What are all of your opinions on the Zapco Studio series. Who has heard one of these amps. I am working on a SQ system and I have Boston Rally's all-around. I plan on gettting 2 Boston 10's when funds permit. What kind of power should I be looking for to amp these. Thanx guys.

 

to amp the mids and highs is the question...thanx

 

Huck,

The Zapco amps are killer, they were on my short list to buy for my system after Soundstream, but the Reference Class A 3.0's won out. It's kinda hard to beat pure class A operation for SQ, and besides that, they were cheaper. I would have honestly been just as happy with the Zapco amps, however. I would really think about upgrading from the Boston Rally series to the Pro series if you get this amp though. I am very familiar with BA products (I installed them for 3 years), and they are all good, but the difference between Rally and Pro is amazing, both in sound quality and build. As far as Boston subs are concerned, the pro series is one of the best subs I have ever heard. I used to use two Boston Pro 8.4's, and I can attest that the bass depth and definition is second to none, and I am very picky Hope this helps.

 

they are really good amps, but you can get just as much SQ cheaper....but it would be really nice to say, hey look I have Zapco. Of course the common person on the street would prob think thats like the sister company to Sparkomatic. hehe

 

Wow, is Sparkomatic still around? That's cool! I bought my dad a Sparkomatic radio for his old +200,000 mile '76 Ford when I was 12.. I wish we kept it when we junked the car. Ah well.

 

I have no idea if its still around.....i hope not.

 

mcss383, u said i could get SQ for cheaper, what kinda stuff were you talking about?

 

Anything. JL amps, Kicker amps, MTX, RF, PG. A Whole bunch of em. There isn't any audible differences between the amps. The only credible differences between amps are their x-overs and such and all the ones just listed have great x-overs.

When buying Zapco, Sounstream, Xtant, McIntosh and such, you're paying for a name. They have an incredible track record and a history of good equipment, so you pay for that.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not ******* those companies by any means, they are great co's and I would love to have some of their stuff (if I was loaded with cash). But fact is fact, you pay a premium for the name and reputation with that name, not additional sound quality because there isn't any.

 

There is a huge difference, both in SQ, and how those companies treat their customers. I have been installing for about 5 years, and countless times, I have seen someone buy world class speakers, and skimp on amps to power them, even though I begged and pleaded my customer to do the right thing in the first place. Look at system building from the source unit up—the best speakers in the world will still sound like poop if they don't have a source unit and amplifiers that can maximize their potential, an audio system is only as strong as it's weakest link (groan!). As jaded as that cliche might be, it is true.

Yes, I can hear differences between amps, even in the sub-bass department. Usually, the cheaper ones give out when the #$*@ hits the fan in a musically dynamic sense. They lose definition, and the notes all seem to slur into a dark, muddy 'one note blur', instead of providing definition and clarity. Make no mistake, the bottom end is the driving force of music, so it pays to do the best you can afford. Think about it. You buy a cheaper amp, you install it, and then find something better. Now, you have to buy the new amp, install it, tune it, and then try to sell the old one to make up for your loss of $$, not to mention the loss of time to do things twice. If you can save enough $$ to buy what you are going to buy now, you can wait a little bit to get the good stuff, and be really happy. Trust me on this.