Old School Stereo: bigdwiz

Showing posts with label bigdwiz. Show all posts

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Watch BigDWiz interview Mark @ CarAudioFabrication!

BigDWiz Interviews Mark at CarAudioFabrication

Check out this detailed interview of the man behind CarAudioFabrication!

The video is over an hour and a half chocked full of interesting content and insight behind the man who tells the "secrets" of car audio. Be sure to check the information below the embedded video...you'll be able to jump to a specific question in the interview. I wish everyone would, but doubt most people will watch the entire 1 hr and 38 minute interview, so to make it easier, I added links to the exact point of the video for each question I asked Mark.

We discuss everything from where to buy fiberglass material to what we think about Steve Meade's success! I had a great time interviewing Mark and think you guys will enjoy watching the archive.

Check out Mark's Website:
http://www.caraudiofabrication.com
And the Car Audio Fabrication YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/CarAudioFabrication

Watch the entire 1 hour and 38 minute video on YouTube
or embedded below:
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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Video Updates - Lanzar, Fosgate, Alpine and More!

I've uploaded several videos since the last blog post here on OldSchoolStereo.com. There are three videos about the Fosgate "Frequency Energizer" Model 201 processor. If anyone has any further details about these units, please contact me at oldschoolstereo[at] gmail dot com.

First up, see the Alpine 3342 11-band EQ / Sound Field Processor. Just a quick overview of the EQ and showing it in action!

Next up, see baby Lanzar Opti Drive Plus 50 amplifier. I've had several people request I show off how I test amplifiers for operation when they arrive at OldSchoolStereo's labs. This is not a power output test, rather a simple speaker test of each channel and bridged operation.

Next up, see the BIG Lanzar Opti Drive 50c "Ultra-High Current" amplifiers. You'll see an early 1994 blue model and a later 1996-1998 black model. I overview the connections and check the amplifier "guts" for differences between the models. In a future video, we'll also bench test each of these amps for power output. Do you think there will be a difference in the output at 1/2 ohm mono? It will be interesting to see...

Now, here's some vintage gear from Fosgate Electronics. Yes, I said Fosgate, not Rockford Fosgate. This means pre-1980, folks. The Frequency Energizer you'll see is from around 1973 and is the foundation for the Punch EQ circuit used in Fosgate and later Rockford Fosgate car audio amplifiers.

Fosgate Frequency Energizer "Teaser" Video

Fosgate Frequency Energizer Overview Video

Fosgate Frequency Energizer Demo Video
See the vintage sound processors in action!

***Amp output tests coming soon...I've done tests on the Lanzar 50c and Orion XTR-2250. As soon as I get a chance to edit the videos, I'll have them online. Thanks for your patience!***

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Old School Soundstream MC500 Car Audio Amplifier

You guys know I like the old school "monster" amps, and I recently came across a rare beast indeed...a Soundstream MC500 from the late 1980's. The MC500 was part of the original "monster amp test" held by Car Stereo Review back in 1989. Here are the specs of the MC500:

Four Channel Amp rated at 125 watts x 4 channels
Bridgeable for 2 or 3 channel operation delivering up to 250 watts x 2 channels
LSE - Linear Subwoofer Extension with adjustable frequency for added low end impact
No built-in crossovers
2 ohm stereo / 4 ohm mono stable
Dual 30A fuses for power
Up to 70A current draw at maximum output

1989 Soundstream MC500 Amplifier

The MC500 was one of the few amps in 1989 to have integrated terminal connectors. The power, ground and speaker terminals can accept up to 8GA wire. The RCA jacks are gold plated and very high quality. The dual 30A fuses are inserted just beside the power terminals.

Soundstream MC500 Amplifier - Power Connectors

The Soundstream MC500 was available for a short period of time around the 1989/1990 time frame. From what I've been told by Soundstream experts, this amp was one of the few Soundstream powder coated. Most of their other amps at this time (D series and Class A) were anodized aluminum. Many of the first batch of MC500's had extreme paint flaking issues and had to be recalled. The next run of amps had a better coating, but based on the U.S. MSRP of $1295, not many of these amps were sold.

Unlike many of the other Soundstream high-end amps at the time, this one was not touted as "Class A". That said, the MC series (MC500, MC300, MC245 and MC140) were well regarded for their sound quality and flexibility. Yes, at the time, 500 watts was considered BIG power!

Soundstream MC500 guts - Nice!

Amp output tests coming soon...just waiting for the NC weather to cool a little. Maybe one day my labs will be climate controlled! Enjoy the video overview below. Output test coming in the future.

See my video overview of the Soundstream MC500 below.

Make sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay updated of my latest videos. You can also follow me on Twitter @oldschoolstereo.

Watch the video on YouTube in 1080P or embedded below:

Saturday, June 30, 2012

BigDWiz on The Tech Guy Radio Show!

Wow, today was my lucky day!! I was able to get on the caller list to talk to Leo Laporte on his nationally syndicated radio show "The Tech Guy". Leo runs twit.tv, an Internet broadcast network delivering dozens of audio and video podcasts weekly.

My question was regarding YouTube and how to download a list of my subscribers so I can do a giveaway. Leo mentioned YouTube probably doesn't make this easy for a reason...to keep spam down. My reasons for wanting the list are totally legit; I just want a way to get a text listing of all the subscribers so I can put them in Random.org to choose a lucky winner for whatever Old School car audio item I plan on giving away.

See show 887 on TechGuyLabs for more info. See the embedded YouTube Video at the bottom of this article. My favorite quote from the twit.tv chat room during the show by username Howard:

"Leo 80ties & 90ties old school? I must be ancient school."

By the way, Leo got a kick out of my "Chinese mini Amp Invasion" videos! Thanks for the recommendation Leo, I'll try it out and let you know how it works.

Make sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay updated of my latest videos. You can also follow me on Twitter @oldschoolstereo.

Dereck
aka "BigDWiz"

See my segment embedded below or See it on YouTube

Sunday, May 13, 2012

OldSchoolStereo.com Updates - May 2012

Thanks to everyone who visits the website, leaves comments, sends emails and subscribes to my YouTube Channel! The past several months have been extremely busy in my personal life and I haven't had the time to dedicate to the website. I hope you understand this is still a passion of mine, just had to take the back burner for a while. I'm hoping to be back in full force in the upcoming months and have TONS of planned videos, demos, tutorials and other goodies. In the meantime, anyone who has pictures of old school installs (they have taken or have rights to) or do any videos on old school car audio, please let me know and I'll be glad to link to them from here. You can reach me at oldschoolstereo (at] gmail dot com. It may take me a few days to get back with you, so please be patient.

As many of you know, I've been talking about the 1990's 25x2 cheater amps for almost a year now. Well, I recently came across two new additions for the shootout and will hopefully have time to test them soon. I actually have an unboxing video and will post below for one of the amps...MTX Thunder 225 HO. It is rated at 25x2 at 4ohms, but has 90A, yes 90A worth of fusing!!! The epitome of cheater amp status! It may be the amp to beat in the group, we'll see...

MTX Thunder 2300 (left) and MTX Thunder 225 HO (right)

See the video of me unboxing the MTX Thunder 225 HO and comparing it physically to the earlier generation Thunder 2300:

I also recently found a really neat Rockford Fosgate LED sign for the OldSchoolStereo labs. You can see it in the background of the MTX amps above, but also below in an unboxing video:

Thanks as always for visiting OldSchoolStereo.com and please bookmark this page and sign up on the right side of the page for email alerts when a new article is posted. I look forward to your participation in the forums and keep it Old School!

-BigD

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Old School Polk Audio C4 Subwoofer - Fourth Order Bandpass Enclosure

Polk Audio C4 Subwoofer - Fourth Order Bandpass Enclosure with Four 6x9 Subwoofers in Isobaric Configuration

Wow, a true survivor here! An early 90's Polk Audio C4 subwoofer. This enclosure is one of the most unique factory car audio subwoofers of all time. It uses four 6x9 subwoofers mounted in a compound isobaric configuration. The center chamber is sealed, while both outer chambers are vented with a 3" x 5" port. Dual binding posts offer either 4 ohm stereo, 8 ohm mono or 2 ohm mono configuration.

Here are the technical specs provided by Polk:

Driver complement - Four 6x9 drivers monted in a isobaric push pull configuration
Enclosure type - 4th order bandpass
Frequency response - 25 to 150 Hertz
Sensitivity - 94 db @ 1 Watt @ 1 Meter
Recommended amplification - 25 to 200 Watts per channel
Impedance - 4 Ohm stereo, 2 or 8 Ohm mono
Dimensions - 8" H x 26.25" W x 17.125 D
Weight - 26 pounds

Bottom Panel of C4 Removed

Now, looking cool is nice, but sound quality and bass output is what's really important. After reviewing some of the magazines in the OldSchoolStereo library, I found a test of this subwoofer by Car Stereo Review (March/April 1992). Since I don't have the equipment to compile technical measurements of speakers, I was intrigued to see the reviewer was able to get 119dB out of this unit. I've been using a JL Audio 12w6v2 for the past few weeks and although I haven't had my system measured, I feel pretty confident I'm pushing 125dB with only 300w. I guess what I'm alluding to is right off the bat, I wasn't expecting to obtain the output I'd become accustomed to over the past few weeks. However, I have been using a single Kicker Solobaric s10c the past year or so and it has been sufficient for my tastes so the C4 may be enough for my needs.

Now, I've only tested out the C4 for an hour or so total, so I won't leave my final impression until I've been able to give it a few weeks in my car. For now, I'll just say my initial impression is the C4 is quite impressive. It won't flex your windows or take your breathe away, but it will provide clean, hard-hitting, dynamic bass good enough for those looking to add some low end to their modest systems. I'll update the article in a few weeks with my overall impression. I've posted the video overview including demo below. Enjoy!

Make sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay updated of my latest videos. You can also follow me on Twitter @oldschoolstereo.

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

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Old School Car Audio Bookshelf Speakers? DIY Audiophile Project

Custom Rockford Fosgate AUDIOphile Bookshelf Speakers

Ok, I admit it....I'm an old school car audio junkie! Much of my equipment is in mint condition and actually using this gear is really cool. You guys may recall my Rockford Fosgate AUDIOphile RFA-414 component system from the Old School Boombox article. I was going to need the 4" mids in enclosures anyway, so why not use some small bookshelf cabinets? Exactly! I just needed some patience, a few tools and wallah...my first set of car audio based bookshelf speakers.

The donor bookshelf speaker cabinets were taken from an early 90's surround sound system by a company called Universal. The particular cabinets I used for this project had a 4" speaker, but no tweeter. No problem. A quick trip to the hardware store to get a 2 1/8" hole saw (per Rockford's RFA manual) and the mounting hole for the tweeter was done. It is interesting Rockford recommends a 2 1/8" hole as I found it slightly large....oh well, I digress.

In addition to cutting holes for the tweeters, I also had to line the interior of the cabinets with sound deadening material. The metal enclosures without the dampening material would cause some unwanted coloration (is that a word?). Anyway, I think you know what I mean. After adding the deadening material, the enclosures had a "thud" instead of a "ting". Still not as dead sounding an MDF based enclosure, but much lighter and smaller.

As with many inexpensive speakers, the donor Universal's had tiny 22ga internal speaker wire. This was easily remedied by de-soldering the factory wire and upgrading to some 16ga Phoenix Gold OFC speaker wire. I also used hook and loop tape to mount the AUDIOphile crossovers. The flush mount tweeter pods were mounted using silicon sealant and some custom brackets. Everything came together very well and I'm happy with the results.

Now, I can write all day about the process, how they sound, etc., but if a picture is worth 1000 words, then a video is worth 10,000. I created a video build log of this project and also give a sound demo of the speakers. They are very transparent, but as expected, somewhat weak on the bass output. This component system was designed to be used with a subwoofer and maybe even a midbass. My plans are to cross them over at 150Hz and other plans TBD...

Make sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay updated of my latest videos. You can also follow me on Twitter @oldschoolstereo.

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

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Boombox Using Old School Rockford Fosgate AUDIOPhile Speakers

Custom Old School Boombox using Rockford Fosgate AUDIOphile Speakers (est. 1995)

Now, here's a project I've thought about putting together for around 20 years...a portable stereo (aka "Boombox") made from car stereo gear. In this instance, I'm using all Rockford Fosgate gear from 1995 or earlier. A single Punch 45 amplifier will power the entire system, including 4" AUDIOphile component speakers with a 1" silk-dome tweeter and bass notes will be handled by an 8" AUDIOphile subwoofer. This subwoofer should work quite nice as it is designed for a very small 0.33cu/ft sealed enclosure. The "brain" of the system will be another Rockford piece, the PA-1 pre-amp. This unit will control 2 different inputs and provide overall volume, bass, mid and treble controls.

Here is the proposed gear (subject to change):

Military-Style Waterproof ABS Plastic Case
Rockford Fosgate PA-1 Pre-Amp (est. 1987)
Rockford Fosgate Punch 45 Amplifier (est. 1989)
Rockford Fosgate RFA-414 4" AUDIOphile component system (est. 1995)
Rockford Fosgate RFA-408 8" AUDIOphile subwoofer (est. 1995)
(2) 8Ah Sealed Lead Acid Batteries
Integrated iPod dock / AUX jack / USB port
12V Battery Gauge
12V Trickle Charger
12V 25A Lighted Switch
....more to come

I've worked on the boombox since the video below and found the case is going to be very limited in size for all of the proposed components. I may need to substitute a Punch 30 and use only one battery. Once I get the subwoofer enclosure completed (making sure to hit the optimal 0.33cu/ft internal air space), I'll have a better idea how much space I'll have for the other components. I could also use a PA-1HD or PA-2 as they are 1/2 DIN as compared to the PA-1's full DIN size, but the PA-1 just looks cooler to me!

I show off the power source(s), dual 8Ah sealed lead-acid batteries in the video. These batteries are around 4lbs each and should give us 2-3 hours of very loud playback. I'll test the playback time in an upcoming video. Again, due to space limitations, I may need to scale down to one battery.

Stay tuned for upcoming updates, the build process and the final result of my "OldSchool Boombox"

Make sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay updated of my latest videos. You can also follow me on Twitter @oldschoolstereo.

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

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Alpine 7288 Cassette Radio/CD Changer Controller - Vintage, Old School!

Alpine 7288 Cassette Radio / CD Changer Controller - Pull Out, same Era as 7909

Take a journey back to 1989 with this Alpine 7288 Cassette Radio / CD Changer Controller with Pull Out functionality for security. This was not Alpine's top of the line unit, but at $500US MSRP, it was still a very pricey tape deck. The 7289 was Alpine's most expensive Cassette Radio at the time, $550 (with internal amplification), while the 7390 was the top end Cassette Tuner (no built-in amp) and would set you back a mere $600US. These high-end Alpine head units could control the 5952 and 5959 CD Changers.

So, why would one pay $500 for a Cassette Radio when the Alpine 7904 CD Tuner could be obtained for the same price? Well, you must recall, at the time (1989/1990), most people had cassette collections, but only a few CD's. Alpine was betting most people would opt for a nice cassette radio up front, then add a CD Changer when the funds became available. The 5952 CD Changer was a mere $650, so adding one was a big purchase for most folks. Now, if you had mad cash, you could just trash your cassettes, buy an Alpine 7909 CD Tuner for $1200, then add a 5952 CD Changer for many hours of listening pleasure!

Ok, sorry, back to reality. We are talking about the 7288 Cassette Radio, so I'll try to stay on topic. Let's see some of the technical specifications of the 7288:

MSRP: $500US
Pull-Out for security
4 RCA Pre-Amp Outputs for adding external amplifiers
16W + 16W Built-in amplifier
GR Full Lock Tape Mechanism
Auto Reverse
Tape Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
Dolby B Noise Reduction
CD Changer Controller
12FM and 6AM Radio Presets
Dimensions: 7in x 2in x 6in

Click HERE to See FULL Size picture

I recently picked up a MINT Alpine 7288 and thought it was important to write an article and create a demo video showing off the unit. Click HERE to see the full specifications.

Although I was able to test the unit for functionality, I did not do a full test. The tape mechanism sounded rather loud to me, it may have always been this way, but I didn't want to stress it out. It most likely needs a new belt for the tape drive, but I don't know for sure. I was extremely impressed all features appeared to work properly and the FM tuner was working even without an antenna plugged in...now that's a sensitive tuner!! Unfortunately, I didn't have a 5952 or 5959 CD Changer to test out the controller functionality, but hopefully I'll come across one soon.

See more up close and personal pictures below:

Alpine 7288 Left Front Side

Alpine 7288 Front Right Side - Classic "chicklets"

As you can see in the pictures, the display is bright and clear. The buttons show very little wear, even less than my near mint Alpine 7903 CD Tuner. I used a soft brush to remove the dust, you may be able to see I missed some....dang those DSLR's!

One last picture I'll show before the video is the DIN plug and RCA Pre-Amp outputs. See below:

Alpine 7288's DIN Plug for CD Changer and RCA Output Jacks

Alright, so we all know a picture is worth 1000 words, so how much is a video worth? Well, for me, it all depends on the quality. The video below was captured in 1080/24P using my Canon 7D. I was planning on recording audio using an external device, but decided the internal mic would suffice for the tape sounds and output sounds. As I note in the video, I was using a small 4" dual-cone speaker, so don't expect any impressive sounds from the Tuner and Tape playback tests. Enjoy the video!

Make sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay updated of my latest videos. You can also follow me on Twitter @oldschoolstereo.

See the video on YouTube in 720p HD or embedded below:

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Rockford Fosgate Power 650 Mosfet - True Old School Powerhouse

Late 80's Rockford Fosgate Power 650 Mosfet

Think old school power....think names like Orion, Precision Power and Rockford Fosgate. Up for review today is a late 80's Rockford Fosgate Power 650 Mosfet. This amp is an icon of the infamous Mosfet Power series by Rockford. People know the Power 300 as the "entry level" power series amp (MSRP $999*) and the "ultimate" power series as the Power 1000 Mosfet (MSRP $2650*). But why no respect for the big brother, Power 650? It's always tough to be the middle child! The Power 650 retailed for $1575* in 1990 and was available from approximately 1985-1993.

(*Pricing above was verified in an April 1990 Car Audio & Electronics Car Stereo Directory)

Here are the specs of the Power 650 Mosfet:

Power Ratings: 4 Channel

4 Ohms: 125 watts per channel continuous power into 4 Ohms, 4 channels driven, from 20 to 20,000Hz, with less than 0.05% THD + N (Total Harmonic Distortion & Noise).
2 Ohms: 162.5 watts per channel continuous power into 2 Ohms, 4 channels driven, from 20 to 20,000Hz, with less than 0.1% THD + N.

Power Ratings: 2 Channel (bridged) 4 Ohms: 325 watts per channel continuous power into 4 Ohms, 2 channels driven, from 20 to 20,000Hz, with less than 0.05% THD + N.
Frequency Response: 20 to 20,000Hz, ± .5dB
Bandwidth: 15 to 20,000Hz, ± 3dB.
Damping Factor: greater than 200 at 50Hz.
Slew Factor: greater than 2.5.
Slew Rate: greater than 10 volts per microsecond.
Protection: The Punch also employs thermal switches which protect the amplifier from overheating damage. Fuses are provided for speakers which are directly connected with no crossover components.
Dimensions: 18 3/10” long x 8 1/10” wide x 2” high, exclusive of knobs and wiring. 19 3/10” long x 8 1/10” wide x 2%” high, minimum mounting requirements.

Disassembled Power 650 Mosfet - Fan Shroud, Amp "guts", bottom plate and fuse cover

You young kids out there don't know much about Class A/B subwoofer amps with the $300 1500-watt Class D amps you have today. The Power 650 and Power 1000 were classic subwoofer amps in their day. Instead of using DVC subs with "fat" surrounds, we had 15's, 18's and even 30" subs (See Wayne Harris' 1985 Terminator Hearse)!!! No mention these old school subs in many cases were 8 ohms, used in multiples and had an x-max of 10 or 12mm if you were lucky...We still appreciate the "Made in the USA" quality of these amps and the pride the workers put in each and every amp. Shoot, the Rockford amps were even smacked with a rubber mallet to ensure they could handle the "punch" as part of their QA process!

One feature lacking on the Power 650 you would find on the Power 300 was bass and treble controls. For the most part, if you could afford a Power 650, you could most likely also afford a matching "Z or ZX" preamp. These preamps had EQ adjustments and even fancy LED lights as a VU meter.

Bottom side of the Rockford Fosgate Power 650 Mosfet

In addition to being a powerful four-channel amplifier, the Power 650 is also a very flexible amp. In the mid to late 1980's there were only a handful of amplifiers with built in crossovers...the Power 650 being one. Unlike modern amps, the crossover settings are set at certain frequencies (instead of being fully-variable). Also, note the high crossover's cutoff begins at 140Hz, whereas the low pass could be set as low as 70Hz. It could be used in four, three or two channel operation. My initial RMS wattage tests have shown the Power 650 ratings to be conservative, more on this in an upcoming video and article.

Early Rockford Fosgate Power 650 Mosfet with DIN and RCA Inputs

Those familiar with the Power 650's know in addition to there being DIN/RCA and RCA only models, there was also a short run of the last Power 650's with a 4-inch fan as opposed to the 2-inch model available since the mid-1980's. From my research, the 4-inch models were the last production Power 650 mosfets and were produced in low numbers. See pictures and some more detail here: http://www.gamblin.net/power650.html

Stay tuned for the RMS wattage output demo of the Rockford Fosgate Power 650 Mosfet. Make sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay updated of my latest videos. You can also follow me on Twitter @oldschoolstereo.

See the video on YouTube in 720p HD or embedded below:

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See the Old School Rockford Fosgate Power 650's in ACTION! Wayne Harris' "Terminator" Hearse Vintage 1985

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Friday, November 18, 2011

SMD's DD-1 - New School Tool for Old School Amp Testing

SMD's DD-1 "Distortion Detector" vs. Velleman HPS50 Oscilloscope

Many of you who follow my blog and videos, know I've had a Velleman HPS50 oscilloscope for a while now and keep adding components to enhance the capabilities of my test bench. My primary focus now is testing amplifiers for maximum continuous RMS wattage output. We all know most of the ratings we see on amps today are not RMS, but MAX output. This is a marketing ploy, not useful at all in determining the actual output of an amplifier. I'll soon get one of these amps on the bench and show you actual RMS wattage output vs. the value claimed on the amp. You may be amazed and not laugh so much at the old school amps and their low wattage ratings...

I recently decided to pick up a SMD DD-1 "Distortion Detector". This device was developed by the brains at D'Amore Engineering in conjunction with the KING of car audio on the Internet, Steve Meade (www.stevemeadedesigns.com). Steve Meade (meade916 on YouTube) is famous for his 30,000 watt custom Chevy Tahoe and has several hundred videos. Steve is also the largest car audio channel on Youtube with over 100,000 subscribers and over 100 MILLION video views. Impressive to say the least, but this DD-1 is not hype, it is a truly powerful and affordable tool for everyone from electronics enthusiasts to car audio shop installers and many in between.

So, what's the deal with this DD-1 and why might you want one? The SMD DD-1 is marketed as an amplifier gain matching tool. Matching your car audio head unit and amplifier has been a black art for many years. Without an oscilloscope and test tone, setting gains was really just a guess for most folks. The DD-1 costs only a fraction of most oscilloscopes and offers simplicity in setting/matching gains for your car audio equipment.

Here's what's included in the package:

The Distortion Detector (DD-1)
Protective silicon rubber boot
Calibrated Test Tone CD
Harness
Printed owner's manual

According to the manual, the DD-1 has the following specs:

The DD-1's circuitry is 100% analog
Distortion Detection trigger level > 1.0% Harmonic Distortion
Guaranteed operating range of input signal is 1.2Vrms - 125Vrms (15,000 Watts at 1 ohm) Autoranging
Signal Present LED trigger voltage 750mVrms
Low Battery LED trigger battery voltage < 5.6Vdc
Auto shut-off timer 8-10 minutes after on button is pressed

Now, I must be honest. The unit's ability to match gains is a great feature, but I've had this ability with my Velleman HPS50 portable o'scope for a while. A recent video on Steve's channel about the upcoming AD-1 "amp dyno" got the wheels spinning in my old school head. This DD-1 can be used for more than just matching gains...it can be used to assist in amplifier output testing! This feature in a sub $200 device is unheard of. A bench version of a THD analyzer can cost MANY thousands of dollars. I've been watching eBay for a year or more hoping to find a deal on one of these THD analyzers so I could verify distortion during my amplifier tests. After seeing the AD-1 demo, I was convinced to buy the DD-1 to use as a tool in my RMS output tests.

The DD-1 has proved to be an invaluable tool and will ensure accuracy in my amplifier tests. I have MANY old school amps I plan on testing in the upcoming months. The DD-1 will ensure < 1% distortion in my results which is great. As I mentioned above, not only do many manufacturers rate amps by "Max" output, they also sometimes use distortion numbers up to 10% for their ratings. I think it's important to keep the distortion less than 1%, which should be inaudible for most people.

I have done some initial tests with the DD-1 and have been impressed with it's ease of use and ability to detect low levels of distortion. See some videos below and be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay updated with the latest amplifier and car audio tests and demos.

Buy the DD-1 Direct at wccaraudio.com

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Friday, November 11, 2011

Can The Orion Take The Punch?

Rockford Fosgate Punch 45HD and Orion 222 SX

The Rockford Fosgate Punch 45HD and Orion 222 SX....by today's terms would be called "tweeter amps". Go back 20 years to 1991 and people were using these amps not only to power subwoofers, but in some cases entire systems! Since both amps were rated at 45 watts or less at 4 ohms (both channels), people either had really efficient speakers or didn't require high volumes, right?

Well, many people were told and believe the old school amps are always "very" or "highly" underrated. Read on to find out if this is the case with either or both of these mini powerhouses.

First up, the Orion 222 SX appears to have a heat sink surface area advantage at 8.5 x 8.5 x 2.25 inches. It carried an MSRP of $329 US back in 1991 (reference - Car Stereo Review, July/August 1991) and included the following specifications from Orion:

222 SX Ratings at 12 VDC (both channels driven):

4 ohms stereo - 22 watts RMS
2 ohms stereo - 44 watts RMS
4 ohms mono - 88 watts RMS
(not rated to handle 1 ohm stereo or 2 ohm mono loads)

More Specifications:

Requires external 15A Fuse, 20A provided by Orion (according to the manual)
Stereo, Mono or Mixed-Mono operation
Left and Right Peak Power LED's
0.005% THD at rated power
Damping Factor - Greater than 500

On one side of the 222 SX are the power/ground wires (10 gauge), plus the 9-pin molex connector for speaker and turn on connections (See my Youtube Video on how to make these yourself!). The opposite end of the amp has input connections from both RCA and DIN connections. The DIN connection supports Orion EQ's and crossovers and provides phantom power for these devices as well. There are also two buttons, one for "EQ", providing a +15dB boost at 40Hz, -4dB at 200Hz and +6dB at 10kHz, in addition to a "Mono" button for bridging the amplifier. The 222 SX also has Peak/Power LED's and a single input gain control. See the connections below:

Orion 222 SX input connections, Peak/Power LED's, Gain control, EQ and Mono buttons

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Next up may be Rockford Fosgate's most well known amp from the mid-80's to early 90's, the Punch 45. In 1991, Rockford updated their vulnerable Punch 45 to the Punch 45HD, aka "Hybrid Design". Again, many competitors in the late 80's/early 90's used a single Punch 45 to compete in the 50-watt and under class.

The 45HD required spade connectors for the power and ground inputs. The opposite side includes; speaker/remote connections via 6-pin Molex plug, Bass/Treble knobs, Left/Right RCA Inputs and gain controls for both channels.

(Top) Rockford Fosgate Punch 45HD's 6-pin molex connector, bass/treble controls, left and right RCA Inputs and Gains

The slightly smaller heat sink of the 45HD measures 6.6" long x 8.6" wide x 2.2" high and carried an MSRP of $275 back in 1991 (reference - Car Stereo Review, July/August 1991).

Punch 45HD Ratings at 12.5 VDC (both channels driven):

4 ohms stereo - 22.5 watts RMS
2 ohms stereo - 35 watts RMS
4 ohms mono - 70 watts RMS
(not rated to handle 1 ohm stereo or 2 ohm mono loads)

More Specifications:

Requires external 15A Fuse, 20A can be substituted for "extreme" loads
Stereo, Mono or Mixed-Mono operation
0-18dB Bass Boost at 45Hz, 0-12dB Treble Boost at 20kHz
0.05% THD at rated power
Damping Factor - Greater than 200 at circuit board, greater than 50 at speaker leads

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Now you've read about the ratings and specifications, do you have a choice between the two for powering a single 8" subwoofer? I realize these amps may not be well suited to drive subwoofers, but this is OldSchoolStereo and I'm taking the test back to the old school!! Luckily, I have an early 90's JL Audio 8W1 (4 ohm) which will be the perfect test sub for these amps. In addition to the subwoofer test, I'll also test resistive RMS wattage output from both amps at several ohm loads.

Now, the question I'm sure many of you are asking....did I have a favorite before the tests? Well, I must admit I've tested the Punch 45HD before and knew what to expect from this little "punch". That said, I had high hopes for the 222 SX based on how well the Orion 275 SX fared against the Punch 150HD and Phoenix Gold MS-275. This is a CLASSIC shootout as I expected the results to be very close. I can't go without saying I broke the rule of my YouTube channel saying I wouldn't do "woofer flex" tests. I just couldn't resist seeing how these baby amps pushed the JL 8W1. I also used my Zoom H4 audio recorder for GREAT quality bass without distortion. Just make sure you use your headphones while watching the YouTube video to get the best experience (well, unless you are watching this on your home theater with an 18" powered sub...)

I put the Orion 222 SX on the bench first and connected up the resistor bank, 1000Hz test tone and Velleman HPS50 oscilloscope/true RMS Volt meter. Results are:

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Amps that Rumble...Earthquake PA-2040c and PA-2300

Earthquake PA-2040c and PA-2300 Amplifiers from 1995. Photo (c) OldSchoolStereo.com

One of the "sleeper" Car Audio brands back in the mid-90's was Earthquake. Competing against established brands such as Rockford Fosgate, Orion, Precision Power, Soundstream, etc. proved to be a difficult task. Everyone had a favorite brand, but how did the lesser known brands survive? Well, building quality products was one way and another was to test well in the Car Audio magazines. Earthquake accomplished both of these tasks and although never became as popular as the brands listed above, they did create a place for themselves in old school car audio history!

I recently acquired two Earthquake amplifiers and will briefly overview them below.

First up is the Earthquake PA-2040c. The PA-2040c is a two-channel amplifier with a built-in crossover. The crossover is non-adjustable and either 80Hz low-pass or 200Hz high-pass at 12dB/octave. You could also bypass the crossover to use the amp full range. In addition, the amp also included rotary bass and treble controls at 45Hz and 12kHz. Going by the model number, one might assume the amp is rated at 40w x 2, however specs in the included manual state 52w x 2 @ 4 ohms. I'm still unsure of the "250 watts at 2 ohms" silk-screened on the amp. I don't see any specs referring to this power at 2 ohms? Maybe Earthquake was following lesser brands with "max" output claims? Well, only the bench test for RMS output power will tell us....

Earthquake PA-2040c Amplifier Controls

Earthquake PA-2040c Amplifier Top View

Earthquake PA-2040c Amplifier Speaker Outputs and Power Connections

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Earthquake also produced larger amplifiers, such as the PA-2300. Again, going by the model number, one might assume 2 x 300 watts, right? According to the manual, 2 x 380 watts RMS at 4 ohms and a mind-boggling 1150 watts RMS at 4 ohms bridged. In the mid-90's there were few car audio amplifiers claiming 1000 watts plus. The PA-2300 had no internal crossover, but had a counterpart, the PA-2300c, which did. A rather unusual feature of the PA-2300 was the dual bass controls. One centered at 30Hz and the other at 45Hz. Why two bass controls? I'm not certain, but maybe a tuning choice for those using sealed vs. ported subwoofer enclosures?

Earthquake PA-2300 Amplifier

Earthquake PA-2300 Bass Controls and Inputs

Although these amplifiers look very similar to amps made by Zed Audio (HiFonics VII, VII, Autotek BTS series, Crunch CR series, etc.), Earthquake amps were NOT made by Zed Audio. Although this is the case, rest assured the Earthquake PA series amps were built like a tank. The amps you see above were originally purchased in 1995 and variants of the PA series went back to the early 1990's.

Stay tuned for upcoming power output tests of these amps. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube Channel to stay notified of my latest video uploads.

See the mystery "unboxing" of these Old School Gems below:

Video in 720p HD

or embedded below:

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Sunday, October 9, 2011

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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Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay notified of the latest "old school" car audio videos. Much more exciting tests, demos and information coming up soon...

-BigD

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Unboxing Old School Car Audio Gear

I will be the first to admit, unboxing videos do not appeal to me. Why? Mainly because people do unboxings for things like cameras, camcorders, computers, etc. and there is no excitement factor there. Now, take a plain brown box (with unknown goodies inside), open this up on camera and share your excitement with the world! This is how BigDWiz does unboxings at the OldSchoolStereo labs!

First off, I must say not all of the unboxings I do on my YouTube channel are from purchases. Many are from trades and barters for other gear. This is a part-time gig for me and I don't have unlimited funds to buy all of this cool, old school equipment. Well, since I know opening these packages is exciting for me, I thought you guys might enjoy the experience?

OldSchoolStereo.com Mystery Box!

Finding nice, old school car stereo gear is exciting in itself, but opening a package with unknown contents (well, unknown to you) is fun for all. Those of us who enjoy the old school gear also love to see "timeless classics"...the amps, speakers, head units, etc. that have either been babied or unused all of these years. I still find it amazing to see the condition of some of my 25+ year old equipment.

Most of these videos will just show the unboxing process, but in some cases, I may hook up and test the contents. Honestly, it just depends on how I'm feeling at the current time (and how much space is remaining on my iPhone's internal storage!). This brings up another interesting point....some of you may wonder what equipment I use to record and produce these short videos. Well, I have two words for you; iPhone and iMovie (we won't count "and" as a word!).

Recently, I've discovered making videos with the iPhone 4, is not only a simple process, but also gives a pretty good output video for viewing online. I also ensure use of the included ear buds / mic combination to get better audio, while still leaving both hands free to tear open the boxes. Once I capture the segments on my iPhone 4, basic editing is handled by the iMovie app for the iPhone. This $5 app turns your iPhone into a VERY powerful hand-held editing machine. If there is any interest, I may show the process I use to capture, edit and upload my videos to YouTube. You guys just let me know by making comments here or on my YouTube Channel.

While you are visiting, please Subscribe to my channel so you can get notification when I upload a new video. My intentions are to upload a new video every few days. As I've mentioned before, the more subscribers, comments, likes, etc. I have, the more videos I'll put up. I appreciate your enthusiasm as being an "old school nut" is addictive!

Unboxing Old School Car Stereo Gear
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Unboxing Old School Car Stereo Gear #2
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Unboxing Old School Car Stereo Gear #3
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Unboxing Old School Car Stereo Gear #4

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