Well That is the name of the fella that did the engineering and if you like I will contact my two local friends here that worked with him and Stewart electronics to see if that is him for you. ... We have vays of finding out ziss sort of thing , you know...lol lol lol...
I emailed a ID request to someone that knows zee answer to dis question...I zink I have a picture of them all together many years ago...
I emailed a ID request to someone that knows zee answer to dis question...I zink I have a picture of them all together many years ago...
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I dunno. The Soundstreams run and sound ok. But I never really felt quite right with them. Almost like using someone else's computer. And I tried almost every model from D60 - Rubicon 700.
It seems like to me that in the last few years of rotating amps, I've been happiest with the old Zapco Competitions on the mids and highs, and Punch 150/HD and Coustic 360 on the subs. Though I must say, the G&S Competition C2000 (not the PPI models but the next series) was the best damn 400 watt sub amp I've used sounding just right in my small Eclipse. My Punch 150 25 to Life was just waayyy too much.
It seems like to me that in the last few years of rotating amps, I've been happiest with the old Zapco Competitions on the mids and highs, and Punch 150/HD and Coustic 360 on the subs. Though I must say, the G&S Competition C2000 (not the PPI models but the next series) was the best damn 400 watt sub amp I've used sounding just right in my small Eclipse. My Punch 150 25 to Life was just waayyy too much.
Funny he says softer sounding, to me they were harder though I had the most experience with the D series. They sounded more cold and precise, near German in a way though many new amps also do. So they worked well on highs and mids, not as nice full range on say a hatch box, and so-so on subs. We used to run LP on lows and sometimes mids, SS on highs sometimes mids, lol, it sounded best. The LP had far more bass, and back then many people didn't run EQs, that was around late 80s mostly the xx02 LP amps. Also if you needed over 200w there was no SS there. Both amps worked well and were expensive, just worked better for different uses. RF punch were great amps back then too, though they sounded quite colored at times with a loudness curve, but it was good when you had limited EQ back then. I have a rub302 the early one, I've only ran it on a single 12 and it has all its 300rms I can tell you it blew off a couple other amps I also ran. Too bad the single 12s sounded like crap no matter what amp was on them, I hate small sealed with nominal subs.
I have a bunch of old amps to try its going to be confusing. How do you compare a D100, a HK CA260, alpine 3555, Rub 302, alpine v12 t757/407, alp 1002(but its kinda big), alp F345, mtx USA BT754, and some newer amps too. Been running class D on subs, but might try some old school since the 15s should not take that much to get them going.
I have a bunch of old amps to try its going to be confusing. How do you compare a D100, a HK CA260, alpine 3555, Rub 302, alpine v12 t757/407, alp 1002(but its kinda big), alp F345, mtx USA BT754, and some newer amps too. Been running class D on subs, but might try some old school since the 15s should not take that much to get them going.
I would disagree !
Being one of the first Soundstream dealers on the east coast ,
the Soundstreams from 84-90 would tear into any Zapco and or Fosgate stuff.
Zapco was very good stuff , but the class -a soundstreams( 84-89) were the best sounding audio car amplifiers period. The Zapco was as good in the bass as the D-series and it was not unusual for our reference systems to have a Tri or bi-amp system with Soundstream class-A on the mid/highs , zapco or a d200 on the bass . I would agree the soundstream stuff in the 90's was "OK" and nothing like there previous stuff , we did the comparison just to make sure and the setup was compared in an IASCA winning soundstream car @ the time .. IMO and those of others present the class-a stuff from the 80's was better .
For some reason the D60 was never at the same level as the others and we never really carried or used them with the rare exception of being the tweeter amp on a tri-sytem
The Fosgates were also good sounding units , but had horrible reliability and as they were the original big guys on the block we used to use a lot of them in the 70's , but you always had to have a spare unit as they would fail repeatedly .
The soundstream pre -tuner-cassette player was also reference stuff and had absolutely the best pre-amp in the business in contrast to the tuner which was absolutely worst .
We used to team in our reference setup a nakamichi dragon - Soundstream pre/tuner - a Dx-3 xover .
Last but not least from that era was Audiomobile , good stuff .......
Ohhh back then the business was different , you actually had to know what you were doing , this was when sound quality mattered, not like the 90's when it was who had the biggest ear drums and the mixed in politics of Iasca...
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We also only used the D60 on tweeters, but it worked very well on them even six of them at once. Tended to use x02 LP xovers cascaded.
Heck once I ran a Punch 45 on 10s IB, lol, guy didn't have cash for another amp but wanted the 10s put in and larger amp on highs. I said it will work just will not pound like it could....dang thing was awesome considering the little amp it was. It went louder than a stock system playing nice deep bass.
I got a D100 the other day, my memory is getting bad that thing is tiny! No wonder we mostly used the 200s. It is significantly smaller than the 1002 LPs I have, and IIRC the SS always did run hot too, compared to others, maybe that is one reason why. But except for tweeters we never used under 150w amps for high end systems.
Heck once I ran a Punch 45 on 10s IB, lol, guy didn't have cash for another amp but wanted the 10s put in and larger amp on highs. I said it will work just will not pound like it could....dang thing was awesome considering the little amp it was. It went louder than a stock system playing nice deep bass.
I got a D100 the other day, my memory is getting bad that thing is tiny! No wonder we mostly used the 200s. It is significantly smaller than the 1002 LPs I have, and IIRC the SS always did run hot too, compared to others, maybe that is one reason why. But except for tweeters we never used under 150w amps for high end systems.
If I could get 3 Quad-4ohm-coil 10" woofers similar to the old Polk DB10s, I'd find 12 D200IIs and have exactly the bass I want.
I never should have let go of all those old green 6.0s, DOG they were sweet!
I never realized how many layers of vocals Enya used on her Watermark album until I heard it thru a 6.0 & Picasso.
I never should have let go of all those old green 6.0s, DOG they were sweet!
I never realized how many layers of vocals Enya used on her Watermark album until I heard it thru a 6.0 & Picasso.
And as a follow-up...
I've had most Soundstream amps made, lots of older class A amps, from the Class A 50 & 100II thru several 3.0s & 6.0s to the last old skool Class A Picasso (I kept them all!) and a number of the Reference series, too, and the only amp I let go was the D200II. It did get a little harsh & gritty when it got warmer though it maintained an incredible ability to control the woofer.
Having had a number of Zapcos, including the HC500, 6.0 & 9.0, along with a bunch of PPI Art series, (fry'n)Orions, MTX's VFet series, Kicker's best ZR series, Lanzar's Opti series, a newer McIntosh & an older Fosgate Punch, along with a ton of Linear Power, both the TO20 & newer, plus Audisson, Sinfoni & Helix and the Class A Soundstream amps absolutely outclass all of the rest.
The only one I might consider as good, maybe even a tiny bit better would be Steg's pricey Class A amplifiers.
If you can grab a reference Class A 6.0 / 10.0 / Picasso or Renoir you'll know what I'm referring to, but please have a smooth deck & speaker system or you'll be erroneously blaming the amplifier for junk you'll hear because of it's uncanny ability to reveal other system weaknesses.
But you should love the bass control & ultra-smooth but lively & articulate mid/high detail without harshness or dullness you get from so many other 'High End' amp manufacturers.
Oh, and Wade is for real, I spoke with him on the phone yesterday, and we're having lunch next week, so if you have an SS amp that you want repaired or dialed in - he's the man to send it to. He IS Mr SS Reference.
I've had most Soundstream amps made, lots of older class A amps, from the Class A 50 & 100II thru several 3.0s & 6.0s to the last old skool Class A Picasso (I kept them all!) and a number of the Reference series, too, and the only amp I let go was the D200II. It did get a little harsh & gritty when it got warmer though it maintained an incredible ability to control the woofer.
Having had a number of Zapcos, including the HC500, 6.0 & 9.0, along with a bunch of PPI Art series, (fry'n)Orions, MTX's VFet series, Kicker's best ZR series, Lanzar's Opti series, a newer McIntosh & an older Fosgate Punch, along with a ton of Linear Power, both the TO20 & newer, plus Audisson, Sinfoni & Helix and the Class A Soundstream amps absolutely outclass all of the rest.
The only one I might consider as good, maybe even a tiny bit better would be Steg's pricey Class A amplifiers.
If you can grab a reference Class A 6.0 / 10.0 / Picasso or Renoir you'll know what I'm referring to, but please have a smooth deck & speaker system or you'll be erroneously blaming the amplifier for junk you'll hear because of it's uncanny ability to reveal other system weaknesses.
But you should love the bass control & ultra-smooth but lively & articulate mid/high detail without harshness or dullness you get from so many other 'High End' amp manufacturers.
Oh, and Wade is for real, I spoke with him on the phone yesterday, and we're having lunch next week, so if you have an SS amp that you want repaired or dialed in - he's the man to send it to. He IS Mr SS Reference.
Bringing this back from the depths................
Possible for some of Wades friends to get in touch with him? Several folks, including myself, sent him items for repair from his posts on DIYMA. I have not been able to get in touch with him for close to 6 months now. I have given up on the deposit I sent and would just like my amp returned.
He seems to have gotten over whelmed and way behind. All I can find are glowing representations of his character and I am sure the way this situation has taken was completely due to circumstances beyond his control. But it is time for him to throw in the towel and return my equipment.
I will gladly Paypal someone freight costs if they can pick up my amp from him and send it back to me.
Kirk
Possible for some of Wades friends to get in touch with him? Several folks, including myself, sent him items for repair from his posts on DIYMA. I have not been able to get in touch with him for close to 6 months now. I have given up on the deposit I sent and would just like my amp returned.
He seems to have gotten over whelmed and way behind. All I can find are glowing representations of his character and I am sure the way this situation has taken was completely due to circumstances beyond his control. But it is time for him to throw in the towel and return my equipment.
I will gladly Paypal someone freight costs if they can pick up my amp from him and send it back to me.
Kirk
Hi
I had a Soundstream Ref 10 Class A and still have an unused Piscasso amp. I suspect that I was the only person in South Africa with a Ref10 Class A.
The Ref 10 gave me more pleasure than my high end home system. Needless to say it was swiped with my car and never seen again.
Interestingly none of the local car audio dealers were prepared to help me trace the amp.
Jozua
Cape Town
I had a Soundstream Ref 10 Class A and still have an unused Piscasso amp. I suspect that I was the only person in South Africa with a Ref10 Class A.
The Ref 10 gave me more pleasure than my high end home system. Needless to say it was swiped with my car and never seen again.
Interestingly none of the local car audio dealers were prepared to help me trace the amp.
Jozua
Cape Town
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