US Acoustics Barbara Ann Review

[Jlan Thr Smth]

Aesthetics & Design

I placed the order straight from the Sound Solutions Audio store on the 13th and it was shipped same day and I later received it in about 3 business days. Upon opening the double packaged box, I was glad to see it packaged very well with strong although soft foam on both corners and one directly in the center. In the box there was included hardware and allen keys for the terminals, also there were "Docking Pads" to reduce amplifier vibrations. The listed dimensions of the amplifier are 16.4 x 8.9 x 2.2 and weighs in around approximately 15 pounds. I was greeted with a very aesthetically pleasing and simple design. The top has machined heat sink channels running the whole width of the amp with an appropriately sized US Acoustics logo which is inset and also happens to be plastic. Near the top on the flat surface above the logo on the left the amplifier model name is etched with a gunmetal colored "Barbra Ann" and on the left "4 Channel High Power Amplifier" is also etched in the same gunmetal color.

Going to the side with the Crossovers and RCA inputs there are 4 inputs and 2 additional outputs to daisy chain other amplifiers. I was pleased to see that the amplifier came with included covers for the unused inputs, a very nice touch although most; including myself, will probably loose them if all of the inputs and outputs are populated. There are also two LEDs which are green for power and red for protect.

Now moving to the side with the power inputs and speaker outputs, you will notice two 4 gauge power inputs with 3 35 amp fuses between the 8 speaker outputs which are angled. Personally speaking I am not a huge fan of angled connectors, although if used correctly they can enhance the looks of your instillation. But in my experience if they are not properly tucked they can have a tendency to come out.

Now flipping the amp over to reveal the rear cover which is vented with punched vents on both the left and right side. Upon flipping the cover over you will notice squishy foam to prevent any rattling between the cover and the amplifier. I was disappointed to see a "warranty void if seal is tampered with or broken", by no means is this a deal breaker but as with many other companies it is completely normal to be able to take the rear cover to get a look at the guts.

Power & Capabilities

The listed power specifications are as listed at 14.4v, at 4 ohms per channel it will do 100 watts, and 2 ohms it will do an impressive 175 watts per channel, and then bridged it will crank out 350 watts for two channels. The amplifier also supports 1-3 operation which allows you to bridge channels 3 & 4 for a subwoofer and use channel 1 & 2 for speakers. The amplifier crossovers include on channel 1 & 2 a selective switch for either full or High Pass operation with a range of 50 hertz to 3,000 hertz. On channel 3 & 4 there is a 3 position switch from left to right that allows you to do mono operation with Low pass and band-pass at 24db. The second click over is for low-pass and band-pass stereo at 12db. The third click over allows you to do High-pass at 12db. There are two potentiometers for high-pass from 15 hertz to 500hz and a low-pass from 50 hertz to 3,000 hertz with an included bass boost 3 click switch from 0,6, and 12.

Build Quality

On first look the build quality is excellent, all of the paint and finish is consistent with no noticeable color shift between the various panels. I am no electrical engineer and I do not attempt to pose as one, but from a very uneducated first glance of the internals they seem to be high quality, positioned well, and nothing outside of the ordinary. The only thing I could note is the thermal paste on the mosfets is a bid messy, but that poses no risk and is more or less an observation and not a comment on the quality of the manufacturer.

Usage & Experiences

I have owned the amp and have had it installed for approximately a week, the amp for a class A/B stays fairly cool in the Missouri heat (~95-100 degrees). Not once has it over heated, gone into protect, or randomly shut off.

When I first received the amplifier I swapped it out for my current long running Alpine MRP f300 which has been extremely faithful for the last 8 years I have owned it. However had some noticable line noise on the horns, upon switching them out without changing anything the high pitched squeal went away regardless of the gain position on the Barbara Ann. Not noticing that you are unable to run all 4 channels full I ran into some issues, which were at fault to myself and partially the manufacturer. In a normal install for an average user you wouldn't notice, but since I am running full 2 way active setup I was accustomed to my Alpine being able to run all 4 channels full, however on the Barbara Ann you have to run the tweeters on channels 1 & 2 and the mid basses on channels 3 & 4. Both my roommate and I were scratching our heads until we finally figured it out. It seems that the crossover network for the price ($300 USD) is a bit lacking when compared to other amplifiers within its price range, although for non enthusiasts the crossovers would be more than enough.

The power output of the Barbara Ann is excellent, running two way active on a pair of Eric Stevens Full bodied horns and two Silver Flute 6.5. Both the mid-basses and the horns are running at 4 ohms, which for the first time in my car audio hobby has been too much and I ended up turning them down with the seemingly unlimited power from the Barbara Ann.

I do not consider myself to be an audiophile or have the ability to distinguish two amplifiers apart, subjectively the Barbara Ann sounded excellent with no noticed added distortion on my typical driving music. Everything from Bach, Riff Raff, and Rusko sounded great while being able to keep up with heavy listening for long periods of time without fatiguing.

Wrap up & Conclusion

Since I have received the Barbara Ann I have had ZERO buyers remorse and loved owning thus far. I would fully recommend this amplifier to anyone I know, it performs well within what I expected and even more than I thought. The clean and straight forward aesthetics would fit within any install from a clapped out honda civic to any luxury car. The build quality fits well within its price range while exceeding many in its class.

My chief complaints mainly have to do with the included crossovers, at $300 it seems that the crossovers were an almost afterthought. Personally I would love to see the ability to run all of the channels full rather than each pair of channels be locked in to what the crossovers allow. Also personally I am not a huge fan of angled inputs, very rarely do I ever tuck my carpet or down into grommets. One other thing I additionally would like to see is Phillips screw heads verses the Allen key. The extra torque you are able to apply to the speaker terminals through the hex heads are not needed in my opinion.

Positives

Tons of power especially for the price.

Great aesthetics

Excellent build quality

Cool running

Included vibration dampening for both the feet and the rear cover

Included RCA dust shields

Neutral sounding

Well packaged

Tons of Headroom

Negatives

Relatively limited crossover options.

Angled Inputs

Hex head screws versus Screw type

No High Level inputs

Pictures

[SMF93]

Nice review Julian.

[x infektid x]

How is it working out for you so far.. I was the looking of getting the same amp. I have a punch 75x4 but it is soooo damn big it takes up half the sub box.. ( bad idea I know) but it works . I am about to rearrange my system now and was just asking .. Old post I know but that's what forums are for right .