overwhelmed by all the choices! please help

[raptor20561]

I have so many different amps in mind for my hd-62s, can you guys help me pick which one would be the best for my situation?

This amp is only going to be running my hd-62s which I want to power with around 100-180 rms. I am definately going to SQ over SPL and I dont want to add an EQ to my system.

Below is a short list of some amps I had in mind, please feel free to suggest an amp to add to the list or to take one off (please explain why you think it should be taken off the list)

trying to keep it under $150

Pioneer Premier GM-6150F
Kicker 300.4
US Amps I/S 4065
US Amps XT-800.2
Orion HP-4600 or HP-4800

edit: adding a new amp to the "maybe" list that just caught my eye, the elemental design nine.2

[Darthness]

out of those, i'd probably go with witih the us amps.

[swimmerdude]

I would not add Elemental Designs to that list. I have heard to many horror stories from that company and its products. I have not used any Pioneer amps, and i dont really see them used often. I would have to say to go with the Kicker over the Pioneer. Kicker makes very good and very solid amps, but which line is it?? The US Amps XT series is their bottom line, so you can probably get better. I know that the IS line isnt a new line and forgot where they stand on quality from us amps. The new Orion lines seem to be pretty decent and are pretty good quality.

Out of those, I would only look at the Kicker, Orion, and US Amps.

[raptor20561]

its the kx300.4, is the kx series their better line?

should i get the 300.4 and bridge it or 400.2 and run it stereo? the 300.4 bridged will give me 150x2 and 100x2 for the latter. If I run a 4 channel amp bridged will I be hearing true stereo imaging from my components? Or will it be mono like running a 2 channel amp bridged.

thanks for replying!


edit: how about kickers sx line? good? bad? that DSP control looks so kick ass... and 24 db slopes? *drool*

[swimmerdude]

the SX and ZX lines are higher lines than their KX lines. All are solid amps though.

I dont really think you will hear a difference between a bridged 4-channel amps and a 2-channel amp.

[geolemon]

I'd start by listing what's important to you in an amp.

Here's my list:
1) price
2) features
3) power
4) cosmetics
5) size / installation considerations
6) compatibility with rest of system (gain input range, etc)

Quality is of course going to be a factor too, but there are so many ways to look at quality - sound quality, build quality, reliability - and so difficult to measure those, or get good information on each. Ultimately, it's your perception on quality. So that has to rank in here also. Unfortunately, asking questions is simply going to raise other people's opinions on quality. There's no "consumer reports" that provides objective and unbiased information.

But your comment stood out to me "I don't want an EQ". I hate to tell you, but it's nearly every OTHER component in your system (as well as how the speaker locations are prepared - are they functioning as proper acoustic cabinets?) that ISN'T your amplifier that will determine whether you need an EQ or not... the amplifier is the one component that won't make a difference in that, even if you bought a piece of junk.

Also, remember the relationship between power and loudness - for a subwoofer, that requires a lot of power and is only around 1% efficient to begin with, the relationship between power and loudness is almost 5:1 - pretty horrible. Even for smaller, lower excursion, more efficient speakers like fullrange speakers, the relationship is 4:1 - meaning that it takes a fourfold increase in power to effect just a 6dB gain in loudness.
So don't sweat power TOO much - comparing a 60w amp to a 75w amp would be nearly inaudible, all other factors being the same (less than 1dB surely).

I'd take those amps, and make a list like mine, and maybe rank them by category - and see how things fall after that.

[raptor20561]

thanks a lot! i think im going to go with kicker since theyre priced in my budget

ill definately tell you guys how they end up sounding



[quote="geolemon"]I'd start by listing what's important to you in an amp.
Here's my list:
1) price
2) features
3) power
4) cosmetics
5) size / installation considerations
6) compatibility with rest of system (gain input range, etc)
Quality is of course going to be a factor too, but there are so many ways to look at quality - sound quality, build quality, reliability - and so difficult to measure those, or get good information on each. Ultimately, it's your perception on quality. So that has to rank in here also. Unfortunately, asking questions is simply going to raise other people's opinions on quality. There's no "consumer reports" that provides objective and unbiased information.
But your comment stood out to me "I don't want an EQ". I hate to tell you, but it's nearly every OTHER component in your system (as well as how the speaker locations are prepared - are they functioning as proper acoustic cabinets?) that ISN'T your amplifier that will determine whether you need an EQ or not... the amplifier is the one component that won't make a difference in that, even if you bought a piece of junk.
Also, remember the relationship between power and loudness - for a subwoofer, that requires a lot of power and is only around 1% efficient to begin with, the relationship between power and loudness is almost 5:1 - pretty horrible. Even for smaller, lower excursion, more efficient speakers like fullrange speakers, the relationship is 4:1 - meaning that it takes a fourfold increase in power to effect just a 6dB gain in loudness.
So don't sweat power TOO much - comparing a 60w amp to a 75w amp would be nearly inaudible, all other factors being the same (less than 1dB surely).
I'd take those amps, and make a list like mine, and maybe rank them by category - and see how things fall after that. ]

[geolemon]

the SX and ZX lines are higher lines than their KX lines. All are solid amps though.
I dont really think you will hear a difference between a bridged 4-channel amps and a 2-channel amp.

The SX line is the "high end" product, which has a whole digital DSP-based processing section. Gain control, crossover points and slope can all be adjusted nearly infinitely, they even have a parmetric equalizer built into them... which is very cool.
Subjectively however, in my years as a Kicker dealer, I didn't think they stacked up against even the entry level Audison we used to sell. In fact, I thought the KX line sounded just as good. And it wasn't that it sounded bad, it was simply that almost imperceivable veil of "final detail" that wasn't quite there, where even the Audison SRx has it. Not bad amps by any means.
However, as far as features go, the SX line has functionality, features, and adjustability that I would say surpass literally every other amp on the market - and the prices are pretty reasonable given that functionality (and at about $1/watt per model, the older guys here remember when midgrade amps cost $1/watt in the old days ).

Essentially, the "old" (pre-2006) entry range line was the KX line. The "new" (2006, 2007) entry range line is the ZX line. Essentially, it's the KX product with a new cosmetic, new heatsink, etc. - which [Kicker reps at CES said] the SX line will be adopting as well this year (we'll see in January!) as well, so that they once again have a family resemblance.