Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2006 7:27 pm
The JL uses complimentary N channel MOSFET output devices and a proprietary circuit that reverses one in each pair to make the output devices more symmetrical. It's very effective and the performance is very similar to that offered by the best amplifiers using scads of Bipolar output devices.
The Elevations use more traditional methods-with the best example being their DX amps with a Triple-Darlington arrangement and bipolar output devices. Bipolars are nice-and linear at that, but they are unstable and unreliable if built with a "just enough" mentality. If you're going to effectively use Bipolars, you have to do it Zapco/Arc Audio (aka: Robert Zeff) style by using an high number of them to make them reliable. Elevation doesn't do that. The amps use Toshiba transistors that, while sufficient, aren't the greatest things out there.
Another reason is that JL overbuilds their power supplies moreso than Elevation. The power supply is the most crucial part of amplifier performance. The regulated power supply is icing on the cake, but the power supply can provide far more current than the amplifier needs.
Then the component quality. All capacitors, transformers, resistors, the circuit board, even little things like the RCA connectors and all power/speaker connectors, the JL is built like a tank in comparison to the EA amps.
Last, but not least-engineering. This is one you can't really criticize from looking at as much as you can from independant testing. And of that I've seen the JL puts out better numbers. Admittedly-amps are the one thing I will go by specs on. Our ears can't tell us that one, and I haven't seen good performance come from inferior componentry, or engineering for that matter.
I'm not saying the Elevations are bad amps-they're good amps for the money. As in the Kicker kind of good for the money.
The Elevations use more traditional methods-with the best example being their DX amps with a Triple-Darlington arrangement and bipolar output devices. Bipolars are nice-and linear at that, but they are unstable and unreliable if built with a "just enough" mentality. If you're going to effectively use Bipolars, you have to do it Zapco/Arc Audio (aka: Robert Zeff) style by using an high number of them to make them reliable. Elevation doesn't do that. The amps use Toshiba transistors that, while sufficient, aren't the greatest things out there.
Another reason is that JL overbuilds their power supplies moreso than Elevation. The power supply is the most crucial part of amplifier performance. The regulated power supply is icing on the cake, but the power supply can provide far more current than the amplifier needs.
Then the component quality. All capacitors, transformers, resistors, the circuit board, even little things like the RCA connectors and all power/speaker connectors, the JL is built like a tank in comparison to the EA amps.
Last, but not least-engineering. This is one you can't really criticize from looking at as much as you can from independant testing. And of that I've seen the JL puts out better numbers. Admittedly-amps are the one thing I will go by specs on. Our ears can't tell us that one, and I haven't seen good performance come from inferior componentry, or engineering for that matter.
I'm not saying the Elevations are bad amps-they're good amps for the money. As in the Kicker kind of good for the money.
