I’ll have a single GB12 AudioFrog subwoofer and was wondering what would be a better amplifier for it Zapco ST-850XM*amp or Arc Audio XDI 1100.1 amp?
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I’ll have a single GB12 AudioFrog subwoofer and was wondering what would be a better amplifier for it Zapco ST-850XM*amp or Arc Audio XDI 1100.1 amp?
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Either should be fine. I prefer Arc, but it's it's twice the price for 250 more watts...
Frequencies of 80 hZ and down will be omni-directional and 10% distortion is hard to discern, plus distortion in the range of frequencies we are talkin about is perceived as loudness .
I saw a Zapco ST-1350 dyno on YouTube that was a bit distressing. Which makes me a little wary of the Zapco ST-X line. If you were looking at a Z series amp, they tested out fine on the dyno but I'd be a little concerned about the ST-X line.
Here's the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnE1td4UcFA&t=6s
It seems to me that the amp performed well for it's price point and would have been listed as a gem if the ratings were changed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackhawk Fan
No, I disagree. For a $300 mono amp, you'd better get what is advertised. When you can get a Soundqubed or a Wolfram for $200 - $250, and they do more than advertised (and considerably more than what the Zapco did on the dyno), why get a Zapco. I've been a big supporter of Zapco in the past and I still love the Z series amps, but their budget amps are suspect.Quote:
Originally Posted by Euphonic
If Zapco would keep the price the same and rate it at 100 watts they wouldn't call it a bust, they would praise it for making 13 times it's rated power. It seems that amplifier manufacturers get to write whatever they want on the spec sheet. Zapco gets to claim 1350 watts, Orion got to claim 1 watt with the Concept 97.3, neither is accurate. In all honesty, an amp dyno doesn't mean much to me. For all we know, the Zapco might exceed 1350 watts, it just happens at a frequency other than 40 hz. Much like horsepower, no matter the rating, it's not a 100% of the time number. It's also not the only number that matters. This is possibly why I like the way Rockford Fosgate rates their amplifiers. They give you the max current draw with a sine wave and the average current draw with music. This gives people a better idea of the output power that can be expected.
For the money I'd get the Zapco. The real question current ST-X amp owners need to ask themselves is "Does my amp(s) exceed my power needs even though the ratings may or may not be a little exaggerated on their particular model(s)?" If you can say "YES" to that question there's no need to worry about potential power your amp can do. Total RMS wattage is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to what makes an amp good. I could talk about what I experienced with my a/b ST-X amps in the terms of SQ compared to other well respected amps in a direct swap but the "watt is a watt" crowd would think I was crazy which I admit is true in some regards but that's for another thread. For a subwoofer either amp would work fine. The Arc would most likely hold value a lot better after the controversy that refurbished Zapco 1350 caused.
The newer Zapco's that are being made are having QC problems across the board from the ST-X series all the way up to the new AP line. For what its worth they dont seem to be what they were in the past and are cutting corners (and have been busted for it over the past few years) while still charging a "premium". For my money I would go with the Arc or even something from SoundQubed(DD) or a Kicker CX1200.1 for a little less.
Just bought an XDi 1100.1 recently - can give an opinion of it next week hopefully.
If we're comparing Zapco and Arc, aren't we just comparing two Zeff designed amps?
The Kicker CXA1200.1 isn't a bad amp for the money. Only issue I've seen with them is sometimes the signal sensing turn-on doesn't work properly.
We are comparing similar designs but different execution and controls as of late, thats my point.Quote:
Originally Posted by Euphonic
I really can't speak much about Arc or Zapco because I don't have any experience with either brand. I have some experience with Kicker though. Whilst I think the CXA1200.1 is a fine amp, I'd take a KXA400.1 over it any day of the week. Why? It sounds better. Maybe it's the steeper crossover slope, or the parametric EQ, or it has a better power supply, or maybe it's something else. Sure they're not equal in power, but they're not equal in the way they sound either.Quote:
Originally Posted by chefhow
I also understand similar designs with different parts. Back in the 90's, the MTX MTA 250 and PPI ProMOS-2050 were said to be identical amplifiers. The MTX sold for $650, the PPI for $800. They were close to equal driving 4 ohm and 2 ohm loads, but the PPI was superior into 1 ohm loads.