Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I felt compelled to write a review after owning and playing with this amp for a month.I read alot of reviews before buying and they were mostly positive with a few sub power complaints.I've been a car audio fan for more years than I like to mention,and tend to stick with JL,Boston,old Kicker or MB Quart speakers and Alpine or old Blaupunkt amps.
First off, if you want power to blow away your buddies with a bass competition,will be bummed by not not being able to listen to body panel flex outside or blow dry your hair,look for something else.
The front and rear sections of the amp are more than enough for most anyone, but the sub section has it's limitations. It came with a factory output sheet of 94x4 and 400x1 RMS. Nothing needs to be said about the 94x4 as it is quite good all the way around. The sub section is 400W RMS but really hits more like 200W RMS. I replaced an old Blaupunkt 5ch rated at 50x4 and 150 RMS. The Alpine 4ch section is twice the juice of my old amp as rated, but the sub output is not much more powerful.
I have spent much time making numerous adjustments and have come to the conclusion that the sub section on the Alpine amp is ok, but not for a kickdrum slam worshiper. I have a Peerless XXLS 10 in a sealed box.It is 2ohms and rated at 175W RMS. It sounds very good and accurate, yet seems to run out of steam. I swapped it with a $250 JL 10 and it made no real difference.This is in a standard cab full size truck.This amp does well and is accurate for subs rated at similar wattage, but dont expect it to throttle your 1000 watt RMS competition sub. For efficient enclosures/ported boxes I feel it would likely be much better than my setup being a sealed box design takes a bit more juice to ramp up.
**listening to a rap or what I will call "hanging bass" cd the sub appeared louder and cleaner. I listen mostly to hard rock though and like a hard kickdrum hit. My matched sub and sealed box volume was chosen for the purpose.It is rated at 175W RMS so pushing to capacity yet not overdriving is not a problem.I am happy with the performance of the amp in this system because I had realistic expectations,though I was hoping to be surprised.
For sealed designs It appears it should be ok for most.Overall I do like the amp and the headroom I now have for the other channels. The adjustability/versatility of this unit is well done in a small all-in-one solution that won't have your alternator crying for mercy. Was it worth spending $350 over what I already had? Yes for the size and power efficiency,yes for the 4ch headroom,a wash for sound quality (the old Blau is quite good) and a marginal yes for the sub output. I am not trashing this amp. It is a very good 5ch solution that performs well with an ample,yet not powerhouse sub section.
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