Amplifier Bench Tests Rare Amps and More

Once again, I've slacked off posting on the blog here. My apologies, I've been focusing on creating more content for my YouTube channel. Make sure you subscribe so you can stay updated and notified when I upload new content. My goal is to upload at least one video a week and for the past few weeks I've been doing 3 videos per week! See some of my recent video uploads below.

Wow, check a MINT copy of a mid-1970's Fosgate PR-235 amplifier. These amps are ULTRA-RARE and finding one in this condition is almost unheard of. Big thanks to Mike for sending this one my way!




Next up, a patiently awaited power output demo of a MINT Lanzar Opti Drive 50c ultra-cheater amplifier from the mid-1990's. Can it meet or beat it's 800w rating at 1/2 ohm mono? Watch the video to find out!






What about a purple beauty? Say what? The mid-1990's rare special edition Orion NT 200 arrives to the OldSchoolStereo.com labs for testing. This amplifier is a dual-mono design and was built to the strictest standards to ensure the best sound quality possible. Watch me un-box and show off this beauty! 

Now, here's another very interesting power output demo. We test the Orion XTR-2250 "The Beast" amplifier to see if it can stand up to it's name. Well, do you think it can match or exceed it's rated 1000w output at 4 ohms bridged? No spoilers here, watch the video to find out! 

Orion XTR-2250 RMS Power Output Video

***Amp output tests coming soon. We also have lots of cool overviews of some fantastic Old School Car Audio Thanks for your patience!***

Dragster DH 1804 1.2kW Car Audio Amplifier

Dragster DH 1804 1.2kW Amp vs. Orion XTR 2250 "The Beast"

I recently picked up an Italian made amplifier from Dragster, called the "DH 1804" or "1.2kW" amplifier. This amp is a 4 channel model rated at 180 watts x 4 channels at 4 ohms and 300 watts x 4 channels at 2 ohms or bridged at 600 watts x 2 (giving you the 1,200 or 1.2kW of power). Dragster also offered a 2 channel version of the amp, called the DH 1802. Ratings are 360 watts x 2 at 4 ohms, 600 x 2 at 2 ohms or 1200 watts bridged at 4 ohms.

As you can see by the comparison above, the DH 1804 makes the Orion "Beast" look not so beastly...The Dragster is about 5 inches longer and 3 inches wider than the Orion. All connections are made via terminal strips and there are dual connections for power/ground. The DH 1804 is beautifully constructed of aluminum and partly chrome plated and partly powder-coated a bright, candy red.

Unfortunately for me, the seller I purchased the amp from shipped it with virtually NO packing material. The amp took a beating during transit, had the mounting tabs and a few fins bent. Needless to say, I was NOT a happy camper! Anyone who sells a car amp listen....pack an amp VERY carefully when shipping. If you haven't worked at UPS or FedEx (or any other shipping/receiving company) unloading and loading trucks, you have no idea how much the package goes through before it's delivered to the destination.

Continuing with the amp itself, there is very little information available online about this 1.2kW amp. A quick "all language" search with Google helps as this amp appears to be very popular outside of the USA. Since it was made in Italy, I can only think of well-made exotic cars such as Ferrari and Lamborghini. Thanks to Google Translate, I was able to retrieve the following specifications:

The Dragster brand from Italy is known for very good sounding amps. Excellent workmanship combined with a stylish design are just a figurehead of this high-end manufacturer, this power comes in all walks of life up to the top model DH 1804, with impressive values.

PWM MOSFET power supplies
Variable Crossovers
RedRubin aluminum heat sink
High-quality epoxy circuit boards
2 ohm stable stereo
Sealed potentiometers
Teflon-plated RCA connectors
High Speed ​​HEXFET audio outputs

4 x 180 / 300 watts RMS at 4 / 2 Ohms
2 x 600 watts RMS into 4 ohms
variable 50-500Hz HP / LP filter for Front & Rear
Distortion 0.05% Signal-to> 103 dB

Dimensions: 740 x 55 x 245 mm

Dragster DH 1804 vs. HiFonics Zeus VII

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Dragster Demo Vehicle equipped with DH 1804 Amplifier

See the video on YouTube in 1080p HD or embedded below: