snafu

For Immediate Release D'Amore Engineering Introduces High Performance Car Audio Amplifiers! Gilbert, AZ - January 6th, 2016 D'Amore Engineering proudly announces the introduction of high performance car audio amplifiers! These amplifiers have been designed to provide the most faithful reproduction of the audio signal possible. The very first model to be introduced is the A1500.2, a two channel stereo amplifier rated at 325 Watts RMS per channel into 4 Ohms and 900 Watts RMS per channel into 1 Ohm. To schedule an appointment to audition the amplifier in person please contact us at (480) 612-4741. We will be providing in-vehicle demonstrations at the Orleans Hotel during CES, 2016. The A1500.2 is a True Dual Mono Design providing better stereo separation and imaging as compared to traditional stereo amplifiers - the chassis being the only thing common between channels. In an effort to provide the very best signal to noise ratio and lowest distortion possible, 109 dB (A-weighted) and <.002% THD+N (when operated in Class A) respectively, the amplifier utilizes a Mirror Image Design with positive and negative output signals of each channel generated using identically mirrored circuitry. Each of the two channels is also a mirror image of the other. In addition, the A1500.2 offers Selectable Mode Design with both Class AB and True Class A modes of operation available. The execution of Class A topology is unlike anything that has been done in a mobile application to date, offering a realism and truth to the source never before available from a mobile power amplifier. From a design standpoint, the A1500.2 utilizes separate PCBs for the voltage amplification stage and current amplification stage to maximize the signal to noise ratio so that it's dead silent. It has been designed from the ground up around the highest quality components available at any cost, including; Nichicon Fine Gold™ capacitors, Nichicon Muse™ audio capacitors, (14) On-Semiconductor complementary bipolar junction transistors per channel, and non-inductive resistors, all assembled on 4-layer heavy copper PCBs! Its dual mono channels can be wired as a single channel with double the output voltage for applications where high power is required. Finally, it includes a pair of gorgeous LED output meters to indicate actual amplifier power for each channel. Pricing not yet determined at the time of this press release. "We are D'Amore Engineering. We share your passion for high quality sound reproduction. We are not slaves to corporate America, spreadsheets, price points, or bean counters. We proudly introduce the finest automotive amplifiers that have ever been. Period. We have spared no expense - thousands of hours of development time, a tireless quest for the finest parts in existence, and exhaustive engineering in an effort to achieve the most from the least. Our amplifiers will re-define your expectations of high performance audio - they have ours. They say the perfect audio amplifier is a straight wire with gain. We've come close. You're formally invited to come and see for yourself." Tony D'Amore, CEO - D'Amore Engineering About D'Amore Engineering D'Amore Engineering was founded in Southern California in 2011 by Tony D'Amore and Juan Rodriguez, two audio / electrical engineers with a passion for quality products. Tony D'Amore has designed and engineered numerous high profile products during his career. He earned a patent while employed with Rockford Fosgate and another is pending for the SMD DD-1 Distortion Detector, a product developed in conjunction with Steve Meade. D'Amore Engineering is known best for their line of audio measurement and calibration equipment developed specifically for car audio enthusiasts and professionals - the very best available at any price. For more information visit damoreengineering.com

It's a true pleasure to be included in this project. Many of you know that I was in car audio for some time - '83 - 2008. In that 25 years, I had the pleasure of working with some phenomenal people and Tony is certainly among them. Tony and I worked together at Rockford from '02-'08 (although he worked there before I came on board). We met through a love of fast cars and have been buds ever since. Since I've known Tony, I have seen and heard things that I never imagined possible. He has this uncanny ability to explain even the most difficult to grasp concepts in such a way that anyone can understand. In addition, Tony has helped me to achieve many of the projects that I've taken on over the years by thinking them through with me in an effort to make them successful - many of them have become wildly successful as a result. I have been a hard core audio enthusiast since I was a kid. Trust me when I tell you that Tony will go down as one of the most forward thinking audio engineers of his time and his name will be mentioned among the audio greats - Saul Marantz, Frank McIntosh, Avery Fisher, Bob Carver, John Curl, Jim Strickland, Arnie Nudell, Dan D'Agnosto, etc. His designs are without compromise. He has poured his heart and soul into this project just as he has so many others. For those of you lucky enough to see this launched at CES, you will be as fortunate as those that stood in line to witness the unveiling of the T15kw at CES just a few short years ago. Tony has influenced me greatly in the time that I've known him and continues to do so - brother, you're an inspiration and one of my very best friends! To say that I'm excited for you here would be an understatement. Car audio is ready and my 'stang is due for a make over in the audio department!

Steve, in the time that I've known you have demonstrated over and over again that you'd give someone the shirt off your back if they needed it. You are one of a kind buddy. You've done a really good thing here with Stan. Each of us can learn something from this. Man did this put a smile on my face!

Great idea. We'll make this one a sticky so that all Members can benefit. Thank you Sonic!

Update - I've still got it! About the only thing that's changed is that it has a Sony Double DIN in it now. The Bluetooth went out on the Pioneer and it was time for something fresh. The T8004 needs some love as it thermals after about three minutes of full-tilt jamming. I suspect the fan is frozen up or has come detached from the PCB and is dangling from its wires. Either way, I'll get the amp out soon and dig into that. It also needs new headlight housings, the rear tires are dry rotted (AZ is a TOUGH climate), new rack bushings, possibly struts front and rear, and a complete detail. Currently, it's got 109k on the clock. It still runs great although it absolutely does not want to go into reverse with it running. Funny, that's the only gear that I didn't beat the hell out of. I've power shifted it on the limiter so many times it's hard not to do that now-a-days. Easy big guy, she's got over 100k on her now . . . The 'stang has won many a challenge from 70 mph! It's only been beaten from 70 mph once. When D'Amore had his '05 GTO, we raced a few times on the highway. From 70 mph, he put a car on me instantly. By 110, I had made that up and had a car on him! He told me the next day, "Dude, your shit is so loud I couldn't even hear my shit next to yours." LOL . . . From a dig, the Mustang is hard to beat as it dead hooks. I did get beat by a guy in Subie WRX several years back from 40 or so. He blew his engine in the process and I drove on to race another day. That was about the same time I stopped street racing. The last road trip we took in it, I had to have it towed back home. One of the idler pullies shit the bed while I was rolling' down the highway at 85 or so. I could hear the belt coming apart and then lost the AC and power steering. We pulled over and popped the hood and the belt was actually on fire! After getting the fire out, it was just too aggressive of a repair to do along I-17 so it went home on a flatbed. It's really kind of had to believe that we built this system SO LONG ago and between then and now, I've only heard ONE system that I felt gave it a run for the money in the SQ department. Steve you need to do a road trip so I can hear the Lexus and we can empty a few nitrous bottles . . .

Well, this looks like it's official by the commercials that are currently being aired on TV.

He ain't gettin' his Zeus back! LOL . . . HC has done some homework for sure. Maybe Tony D' can shed some light . . .

The relevance of the Rockford Fosgate RFC 3213?

A big thanks to Second Skin for being such an integral part of our community here at SMD for so many years! Second Skin FTW!

Where I grew up, nobody had any "subwoofers" - keep in mind, this was 1983 and I lived in SW Missouri. I was down at a shop in Joplin, MO called The Stereo Clinic with my dad. The owner, Tom, told me, "You wanna' hear something?" I was like sure! He took me out to his Honda CVCC and played ZZ Topp "I Need You Tonight" on his system. When the bass kicked in at 35 seconds into the song, I was like MIND = BLOWN. I was 14. Over the next several years, Tom got every single dollar of money I had to spend in an effort to recreate that experience in my '74 Buick Apollo. OH . . . and his system? Jensen cassette deck, 100W x 2 Sunkyong Power Amp, (1) Pair Acoustic Research 6x9s in a custom box with a 12" woofer cone as a passive radiator. Try as I may, I was never able to recreate this experience in my own car and at one time, I had the VERY SAME equipment. Even today, in my Mustang with HX2 18s, it's not the same. This is one of my fondest memories of car stereo, even today.

Guys, is this how we handle problems now? Let me sum it up: OP - posts a threat venting that he feels Sonic has slow turn around time on his warranty issue yet admits Sonic is responding to his emails in regards US - let's all chime in and tell him why the manufacturer of his amp sucks Really? Come on guys. At SMD, we're better than that. Threads like this give those that respond to them in this fashion a bad name, not Sonic and not Rockford. Sonic is not a service center, therefore it must return products to the manufacturer for servicing. This can take a little time and I don't see anything in regards here that would lead me to believe that they took an unreasonable amount of time to return the amp for service, have the service work performed, receive it back, and then ship it back to the OP. In the future, I'd recommend that we allow Sonic the time to respond to the thread before dog piling on them or the manufacturer of the product in question. Sonic kept in communication with the OP regardless of whether or not he liked the answers. OP - if you believe the amplifier is still not working properly, then I recommend that you have it bench tested to ensure that. Testing an amplifier in your vehicle presents too many variables - a test bench removes them. If a bench test shows that the amplifier is problematic, then I'm sure Sonic will work with you to resolve the issue. And remember, you'll catch more flies with honey than with a flyswatter.

It's been a while since I've seen anyone tackle a hearse. BITD, I remember seeing numerous hearses at CES - Lanzar had a fleet of them and of course Wayne still has the Terminator. About the only hearse I've seen resurrected lately was the one on Street Outlaws. This looks like a fun project!

Hmmm . . . such a measurement without depleting the surface charge would indeed be meaningless.

Welcome to the community Bob! American Bass has quite a loyal following and Bob's been at this a long time so we're sure glad to have AB as an SMD Partner. Be sure and hit up their banner and check out their offerings!

I would like to personally thank the many, many SMD Partners that made SOTM an awesome way for us to say THANK YOU to our many members. Steve, a minor correction if you will - you gave away HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF GEAR!

Man, that's a smokin' deal right there . . .

Just snagged a Viper Keyless and some door lock actuators for a project I'm working on. Heck, why not ? Sonic had a better deal on the stuff than I could buy it for at wholesale. You gotta' love that!

Steve, mad props buddy! Way awesome.

Time to bring this one back from the dead . . .

Guys, I'm not sure you realize just how much work the staff at XS Power puts into a show like SEMA. Scottie himself is on it! Update?