feedback on this amp...

[Venom SHO s7]

im looking for feedback on this amp: Twentieth Anniversary HiFonics BX 1500D - Brutus. about $250-300 online.
Or if anyone knows of an equal or better quality/power amp thats in the same price range,im open to suggestions.
I need it to power 2 12inch 2003 Kicker Solobaric L7s.
also, what do you think of the Jensen vm9510 indash dvd for how much it costs, its about $650 online.
Thanks.

 

[60kmaintenance]

What are the voice coil configuration and ohm? I can't say a single thing until I know that.

 

[Venom SHO s7]

the L7s are dual voice coil, mine are dual 4ohm. thanks.

 

[60kmaintenance]

Well your options to get decent power out of an amp are to run the voice coils on each sub in parrallel to get 2ohm's out of each, then run the subs in either parrallel or series. Series will give you 4ohm, and parrallel will give you 1ohm.

Any ways. The 1500wRMS is 750wRMS a pop, that's plenty of power for the L7's, probably more then they need. Infact kicker I doupt even really thinks any one will power their subs properly, almost every one underpowers...... People are willing to buy subs but not an amp for them heh..... Then again I dunno if Hifonics really puts out what they say, but what ever. Just be careful with the gain, you probably won't even want to think about going over 1/4.

I don't know what your listening habbits are, how loud you like it etc...... At least I know what kinda car your putting them in! What type of box? What's the goal? Just curious, I'd be happy to help.

 

[Venom SHO s7]

Well right now im currently using the HiFonics, mostly because i searched around for a bit before i bought it and the bx1500d was the best bang for the buck i could find, and i couldnt find any negative comments on it (close to a eyar ago). But just recently i read on a couple forums that it actually puts out more around 1200rms than 1500 (i guess it was overrated a bit, nice to find out now that i already bought it) but i guess it also needs quite a bit of voltage to run at its best. So anyways, the reason i was asking for feedback or suggestions, is because i read around that the L7s were good sounding subs and could be very good with SPL, so i got them, but right now im not quite happy with how they sound (spl and sq). I read that the box can make or break a system, i was thinking of ditching the sealed box i have now and either make my own ported or sealed box to the specs that kicker gives. right now im using a sealed box i got off ebay, the materials and build quality isnt bad, im just not too sure about it being the right size.
I was looking around, and ive seen Elemental Designs Audio subs and amps got nothing but really good reviews. So i was considering their Nine.1 amp, or maybe even getting a package deal from them.
Anyways, i mainly want something balanced, loud but clean, and if i have to give up a little spl for SQ i'd go with more SQ than spl. Hope that makes sense to you.
I listen to mostly rap/hip hop and some r&b, so i like that deep low bass you can feel. Well, i hope i made sense and thanks alot for the help.

 

[60kmaintenance]

Yeah well it might put out 1500wRMS, on a higher voltage system. A lot of manufactures actaully rate for higher voltage systems instead of for the average 12v.....

I wouldn't say Hifonics are the best amps, but I certainly would take them over a lot of others. Even cheap amps can work out ok, as long as you've got a good ground and proper sized wires. I know a lot of kids that have under sized wires and ruined amps and subs etc....

Any ways I've never been impressed with L7's, they aren't SPL winning subs, and far from it in SQ.

Using a proper sized box alone would make you more pleased with them, that's probably the biggest problem with dissapointment. A ported box is what's going to make them more then loud enough, especially with a port firing up through the rear speaker holes (removed speakers). Ported box L7's will be louder, but if you want it to be even louder you'll probably have to go to one sub cause of box sizing....

I'm not into Elemental Designs. If you want a really good SPL+SQ sub, for listening, a Brahama would be pretty damn cream of crop. At the moment I can't think of a better sub for pleasure listening SPL and SQ. If you want to go with some thing else I'd be into an ID Max or some thing from Resonet Enginerring.

http://www.adireaudio.com/Mobile/BrahmaSeries.htm

http://imagedynamicsusa.com/products_page.php?id=idmax&type=sub

http://www.reaudio.com/html/

There are more subwoofers, but as far as SPL+SQ I think Brahama would be the one, IDMAX second.

The recommended box sizes are not going to be the loudest, if you want louder it'll be a customized big ported box.

I should also ask how your current subwoofers are wired, I assume you have a 1 ohm load on the amplifer, if not then they certainly won't be as loud. Not having subwoofers properly powered can result in poor SQ.....

A 15 inch would definatly give you the deeper bass, ported low..... Granted this is not the way the music was orignally made, but it is certainly some peoples taste

 

[60kmaintenance]

Well here is a painting I made of correct wiring. I'd guess you've already got this, as you seem to be getting into audio.

Any ways, basically the positive needs to branched out to every positive termal, even if you go to the first, then to the next from it, to the next, to the next. The negative works the same way.

The 4ohm coils, in series go to 2ohm, and the both subs at 2ohm, in series go to 1ohm. Just trying to make sure your getting all the power out of the amp for subs. I've had to rewire a lot of sub boxes cause people didn't know and their stuff "bumped" weak.

 

[Venom SHO s7]

i think im gonna look up specs for ported boxes and i might go with 1 L7 like you were saying. And yeah right now i got them wired to 1ohm. In the mean time im gonna look into the IDmax and brahma subs, which i heard were also really good, along with Digital designs and RE.

 

[60kmaintenance]

RE's are pretty nice, a lot of different modules. DD's are very strong subwoofers, many of which are for SPL applications, they may not be AS good in SQ as some other subwoofers. One of the loudest vehical's on earth uses 4 9515's with 16kwRMS in a Chevy Astro van. (it was the loudest on earth, not sure if it still is, 175DB I think)

You probably won't find specs for really large box's on kickers website, but this might help http://www.linearteam.dk/default.aspx?pageid=winisdpro