The following is the list of 6 amplifier categories. Edit the list by adding more amplifiers…

I like buying a good amp and paying then paying double for fancy bling

Brax Graphic series
McIntosh
Zapco C2K (doesn't really fall under the new category)
Genesis Series 3

If I have the money I like to buy excellant quality amps that are bulletproof

Zapco Reference
Diamond D7
Memphis MClass
Helix Esprit series
MB Quart Q series
Phoenix Gold older MS series

I like reliability and power

Alpine PDX series (I wouldn't rate this with the other two here)
Phoenix Gold Ti series
Memphis Reference

A watt is a watt but I'll spend a bit more for quality

Alpine MRP
Infinity Refernce
JBL Power Series
Clarion APX

A watt really is a watt

Hifonics
Kicker
Coustic

**** the amp I want BLING MOFO

Audiobahn
Legacy
MA audio
Profile
Pyle

I fixed your list for you!

 

Whats your criteria for this list?

 

just want to see personal opinions...

 

My take,

My award for amplifier design of the year (or the moment) is:
Alpine's PDX series amps

PDX series rocks. Perfectly engineered. Compact, installs anywhere, excellent SQ and linearity, strong power output that exceeds it's rated specs, and sturdy build quality with a nice warranty to back it up. Now, while these amps aren't the cheapest priced amps, I guarantee if you buy them, you get what you pay for.

Also, I want to take a moment to give kudos to Alpine. Alpine is probably the only mass market electronics company who seems to really give a crap about delivering high quality sound from their headunits to their higher-end speakers and digital signal processors. Really, Alpine should get the Car Audio Electronics of the Year Award. Kudos to that company for really trying to deliver the best quality and at reasonable prices considering you're getting high-end quality. Alpine is obviously committed to the car audio enthusiast like no other large mass-market company and I hope the hobbyists here appreciate that.

I would give 2nd place to Kenwood for the new Excelon amps. Compact (but not as compact as Alpine's PDX amps), great SQ, solid build quality, nice xtra's and very reasonable pricing. If you can't afford the Alpine PDX series amps, you should be buying these.

For the "Best of the Budget Amp Award", I haven't decided yet, but Cadence has pretty much held this catagory for some years now in my opinion.

There are some good quality amps to be had from many others, but they are very similar in size, SQ & build quality. The amps I mentioned are more unique and fit more install designs.

 

My take,

My award for amplifier design of the year (or the moment) is:
Alpine's PDX series amps

I was really thinking of getting a PDX-5. Don't think I will anymore.

 

My take :
Value for money amp :
JL Audio E,A,G series.

Good quality amp :
JL Audio Slash series

Over marketing gimmick amp :
Zapco amps that using symbilink cables

 

Where does DLS fit on that list? Also add A/D/S to the value amps

 

I saw a badass A/D/S 8 channel in the classified section for a great price.

Oh yea that was my listing.

 

You just remind me on this.
Poor mofo amps :
DLS Reference series

 

I think Arc amps fit somewhere into the upper echelon there.

Their SE and XXK/CXLR amps are top notch.

 

If you have not personally used the amps, you should not rank them IMO

 

read my mind. only replying to this thread to x2 you on this.

 

No Sundown? Maybe under Good Quality? Dunno...

 

Sundown falls under "name on a heatsink" since it is manufactured by a cookie cutter build house in either China or Korea!

 

I'm sure people will argue with this but audison's lrx series are pricey but will run with amps 2x the price. Although relatively expensive I think you get all your money's worth.

 

Amps I have used with the same set of components: alpine pdx, JL slash, audison vrx, audison lrx, zapco c2k, zapco reference.

My rankings:
1) Zapco c2k
2) audison vrx
3) audison lrx
4) zapco reference
5) JL slash
6) alpine pdx

 

quoting myself
If pdx amps were better than any of these than they would still be in my car.

 

I'm wondering why Audison was left off the OP's list?

 

2nd generations Alpine MRV Expert series (1999-2001) should be in the Enthusiast Level, based on your categories.

Alphasonik/US Acoustics, Lanzar Opti-Drives, hell all the 1994/5 through 2000 ish Zed product are at least upper Good Quality pushing into enthusiast level.

I am a strong supporter of performance over looks or marketing. I disagree with the Anti-Zapco/Audison/DLS etc, haters: just cuz you can't play Pro-Ball doesn't mean you hate the game..

Just my .02
Rob

(ps: I only listed amps I have used in my own vehicles, not even product I have installed for customers.)

 

I'd add DLS Ultimate to one of the top 2. I tried 2 different DLS ultimate amps, and liked them... If they weren't so expensive I'd have 3...

 

DO WE REALLY NEED ANOTHER FREAKIN BEST AMPS LIST THREAD????!!!! FOR ****S SAKE.....

and if you haven't USED the ****ing amps keep your ****ing mouth shut...PDX's are not the ****ing **** of an amp...JBL's should not be below a PDX ever on quality of the sound that comes out of the amp...and seriously...do we need another one of these damn threads....tasers set to kill today....

 

True, there are already a lot of these threads on diyma but I guess we need another one because apparently people love talking about this. Can a taser be set to kill? I wish I had that switch on mine.

 

PDX amps have their place and it is not in the high end sq world. The high noise floor on mine was not consistent with other SQ amps I've owned. People are in love with the the PDX and rightfully so because of their size, ease of installation, and power. All in all they're a great amp but should not be compared alongside some of the sq amps previously mentioned in this thread.

 

If you can hear a difference between the fine PDX and the "other SQ amps" in a blind test, then contact Richard Clarke and you could win $10,000. I'm sure you can do it. Don't let me down man.

 

This thread is gay

 

LMAO....i agree hahaha

 

My ranking based on what I have used in my own vehicles over the years.

1. Zapco
2. Audison LRx
3. Aura MR/RPM (Best bang for the buck, clean and make good power)IMO-O/S Autotek, O/S PPI, Audison SRx
4. JL-Furi-O/S Crunch, PG M series.
5. Arc
6. O/S MEI-Not sure if anyone remember's these but I liked them.
7. Alpine

 

did you have the Arc in the same setup as the other amps? I'm surprised, I haven't owned one personally but I've heard them in other cars and I was impressed.

 

Worst thread of the year ranking CONSENSUS!

1. This one.
2. Every other SQ amplifier thread (tie).

 

/\/\/\ this guys response FTw

 

:lurk:

:dead_horse:

 

lol, can we please continue this thread just for the entertainment value?

 

my first criteria of a good amp is very objective: no turn on/off pop, no hiss, under rated, doesn't thermal and reliable.
after that comes the subjectives: install friendliness and sound.

having heard a few audison vrx with pops and hiss, i say its gay. dls ultimate is in this same category.
also saw a few audison lrx thermalled.

 

Mine never hissed or popped. If it lisped it would be gay.

 

Audiophile Amps:

Brax Graphic series
McIntosh
Zapco C2K
Genesis Series 3

Any amp that makes rated power over a continuous load, has noise below the level of human hearing, is built to last, has a more than adequate PS for it's duty and has pink and purple polka dot colored TO3's.