O. L. T.

iTrader: (17)

Autotek, Crunch, Precision Power, Rockford Fosgate, Orion, Hifonics, Sounstream, US Amps (pending, again), and a host of others have all sold out over the years. This leaves new companies with old names making crappy products.

Companies that sold out to a GOOD company are:

Alpine, Crossfire, Kenwood, MB Quart, and ZAPCO. These are all owned by SPEAKERWORKS / USD audio which are one of the only original big quality players left in the game. I should mention that KICKER is still owned by it's founder Steve Irby, however I never really liked KICKER. More about that here: http://www.12volt.com/archives/2006/020306.html

What all this basically means is that you are never going to be able to buy a quality amp based on it's name UNLESS you buy old school. Since amplifier companies have moved more towards making profit rather than making good sound, you can bet there is more flash that class in the amps that are making the music in your car today.

One reason for the old school amps success is that 70% of them were made by the same design firm known as the gods of car audio *ZED AUDIO*. After Zed sold most of the brands off, they became independent and for the original owners of the companies that still used ZED as the design firm, they stayed at the top of their game. The 4 independent kings that were not ZED affiliated (Soundstream, PPI, US AMPS, and KICKER) All remained kings until they sold out with the exception of KICKER who did not sell out, but DID happen to design their newer products based on market demand and also introduced a second "lower" line to accompany their top end designs.

I was at a car audio store today speaking with the guy's and they said they have all but dropped Audio Control sales because with the cheap head units coming with built in EQ's, no one was buying the Audio Control anymore. Never mind the obvious benefits to Audio Control products, the head unit blinged and offered a sub standard EQ most people would use.

I have looked at most of the market today and decided I will not participate until a true player brings it back around to the days of quality over profitability. For this reason I have went back to the roots of car audio and purchased all PPI Art amps for my system I am building, as well as all Audio Control processing (EQT's, 4XS crossover).

I'd like to see the old school make a come back. I'd love to see the consumer voice an opinion about quality over profit, but as long as there are ricers, cheap skates, and just plain dumb asses out there who will buy the crap being made today, it will remain the way it is until the market demands quality again over a cheap head unit with blue neon inside the face.

Support quality, buy old school.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

I agree. there are only a few companies out there who still has that old school quality, but without the old school name, such as Arc Audio, brax, Genesis, etc. its' a shame a lot of companies drove the opposite way.

Hit Man X

I have lots of old equipment in my rides and old HU's. I have old units like mid 90s Premier Pios and some newer Alpine (7998), Sedona as well as Art PPI amps. I think the newest I have is some late 90s JL amps, I scored the 300/4 and 500/1 for about $400 for the pair.

Zapco makes some excellent amplifiers, I'd run those if I didn't have the car lot of stuff to keep a stereo in.

smuv gs3

iTrader: (1)

Im feeling you on old school man and these new school cats just dont know how much better your system sounds with a pair of Audiocontrol EQT s that have been tweaked by a RTA as opposed to built eq presets from a headunit .My favorite classics are PPI, ADS,ADVENT CLIF DESIGNS, USD ,RANE, KEF, KLW, LINEAR POWER, and ZAPCO .

Percy

These guys have been around longer than most of us have been alive. Their car audio stuff came out in '94 and is still one of the tops.

http://www.mcintoshlabs.com

Have to agree with you guys on the car audio thing. Just isn't the same. Not like it was 10+ years ago. It's almost like the same reaction..."Is that a REAL vinyl record?" Or ... Is that a "real" old school Zapco/Fosgate?

Percy

Spyder78

iTrader: (7)

I have to agree. Most of the stuff made today is complete junk. My friend is using a 200x2 watt mid 90's rockford fosgate amp and it hits almost as hard as my directed d2400. I know directed but I got it for free. It'll have to do until I get the money to do what I really want.

O. L. T.

iTrader: (17)

there is a thread for that a few down

Spyder78

iTrader: (7)

thanks OLT got the threads mixed up.

engin_ear

iTrader: (1)

O.L.T., I completely agree with you, especially on the Audio Control thing, as I am about to install a DQXS (30-band Audio Control Digital EQ) and DDC in my GS. There is NO hope for a reversal for the masses, as most average people don't know the difference between a built-in EQ in a headunit and a separate quality piece. As we say here in NJ, "fuggeddabbowdit".

One of the biggest sell-outs was a/d/s to Directed Electronics, then becoming 'adst'. Along with PPI and Orion. I just got a whole rig of "top-of-the-line" a/d/s/ stuff for my '03 4Runner, plus a massive PPI sub. Got a deal on it since I'm an insider. The sound is not bad, but pretty disappointing compared to traditional vintage a/d/s stuff. The new stuff is made in China (isn't everything... ).

Jerry

engin_ear

iTrader: (1)

PS:
One of THE UGLIEST re-uses of an old name is Dual, which I think you can even find now in places like Pep Boys. Dual, for many many years, was a high quality audiophile company, making some of the best turntables of the 70's era. Now the name has been reused on some Korean or Taiwanese knockoff stuff. Sickens me. I really have to learn not to care, to preserve my sanity. Things change.

Here's a pathetic review on a Dual headunit from the Crutchfield site:

It fried
Written by Jon, HSV, AR on June 29, 2006

When I recieved this unit and installed it, it worked great for about 4 months, until just the other day I was listening to the radio when it cut out and I looked down to see my cd player smoking out of every little hole, I dont know if it was just my unit but I will probably not buy from dual again.

And here's the scoop from the 12Volt.com site:

Dual used to be a very highly respected German company, but they went bankrupt in 2001. A Korean company (Namsung ) purchased the rights to use the name and anything you see today with the name "Dual" on it is very low-end.

Percy

And I remember the ads stuff quite well back in '95. They made some of the SMOOOTHest sounding coaxials and seperates that I've heard. Would hate to listen to them now....

Percy

engin_ear

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, percy, it had been that way with a/d/s since the early 80's in car audio, and long before that in their home audio stuff. DIrected is still trying to claim that the latest a/d/s stuff has the same smooth characteristic that was the hallmark of the old a/d/s/ stuff. I've been listening to my setup every day, and I'll tell you it doesn't - it's more run of the mill, has much more of the grating harmonic stuff that doesn't belong there, just like all the other crappy brands, but not quite as bad. And I'm driving this stuff with a very clean $600 Eclipse headunit.

Jerry

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

I use to have the ADS amp. I can't remember the name, but it was pretty old school. It had no xover, no BS, just straight amplification.

I dont even think zapco of today is as good as their old stuff. Take a look at the lower end iForce amps

Illusion Audio is making a comeback, but who knows if it'll stand up to their previous reputation with their famous ND-series.

Come to think of it, all these new junks makes it easier for me to narrow down what badass amps are left out there to buy

Aside from amps and headunits, speakers have come a long way.

O. L. T.

iTrader: (17)

The old ADS killer amps were the Power Plate series.

Pagong

I like this thread...and totally agree with OLT.

I had the older ORION HCCA amp the Big Red one 2100 HCCA and it was awesome! Still looking for some.

Have a Soundstream Reference 405 in the garage though.!!

To Old School Audio!