Orion 275 SX - Old School 75x2 Powerhouse!

Old School Early to Mid-1990's 75x2 (150 watt) RMS Amps from Rockford, Phoenix Gold, Soundstream and Orion

So, you may have already seen some of my earlier amp output tests on the Rockford Fosgate Punch 150HD vs. Phoenix Gold MS-275 and the Soundstream Reference 300....but what about the Orion 275 SX? Well, wait no longer, my friends. I finally got the Orion 275 SX on the OldSchoolStereo.com test bench for some RMS watt output tests. How do you think it compared to the others? Well, keep reading to find out.

Now, first of all, I think it is important to mention a comparison of the 275 SX....in many ways, it is very similar to the 225 HCCA. Both share the same sized heatsink and require a 35A fuse. I've done some preliminary tests with Orion's 225 HCCA "digital reference" amp a while back and I must say the amp was VERY impressive! The 275 SX is only rated to handle 4 ohm mono or 2 ohm stereo loads. As with many of the old school amps, it can handle lower ohm loads, but not designed to handle the 1/2 ohm loads as the 225 HCCA does without a sweat!

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Orion 275 SX vs. 225 HCCA vs. Messy Test Bench!

Instead of spending so much time comparing the 275 SX to the 225 HCCA, let's move on to the comparison against the other 150 watt amps I've mentioned before. Here are the specs of the 275 SX:

Specs: rated @ 12.5 volts*
2 x 75W @ 4 ohms
2 x 150W @ 2 ohms
1 x 300W @ 4 ohms bridged
THD: 0.03%
S/N: 110dB
Freq. Response: 6Hz 20kHz (±0.5dB)
Fuse: 35A
Dimensions: 11" x 8.5" x 2.25" (28cm x 21.6cm x 5.7cm)

*note: The Orion 275 SX uses an unregulated power supply, so more volts = more power! Also, my power supply is non-adjustable at 13.8v, nearly a volt and a half more than Orion's 12.5v rating, so take this into consideration.

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Orion's 2nd Gen HCCA and SX Spec Sheet / Manual

Ok, enough specs and talk about the amp, let's see how it performed.

Watch the video in 1080p HD

or embedded below:

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-BigD