optimus amp

[snoop]

optimus amp are they good and do they have good quialty on sound I selling my old amp and getting a new one I was look at the optimus 400W, 4/3/2-channel Bridgeable MOSFET Amplifier for $229 I dont know if this amp is good

[Keane]

Snoop,

You get what you pay for. If you want Neeper quality wheels, you spend the money for Neeper wheels. If you want an amplifier that really puts out 400watts, you won't find one for $229. I'm not saying the amplifier won't help you get better sounds in your car, but it's a matter of budget and priorities. Don't expect Zapco performance, quality and reliability from Optimus; it's like expecting Mercedes-Benz performance, quality and reliability from a Yugo.

Peace,
Keane

[ZnCoug]

Keane.. Is it still true to find a good amp take the watts it says it puts out and multiply by about $1.50 per watt? Therefore a true 400 watt amp with CLEAN power would run about $600 right?

[Q]

Lets put it this way...
I once had a BOSS amplifier, 600W total over 4 channels, cost me about 250 bucks. It was a nice amplifier, don't get me wrong, I had 2 channels bridged to the Fosgate Sub in the back and before my Cougar, I had the other 2 channels running the front speakers in my Escort.
When I got my Cougar, I put that same Amplifier in, it had a 30amp Fuse in it and I usually had to keep the Sub volume up in order to keep up with the Stereo sound of the speakers from the head unit in the Cougar. The amp eventually died, and I ordered a Fosgate Punch 160a 2 channel amplifier, cost about the same as the Boss Amp. Bridged it to the 10" sub in the back... OMFG! Its THE purest, cleanest, hardest 2 channel sound I've heard from an amp so small.

Get the idea?

[jjennings]

Radio SHack Crap!!! For that price, find a stereo shop, and get a decent amp!

[Keane]

ZnCoug,

That rule of thumb isn't necessarily true. I prefer to stick with equipment from reputable companies. Some companies make great speakers (MB Quart), while some companies make great head units (Alpine, high-end Sony ES, high-end Pioneer Premiere & ODR), while other companies make great amplifiers (Zapco, pre-Mitek Xtant, pre-a/d/s/ Orion, PPI Art series). Very few (if any) companies do all of it well.

Let's go back and look at this 400watt Optimus amplifier. It's probably got "400W" on the heatsink cover, but is maybe only rated at 50watts x 4 channels with a peak total power output of 400 watts. If the goal is to find a 4 channel amplifier and I'm on a limited budget, I would be looking at the Zapco AG360. If you're willing to spend more, step up to the Zapco C2K 2.5x (which may not yet be available but is similar to the Z250C4-SL). Of course, there are other brands of amplifiers out there, and we all know which ones are the more reputable. Stay away from flea-market knock-off brands like Kenford and Rockwood. i/expressions/wink.gif

Peace,
Keane

[ChenZhen]

Dude, that amp is from RADIO SHACK, but it'll probably still work OK...just don't expect to get TOO much respect from us audio buffs.....

Lots of amps between $200-300, depends on what you want to do with it....

[APTCSVT]

To partially disagree with Keane, I tend to stay away from high cost name brands when I know what to look for. The brands of equipment I have in my car are probably none you have heard of, but probably sound just as good as your MB Quarts at significant savings.

Snoop, if you can listen to that amp in a store hooked up to a woofer, you can test it pretty easily to determine how much power you are actually putting out. All it takes is an AC volt meter. If it's really putting out the power, then it's fine. But do some looking in Ubid because that's about the best place to find good amps.

[ChenZhen]

Keane---

Why do U keep talkin about Zapco? I'm not sure if you can get it here in MN, kinda hard to find, but I guess we got the internet now.....

BTW- my first amp was a ROCKWOOD! What a POS!!!!!!

All other more reputable brands (Rockford, Alpine, Sony, Pioneer, Kenwood, etc.) make amps in that price range....

[Keane]

ChenZhen,

Why do I keep talking about Zapco? Phenomenal product with amazing sound quality. Please visit Zapco's website (http://www.zapco.com) for more information about their products. As far as I'm concerned, Zapco is the Krell or McIntosh of car audio; absolute top end. One of the most critical features of Zapco equipment is the use of their proprietary Symbilink cables instead of RCA interconnects. These are balanced line cables which absolutely reject any RF interference and provide the conduit for up to 16 volts of signal between components. Now that I have Zapco in my Cougar, I will never (EVER) use any other amplifier in any of my cars again. It's that good. It's expensive, but worth every penny.

The funny thing is that I had never even heard of Zapco until I went to my very first IASCA sound quality competition on January 30, 1998. It didn't take long to realize that their equipment, which is all built in California, is the cream of the crop. Will you be at Cougarfest? Come by, introduce yourself and bring a CD or two. You will want Zapco . . . i/expressions/wink.gif

Peace,
Keane

[ChenZhen]

Keane--

You remember the exact date when U first saw those amps? i/expressions/laugh.gif

Too bad we don't sell it, or I'd get a discount...In fact, I have yet to actually SEE one...

[rklafka]

I have run some type of Zapco amp for the last 3years. I am currently run an AG360 and a AG350 and absolutely love them. Would never by anything else.

[snoop]

ok here the deal this is the amp set up 4 different channel each channel has left and right speaker hook up so 8 speaker 2 per channel 50 watt each if not each channel can be bridge for 100 watt and I think channel 1 and 2 can be bridge and 3 and 4, well for one thing Im not looking for blowing out my window just enough to hear some bump out side my car the set up Im going for is channel one for the front speaker channel 2 for the rear and channel 3 and 4 bridge together for my three rockfordfosgate 10" speaker I no I could spend the money for a better amp the problem is I just bought a $67,000 house and tight on chase after house payment and bills
so no more big spending on the cougar ground control kit was the last major upgrade

[snoop]

ok I could use some option on this I have a rockfordfosgate punch 45.2 amp it is dieing on me it play for a while then I get what sound like 60 hz pumping through my speaker and about after a couple day of use I have to lower the gain so I want to get rid of it befor its dead the other amp is a punch 360 went I got it hook up the person who I bought the box and speaker off of had the 3 10" paralled I was stupid and didn't look befor I connect the punch 360 well the ohm were to low and took out the right channel I took it back to the stero shop to get it fix under warranty when I got it back they said it was my fault it went back the shop let it go this time I put the amp back on and made the speaker ohm setup to the direction well the amp never work when I get it back well I was going to take it back but I was work the same hour so I had to wait for the next week to return it well a drug bust was going to happen and the shop was burnt to the ground the shop is still getting rebuilt what luck so Im getting rid of the rockfordfostgate amp and getting somthing different I could never get my system loud even with the punch 360 I think they sold a bad amp and blamed it on me so any help on what to do and sorry about the two long message

[FuzzyRag]

Say keane...how good are US Amps?

[Keane]

Fuzzy,

USAmps have always been high quality stuff in terms of performance and tremendous power output. I've never used them, but I know people who have been very successful with them -- usually for SPL (bass for all you non-car audio buffs). As far as I know, Zapco and USAmps are the only two companies whose products are actually made here in the USA. That doesn't necessarily mean anything bad about any other companies out there -- I just think it says something for the level of commitment from USAmps and Zapco.

Peace,
Keane