I know I've asked questions along these lines but I still would like more feedback.

How good are the Jaycar 4x100 amps for front splits (eg. clean and free of distortion)?

Also, If using a 4x100 for splits and subs (combined) at what point would you notice a reduction in sound quaity due to the amp having to perform front stage and bass duties?

To all who have experience or an opinion please reply.

Thanks,

markd

firstly, i've never used that amp, so take my opinion accordingly.

nothing wrong with the jaycar amp from what i can tell. espcially when matched with equal quality splits and sub. as such, expecting it to run focal utopia splits and subs optimally is expecting too much.

however, running a set of splits up to say ~$500 and sub around $400 will be fine and you should have good results.

and you may in fact need to spend double that to attain audible improvements in terms of SQ and dynamics.

whether it will suit your system in a couple years time is for you to decide. personally i don't like buying components that will not last when i upgrade other things around it.

i've only recently decided to upgrade from my alpine amps after using them for ~5 years. and at least 3 years for my old splits and sub. so for me, i've had good value from these products.

so, depending on what the rest of your stereo comprises, i say the jaycar could be perfectly fine.

hope this helps.

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Echoes "the boss"

On the 4 channel doing the "whole job" thing....it's hard to quantify of course.
I DID notice when I went from a 4 channel to a separate amp for sub duties that control improved, but then, it was a different amp.....IMO it's worth doing but not earth-shattering by any means.

Once you get to a decent level of equipment (and the Jaycar IS that) improvements are always going to be "incremental" and the "all things being equal double the $$ to make it worthwhile" rule-of-thumb is a pretty fair one IMO.


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Mazda SP20 - NOT yellow,Dynamat Extreme and G Spot in front doors
HU - Alpine CDA-7876RB
Audison VRx 2.150EX front stage amp
JL Audio 500/1 Class D monoblock sub amp
Front Stage - Morel HCW 6.5 woofers, Morel MT2 tweeters, Morel MX2.2 x-overs.
Rear fill - stockies with power from HU (not that they get any)
Sub - Kicker S12L72 in 75 litre 30Hz slot-ported display box.
Stinger cables and connectors etc
TEAM AUDISON SQ WITH ATTITUDE

Thanks for both of your replies guys. I definately like the double $ analogy. I'm finding it pretty difficult to decide on what I'm going to do. Oh well I think I've got a couple more days up my sleeve to figure out what I am gonna do.

Critter, it was reasuring to see that you consider the Response amps as "decent level equipment". By the way, how did you get greater control by changing amps? Was it a cross over thing? I've seen reports that some people think that the jaycar xovers aren't that good. Any clues why?

Hope to hear from you and others soon,

mark

it's all relative.

i don't go dishing it on jaycar amps when i have audison's that can cost over 6 times the price of a jaycar. simply no comparison.

i figure a lot of the criticism directed at them is not justified, for they are a decent quality, excellent value amp. very hard to beat at their price.

what you mustn't believe is that just coz 'an amp' produces XX watts of power, it's comparable to a much more expensive amp of similar quoted power. not so. simply auditioning them running audiophile speakers should demonstrate a difference, and in fact a premium amp rated with lower power output may in fact be far better.

so you must consider what speakers you'll be running. an audison is not going to make some $100 splits or sub sound any better than the jaycar.

so try and component-match. that is, use similar quality components coz things may only be as good as the weakest link.

good luck

------------------
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[Edited 1 time by shiny_car on 03 September 2002 at 20:32]

Thanks for reminding me about the theory of relativity. And thanks for the thorough replies.

mark

Buy the Jaycar. You won't hear any difference, except for placebo effect.

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Car - `91 VW Caravelle GL
Source - JVC KD-SX875
Power - Response
Drive - Blaupunkt MPA3, Response 2x100
Speakers - Alpine 6" Splits; B: Alpine 5" Co-axials
Sub - Response XL 12" sub

[Edited 1 time by Konrad on 03 September 2002 at 21:20]

quote:

---

Originally posted by markd:
I've seen reports that some people think that the jaycar xovers aren't that good. Any clues why?

---

When I got my new head unit not long ago, it came with built in cross-overs. I experimented for a while with the HU's cross-over, the amps cross-over, and even having both turned on. i found that the HU's cross-overs were (only just) noticeably better.
One experiment I did was unplug ALL speakers except for the sub, using the amps cross-over, I found that more vocals got through (even though both were 12dB/oct). Also the sub-bass was a little clearer using the HU's cross-over. I mean the really low notes, the bass-line stuff seemed better defined.

But, all this may not help your situation at all, since, although my amps are ReSponse, they are the older blue series, which I believe are very different.


------------------
Car: 1994 Commodore SS
HU: Pioneer DEH-P7450MP
fronts: Pioneer TS-C1625 splits
Rear: stock 6" dual cones powered off HU
Sub: Pioneer 10" in 35L ported box
Amps: 2x Jaycar 2x84
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I woulkd just like to point out that with amps like I use, the build quality as well as SQ is proven, and as I have used them for many years with out a problem, to me value is about results and reliabilty. If Im using my amps in another 10 years, and ppl who spent less have had to upgrade because the cheaper amps died, then Im getting better value IMO.

Anyway I am yet to hear a system with the amps we are discussing, that has impressed me, and some of the systems had good quality components, except for the amps. Personally I wouldnt use them or suggest others do, as I dont think they cut it SQ wise and am dubious about their long term reliabilty, but its your money, so you decide
happy hunting
peace
Cyberpunky

------------------
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Now I know why I sold all my gear.

Buy good stuff...only 1 more time to get it right. After that, I'm giving up. Too much money spent replacing cheap gear.

yeah, i agree it's always nice to buy the premium stuff first time around. but it boils down to $$$. and when starting out, most people can't afford the expensive stuff, so go for 'value'. and the jaycar's do offer that.

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many systme incarnations ago i used a jaycar 4x100, at low volumes it produced a 'hiss' comparable to the music volume. Sold it, bought a PG QX4150 with less power for roughly the same price, if not cheaper, and the sound was cleaned up immediately and it didnt sound less 'powerful'.

Arguably it has been said that hissing has been fixed since then, but who knows. Just like the skipping Nak-cd45z's, supposedly fixed but i had bad experiences with that as well.

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Try before you buy, and do it right the first time...

yes, the hiss was a problem with the first model - as far as I know, they were prepared to fix the amps with that problem

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- A proud member of Team Gates - A proud supporter of the CAA SPL project

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bassaholic:
yes, the hiss was a problem with the first model - as far as I know, they were prepared to fix the amps with that problem

---

Does anyone have any more information on the above?

Ring up a store would be the best source of info on the hissing fix.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rattlehead:
Ring up a store would be the best source of info on the hissing fix.

---

Whodathunkit?!

Does anyone know what would be involved in fixing said symptom? Bit of soldering work? Component replacement?

Cheers!

it's weird, no Members that i can recall has ever brought this issue up until this week. so not sure if they've changed the design or something.

but i suspect there's nothing that can be done, and that it's a design thing.

------------------
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well mine puts out this high pitched whining noise thats acctually comming from the amp its self and not the subs.. not sure if this is engine noise i havent played with it enough, it only happens sometimes too and ive only recently noticed it.

mine doesnt hiss tho =]

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Head Unit: Pioneer DEH-P7450MP
Fronts: 4" 2 way
Rears: 6.5" splits
Amp: Jaycar 4x100
Subs: 2x Sony XS-L1236
Wiring: Jaycar 4GA, 100A Maxiblade Fuse.

I was born in such a poor family that if i wasn't born a boy, I'd have nothing to play with

quote:

---

Originally posted by Blitz:
well mine puts out this high pitched whining noise thats acctually comming from the amp its self and not the subs.. not sure if this is engine noise

---

sounds like 'engine noise'. if it changes in pitch/intensity (like a turbo!) or 'ticks', then it's from the engine/alt/timing.

the 'hiss' people seem to be encountering appears to be a 'loud' inherent noisefloor in the amp.


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no its not changing pitch with the engine noise it just this constant reasonably loud whining noise. its totaly random and if i turn the amp on and off enough it soemtimes goes away. and i find it amusing that its comming fromt he amp itself, what component could be doing that ?

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Head Unit: Pioneer DEH-P7450MP
Fronts: 4" 2 way
Rears: 6.5" splits
Amp: Jaycar 4x100
Subs: 2x Sony XS-L1236
Wiring: Jaycar 4GA, 100A Maxiblade Fuse.

I was born in such a poor family that if i wasn't born a boy, I'd have nothing to play with

usual things apply. could be related to grounds, or coming from HU (unlikely with your pioneer), passive xovers in splits picking up noise, RCAs, etc.



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quote:

---

Originally posted by Blitz:
no its not changing pitch with the engine noise it just this constant reasonably loud whining noise. its totaly random and if i turn the amp on and off enough it soemtimes goes away. and i find it amusing that its comming fromt he amp itself, what component could be doing that ?

---

Could be the amps power supply on the way out. Won't be anything to do with the head unit or RCAs or speakers.. it could quite possibly be a grounding issue - though I doubt it.

------------------
Car - `91 VW Caravelle GL
Source - JVC KD-SX875
Power - Response
Drive - Blaupunkt MPA3, Response 2x100
Speakers - Alpine 6" Splits; B: Alpine 5" Co-axials
Sub - Response XL 12" sub

[Edited 1 time by Konrad on 15 September 2002 at 01:07]

well the amp is only a few months old so hopefully not.. but ahh well its still under warrenty.

come to think about it i havent heard it in a while.. stange

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Head Unit: Pioneer DEH-P7450MP
Fronts: 4" 2 way
Rears: 6.5" splits
Amp: Jaycar 4x100
Subs: 2x Sony XS-L1236
Wiring: Jaycar 4GA, 100A Maxiblade Fuse.

I was born in such a poor family that if i wasn't born a boy, I'd have nothing to play with

Me thinks your amp is

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Headunit: JVC KD-SX985
Mid bass: Kenwood KFC HQ 718320w 7x10's
Amps: Jaycar 100wRMSx4, Kenwwod KAC 628 100wRMSx2
Subs: Pioneer 12" TS-W1201C
Neons: 2x strobes,2x pulsing, 2x12"