Amplifier brand

[fastegg]

I'm upgrading the sound system in my '98 LS. I have all the replacment speakers but I'm unsure of what amp to get. There's no less than 20 brands, I like JL Audio... I'm looking for 55-70wrms.... I know this might be a silly question but would all 60wrms amps sound similar ? Is brand important ? Does anyone have any surgestions ?

 

[redrocco]

I would recommend Adcom, Soundstream (pre 2000 buyout), Nakamichi, TRU, Arc, A/D/S/, Audison, Brax, Mcintosh, Linear Power, Lunar, Butler Audio, 1990's PPI, ZED audio, 1990's japan built Alpine. I personally think that there are almost no good car audio company's left. All the amps and subs that I buy are 1990's vintage, back in the glory days of car audio.

 

[viperrgh2]

new kicker zx amps are good

 

[LEXUSA]

So what did you get FastEgg?

I would recommend Adcom, Soundstream (pre 2000 buyout), Nakamichi, TRU, Arc, A/D/S/, Audison, Brax, Mcintosh, Linear Power, Lunar, Butler Audio, 1990's PPI, ZED audio, 1990's japan built Alpine. I personally think that there are almost no good car audio company's left. All the amps and subs that I buy are 1990's vintage, back in the glory days of car audio.

+1 on ^ , and an LS is quiet enough to actually enjoy the better SQ.

JL amps are not in the same league as their much loved speakers.

SoundStream still makes the Reference series, which is probably their last best performing amplifier still in production. A "TRA" series Tarantula is an even better amp but they are out of production and hard to find new. The "VGA" series Van Gogh is an even better amp, possibly the best SoundStream ever made. They show up on eBay from time to time used and even new but command a hefty price.

I recently purchased a 4 channel Reference series for my Mazda Miata. Any shortcoming the amp has will not really be noticeable in a Miata and it looks so retro, takes me back to the day when I wasted so much money on car audio.

I also recently purchased a used 4 channel TRA 680.4 Tarantula amp with no real plans for it yet. The OE system in my '97 LS sounds so good I don't wanna tinker just for tinkering sake and ruin it. It's not the Nakamichi system so I guess that makes it a Pioneer, is that correct? I really should just leave it alone but I would like a more modern double DIN touch screen head unit with digital storage and USB, mini jack etc.

 

[fastegg]

Hey Mr LEXUSA
I ended up getting a 5 channel Options Audio OAH 500 ... supposed to be 90WRMS with 300 for the sub. Its been my first adventure into car audio upgrading and it was made all the more difficult and expensive because the standard system was really good (1998 LS400 Lexus)
First and really only major problem was the sub. The stock 8" sub up on the parcel shelf I replaced with a Pioneer (can't remember how powerful)
It made the parcel shelf vibrate really bad so I pulled everything back off and covered the whole shelf top with that Dynamat sound deadening stick on stuff, put it all back together, still vibrating,... poofter...
It reduced it, but it didn't stop it.... poofter..... Pull it all out again... covered the whole underside of the shelf with the sticky messy stuff....
put it all back in... still vibrating...not as bad but still there... bzzz..bzzzz..bzzzz..bzzzz...bzzzz.... poofter.. The shop that did the install lent me a 10" sub box that sat on the back seat and WOW !!! It sounded great!! no buzzing B.S.... just really good sub sound...
After a while I didn't want this thing permanently living on my back seat. So I decided to take the center arm rest out and make a sub box that fitted in the space real neat. The first one I made out of 12mm ply with my 8" Pioneer (which cost me $220) The shop reckoned the 8" was too small but since I had it, I used it.
Made it all up, put Dynamat all over the inside, fkd around, took ages, put it in and fk me... the whole box vibrated... ARRRRRRRRRR
Wood too thin... poofter... gotta make another one. This time I used 18mm MDF board, which was recommended by the shop, I also took their advise and go for a 10" (they were right, the 8" was too small)
After I finished the box, I covered it in carbon fiber, which took ages but it looked bloody beautiful. And it sounded sensational... the whole system sound's good, I mean the stock Lexus/Pioneer system sounded good but it lacked grunt, it had great sound but it didn't pump. The front's were 70W JBL splits, rear door 50W Jaycar 2 way and the 10" sub (can't remember brand). The shop mounted the amp in the boot with some brand of digital processor (don't know what that is but they reckoned I needed it) In the end I was very happy with it, it feels good turning up the volume, it's one of the pleasures of driving the Lex, is the sound system
However, after a few months... I want more... just a bit....

 

[fastegg]

Audio upgrade

PS: The biggest and best improvement I did was to put Dynamat on both the inside and outside of the stock plastic speaker boxes that were in the front and rear doors. I did this before I did anything else and it improved the stock system out of sight. It sounded like a whole new system. Even on low volume you could hear something had changed.
It didn't make it louder, it just sounded like I'd put much bigger speakers in.