Old School Mini Truck System Orion HCCA XTR Wow

1990 Mazda B2200 Custom Mini Truck "Fantastic Voyage"

Lowered mini trucks are the epitome of old school car audio. If you were into the car scene in the early to mid 1990's, you know these trucks. Lowered, crazy paint jobs, wire wheels and of course boomin' stereo systems! Here we have a demo of the 1990 Mazda B2200 nicknamed "Fantastic Voyage" owned by Jason Williams. What a true time machine! See the truck as it was created in the mid 1990's! Stereo is classic old school including:

• Alpine CDM-7823 Head Unit
• Alpine CHM-S600 6 disc CD Changer
• Audio Control 3XS Electronic Crossover
• (2) Orion 225 HCCA Digital Reference Amplifiers
• (4) Orion XTR 15 DVC Ferrofluid Injected Subwoofers
• (4) Soundstream SS 5.0 midranges
• (2) Soundstream SS 1.0 tweeters
• Sega Genesis Game system with optional CD-ROM drive
• 4.3" Color TV

A very impressive facet of this truck is the fact the Orion 225 HCCA amplifiers are rated at 50 watts each. That's right, 25 watts per channel at 4 ohms. The 225 HCCA is an example of the classic "cheater" amp meaning it was capable of MUCH more power at lower ohm loads. The 225 sub amp for example, is loaded down to 1/2 ohm mono and putting out over 500 watts! I know, 500 watts is not much by today's standards, but watch to see what it can do with the ultra-efficient XTR 15 DVC subs!

100 Watt Old School System with Orion 225 HCCA Amps and (4) XTR 15" Subs

The 1990 Mazda B2200 sports a custom peach paint job that really makes is stand out in a crowd. The truck also has some original Dayton 15" wire wheels with the classic 195/50/15 Dunlop radials. The stance is lowered 3" via lowered control arms and sits nice and low, yet still able to traverse speed bumps without scraping. The rear has one leaf removed and air shocks.

1990's mini trucks often times used "themes" for their presentation. Another famous mini truck was "Ladie's Choice" which sported a convertible hard top and a bed full of PPI 2350DM amplifiers. These themes helped differentiate the trucks while also assisting in the displays. Jason's truck sports Care Bears as the interior theme and also displays a couple of his many magazine features. This 1990 Mazda had the center spread in the December 1995 Mini Truckin' magazine! The most impressive part is the truck is almost exactly as was back in 1995! A true time machine!!

Jason sends a personal thanks to William Wilson of Hickory, NC who actually built the truck back in 1994. He also did a great job of preserving the Mazda for 17 years until Jason decided he needed to put it back on the show scene! Great job with the truck, William!!

Back Side View of the 1990 Mazda B2200 Custom Mini Truck

Big thanks to Jason for the demo! If you are at a car show in the NC/SC/VA/TN area and see Jason's Mazda, make sure to stop by and chat with him and get a demo of this amazing system. It is impossible to capture the full experience via video, but we try our best here at OldSchoolStereo!!

See the full 10 minute plus video of Jason's truck and even get a demo of the 100 watt (yeah, right) sound system:

Watch on YouTube in full 1080P HD or embedded below:

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Thanks to Jason for taking the time to show and demo his truck! If you'd like to write and article or make a video of your old school install, contact me through Facebook and let me know.

Make sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay updated of my latest videos. You can also follow me on Twitter @oldschoolstereo. Also be sure to like us on Facebook.  Keep it Old School!!

-BigDWiz

Old School HiFonics Earthquake and Orion Installs - Jason's Review

Submitted article by Jason R

I'll show you a few different iterations of the MINI as well as the final install. I'm not as well versed or as tech savvy as some, so my reviews of the equipment might not be as in depth as one would like.

First we have the Hifonics Series VIII Zeus and Olympus. The Zeus powered a number of 10" subs until I settled on the Treo SSi 10.22. The Olympus ran a set of Genesis Profile 16's (2-way comps).

HiFonics Olympus and Zeus VIII Ampliifiers

Pics of the amps in the Mini

I have better pictures, I just can't find them. 

I had never run Hifonics before, so I didn't know what to expect. I am an Orion person, but my Orion amps are all too big for this car without having a rack of some sort. A plan for an Orion system was in the works, but until then I used the MINI as a rolling test bench. Normally, when I was impressed with something it would stay in for a month or so. Such as my smaller Orions or a few of the PPI's I had. There were others, but we'd be here all day. Anyways, I picked the Zeus up from a friend of mine in Houston, and as soon as I hooked it up (4 ohms bridged) I was taken aback by the brute force of this amp. I'd run other 2x300 amps before, but not like this. Whatever I was running to my comps at the time was made negligible. And being a sucker for sets like I am, I bought an Olympus. This amp reminded me of my Orion 2150 SX. I only used two channels of this four channel amp. 110+ watts per channel was more than sufficient for my 80 to 100 rms mids. Bridging was out of the question. Anyhow, I ran these two amps for close to a year. I was thoroughly impressed with the control and detail provided. I ran no outboard processors, other than a crossover, although I wish I had a Hifonics Vesta to control the Zeus. Also bear in mind that I never turn my gains up. They are not volume knobs. I'm a firm believer in big amps and high voltage head units. And yes, I understand the concept of level matching.

Zeus VIII, Olympus VIII, Treo SSi 10.22

HiFonics Olympus VIII power and speaker connections

HiFonics Olympus VIII inputs and level controls

HiFonics Zeus VIII power and speaker connectors

HiFonics Zeus VIII inputs and gain control

How about some guts?

HiFonics VIII Amps - Zeus and Olympus

Olympus VIII Internals

Olympus VIII Internals alternate angle

Olympus VIII Transformer

Zeus VIII Internals

Another angle of the Zeus VIII's Internals

The Zeus VIII's Transformer

I need to make this shorter or I'll be here all day. So I listened to the Hifonics and myself and everyone else who heard it was duly impressed. But I got bitten by a Mantz bug and started buying Earthquake amps. But Mantz didn't make Earthquake, you say? I was actually in the middle of paying one off when I learned that. The seller even thought I would change my mind about buying it. I didn't. Mostly because I don't back out of stuff, and also because I had just spoken with someone who spoke very highly of them. 

So onto the next phase; Earthquake MINI. I left all of the rest of the equipment untouched and switched out my Zeus for a PA-2300, and my Olympus for a PA-4050. However, I did one thing different. I bridged the 4050 into two channels.

Earthquake PA-2300 in immaculate condition

This gut shot was taken before the amp was overhauled.

Earthquake PA-2300 Guts

Earthquake PA-4050c Exterior

Earthquake PA-4050c Internals

 Sadly, the only pictures of the install (if you want to call it that) were on my old phone. I can give a quick review though. The difference between the Earthquakes and the Hifonics was negligible. The front amps shouldn't be a very fair comparison because they are two different class ratings. And I will say that even bridged, the Earthquake however marvelous, still did not quite keep up with the Hifonics Olympus. Normal folks wouldn't be able to tell. And the only real difference I noted between the 2300's was that the Earthquake didn't come with the same violent tendencies as the Zeus. But it did offer wonderful control over my sub and all four amps were simply amazing. I use the word "amazing" a lot when I talk about some of this stuff.

Current install: Orion MINI. This is what I've been working on over the last few months. You will note that the amps are mounted to the box. Please pay this no mind as every precaution has been taken with both enclosure and mounting procedure. Normally I wouldn't do this, but for this install, my amps are very well protected.

Custom Enclosure by Solid Sounds Designs also chrome Orion XTR-2250 and "the" Orion NT 200 

Front door speakers CDT ES-620 Golds and PPI EPX-205

Pioneer DEH-P80RS head unit and PPI EPX-205 Crossover

I'm still building. So this is where it's "supposed" to go. And the reason I chose to run this crossover is because I needed control over my 2250, and I wanted to supply the correct voltage to my Orions. Not just 5 volts sometimes. And anybody that has one of these Pioneers knows what I mean when I say the menus are nonsense. The configuration now is my 2250 bridged to my Treo SSi 10.22. I changed my comps out to CDT ES-620 Golds. I had to do a bit of fabbing and cutting to get these in. I was going to go active, but 1; I didn't have the time to mess with it, and 2; I like the 4th order elliptical passives just fine. I think CDT did a wonderful job on these comps. They sound darn good with no tuning and in stock speaker location. I have the Upstage kit for them. Maybe one day I'll add them.

CDT ES-620's in the door

Here are the amps:

Orion XTR-2250 (chrome plated) and Orion NT 200

Rear view of the MINI with the Orion amps

Orion NT 200 Internals

Orion NT 200 and NT 200 BIX

I didn't use my NT crossover because it requires XLR cables which I don't have. Maybe in a future install. And since I can't seem to find a picture of my chrome 2250's guts, I'll post something similar.

Orion Concept 97.3 and 2100 HCCA Competition Internals

^^Seen one, seen em' all!

So far the sound is truly breathtaking. I'll give a more in depth review once I get it dialed in and have listened to it for awhile. Thanks for looking!

Jason

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And yes, if you were wondering, the Orion NT 200 you see in Jason's pictures is the one you may have seen before on this website and in my YouTube videos. Thanks to Jason for taking the time to do the review! If you'd like to write and article or make a video of your old school install, contact me through Facebook and let me know.


Make sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay updated of my latest videos. You can also follow me on Twitter @oldschoolstereo. Also be sure to like us on Facebook.  Keep it Old School!!

-BigDWiz

Orion NT200 Special Edition SQ Amplifier

Special edition amps are always cool. You know, the ones with the unique colors, fancy designs, hand-picked components? Many amplifier manufacturers made these types of amps  in the 1990's, as a way of differentiating themselves not only from other amps on the market, but even from their own product line. The amplifier we are going to discuss today was available in 1996 from Orion with an MSRP of $1200 US. The NT200 has one of the most unique paint schemes I've ever seen on a car audio amplifier...even to this day. It's a marbled purple and must be seen in person to be appreciated.

The NT200 and brother NT100 were designed as no compromise, no excuse sound quality (SQ) amplifiers. See the ratings below for the NT200:

• Two Channel Amp rated at 100 watts x 2 channels at 4 ohms
• Dual Mono Design - Two separate power supplies
• Bridgeable to 400 watts at 4 ohms
• No built-in crossovers
• Balanced inputs via mini XLR connectors
• 2 ohm stereo / 4 ohm mono stable (rated)
• Dual 30A internal fuses for power
• Optional NT200BIX balanced crossover

1996 Orion NT 200 "Dual Mono Block" Special-Edition Amplifier

The NT200's balanced audio inputs served two main purposes...to keep the audio signal as clean as possible and to minimize unwanted noise. The only issue with these types of inputs is they are incompatible with the standard RCA wires used in most aftermarket installs (without adapters). However, Orion's decision to use balanced inputs on these amps showed they were serious about these amps and their dedication to sound quality. Alternatively, you could also use the standard Orion DIN plug connection with an Orion (or PPI) crossover or signal processor. 

Orion NT200's Balanced and DIN inputs

Before I received the NT200 at the OldSchoolStereo.com labs, I thought this amp was going to be an Orion 250 HCCA all packaged up into a fancier heat sink. Boy, was I wrong! Just check out the internals of these amps and you can see there is a BIG difference in them! You can easily see the NT200's larger capacitors and dual power supplies. It really makes the 250 HCCA look rather anemic!

Top: Orion 250 HCCA "Digital Reference" Bottom: Orion NT200

Orion NT200's Internals or "Guts"

Here's another picture of the 250 HCCA vs. NT200. Both amps are gorgeous in their own way, but if you're ever forced to choose one or the other...go with the NT. Not that the HCCA is a bad amp, it's actually pretty fantastic in it's own way (and a high-current version of the 2150SX). More about the HCCA's on another day.

Orion 250 HCCA vs. Orion NT200

See the video's about the NT200 below!

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

Photo and Video Montage of the Orion NT 200:

Power Output Video of the Orion NT 200:





Other Videos about the Orion NT200 and related gear:

- Orion NT200 Power Output Teaser Video
- Orion NT200 Unboxing
- Orion NT200BIX Balanced Crossover Overview

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

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!***

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!***

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:

Old School Monster Car Audio Amplifiers

Some Old School Monster Amps from the OldSchoolStereo Collection...no Class D here!

Anyone who was in the car audio scene during the 90's probably recognizes names like "The Beast" and "Power 1000c". Old school monster amps were unlike the big mono block amps of today...they were Class A/B, much less efficient and some would say, much better sounding than the amps of today. I'm not getting in a battle of what's better, just confirming there are two sides here. Since you are visiting OldSchoolStereo.com, you are more than likely a fan of the older amps. Many of the amps you see in the picture above are almost legendary in the history of car audio. Let's talk a little about each amp and it's impact on car audio.


First off, you'll notice a trio of Orion amps, all bearing the same heatsink design. The "big red" Orion 2100 HCCA is well known to be a monster cheater amp. The "Digital Reference" model displayed above was rated to handle 2 ohm mono or 1 ohm stereo loads and put out in excess of 800 watts loaded down. Efficiency? Well, not so much. All of these big Orion's require a 2nd battery and an electrical upgrade on most vehicles. Why, might you ask? Well, these amps can pull over 100A of current and most stock electrical systems would not be able to handle this massive load. Speaking of massive, the XTR-2250 was so well known as "The Beast", Orion even engraved this saying on the amp. It is rated at 250 watts per channel at 4 ohms stereo, 500 watts per channel at 2 ohms stereo or 1000 watts bridged at 4 ohms. What you say? No one ohm bridged like a Sundown? No sir, this amp would and will fry if pushed too hard.

Orion Monster Amp Art by BigDWiz

Speaking of being pushed too hard, the Orion Concept 97.3 is an amp of almost legendary status. A quick search on the Internet will give you dozens upon dozens of different pages attempting to explain this amp. Orion introduced the amp in 1997 as a bold statement to IASCA and dBDrag for the wattage classes. The 97.3 was rated at 0.5 watts per channel at 4 ohms...yes, I said 1/2 watt per channel! What's up with that? Well, Orion was trying to show the "cheater amp" had gone too far when companies such as US Amps and their VLX-25 had ratings of 12.5 watts per channel at 4 ohms but put out over 1000 watts loaded down to 1/2 ohm. Orion, an originator of cheater amps with the 225 HCCA back in the 1980's, decided it was time for this to stop. What did they accomplish in their effort to change the rules? Well, they ticked off many competitors who attempted to use these amps at low ohm loads (and fried the amps) and even got the amp banned by IASCA in 1998 (source - Orion dealer). Why would the amp cause this much controversy? Check out these ridiculous ratings, it may help (ratings pulled from the Concept 97.3 manual):




STEREO (watts @ ohm load)


0.5x2 @4
1x2 @2
2x2 @1
4x2 @0.5
8x2 @0.25
16x2 @0.125
32x2 @0.0625
64x2 @0.03125
128x2 @0.015625
256x2 @0.0078125
512x2 @0.00390625


 MONO (watts @ ohm load)


2Wx1 @4
4wx1 @2
8WX1 @1
16WX1 @0.5
32WX1 @.25
64WX1 @.125
128WX1 @.0625
256WX1 @.03125
512WX1 @.015625
1024WX1 @.0078125




Next we'll talk about the monster Rockford Fosgate amps, the Power 1000c Mosfet "Terminator Edition" and Power 650 Mosfet. Back in the early 90's the 1000c sold for $2650, while the 650 was around $1800. Again, these amps were WAY out of the reach of most car audio fanatics including me. These Power Series amps all had model numbers based on their output at 2 ohms stereo or 4 ohms bridged. For example, the 1000c was rated at 150x4 at 4 ohms, 250x4 at 2 ohms or 500x2 at 4 ohms. Similarly, the Power 650 Mosfet was rated at 125x2 at 4 ohms, 167.5x2 at 2 ohms or 325x2 at 4 ohms bridged. Unlike the Punch series amps at the time, these Power series are not known to be underrated more than 10-15%. Both amps have a temperature controlled cooling fan and the 1000c includes an ultra cool LED meter for each channel.

1991-1993 Rockford Fosgate Power 1000c Mosfet Amplifier

Next up, we'll discuss the Precision Power ProMOS 450. This amp preceded PPI's "Power Class" line and the models in the ProMOS family were made from the late 80's until the mid 90's. The 450 was the most expensive ProMOS amp and incorporated two separate ProMOS 50's into one chassis. When the first ProMOS amp, the PPI ProMOS 2050 hit the market in 1989, it went for around $800. By the early/mid 90's, the four channel 450 could be picked up for around $900 US. All of the ProMOS amps were rated to handle 1 ohm stereo or 2 ohm bridged loads. The 450 had the following ratings; 50x4 at 4 ohms, 100x4 at 2 ohms, 200x4 at 1 ohm, 200x2 at 4 ohms or 400x2 at 2 ohms. The heat sink used by these older PPI amps are in my opinion, some of the most classy designs of all time. Very simple, yet elegant and powerful. Too bad PPI used the hateful proprietary Molex plug for speaker connections and straight 8ga wiring for the positive and ground connections. As you can see from the picture below, the ProMOS 450 is even longer than the Orion 2100 HCCA!

PPI ProMOS 450 "Art Series" vs. Orion 2100 HCCA "Digital Reference"

The Earthquake PA-2300 is another very powerful Class A/B amp from the 90's. It is rated at 380x2 at 4 ohms, 575x2 at 2 ohms or 1150x1 at 4 ohms. Based on ratings alone, this is the most powerful old school amp in the bunch. The newer Dragster DH-1804 edges out the PA-2300 in power ratings, but just slightly. The Dragster is another four channel amp rated at 180x4 at 4 ohms, 300x4 at 2 ohms or 600x2 bridged at 4 ohms. Although I haven't confirmed by testing, I believe the Earthquake PA-2300 may be the most powerful amp in this group. What do you think?


See my video overview of each amp 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:

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

Old School 1990's 50 Watt Cheater Amps Tested

This post will be a work in progress until I complete my round of tests on the 25x2 Watt "cheater amps" from the 90's. I'll include a spreadsheet showing the results and links to the videos I create for each amplifier. Thus far, the test will include:

1) Rockford Fosgate Punch 45HD - from approx. 1991, not a true high-current amp like many of the other's, but well known to be underrated and able to handle almost any speaker load

2) Orion 225 HCCA - from the early 90's, test will include the "Digital Reference" and maybe the "Competition Amp/X-over" models. One of the most feared cheater amps of the early through mid 90's.

3) Precision Power ProMOS 25 - also an early 90's cheater amp rated to handle 1 ohm loads and promises the warm, smooth SQ of an early PPI amp

4) Phoenix Gold MPS-2240 - part of Phoenix Gold's "Mobile Professional Series" the MPS-2240 is identical in size to the MS-275 and is a high-current amp rated at 24x2 and designed to handle loads down to 1 ohm

5) Phoenix Gold M25 - the "M" series from Phoenix Gold were known for superb SQ and are very popular among collectors and those building old school systems as well.

6) US Amps 50HCA - an early version of a 25x2 cheater from US Amps. No crossovers, no terminal strips, just raw power and old school flair

7) US Amps USA-50 - a late 90's 25x2 amp designed to handle loads down to 1 ohm

8) Zapco Z50C2 - mid-90's amp, small in footprint, big in SQ



Bookmark this page as it will be continually updated with more information on each of these amps!



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1990 MTX Terminator MTA 250 Amplifier - PPI Built Cheater

MTX Terminator MTA 250 100 Watt Car Audio Amplifier

Following the theme of the recent posting of the Dragster DH 1804, I guess I have a thing for bright red amplifiers. The MTX Terminator MTA 250 is the most recent addition to the OldSchoolStereo.com collection and an impressive one indeed. The MTA 250 is one of MTX's first car audio amplifiers and was actually made by PPI (Precision Power). The MTA 250 closely resembles the PPI ProMOS 2050 and even uses the hated and nearly impossible to find replacement PPI speaker harness.

The MTA series of amps from MTX included two models; the MTA 225 and the MTA 250. Both models were stable down to 1 ohm and followed suit to the Orion HCCA's as "cheater" amplifiers for competition use. The 225 retailed for $500 US while the 250 was going for $650. In addition to the stunning red heat sink, MTX offered both models in white.

MTX MTA 250 Gain, Inputs, Max Thump, and LED's for Power and R/L clip

During the late 80's and early 90's, having a cheater amp was very important for competition purposes. There were several classes including under 50, 100, 150 and 250 watts. The higher wattage classes were ultra competitive, so those new to the scene and/or those on a budget would steer to the lower wattage classes. Cheater amps like the Orion HCCA's, PPI ProMOS, Phoenix Gold MPS and others were popular among competitors. The cheater amps could produce four times (or more) their rated 4 ohm power into lower ohm loads.

At the time MTX released the MTA series amps, they also introduced a Terminator line of subwoofers. They had a red cone and touted "2 ohm" resistance for maximum power output from your amp. A perfect match to the MTA series amps and their high-current, low-ohm output rating....marketing genius!

Here are the specs of the MTA 250 from MTX:

RMS Output:

• 4ohms Stereo: 50 W per channel
• 2ohms Stereo: 100 W per channel
• 1ohm Stereo: 200 W per channel
• 4ohms Mono: 200 W
• 2ohms Stereo: 400 W

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): 0.02%
Frequency Response (+/- 1dB): 15-40kHz
Signal to Noise Ratio: 102dB A weighted
Slew Rate: 15V/us
Damping Factor @ 100Hz 4ohm load: >500
Damping Factor @ 100Hz 2ohm load: >250
Stereo Separation: 72dB
Input Sensitivity: 100mv - 2V
Input Impedance: 10k Ohms
Supply Voltage: 10.5-16V
Fuse Rating: 30 Amp
Shipping Weight: 12 Pounds
Dimensions: 14" L x 8.5" W x 2.3" H


Internal Bridging for Mono or Mixed-Mono Applications
MOSFET Power Supply and complementary discrete output circuitry
Two-layer glass epoxy computer grade circuit board
Low-Noise, sealed conductive plastic potentiometer
Designed and built in the USA

MTX MTA 250 "Gut" shot - Circuit Board

See video demo below!


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

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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:

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: