCCA, Harmon Kardon-CA260's, Linear Power, PPI, X-tant, old school Sound Stream, ADS, old school fosgate, Brax. But remember it's not so much of the amps as it is the electrical system and install. I can make all the above amps sould like gold; but the question is the best of the best Zapco C2K Series & Arc Audio SE Series same designer mix and match as you like hands down the Benchmarks! IMHO
Sorry to revive an old thread but all of the above is directly related to my question:
Does anyone currently make a Class A/B car amplifier with the slew rate and damping factor of the old Adcom GFA-4402/4702. I've resorted to using JL "Slash" amps bridged into 8 ohm loads to get the critical damping that I want but they still don't have that effortless air to them that my old Adcoms had and no matter how I EQ the sub it still has too much bloat for my taste.
Does anyone currently make a Class A/B car amplifier with the slew rate and damping factor of the old Adcom GFA-4402/4702. I've resorted to using JL "Slash" amps bridged into 8 ohm loads to get the critical damping that I want but they still don't have that effortless air to them that my old Adcoms had and no matter how I EQ the sub it still has too much bloat for my taste.
I can't believe this thread is not a "Sticky."
I owned an Autotek 7100BTS & 7300BTS. Both were stolen out my 1996 Ford Ranger SuperCab around 2006 while I was in a junkyard. They left the BP4 enclosure with 4 Audiobahn AMD60Q's 6.5" subs.
I still have a 7600BTS that needs repaired.
I owned an Autotek 7100BTS & 7300BTS. Both were stolen out my 1996 Ford Ranger SuperCab around 2006 while I was in a junkyard. They left the BP4 enclosure with 4 Audiobahn AMD60Q's 6.5" subs.
I still have a 7600BTS that needs repaired.
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I cant believe that no one has really mentioned Mosconi????
I have a Dynaudio 360 system, 2 8" JL Audio subwoofers with a Clarion 9255x head unit. When my 2 channel Mcintosh amp failed. I replaced it with a Mosconi Zero 4. Everything about this Mosconi amp blows the old 2 channel 100w amp away. Everything!!
I have a Dynaudio 360 system, 2 8" JL Audio subwoofers with a Clarion 9255x head unit. When my 2 channel Mcintosh amp failed. I replaced it with a Mosconi Zero 4. Everything about this Mosconi amp blows the old 2 channel 100w amp away. Everything!!
Woo old thread! The best I have is the a/d/s/ 450mx, It just sounds so right.
The most memorable listening session was with Monolithic amps, the most magic one had Vambert valve amps, not very much info around about these.
Thinking nowadays the Microprecision Studio 7 amp is the one to have!
The most memorable listening session was with Monolithic amps, the most magic one had Vambert valve amps, not very much info around about these.
Thinking nowadays the Microprecision Studio 7 amp is the one to have!
I took my time to read all the pages of this thread, most of all amplifier mentioned here I had the honor to hear them with different set up's and I consider it's about each individual ear or what is the target sound someone is looking.
For my ears I liked the Harman/Kardon CA240 and CA260 they were fine for me, then I had the chance to have and test the Harman/Kardon TC300, TC400Q and TC600 and they were better in power and audio quality.
I was curious for the last Harman/Larson car audio lineup from the year 2007-2009 that was only sold in Europe.
I still don't know why Harman international didn't sold them here in United State or PR.
I test all the models and they were Harman/Kardon CA280, CA470, CA5250 and CA1500D that last one the CA1500D is class D
with those models for some one that it's building their set up they have more ways for the build and of course more power.
As some one here already mention and a friend of mine Jože told me, ( a good head unit it's need for the amplifier shine better ) and it was right.
in conclusion we had a lot of great car audio designers and engineers from the 70, 80, 90 and 2000 from were all of this started and we had the chance to live to see it.
cheers for everyone 🍻
For my ears I liked the Harman/Kardon CA240 and CA260 they were fine for me, then I had the chance to have and test the Harman/Kardon TC300, TC400Q and TC600 and they were better in power and audio quality.
I was curious for the last Harman/Larson car audio lineup from the year 2007-2009 that was only sold in Europe.
I still don't know why Harman international didn't sold them here in United State or PR.
I test all the models and they were Harman/Kardon CA280, CA470, CA5250 and CA1500D that last one the CA1500D is class D
with those models for some one that it's building their set up they have more ways for the build and of course more power.
As some one here already mention and a friend of mine Jože told me, ( a good head unit it's need for the amplifier shine better ) and it was right.
in conclusion we had a lot of great car audio designers and engineers from the 70, 80, 90 and 2000 from were all of this started and we had the chance to live to see it.
cheers for everyone 🍻