Ok, ran the test with the Rockford Fosgate against the DLS CCi-44. First of all the RF has almost twice the real RMS power as compared to the DLS so please keep this in mind when you read the notes presented by my wife, daughter, and son. I think my daughter may have been picking up on this in terms of headroom with the Rockford Fosgate, maybe.
In this test the RF was amplifier #1 and the DLS amplifier #2 and I started out the test with Amplifier #1 for all the judges. All of the judges had a harder time this time deciphering which amplifier was the better sounding amplifier and all of them had to switch back and forth more often this time compared to the other tests. These amplifiers are very close in sound.
Yesterday I tried the test with my wife but she gave up after the first audition and said I can’t really tell right now. She was also tired so her patience wasn’t all there either. I tried the test myself and also had a hard time telling but thought the DLS was just a tad smoother and more realistic but my thoughts were also clouded by the fact that I knew which amplifier was playing so my thoughts are not reliable. Also keep in mind this is a blind comparison test so when one judge says one is not as clear as the other, it’s in reference to the other in that test only. Just because they say it’s not clear doesn’t mean it’s not actually clear but that there is a perceived difference in reference to the other in that test.
Amplifier #1 is the Rockford Fosgate t600-4 rated 4x100 wpc but often puts out 50% more.
Amplifier #2 is the DLS CCi-44 rated 4x85 wpc and likely does about rated.
Wife’s notes/comments:
Amplifier #1 “vocals not as crisp or clear. Bass seems stronger. Volume in vocals seemed louder but not as clear. When everything in the song came in the song it was as if it was an assault of sound but I didn’t get that feeling with amplifier #2”.
Amplifier #2 “I think it has better individual sound quality to it and better separation of sound. It has an overall more balanced sound. The difference is noticeable but small and hard to tell at first.
I asked her which one she preferred and she said amplifier#2.
Daughter’s notes/comments:
Amplifier #1, “at first both sounded the same. After listening more I think amplifier #1 is clearer when the singer started yelling in the song. The vocals were clearer and they have better balance overall”.
Amplifier #2 “It sounds less clear when the singer started yelling in the song compared to #1. I don’t think it’s as balanced as #1”.
I asked her which one she preferred and she said amplifier#1
Son’s Comments:
Amplifier #1 “It has more static in the sound but I think it has better overall sound. It sounds better with the background parts of the music when all playing at once”.
Amplifier #2 “It has less background sound but both are really close but it’s hard to tell”.
I asked him which one he preferred and he said amplifier#1
So there you have it. The DLS wasn’t a clear winner this time. The Rockford has an advantage in the treble and bass as measured with the microphone which might be perceived as better by younger people compared to my wife’s more experienced ears. My wife still prefers the natural sound of the DLS. One thing is for sure is that these are so close that there isn’t really a clear winner here. I’m going to call this one a tie for now.
Next up, the DLS is going up against the Pioneer D8604. This is going to be interesting. Will it do as well as my older designed ICE Power Class D Pioneer PRS D4200F or better? Will this budget class D do well against a good class A/B design? Stay tuned to find out. |