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Let's kick it old school with a 20yr old Kicker "monster" amp, the 500ss. This amp pre-dates the ZR1000 and was available in 1996 for an MSRP of $999 USD. The 500ss is rated to deliver:

250x2 @ 4 ohms (500x1 @ 8 ohms)
425x2 @ 2 ohms (850x1 @ 4 ohms)

Let's take a look at this amp and see how it performs on the SMD/D'Amore Engineering AD-1 Amp Dyno. Thanks to my buddy John for lending me the amp to test.

See it on YouTube in 1080P HD

or embedded below:

 

 

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Loved this amp.  Hit hard.  Only problem was the ground kept melting on the amplifier.  Sent it back to stillwater designs 3 times.  The fixed it twice for around $100.  3rd time they said they wouldn't fix it, but they would give me $75 of of a new amp.! Hahaha.  An amp I paid $999 for before taxes,  and we'll give you $75 off a new one.  I'm sorry but have never used any kicker, stillwater design products again. This was back in 2000. Still sitting on the amp.  Also have a kicker 200si I pulled out my car at that time and never used it again! Kicker quality has gone down hill as far as I'm concerned.  I wouldn't recommend any kicker products these days.  

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Wow... sweet little amp for back in the day.. But damn that price over $1 a watt for the thing LOL

Thats cool. Im way too old to be upset by shit like that. Your name is winston. Your own parents hated you even before you were born.

My penis is bigger than your penis

I'm far from loud and my roof/headliner flaps around like Adam's ass on a windy day. I think it depends more on the structure of the vehicle.

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Interesting design.  great power, expensive tho...the way things were back then haha.  I have never seen one of those in real life.  thanks for doing the test!

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/12/2017 at 0:33 PM, Keith77 said:

Wow... sweet little amp for back in the day.. But damn that price over $1 a watt for the thing LOL

that's the way it was....now day's, people cry and complain if the amp isn't .10 a watt.  lol


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45 minutes ago, meade916 said:

that's the way it was....now day's, people cry and complain if the amp isn't .10 a watt.  lol

Coming from a shop (94-97) that sold a/d/s/ and McIntosh and Premier ODR it's crazy how cheap stuff is now. $/watt was never a consideration back then. There were value amps, good amps, and holy grail/legend status amps.

Static drops are my bag.

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On 1/12/2017 at 11:33 AM, Repoman510 said:

Loved this amp.  Hit hard.  Only problem was the ground kept melting on the amplifier.  Sent it back to stillwater designs 3 times.  The fixed it twice for around $100.  3rd time they said they wouldn't fix it, but they would give me $75 of of a new amp.! Hahaha.  An amp I paid $999 for before taxes,  and we'll give you $75 off a new one.  I'm sorry but have never used any kicker, stillwater design products again. This was back in 2000. Still sitting on the amp.  Also have a kicker 200si I pulled out my car at that time and never used it again! Kicker quality has gone down hill as far as I'm concerned.  I wouldn't recommend any kicker products these days.  

same thing happened to me.  i have an original generation L7 12.  called about a year ago about getting a recone possibly.  they told me if i wanted to send it back to them and they would give me a discount on a current model.  yeah that isn't how it works.  LOL  but this amp.  and things from that time in the past.  all solid gear.

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  • 1 year later...
On 1/12/2017 at 11:33 AM, Repoman510 said:

Loved this amp.  Hit hard.  Only problem was the ground kept melting on the amplifier.  Sent it back to stillwater designs 3 times.  The fixed it twice for around $100.  3rd time they said they wouldn't fix it, but they would give me $75 of of a new amp.! Hahaha.  An amp I paid $999 for before taxes,  and we'll give you $75 off a new one.  I'm sorry but have never used any kicker, stillwater design products again. This was back in 2000. Still sitting on the amp.  Also have a kicker 200si I pulled out my car at that time and never used it again! Kicker quality has gone down hill as far as I'm concerned.  I wouldn't recommend any kicker products these days.  

If you consider selling them Kicker amps I am interested located in the 95403

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