 SonicElectronix.com - 1-877-BUY-SONIC
Up to $30.00 in FREE custom install kits on select car stereos. Largest selection online, great prices, Daily Deals and FREE shipping on most products. We are an authorized dealer for Infinity, JBL, JVC, Kicker, MTX, Vibe, RE Audio and others.
|
Car Audio Black Friday Sales! |
| Author |
| Thread |
 |
|
 | | | |
kidthorazine
Member
|
Class D v AB amps
What are everyones opinions on class D 4 channel amps versus AB 4 channel amps ? What class D 4 channel amp would you get in the price range of $250/$350?
Report this post to a moderator
|
 11-20-2010 06:37 PM |
| | |
larrypeters86
Senior Member
|
RE: Class D v AB amps
quote:
Originally posted on 11-20-2010 by kidthorazine
What are everyones opinions on class D $ channel amps versus AB 4 channel amps ? What class D 4 channel amp would you get in the price range of $250/$350?
That is a huge can of worms to open. Most wouldn't notice the differences but I will be a/b til the day I die.
Report this post to a moderator
|
| 11-20-2010 09:40 PM |
| | |
maryland33
Senior Member
|
RE: RE: Class D v AB amps
quote:
Originally posted on 11-20-2010 by larrypeters86
That is a huge can of worms to open. Most wouldn't notice the differences but I will be a/b til the day I die.
A buddy of mine has 2 DLS 4 channel amps(d-class) that are nice,but i'm with LP,a/b all the way.
Report this post to a moderator
|
| 11-21-2010 12:10 AM |
| | |
 |
MaximusCarAudio
Member
|
RE: Class D v AB amps
quote:
Originally posted on 11-20-2010 by kidthorazine
What are everyones opinions on class D 4 channel amps versus AB 4 channel amps ? What class D 4 channel amp would you get in the price range of $250/$350?
class ab all the way dude even if you dont notice much a of diff on the sq sound the speaker will notice a diff in a lot of ways. Class d is nice only cause of the way it is more eff but that would be the only reason to look at a class d is the eff rating for output power hence most use them on subs but for voice ab is the normal if you want high end sq then class A all the way .
Report this post to a moderator
|
| 11-21-2010 02:30 PM |
| | |
|
N2Audio
Senior Member
|
I switched from a Zed audio a/b (Lanzar Opti100.4) running my components to a Korean built Lanzar Opti4x400d. The rest of the system remained exactly the same.
Both amps were used in bridged mode. The Zed was rated at 180x2 bridged, but carsound measured it at 253x2. So take that FWIW. Using 0db reference I set the gain so it didn't exceed 180w.
The 4x400d is rated for 320x2 bridged. Not sure on the accuracy of that rating. My guess is it's a bit optimistic. I set the gain not to exceed 250w.
Differences in what I heard were pretty minimal. I suppose raw output of the class D was slightly higher, but a 40% increase in power shouldn't make much of an audible improvement.
The class D had a noise issue, but it was a ground/engine type noise, not related to its audio output. I think it's simply due to being a lesser quality amp than the Zed. I did some experimentation with the ground location of my HU and reduced it significantly, but it wasn't completely cured.
All things considered I didn't find any obvious advantages or disadvantages I could attribute to the class of the amps. Except for the low volume whine with the class D they both sounded great.
Report this post to a moderator
|
| 11-22-2010 01:59 PM |
| | |
|
|
MaximusCarAudio
Member
|
RE:
quote:
Originally posted on 11-22-2010 by N2Audio
I switched from a Zed audio a/b (Lanzar Opti100.4) running my components to a Korean built Lanzar Opti4x400d. The rest of the system remained exactly the same.
Both amps were used in bridged mode. The Zed was rated at 180x2 bridged, but carsound measured it at 253x2. So take that FWIW. Using 0db reference I set the gain so it didn't exceed 180w.
The 4x400d is rated for 320x2 bridged. Not sure on the accuracy of that rating. My guess is it's a bit optimistic. I set the gain not to exceed 250w.
Differences in what I heard were pretty minimal. I suppose raw output of the class D was slightly higher, but a 40% increase in power shouldn't make much of an audible improvement.
The class D had a noise issue, but it was a ground/engine type noise, not related to its audio output. I think it's simply due to being a lesser quality amp than the Zed. I did some experimentation with the ground location of my HU and reduced it significantly, but it wasn't completely cured.
All things considered I didn't find any obvious advantages or disadvantages I could attribute to the class of the amps. Except for the low volume whine with the class D they both sounded great.
I used the opti2x300d in my last setup had 8 of them for voice and yes on a high end setup there was a diff in sound quality and running that many I did notice a clamped amp draw diff in power used from 8 class ab amps running same power vs class d and sq was a bit diff too. I was using a dual burr brown head unit and high end sq drivers and I am sure thats a good reason why i could hear the diff. Now if I rember right double power is 3db increase so thats 2x as loud to the ear a 50% increase in power is 1.5db and thats a diff in sound you should notice if it's a real increase. Main reason to go to class d is power draw vs output rms watt.
Report this post to a moderator
|
| 11-23-2010 02:02 PM |
| | |
|
N2Audio
Senior Member
|
RE:
quote:
Originally posted on 11-22-2010 by larrypeters86
Holy shit! 253 x 2 . I think I may have been underestimating my amps.
Ideal conditions, obviously, but yeah, they're way under rated, and regulated. According to carsound it produced rated power at 10.5v.
There was a guy at CA.com a while back, Delvryboy IIRC, who did a lot of amp testing, and his results were generally accepted as being fairly accurate.
He had an opti200.2 (rated 380w bridged at 4) that he "claimed" he measured just over 1000w at 2.
Seemed kinda fishy at the time, but he stood by it.
Report this post to a moderator
|
| 11-24-2010 10:05 AM |
| | |
|
larrypeters86
Senior Member
|
RE: RE:
quote:
Originally posted on 11-24-2010 by N2Audio
Ideal conditions, obviously, but yeah, they're way under rated, and regulated. According to carsound it produced rated power at 10.5v.
There was a guy at CA.com a while back, Delvryboy IIRC, who did a lot of amp testing, and his results were generally accepted as being fairly accurate.
He had an opti200.2 (rated 380w bridged at 4) that he "claimed" he measured just over 1000w at 2.
Seemed kinda fishy at the time, but he stood by it.
That's amazing. Thanks and time to search at Ca.
Report this post to a moderator
|
| 11-24-2010 08:50 PM |
| | |
|
larrypeters86
Senior Member
|
RE: RE:
quote:
Originally posted on 11-24-2010 by N2Audio
Ideal conditions, obviously, but yeah, they're way under rated, and regulated. According to carsound it produced rated power at 10.5v.
There was a guy at CA.com a while back, Delvryboy IIRC, who did a lot of amp testing, and his results were generally accepted as being fairly accurate.
He had an opti200.2 (rated 380w bridged at 4) that he "claimed" he measured just over 1000w at 2.
Seemed kinda fishy at the time, but he stood by it.
Do you have any idea if those tests used Mantz's fuse ratings? The ones that most people don't think are possible?
Report this post to a moderator
|
| 11-24-2010 09:02 PM |
| | |
| Author |
| Thread |
|
|
| | |
|
|
