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
--

--


Unboxing Old School Car Stereo Gear #2
---

---


Unboxing Old School Car Stereo Gear #3
----

----


Unboxing Old School Car Stereo Gear #4


---
More text

Old School PPI Pro Mos Amps - Precision Power!

Most of you old school car audio fans know the early 1990's was a time when aftermarket car audio was getting extremely popular. At this time, it was rare to find a factory CD player and the factory speakers were weak at best in most cases. Manufacturers such as Rockford Fosgate, Linear Power, Precision Power (PPI), Autotek, Orion and Soundstream (to name a few) were some of the very popular aftermarket car audio brands at the time.

The competition between the manufacturers was intense and each one was trying to best the other. Orion's HCCA series amps, released in the late 1980's were extremely popular and had an edge power wise on most other amps with their rating and ability to handle extremely low ohm loads. These low-wattage rated / low ohm handling amps came to be known as "cheater amps". The cheater amps could put out as much as 8x their rated 4 ohm power rating at lower loads. PPI hit the "cheater" market in 1990 with the Pro Mos 2050. Pro Mos was short for Professional Mosfet. This first gen Pro Mos amp was rated to handle loads down to 1ohm and would provide 4x it's rated 4ohm power at 1ohm. Cough up around $800 for a 50x2 amp, and get a 400x1 monster when loaded down. Interestingly enough, Orion's 25x2 "cheater", the 225 HCCA was stable down to 1/2 (some even say 1/4) ohm loads and would put out in excess of 400 watts and cost less than $600.

I've shown a comparison of the Orion 225 HCCA and the PPI Pro Mos 25 in a previous posting and video. You can see my preliminary power output results HERE.

PPI Pro Mos 2050 (top), Pro Mos 12 & Pro Mos 25 - Image (C) OldSchoolStereo.com

These Pro Mos amps were available up until around 1995, adding additional models including the Pro Mos 12, 24 and 50 (replacing the 2050) beginning in 1991. They also released 4 channel models; the Pro Mos 425 and 450. These Pro Mos amps were no frills, offering no internal crossovers or bass/treble controls. They offered a DIN connection for powering a PPI pre-amp or crossover in addition to the standard RCA input jacks. The Power and Ground connections were made via 8 or 10 awg leads and the speaker/remote connection was made by an infamous molex connector. I say infamous because this connector has been a huge failure throughout the years. The wires don't stay inside the connector and the molex connector itself breaks very easily. Many people created terminal strips or soldered the leads to the circuit board.

The Pro Mos amps you see in the photo above are the "art series", finished in white including a unique design by an artist. These amps were also available in black with red lettering.

See the video demo below:

Also, visit YouTube and subscribe to my channel for more exciting OLD SCHOOL car audio gear!

---

---

Vintage Fosgate Car Amps - PR 220 & PR-250 Pre-Rockford

Fosgate PR-250II and PR 220 Vintage Car Audio Amplifiers

--
I decided to dig out some real dinosaurs in the car audio world....the Fosgate "The Punch" PR 220 and PR-250 Type II amplifiers. These amps were produced by Fosgate Electronics, Inc. in the late 1970's before Rockford joined Fosgate. I believe the PR-250 was 1978 or 1979 and this model was also produced in 1980 as a Rockford Fosgate PR-250II (logo was different than the one pictured above). The PR 220 was also late 1970's, found in the 1978 and 1979 Car Stereo Directory issues of Audio magazine, but not in the 1976 issue. I don't have the 1977 issue to see if they are listed there...

These amplifiers were state of the art at the time they were produced. Just think, in the late 1970's, many people were still rocking 8 tracks and a cassette player was "high-end". I don't believe there were many (if any) head units with pre-outs at the time. You definitely were lucky to have one of these back then. Don't forget, 3-way 6x9's were considered high-end at this time! Take your PR-250, power up the Sony tape deck and Jensen or Sparkomatic 6x9's and you were rockin'!!

--

Another view of the Fosgate "The Punch" PR-250 Type II / PreAmp & PR 220 Amplifiers

--

The Fosgate PR-250 Type II had a matching Pre-Amp, which controlled the unit's volume, bass and treble controls. The volume knob was a smooth rotating potentiometer, while the bass and treble controls had a "clicking" type potentiometer (meaning you had only a certain number of positions, by turning these knobs, it would click into position). The PR-250's pre-amp had only two connections, both DIN style plugs. One DIN cable would be integrated in with your head unit and the other would carry the signal from the pre-amp to the PR-250 amp. Then, you would need some speakers capable of handling 50 watts RMS per channel, not the easiest task in the late 70's...The PR-250 was also bridgeable or capable of handling loads more demanding than 4 ohms.

The Fosgate PR 220 was much simpler and less powerful than the 250. It was rated at 20 watts x 2 channels into 4 ohms, no options for bridging or lower ohm loads. It also came without a pre-amp, all controls (bass and treble) were on the amp itself by 3-way sliders. Your options were low/mid/high for bass and treble adjustments. Again, speaker level inputs were the only signal source allowed into the amp and since most head units were only good for a couple of watts, the 20 watt PR 220 was a decent upgrade and would drive efficient speakers to loud (at the time) levels, around 110dB. Fosgate had a warning in the manual, "Sound levels of 110 dB have been recorded inside a car using the PR-220 and High Efficiency speakers. This is loud enough to lead to permanent loss of hearing after long periods of exposure. So use common sense.."

---

Photo (c) 2011 - Dereck Willis - OldSchoolStereo.com

---

So, you know me, I'm good for putting up video demo's right? Well yes, I have posted an overview of the amps below. That said, don't get too excited about seeing these amps in action as I'm a little hesitant to power them up. The PR 220 at least needed to pull power from the head unit for the remote turn on.

Quote by tomtomjr, one of if not the US's largest Fosgate/Rockford Fosgate collector and radio/amp technician:

" ...ALSO, on the turn on remote wire (red) , you will need to draw power from it to turn on the amp. We used to use a 12V light bulb and a switch. Put the remote wire (red) to the positive of the bulb, then the switch between the 12V ground and the 12V ground of the bulb. Flip the switch, and it will come on. These have the power-draw on the remote wire rather than the power input like modern amps... Hope this info helps........Tom"


See the video demo in 720p HD or embedded below:

---

---

Video Overview of the Rockford Fosgate Punch Power 360

I recently created a video overview of the Rockford Fosgate Punch Power 360 I wrote about before. Enjoy the video demo below:


View in 720p HD or watch embedded below:


---


---

The World's Most Powerful iPod Dock? Athena iVoice

Athena iVoice iPod Dock

What is the world's most powerful iPod dock? Is it the Athena iVoice? Well, not likely, but I decided to test one of these iVoice docks on the oldschoolstereo test bench. I have one of these units with a bad speaker, so I decided to pull it apart and test the amplifier using my resistor load.


The Athena iVoice is an amazingly good sounding iPod dock. I've been VERY impressed with these docks since I first purchased one on closeout a few years ago. The unit also has a 1/8" input so you can also use it with other portable music devices, computers, cell phones, etc...any device with a 1/8" output. Trust me, you won't believe the sound coming out of dual 3.5" speakers! The bass is very punchy, mids extremely transparent and even the highs will surprise you. Another useful feature of the Athena iVoice is the built-in power supply. No external power brick needed with this dock! (just a light-weight 6 foot power cable) Probably the only real downside is the lack of an internal battery for portable usage. The dock also includes a USB port for iTunes syncing and a RCA video output for passing signals from an iPod Photo or iPod Video 5G (not sure about 5.5G or iPod "Classic"?). My iPhone 4 fits on the dock, but will not charge and gives me a "not compatible" warning. That said, it will pass audio from the iPhone.

Athena iVoice with Metal Speaker Grill Removed

Athena iVoice Rear Connections

Here are the iVoice specs from Athena:

Design:	Direct Radiating iPod Dock Sound System
Features:	Wall mountable - Provides Greater Installation Flexibility USB Connectivity - Allows the iPod to Sync with iTunes on your Computer IR Remote Control - Remotely Controls your iPod and the iVoice Charges iPod While Docked
Frequency Response:	65 Hz — 17 kHz
System Power:	25 Watts RMS / Channel
Input:	3.5mm Audio Input - Can be Used with Any Portable Audio Device (with an Audio Output) or Computer
Output:	Composite Video Output - Allows an iPod Photo / Video to Output Video Content to an External Display Device
Dimensions — Standard: (Height x Depth x Width)	5" x 15-½" x 6-½"
Dimensions — Metric: (Height x Depth x Width)	140cm x 393cm x 170cm
Weight:	4.7 lbs / 2.1 kgs
Finishes:	Polished High Gloss Black

Well, enough talk about the sound and specs of the iVoice, what about the output power? Athena says 25 watts RMS per channel, which honestly, is a LOT of power for 3.5" speakers. My test involved sacrificing one of my iVoice docks, so see the internals below:

Athena iVoice Internal Components

As you can tell by the pictures, the 3.5" speakers appear to have neodymium magnets and a dual-cone design for enhanced highs. A quick measurement of each speaker show a load of approx. 6.8 ohms. Since my resistor loads are setup for 8, 4 and 2 ohm configurations, these are the loads I decided to use for my testing.  I honestly wasn't sure the tiny "BASH" Class D amp could handle the 2 ohm tests, but decided to do it anyway...why not?


So, did Athena accurately rate the internal amplifier? Well, I guess it depends on the testing parameters they used. For my 1000 Hz tone resistive load test, the amp seems to be somewhat overrated. See the video for the detailed test results, but the approximate measured RMS wattage was 10, 20 & 32 (at 8, 4 and 2 ohms, respectively). 


Although the Athena iVoice may not be the world's most powerful iPod dock, it is the most powerful iPod dock measured on the oldschoolstereo test bench! (as of August 2011)


Watch the demo in 1080p HD or embedded below:


-----


-----

RF Punch 150HD vs PG MS-275 - Part 2 - Power Output Tests

As promised, here is the update of the comparison between the Rockford Fosgate Punch 150HD and Phoenix Gold MS-275....I call it "Part 2 - Power Output Test"


Before I get started, I wanted to stress the importance of changing out the capacitors if you have a Phoenix Gold MS or MPS series amp. My MS-275 is in MINT condition and appears to have little use, however the caps still showed signs of leaking. In order to prevent a blown up amp and possibly starting a fire, I sent the amp to Envision Electronics (www.envisionelec.net) for the capacitor replacement. Although they make no mention of amplifier repair, the owner, Aaron Hammet has an extensive background in designing, building and repairing amplifiers. I was extremely pleased with his work and professionalism and highly recommend contacting envisionelec.net for your Phoenix Gold capacitor replacements!


The 2nd part to my shootout between the 150HD and MS-275 involves resistive power output tests using 100hz test tones. This may not be the most accurate method for obtaining maximum RMS output power, however it is the method I used for this comparison. If you've not seen my bench setup before, see my previous posting about the components used.


Being a huge old school amp fan, I've always wanted to see the power output of the 150HD. Back in the early 90's, there were a few magazine tests of the Phoenix Gold amps (MS-250 and MS-275), but none of the 150HD. I had an idea of the expected power output of the MS-275 based on these magazine tests, but the infamous Punch 150HD had only sample birth sheets and I had never seen an example of the 4ohmsstereo and mono output. I've always heard these RF amps were "very" underrated, but what is the true RMS output? Read more to find out...


The Punch 150HD was a BEAST on the test bench. Rated at 75x2 4ohms stereo, it put out an effortless 119.2 watts x 2! The MS-275 was much less powerful at 80.9 x 2 into 4ohms stereo. It has been mentioned before the MS-275 has more "reserve" power for transient peaks, such as those in music. I didn't have a way to test true music output power, so you'll have to consider this when comparing the raw resistive output numbers. I appreciate any and all comments of my testing methods and those who disagree are more than welcomed to perform their own tests!


The Punch 150HD out powered the MS-275 in all of my resistive output tests. Here are the results in order of 4ohms stereo, 2ohms stereo, 4ohms mono and 2ohms mono:


RMS Watt Resistive Output:

1) Rockford Fosgate Punch 150HD - 119.2, 191.8, 299.2 and 330.2
2) Phoenix Gold MS-275 - 80.9, 134.1, 217.5 and 224.7    


See the video below or visit YouTube for the 720 and 1080P High-Definition versions.


---

---

Phoenix Gold MS-275 Update and More

I have had many comments on the Phoenix Gold MS-275 vs. Rockford Fosgate Punch 150HD and many want to know the results of my test. Well, I may actually be able to get those results online sooner than expected. The MS-275 is in the hands of an expert technician right now and should be back in action within a couple of weeks. I had originally planned on testing the amps with subs only, but now I think I'll use the Phoenix Gold XV4 tri-mode crossover to fully test the amp's capabilities with the full music spectrum. Are you excited to see the results? I know I am...


Also, please check the comments posted on YouTube as I've had some well though out responses to my overview, including some technical corrections. The comments about music power versus test tones made me reconsider using the output tests as my main deciding factor on the winner. Even Zed Audio warns test tones are not a good indicator of an amp's true musical output and actually put severe stress on the amp. See the 2011 Zed Audio amp lineup's manual for an extremely well written technical description of amp operation.


Please send all comments, questions and suggestions to oldschoolstereo at gmail. I hope to have a submission form shortly....


-D

Rockford Fosgate Punch 150HD vs. Phoenix Gold MS-275 - Old School Amp Shootout!

Let's take a trip back in time, 20 years to be exact. You are in the market for a new amplifier for your system and you've narrowed the decision to two popular choices...The Rockford Fosgate Punch 150HD or Phoenix Gold MS-275. Both can be had for about $500 US (remember, 1991 folks) so you grab your Car Audio & Electronics April 1991 "Buyer's Guide" issue and review the specs. Both amps appear to be rated the same in 4ohms stereo at 75 watts/ch at 4 ohms bridged at 180 watts. How can you decide between the two? You really like the Phoenix Gold's 24 carat gold plated circuit board and terminal strip connectors. You are also intrigued by Rockford's reputation of overbuilding and underrating their amps. Again, a tough decision, but how do you choose only one?


Step forward to 2011...


Although in 1991, I could not afford either of these amps, I thought it would be a great way to relive those days as if I could choose between them. Now with the capability to bench test each amp in addition to some real-world tests with speakers, this could be a better experience than the car stereo shops of days past.

Rockford Fosgate Punch 150HD , Phoenix Gold MS-275 propped up by a Kicker Solobaric S10c

I've been fortunate in finding near MINT examples of each amplifier. My MS-275 is the rare gray color (most are the white color which are later models), while the Punch 150HD is the classic black. The original MSRP of the MS-275 was $479 US, while the Punch 150HD was a little higher at $515. See my video overview below as I'll go into further details of each amplifier. Power output and subwoofer tests coming soon in another video, so stay tuned...

---

---




Edit: 6/25/11 


Unfortunately, it may be some time before the power output test is complete for the Phoenix Gold MS-275 as the output capacitors are showing signs of leaking (common problem for most 90's PG amps). The capacitor swap is a relatively complex task, at least one I don't want to chance with such a nice amp. I'll send the amp off in a few months to have the caps changed out, so it may be a while before I post another video in this series. I may, however, go ahead and show a video testing the Punch 150HD and its output test...we'll see.




---

HiFonics Vulcan and Thor VII - Old School Classics!

I'm SO glad there are other people out there who take good care of their old school amps! I recently ran across a local Craigslist ad where a person was selling a couple of classic early 90's HiFonics amps...the Vulcan and Thor (both VII series). I met the seller and ended up buying the amps...simply amazing to see these amps in such great condition to be 20 years old!

Early 90's HiFonics Thor VII and Vulcan VII in near MINT condition!

A friend of mine back around 1991 had a Thor VII, exactly like the one I picked up, and I always recall the amp being very powerful. Back then, his Thor powered (2) 15" subwoofers from a local speaker manufacturing shop. The speakers were 8ohm each wired in parallel and the amp was bridged mono putting out a rated 400 watts. This was a BIG power back then and to my ears still plenty of power for the right subs.

I recall each local stereo shop trying to best each other by saying how underrated the particular brand of amp they sold was. It was pretty evident to me, Autotek, Orion and Rockford Fosgate were underrated, but what about HiFonics? These amps were well regarded and were actually priced reasonable versus their power output ratings. For comparison, the Rockford Fosgate Punch 45 retailed for $275 US and was rated to deliver 22.5x2 or 70x1 at 4ohms. The HiFonics Vulcan VII was priced at $330 US and was rated 50x2 or 180x1 at 4ohms. A feature missing on the Vulcan causing me to decide on the Punch 45? Built-in Bass and Treble EQ's. I know it seems silly to think this would be a deciding factor, but it actually swayed my decision. The only "remote" bass controls we had back then was something like the Audio Control Epicenter (and they were pricey around $180 US).

With that said, let's work forward to 2011 and seeing how the 1991'ish HiFonics amps perform on the OldSchoolStereo.com test bench. Since I have the privilege of previously testing Zed Audio built amps, I had a preconceived expectation of the results....and I was pretty spot on!

Here are the results:

Vulcan VII
RMS Output Power:

4ohms stereo = (rated): 50w/ch / (actual): 59.44w/ch
2ohms stereo = (rated): 90w/ch / (actual): 104.4w/ch
4ohms bridged = (rated): 180w / (actual): 208.8w

***Max Output Power:
Max Output (hard clip) = (actual) 370.5w/ bridged at 4ohms

1991 HiFonics Vulcan VII

Thor VII
RMS Output Power:
4ohms stereo = (rated) 125w/ch / (actual) 157.0w/ch
2ohms stereo = (rated) 200w/ch / (actual) 252.6w/ch
4ohms bridged = (rated) 400w / (actual) 462.2w

***Max Output Power:
Max Output (hard clip) = 475.5w/ x 2 at 2ohms!!! (over 950w total!!)

***This MAX number is what most of the mfg's use today when rating amps

1991 HiFonics Thor VII

I did some basic SQ testing with some separates and a 10" Kicker Solobaric S10c sub and was VERY impressed by the power, clarity and control both amps offered up. I'm even considering using these two amps in my Old School Stealth Install until my RF Power 650 gets it's facelift.

Stay tuned in for more updates...

---

Old School Stealth Install - Part 1 - The Subwoofer

I must admit, I've been contemplating swapping out the cheapo EFX sub which came stock in the Scosche SCXB04 for quite a while. I've had this "stealthbox" like sub for the past 3 years and it has handled the rear channels of the Rockford Fosgate Power 550x very well. I've not bench tested the 550x for 4 ohm mono loads, but I'd estimate around 325-350w. The SCXB04 houses a 10" EFX sub in an approx. 0.75cu/ft injected molded plastic enclosure and is custom fit for 2004-2007 Scion xB's. Yeah, it's a funny looking car, but I laugh at other people when I fill up after averaging 35mpg.


My favorite feature of the SCXB04 is it's stealthy nature. I can have a decent amount of bass without sacrificing ANY usable interior space. Now, on to the question of what sub to use to replace the 10" stock sub? Well, I have only a few 10" subs to choose from; MTX Blue Thunder BTW-1044, JL Audio 10W3-D4 or some recently acquired Kicker Solobaric S10c's. After some online research, I found the box can support a 10" sub with up to 5" depth. Right away, the JL 10W3 was out (too bad, this is a NICE sub!). What about the Blue Thunder 10? Well, it is an early 90's sub and wants a minimum of 1 cu/ft of airspace and it would probably not perform optimally in th slightly smaller enclosure. Turns out, the decision was kind of a "no brainer"....The Kicker S10c it is!


I pulled the SCXB04 out of the car and noticed Scosche's attempt to be slick in using some strange star-headed screws...why would they do this? Not sure, but it was easy to locate a proper sized tool in my stash for removing these screws. Once I got the EFX sub removed, it was pretty apparent the EFX sub was somewhat smaller than the S10c. No fear, Dremel tool is here! After marking the box with an estimated cutout based on the S10c, I began the process of removing plastic. I used the cut off wheel on my Dremel and about 30 minutes later and a ton of black plastic shavings on my arm and leg....the box was ready for the Kicker sub. While performing the sub swap, I thought it would be a good idea to trade out the stock 16ga speaker wire for some high-quality 10ga wire. I actually used power and ground cable from an old amplifier install kit I had. This was to ensure there was no power loss due to wiring inside the box. Honestly, the 16ga factory wire was probably more than sufficient for up to 400w, but I didn't want to take any chances.


Once the box was rewired with the 10ga wire, I dropped in the S10c sub and pre-drilled new mounting holes. I was very careful to ensure I had the Kicker emblem lined up properly for mounting (at least I thought!). After securing the 8 screws, I was ready to mount the SCXB04 back in the car. Once I began to recall how the box fits in the car, I realized I mounted the S10c sideways! Doh! Due to the fact the sub will be  mostly hidden, I decided to leave as is for now.


View the video below for the entire process:


View the video in 1080p HD

---

---

Now, after using the Kicker S10c for the past 3 weeks in my daily driver and testing it out with various genres of music from jazz, rock, country, pop and rock, I must say it is a HUGE improvement from the EFX sub. Bass notes are noticeably deeper and tighter with the S10c. Although the EFX sub was no slouch in the SPL department, the Kicker S10c easily knocks the EFX sub out of the ring. I'm extremely happy with the sub swap and can't wait to upgrade the front stage from the 6.5 and 4" coaxials to 6.5" separates. I've been searching for some Boston Pro 6.4 or 6.5 separates, but so far have only been able to locate some Boston Acoustics Rally RC61 separates. 


I'm also getting my Rockford Fosgate Power 650 re-powdercoated and re-silkscreened so it can replace the tried and true 2002 model Power 550x. My biggest hurdle will be deciding the mounting location of the Power 650, while keeping the install as stealth as possible. Unfortunately, the Power 650 is too large to fit under the driver's seat, which is the current location of the Power 550x. I doubt in real world numbers if the 650 is more powerful than the 550x and also requires an extra feature I require....remote bass control. Luckily, I have an early gen Audio Control Epicenter, which will fit the bill as a bass level controller.


Also, one last note about the old school install; I am planning on using a new head unit, capable of iPod/iPhone control and maybe Bluetooth. I'm not going for NAV or DVD, but have some models in mind to replace the "Premium" Pioneer Scion head unit (T1809) I'm currently using. I actually purchased this head unit a few years ago and have been impressed with it's operation and sound quality. It even has 3 sets of pre-amp outputs, VERY unusual for a factory head unit. Unfortunately, the lack of support for my iPod means the T1809 has served it's purpose, but its time to move on to another unit.


Stay tuned for upcoming updates to the "Old School Stealth Install" project...


-D




---