Subtle competence
Written: Jan 10 '04 (Updated Nov 09 '04)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Sound Quality: |
 |
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
| Durability: |
|
|
|
Pros: Stunning performance on a budget.
Cons: No high-level inputs for use with non-RCA preout equipped head units.
The Bottom Line: Big,clean power output with a penny-pincher pricetag backed by an outstanding warranty makes this one a no-brainer: Suggested to everyone!
|
|
|
| prowler573's Full Review: US Acoustics USX-4065 Car Amp |
What can I say about the US acoustics USB-4065 4/3/2 channel amplifier?
Well, realistically, what can't I say about it?!? Good things, that is.
You'll not find anything flashy or showy about the US acoustics USB-4065. It has a monochrome blue chassis with polished chrome accents. A simple blue LED located on top of the unit under the company logo serves as a power-on indicator. Looking down at the unit from above you will find the left-hand end of the amplifier containing all of your sonic adjustments as well as the RCA inputs and outputs. The opposite end contains all the connections for power, ground, remote turn-on, and speaker output. Simple, concise, and to the point. This amplifier won't score any points for extraordinary styling cues - but that's not where this unit excels anyway.
Where does it excel? Big, clean power on a budget. How about these numbers? (The following ratings are RMS continuous output wattage ~)
65 watts per channel X 4 channels driven @ 4 Ohm stereo.
80 watts per channel X 4 channels driven @ 2 Ohm stereo.
160 watts per channel X 2 channels driven @ 4 Ohm mono bridged.
All the preceding ratings are factory-specified output at a very conservative 12.9 volts input! In layman's terms what that translates into is you getting above what this amp is rated for continuous power! How's that? The average automotive charging system maintains a constant 13.8 volt output to all the electrical accessories - higher than what the factory specs are given for.
A real world test of the unit showed all four channels to produce clean power across the entire frequency range with no sonic weaknesses detected. The same was observed running the amp bridged to two channels to produce even bigger power for a set of 10" subwoofers.
That last is exactly the purpose I purchased this amp for myself. I upgraded from some rather old Rockford Fosgate subwoofers that have been well used and much loved to a pair of Kenwood eXcelon KFC-Xw10dB 10" SVC subs. The eXcelons are rated to handle 200 watts RMS so I needed an amp that would come close to that without breaking the bank. The 4065's rating of 160 watts/channel run in mono bridged mode would seemingly do just fine.
Installation was a breeze, though admittedly in my particular set-up there was very little, realistically, to do as far as installation went. See more of my install details by pasting/cutting the link here --> http://www.cardomain.com/id/prowler0573
As this was simply an upgrade rather than a fresh install the connection points for 12v power, ground, and the remote turn-on circuit as well as the RCA patch cables were already in place in the trunk, where I located the amp.
You'll find industry-standard connections built into the USB-4065. Gold-plated screw terminals provide a sure grip for all the wires that you'll need to attach to the unit for power, ground, remote activation, speakers, etc, and standard RCA connections for your signal source.
The single weakness that I have found with this unit that could potentially present a problem for some users is the lack of a high-level (speaker wire) input option. Users wanting to add this amplifier to a factory head unit, for example, will find the necessity to purchase a high-level to low-level converter prior to proceeding with their installation.
Feeding the 4065 its signal is my Kenwood eXcelon KDC-X569 AM/FM/CD/MP3 receiver. See review here --> KDC-X569 review From the subwoofer preamp output in the rear of the deck to the inputs on the 4065 flows nothing but untainted bass tones via the deck's subwoofer preamp output low-pass crossover set at 120Hz.
After getting the level adjustment set where it needed to be all I can say is that the USB-4065 absolutely pounds my subs - without any distortion or complaint. I more than got my money's worth, in my opinion.
Be certain that your vehicle's electrical system has enough reserves to handle to additional current draw that the addition of this unit will cause. At full rated output this amplifier is rated to have a 39 ampere draw (more energy than your A/C on full blast plus your high-beam headlights plus a cell phone charging in the lighter socket) by itself!
Heat production was found to be on par with an amplifier of this unit's size and output. It makes no more heat than what would be found to be normal, but I would caution end users to assure that there is adequate airflow for cooling purposes rather than sticking the unit in a corner where it will get no circulation.
Is your head unit lacking internal crossovers? Don't want the hassle of installing an outboard crossover network along with your new amplifier? Never fear! Getting just the right frequencies to your speakers while keeping out tones that are unsuitable for any particular driver is a snap with the 4065's onboard, continuously variable high pass and low-pass crossovers.
High-pass crossover is continuously adjustable from flat (full range) to a cutoff point of 200Hz. Independently adjustable for both channels 1+2 and 3+4. High-pass crossover slope is specified at 12dB/octave.
A low-pass crossover, also continuously variable, provides adjustment from a cutoff point of 40Hz to 200Hz. A single dial adjusts all channels set to low-pass via the mode settings on the end of the amplifier. Low-pass crossover slope is specified at 24dB/octave.
For convenience one set of RCA preamp outputs is provided also with the ability to utilize the onboard crossovers.
My experience hands-on showed the crossover settings to be right on the money - cutting frequencies exactly as labeled with no hint of slushing out of band or uncertainty after being adjusted.
All of this comes wrapped in an attractive, understated case for under $150. If purchased through Crutchfield US acoustics will extend the factory warranty to three years. If purchased through any other retailer the unit is accompanied by an industry-standard 1 year parts and labor warranty. You simply cannot beat the performance at this price.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 130
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
prowler573
|
|
Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 1 member
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.