When Alpine introduced their groundbreaking lineup of PDX digital car amplifiers a couple of years ago, the response and performance were excellent.

These amps set a new standard for car amplifiers by allowing the customer to have reliable power and flexibility without taking up half the space in the vehicle.

The latest lineup from the folks at Alpine this year includes 4 new amplifiers with single as well as multi-channel designs- all with the same small efficient footprint.

Alpine has introduced the PDXF4 and PDXF6 which boast 100 Watts and 150 Watts x 4 respectively. In addition, Alpine has the PDXM6 and PDXM12 subwoofer platforms with 600 Watts and 1200 Watts x 1.
*The current PDX5 (5 channel) remains in this year’s lineup. All designs are equipped with variable electronic crossovers and ports for the newly introduced bass level control modules for systems without subwoofer gain controls.

Open one of the PDX boxes and you’ll find the same hand-written tech notes listing
actual wattage output prior to packing. Generally, these amps are rated conservatively compared to what the tech actually measures on the test bench!

What’s the big deal with little amps?

For those of you who did not read my earlier blog on Cass “D” amplifier design, there are many advantages. Of course, there’s less space needed, less ventilation required, less power consumption and of course higher output efficiency.

What Alpine has done is continue its successful lineup of the PDX design, while listening to what consumers wanted.

The result is a lineup of reliable, flexible and very reasonably priced (compared to similar designs) car amplifiers that will work very well in any system configuration. Drop by our showroom to take a look at the new PDX series of amplifiers from Alpine or visit their website at www.alpine-usa.com

Ask Chuck about Alpine

[contact-form-7]

That little “Class D” Design Car audio Amplifier that we first put on display nearly three years ago. I took one look at this little box- without any obvious heat-sink- and of a stackable design and had my doubts. “It’s gotta have a huge set of fins, large cooling fan and weigh- at least- 30 pounds!” I proclaimed. After all, that’s what makes a powerful car amplifier, right?

It was after I installed a couple of them in my vehicle; and many client vehicles to follow; that I realized that these little amps were actually great sounding and quite powerful, too!

Alpine brought its full line of “PDX Series” amplifiers to market and proved that good things do come in small packages- from single to multi-channel designs with excellent efficiency.

JL Audio was next to roll out its “HD Series” of small, yet wonderful amplifiers- which took the “PDX Series” level one step further by incorporating much of the company’s acclaimed Slash Series Technology.

The newly introduced JL Audio XD Series Car Amplifiers

The latest creation from the folks at JL Audio is its “XD Series” line of car amplifiers, which consist of VERY SMALL mono-block, four channel and six-channel models. The new XD amplifiers employ JL Audio’s hyper-efficient NexD™ technology to unleash huge, audiophile-grade performance from an amazingly compact package.

The company claims these amplifiers achieve total efficiencies above 80% and utilize an unregulated power supply. This enables these little amps to provide large power in a small size which results in far less strain on your vehicle’s electrical system than conventional “big” amplifiers.

Comparing sizes of the XD, HD and Slash Series Amplifiers

If you want a real good idea just how small these new amps actually are, the XD600/1 is actually 33% smaller than the HD 750/1 and 61% smaller than the 500/1v2!

I’m a firm believer in specs, so I’ve listed JL Audio’s specifications on each of the three models. Small (and great sounding) is definitely in!

XD Series Amplifier Specicifcations:

XD600/1

Class D Monoblock Subwoofer Amplifier

A huge 600W wallop from an amazingly tiny amplifier:

8.52 x 7.09 x 2.05 in. (217 x 180 x 52 mm)

33% Smaller than the HD750/1 and 61% smaller than a 500/1v2!

1 x 600W @ 2 ohms

1 x 500W @ 3 ohms

1 x 400W @ 4 ohms

XD400/4

Full-Range, Class D 2/3/4 Channel Amplifier

Ridiculously flexible and fits nearly anywhere:

8.52 x 7.09 x 2.05 in. (217 x 180 x 52 mm)

33% Smaller than the HD600/4 and 61% smaller than a 300/4v2!

4 x 100W @ 2 ohms per ch., 4 x 75W @ 4 ohms per ch.

(2 x 200W @ 4 ohms bridged, 2 x 150W @ 8 ohms bridged)

XD600/6

Full-Range, Class D 3/4/5/6 Channel Amplifier

This one has more uses than duct tape! Deploy as a six-channel, staggered four-channel, five-channel or even as a three-channel amp:

10.23 x 7.09 x 2.05 in. (260 x 180 x 52 mm)

65% smaller than a G6600 (and just as powerful)!

6 x 100W @ 2 ohms per ch., 6 x 75W @ 4 ohms per ch.

(3 x 200W @ 4 ohms bridged, 3 x 150W @ 8 ohms bridged)

All Power Ratings @ 14.4V with less than 1% THD+N

JL Audio also has plans to introduce a two- channel and five- channel model later this year.

Ask Chuck about JL Audio’s All New “XD” Series

[contact-form-7]

“We continue to offer products from brands that provide a high level of performance, dependability and value.”

Over the past two decades, Ask the Advisors has carried many brands of car audio- from some of the biggest names including Alpine, Eclipse, JL Audio, Morel, Rockford Fosgate, Pioneer, Phoenix Gold, Tru Technologies and others.

Over the years, the industry has changed, and many of these solid brands from “back in the day” have either disappeared or have been sold to overseas manufacturers that offer “cheaply made shadows” of what those original products were once like.

In selecting the right Car Audio brands, Ask the Advisors has always selected products that were reliable, full of valuable features and had reputations consisting of great warranties alongside solid customer support.

-And this year, we’re proud to offer the Excelon lineup of Car Audio from Kenwood!

Kenwood brings a legacy of more than twenty years in car audio and offers quality products from head units, navigation, amplifiers and speaker systems.

What the Excelon line provides is higher performance, backed by a two-year warranty.

Kenwood’s new DNX-9960 Head Unit and XR-4S Multi-channel Amp

Some of the new and exciting additions you will see in our showroom include the new DNX Series of Navigation Head Units, XR Series Class “D” Car amplifiers, X Series High Performance Speakers and the incredibly flexible XW series 8 inch/ 10 inch thin subwoofers.

The ultra-slim XW-1000F 10” Woofer and High Performance X-1730P Components

These new products illustrate perfectly why the Excelon line of car audio is a perfect fit for our clientele, who demand great performance and quality.

Check out the new Excelon line from Kenwood at our showroom today!

Ask Chuck about Kenwood Excelon

[contact-form-7]

Regardless of whether you are adding very efficient Class “D” car amplifiers, always look at your options when it comes to taking this extra stress off your alternator and battery.

The options:

There are a few ways you can beef up the power grid in your vehicle and they all depend on the amount of voltage/ current your system requires. One such method was to add a CAP (Capacitor) which enabled your system to recover somewhat from dynamic peaks in music. CAPS are available from Stinger, HiFonics, Orion, Tsunami and others. In larger systems, the option exists whereby a second vehicle battery is installed along with an upgraded (higher output) alternator and battery isolator. Popular sources for these batteries include Stinger and Interstate. The option that has become increasingly popular is adding a “Power Cell” which is essentially a gel-cell or sealed battery to the audio system.

The Comparison:

In upgrading your vehicle’s power bank, the option of a second battery, isolator and upgraded alternator is the best option, but presents a set of challenges, not to mention it’s by far the most expensive.

Examples of Upgraded Alternators and the Yellow Top Battery from Stinger

Hurdles to overcome here

(unless you’ve got a 70′s muscle car with acres of space under the hood) involve:
1. Finding a location for the secondary battery- which can be the same size as your existing battery- and sometimes larger!
2. Having a custom alternator manufactured that will fit properly.
3. Finding a location for the Isolator.

* Plan on budgeting between $950-$1200 for this type of power upgrade.

The final two options for upgrading your power involve either a CAP or Power Cell. It is here that many folks tend to make the wrong choice when upgrading, despite the fact that both of these options are very close in cost.

When you are deciding between a CAP and Power Cell, look at the PROS and CONS! You’ll find that the Power Cell is actually THE BEST OPTION.

Here’s why:

Both the CAP and Power Cell are placed in the system to assist the vehicle’s power source in providing stable power. (Current/ Voltage) When a dynamic signal is played and peaks are reached, your car system needs to “cover” in order to feed the car amplifier’s power supplies, which are drawing increased amounts of current to keep up with your finger on the volume knob. When the power source cannot keep up with its system demands, amplifiers can shut down (go into protection) or even clip, which can result in damage to your speaker system, regardless of power handling capacity.

Both the CAP and Power Cell remain in a “charged state” during system operation and both provide a means of recovery during peak demand, but the amount of recovery and stability is what sets the Power Cell apart from the CAP. Adding a Power Cell actually enables your system to perform BETTER because it is a larger, more stable source of reserve power AND never becomes a source of resistance in-line. For example, a 600 Watt Power Cell is actually TEN TIMES more powerful than a 100 FARAD Capacitor!
Now we’re talking reserve power AND performance! Some Power Cell manufacturers include Kinetik, Boss Audio and Shuriken.

A CAP will charge in an instant- but will also DISCHARGE in that same instant, which now becomes resistance in your system’s power grid. This actually can (and does) reduce audio system performance.

Ask Chuck about Sound Deadening

[contact-form-7]

I’ve spent my time working in the Car Audio Audio Industry for nearly the past 20 years

and have been able to try many flavors as the technology has morphed from one design to another. Despite one claim versus another, the car amplifier has for the most part, remained pretty much the same. The differences between cheap models and good performers lie in the construction and components being used. (And the fact that you no longer have to install a surfboard in your trunk) One such amplifier that seems to be doing well is the Class Design which solves just about every problem associated with installation space while providing pretty reliable operation and good sound quality.

What is class D?

Amplifier technology revolved around the traditional Class A, B or Class A/B design, which consists of a set of output devices that are either constantly on or two sets that switch. While both of these topologies had advantages, both were for the most part, inefficient (Class A 20 and Class AB about 50%) and required large power supplies/ heat sinks, thus making the physical chassis larger. Some of the popular amps in this category include Alpine, Kenwood, Clarion, MTX and many others.

In a Class D design, also known as a PWM or switching amplifier, the output devices are either fully on or off. This results in efficiency ratings in the 90-95% range. Add to that, the lack of a large power supply and reduction in heat sink capacity, and you now have a nice efficient amplifier in a small package that can still pack a good punch. (And won’t heat up your trunk an extra 100 degrees)

The Players:

Two such players in this new and good sounding car amplifier market are Alpine and JL Audio. Both companies bring a great tradition of car audio design and performance to the table and offer a wide range of these great amplifier choices. Alpine offers six models which provide configurations from 1 thru 5 channels complete with on-board variable crossover networks in sleek chassis designs. Alpine’s technology incorporates Direct FET a very efficient MOSFET design which enables these amps to run cooler than other designs. JL Audio brings it’s expertise in amplifier design to bear with its HD Amplifier line. The company offers three current models including a 1, 4 and 5 Channel that boast features including Single Cycle switching technology and similar regulated power supply technology found in the company’s solid Slash series car amps.

The Jury Speaks:

In today’s diluted car audio amplifier market, you’re sure to come across many lower-end manufacturers offering smaller, cheaper and better solutions, but don’t be fooled. Many of the ‘old school’ players are actually poor oriental offerings. Both Alpine and JL Audio designs offer the installer and consumer the ability to add a great sounding amplifier to their existing system or replace older technology with a great sounding component that takes up a fraction of the space- which in today’s cars is at a premium!

Summary of the Technology:

• Class D Amplifiers offer the following benefits:
• Reduction in size and weight of the amplifier
• Multi-channel configurations with on-board variable crossover networks
• Reduced power waste as heat dissipation and hence smaller (or no) heat-sinks
• Reduction in cost due to smaller heat sink and compact circuitry
• Very high power conversion efficiency, usually greater than 90%
• Stackable design for increased use of limited space during installation

[Show as slideshow]

123►

Gallery Page 1 of 3

Ask Chuck in Mobile Audio/Video

[contact-form-7]