Jump to content

Digital vs AB class amps for SQ


rambronco

Recommended Posts

To give you a short background, Ive been into car audio for over 20 years with breaks here and there, and when I say breaks that just means ive had a system that satisfied my needs and didnt need to stay up on the latest and greatest. As I get older I am starting to appreciate SQ more and more, don't get me wrong, still somewhat of a basshead but like to have music that is not fatiguing to the ears. I recently had some equipment stolen and so it is time to upgrade. My current setup consists of an Alpine PDX-5 Digital amp, but I think im running into Headroom issue to listen at music at the levels I like to listen to them at. So im thinking of going with more wattage for the front stage. Although ive been into car audio for some time I don't consider myself an expert. I was very impressed with the Alpine digital amp as far as power in a small package, back when I was younger you needed considerably more amp to get that power out of them. For you SQ guys, if I was looking for a higher powered amp for SQ would you recommend class AB or digital?. I like the way the Alpine sounds and was considering the F6 which would double the output watts for the front stage, (I have 2 sets of components so need to stick to a 4 channel).

Thanks in advance.

NB

01 Chevy Silverado X-cab

2 Sundown Z18v4 walled on 2 Lanzar Opti 7k's strapped at 1/2ohm = each amp wired to 1/4ohm. Havent checked impedence rise so not sure what they are actually seeing. 6 group 31AGM's.

2-Eclipse 34230's each one running 2 Eminence 6.5" Beta 6A. These are beastly mids rated at 350w program power. I was skeptical but the eclipse amps are 370w x 2 and when there was 4 mids on 1 amp I could push it into thermal protect within a song so added the 2nd amp. 

Eclipse 4212 running 4 CT sounds Meso tweeters. and 2 DLS ultimate tweeters up high to raise the soundstage.

 

96' Ford F350 4wd 4d long bed 7.3 diesel with 91k miles. Will be the sound quality rig if I can ever find the time.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is running a digital amplifier in Car Audio the same thing as having the new digital / High definition cable in your home ??

I know in cable Television the the digital srevices will only work with a digital source ?? So what is their Idea for a digital source output in Car Audio ??

Personally, I run Class A/B amplifiers ...

Kenwood / HELIX / Linear Power (For The Love Of Music) / Brutal Sounds / OverKill Electric Co 

Questions About Sound Quality ?? Try Here ... Sound Quality, What does it REALLY mean ?? 

SMD SOTM Winner "White Lightning" 1997 GMT400 Chevy Silverado   

"The Green Dickle" 1994 GMT400 Chevy "Phantom Dually"   

Randal's 2007 Chevy Avalanche (we haven't named this one yet)

Dylan's "Brutal" 17 Chevy Cruze RS Hatch                         

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are a alpine dealer at my shop and the one thing I willsay about the pdx amps is dont run them. I replaced my 2 pdx amps with a single jl xd600.6 and what a difference it made.

Even my alpine rep tells us the pdx amps are not that great. As to your question on digital vs an amps I have been using "digital amps" on my mids for the last 3 years now and I really like them. You will defentily get more power from ab but also have a lot bigger foot print. The digitals are also a lot easier on your electrial.

That is my 2 cents

1978 Chevy 3/4 ton Reg Cab Pickup Alpine 9887 Imprint Head Unit JL Audio HD600.4 (Mid Amp) JL Audio HD750.1 (Sub Amp) 2 x JL 13TW5 Shallow Sub's JL C5-650 Components in fiberglassed door mod JL ZR800-CW Mid Bass in the kick panels ***UPCOMING BUILD(2 weeks and counting)*** 8 JL Audio 15" W0's in a blow through 2 Kicker 2500.1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I usually have class AB power on my setup, but am currently running a class D amp on them. in all honesty in my daily application i cant "hear" a difference in the 2, but on the board in the showroom where im able to flick back and forth...The control that the AB amp seems to have is pretty night and day against the class D

we are comparing a 1700 dollar amp and at 700 dollar amp in my case though

Audison Voce

Hertz HDP4

Link to comment
Share on other sites

because getting 150x4 out of something smaller then a sheet of paper works best in alot of peoples environments, and with processing and other various tuning most of it can be nullified.

Hell the sq champ here in ca uses alpine PDX amps. car sounds great.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

because getting 150x4 out of something smaller then a sheet of paper works best in alot of peoples environments, and with processing and other various tuning most of it can be nullified.

Hell the sq champ here in ca uses alpine PDX amps. car sounds great.

Just goes to show that amps are dumb and while they may sound different in the same application they do what they are told for the most part.

I'm gonna hate

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMO, if you're into SQ, use class A/B amps and use a processor/headunit that will allow you to go active. The difference between active and passive is so huge, I'm running active 2 way up front in my Xterra off of a RF T4004 and it's amazing what I'm doing with cheap speakers.

First Gen Xterra: Always changing

DNX 690HD

RF 360.3
RF T3002
RF T4004
RF T10001bd
Silver Flute 6.5"s
Tang Band 1" Tweeters
Sundown X18 in 7cubes net tuned to 32hz

Trust me .25 Blows your Load.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To avoid some confusion, there is no such thing as a "digital amplifier".

Digital is 1's and 0's and they don't get amplified.

Analog signals are amplified.

The amps are Class "D" simply because that was the next progression in letters.

Class A

Class B

Class A / B

Class C

Class D

Class E

Class F

Class G

Class H....etc

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amplifier#Class_D

The letter D used to designate this amplifier class is simply the next letter after C, and does not stand for digital. Class-D and class-E amplifiers are sometimes mistakenly described as "digital" because the output waveform superficially resembles a pulse-train of digital symbols, but a class-D amplifier merely converts an input waveform into a continuously pulse-width modulated (square wave) analog signal. (A digital waveform would be pulse-code modulated.)

That said, if you're really serious about SQ, then you'd get a Class A amp which has no crossover distortion (Class AB) and no switching noise (Class D).

Problems being, they are expensive and consume a LOT of power since the transistors are constantly conducting current and producing heat.

As mentioned many times above, Class AB is your best mainstream choice between noise and power consumption.

Class D is great for low frequency's since they produce a lot of power efficiently, but at the expense of some switching noise.

Some people can hear it, some can't.

It really depends on what sounds good to you though as sound is subjective and they're your ears.

So unless you're competing and need to meet some high numerical specifications, go with what sounds good to you!

:good:

This post sent with 100% recycled electrons.
2004 BMW M3
Mechman 280A
2 - XS Power XP3000

1 - XS Power D375

500F of Maxwell SuperCaps (soon to be 1000F)
iPadMini2

Dash mounted O-scope
Audison bitOne (Remote DRC MP)
Highs Amp - PPI Art A404
Hertz HSK130 (HSK165 waiting...)
DC Audio DC9.0K
2- DC Audio XL12m2

LEGAL             - 147.3dB @ 41Hz
OUTLAW         - 150.2dB @ 45Hz

OUTLAW         - 145.7dB @ 30Hz
JUNE 2014 SOTM WINNER

2014 COLORADO PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNER

SOTM BUILD:
http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/141656-wicks-e46-m3-build-bass-turbo-button-and-a-big-new-addition/page-68#entry2802026

sig-sized6_zps0265e669.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Who's Online   1 Member, 0 Anonymous, 268 Guests (See full list)

×
×
  • Create New...