Good quality at low cost
Written: Sep 29 '99
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy controls, Good sound (with one sub), easy install, solid construction
Cons: claims could not be achieved (bridged mode), might be a bit weak for people who desire more volume
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| narenji's Full Review: Blaupunkt MPA400 Car Amp |
I bought two of these amplifiers from Onsale because they were a great value there. I thought that I would need two to power my whole system because I was looking to improve the sound overall. I drive a Mazda MX6, and the factory stereo was subpar, by my standards at least. I was on a tight budget, but I knew that I could not stand it for too long without replacing the stereo. I went about it peace-meal and replaced the factory head unit with a nice Pioneer cassette deck with CD changer controls (I have WAY too many tapes to move to a CD deck) and also four new Pioneer speakers. While the mids and highs were fine from the speakers, there was absolutely no bass coming from them.
I decided to add a subwoofer, so I bought two of these amps, thinking that I would put two 10-inch subwoofers in my relatively small trunk and fill in the missing bass. I installed one amplifier and tried to bridge it to two channels, supposedly putting out 100 watts RMS to each channel, but the sound was definitely lacking, and the bass was not hitting hard at all. So I switched to a one subwoofer arrangement, solely because I did not have the cash to buy the power kit for another amp installation. Well, I had the cash, but I really wanted to conserve trunk space, which is at a premium in my car at least. So I decided to stick with a one amp, one subwoofer configuration for the moment.
The Blaupunkt MPA400 is a very good value if you are on a budget. The innards of this amp are bulletproof, and Blaupunkt products are usually very well made (as most German things are). Installation was a snap with the easy instructions, and the amplifier isn't too big, so it will fit in most spots that you could think of placing it. I placed the amp on the floor of the trunk towards the rear because I knew I would have to drop one of the seatbacks in case I needed to haul something (I only have one car, so I have to think of the big picture). The heat dissipates quite well even in the horizontal position, but if you have the space and the location, probably mounting it vertically with the fins facing the side would be the best position.
As I said before, this amp is rated at 100 watts per channel + 2x30 watts RMS, so it is a three channel amplifier. It works fine in its most encouraged configuration, with one (efficient) subwoofer and two rear/front speakers. I first used this amp in the bridged mode, with the spec sheet claiming to put out 100 + 100 watts RMS, and I thought that to be a good enough output to power two efficient subwoofers in a box. Well, I was wrong. This amplifier will definitely not capable of producing 2x100 watts RMS. It is definitely capable of producing gobs of power in its normal three channel configuration. My Pioneer TS-WX101 subwoofer is attached to this amplifier, and I am very satisfied with the sound output. The bass is tight, and hits very hard, even at medium volumes. The gain and other adjustments are easily done with round knobs that remain accessible at all times. The speaker connections are screw in, and it has both high and low level inputs. It does not have an RCA out however, so it maybe difficult to connect another amplifier to this one.
All in all, I must say that I very satisfied for the money I have spent on my car stereo, and this Blaupunkt amplifier is at the heart of my satisfaction. If I had spent a lot more money and gotten the same performance, I would have been a lot less pleased. While Blaupunkt makes a great product, you cannot trust their claims about everything, as I found out when I tried to bridge this amp. Blaupunkt also doesn't seem to sell nearly as many amplifiers as they do head units, so be patient, and you could land a good deal on this amplifier.
By the way, I still have an extra one if people are looking for one. Write me an e-mail and we can discuss it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
narenji
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 - Top 1000 |
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Location: Glendora, CA
Reviews written: 99
Trusted by: 33 members
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