Great Solid (Affordable) Amp!
Written: Jun 05 '02 (Updated Jun 05 '02)
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Pros: Plenty of power for the price, clean, versatile, reliable, 2 ohm stable
Cons: no RDDP port, xover isn't very versatile
The Bottom Line: It's a great solid amp, and it's available for really cheap now, since Phoenix Gold replaced the series with the Tantrum line.
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| macross's Full Review: Phoenix Gold 2-Channel Power Amplifier XS2500 |
I bought this amp a long time ago for my first stereo system when my friend recommended it. After a while, I got the bug to upgrade. It wasn't because I needed a new amp, or because the amp just wasn't cutting it anymore, it's just the disease called the "stereo bug" and when it bites, you think irrationally and have the urge to empty your wallet and bank account and max out your credit cards, just so you can come out with a stereo that's slightly better, but essentially the same. Anyway, I bought Phoenix Gold's ZXti series amps to replace my XS series amps. I used those amps for a while, and prepared to sell the XS amps on ebay, but after tweaking the system for a while, I realized that the new amps just didn't sound as good (to me). The ZXti amps sounded too precise to me (if that's possible). It seemed like the amps were designed with accuracy in mind. The XS amps sounded more punchy to me, which I liked. The ZXti amps were very nice, but the XS amps just sounded better to me, so I went back.
The amp's actual ratings from Phoenix Gold:
500 x 1 @ 4 ohms @ 14.4 VDC
125 x 2 @ 4 ohms @ 14.4 VDC
250 x 2 @ 2 ohms @ 14.4 VDC
50 x 2 @ 4 ohms @ 12.5 VDC
I'm not sure what Epinions has as the rating, but I don't think it was correct.
When I first got the amp, I ran it at 3 ohms bridged. The amp can handle 2 ohms bridged, but not lower than that. It's designed to run at 4 ohms. I ran it at 3 because I was using it to power a JL Audio 15W6 which has dual 6 ohm voicecoils. Well, if you're reading this and you don't know what I'm talking about, basically, the amp can handle a certain load, and if you go over that load, it will strain the amp too much and break it. The lower the ohms, the higher the load.
Anyway, I ran the amp at 3 ohms and had no problems with it whatsoever. It never overheated or went into protection mode. Right now, I'm using the amp to power a 4 ohm Kicker Solobaric, so the amp is very comfortable because it was designed to run at that load.
I can't think of many disadvantages for this amp because I haven't really run into any. One problem that may arise is the built-in crossover. It's not very versatile. There's only one frequency that you can use, and you can either high-pass or low-pass at that point. You can, however, change the internal chip for another one to use a different frequency. This hasn't been a problem for me because I use an external crossover. The other "problem" I can think of is that the amp does not have a RDDP (Remote Diagnostic Display Port), while Phoenix Gold's other amps do have. The port allows connection of LEDs or other indicators to monitor the amp's status. For the average user though, this feature isn't important. It would be nice to have as an audio competitor though.
I liked this amp so much, I used it in an install I did in my sister's Lexus SC400. I replaced her stock Nakamichi subwoofer with a Kicker Freeair one, powered by a Phoenix Gold XS2500. I also used a LPL44 remote gain knob so she could easily adjust the loudness from inside. That setup is one of the best SQ setups I've ever heard! It's an extremely simple setup, yet does the job well.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): u
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Epinions.com ID:
macross
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Member: Jason Wei
Location: LA,CA
Reviews written: 15
Trusted by: 5 members
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