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Hello, can you test the GK Audio 1500.1D2? (1500rms 14,4 at 2 ohm). I like your content, I bought that amplifier but I don't have it yet, and there is no information
Yup. Back when they were on top.. I had 2x reference 1000s and a ref500. Those 1000s hit hard on the Rockford 15s I had. The Reference 500 on Boston pro 6.5s up front. Miss those days.
My cousin got back from the marines and had a black maxima. Denon head unit, ads speakers, cerwin Vega subs, and sound stream reference amps. Still one of the best sounding cars I sat in and this was way before dsp.
Those old-school car audio systems just had such emotionality to their sound that marked us. I miss those times! Modern sound systems miss that magic and just sound very loud.
I'll always love the 90s Soundstream amps. Had a Reference 300, 500, 700, 404, Class A 5.0, and a Class A Picasso. Along with the BLT line transformers, these amps sounded amazing. Used alongside SPL 60 components front and rear and two SPL 12s. I paid $699 for the Picasso new and people thought I was nuts! Lol. Until they heard how crystal clear it was. Not to mention how stunning it looked next to the 5.0. Chrome and beautiful. The reference amps of this area are some of the absolute best amps ever made in car audio history. Period. Wish I still had everything from back then. Hit 140 fb with the 700 on the SPL 12s and 142 with 5.0, same car same subs. Miss those days. Love your content. Big fan of the channel!
Love the old school Soundstream stuff!!! I had 2 Reference Class A 10.0's along with a bunch of other Reference Series amps. Loved them and wish I still had them!
Wow, imo best amp ever made. Didn't have a built in crossover but I'd still use one because the one's that are built in aren't always that great. Let me know if you are ever interested in letting one go, it will go to a good d home (cassic car) for sure .
Love the old Soundstream amps. Used several of the all chrome classs A references amps. Was a HUGE fan of the Van Gogh series, ran the VGA 500.4 with a VGA 1600.2, dual 4 gauge platinum power inputs, 115dB S/N ratio >500 Damping,Triple Darlington output circuitry, large low ESR Capacitance banks' they were some of the best made equipment I was lucky to have owned. They were famouse for the blue and the red, milltary grade 6 layer PCB bourds, audio grade resistors and beautiful board layouts.
The younger crowd won’t be able to appreciate the fact you could roll through the judging lanes with a 50 watt amp that could drive two efficient subs with around 200w of power. More over these amplifiers had some of the best sound signature. Super clean output. A pair of these in 0-100 watt class in the right build could be unstoppable.
hey, dont lump us together. i prefer not getting loud but clean output rather than getting loud with laughable output quality. quality over quantity for me
@@bfytw2125 clean, sure. loud, how loud?. assuming the sub efficiency is 90dB/W. at 200W it would be 113dB theorical. 113dB is already loud. now compare with the same setup but bigger amp, let's say 2kW. the system could reach 122dB-ish. if we're talking about SQ contest, then yes a good 200W should be enough if the sub were efficient enough.
@@n.shiina8798 Try cars like with two Orion HCCA 50s and two Orion XTR DVC 10” subs doing 145+ on Flashdance… on the dash. My own personal competition vehicle in 1995 was a regular cab Nissan cut through with three C12” kickers in a sealed enclosure, running off of a Soundstream 6.0. That’s a 50x2 amp. That truck did 143dB legal on flashdance. 146dB outlaw. By todays big system standards these aren’t super loud numbers. But believe me these cars with highly efficient subwoofer could get plenty loud with these small output amps.
Still some of the best sounding amps to this day. If I didn't already have my PPI Power Class amps, I'd definitely be using old school Soundstream. Nice video BigD!! 💪🔥 Ps- Can't wait to see the high current mode video!!
I owned both the PPI art series and Soundstream Reference back in the day and thought the PPI amps had tighter bass and a more detailed top end with the Soundstreams sounding too warm.
I’ve got a class A 10.0, 5.0 and 2 rubicon 1002 first generation. Soundstream amps are extremely efficient at creating heat! They create crazy issues due to switches and pots that will drive you crazy trying to repair them.
Currently have 2 rubicon 1002 first gen and lil wonder 4. In Facebook group I found a guy who fixes soundstream old school amps he worked and learn how to fix them not than other the engineers of soundstream OG I’m going to save up so he can recap my amps and probably get more power he told me his been doing upgrades to the internals to get more power 🤷🏻♂️ I seen the numbers are insane in 10.0
I installed a LOT of them back in the daze... Seems there was no dealer here but plenty of product.... later there was dealers. Kind of a New Kid on the Block amp company I recall along with Lanzar Earthquake... others... LOTS of new BRANDS popping up in the 90's. A time. BDBD/2023
@@bigdogbrodavepresents6178 It's a bit of a shame what's happened to all those great brands from the Golden Era. There are still a few of the good old brands that remain really good... like Linear Power (cha-ching!) and Zapco.
I installed a couple of those in a BMW back in the day. He also used a class AB Soundstream amp (I think it was a S200) bridged to drive a 12" sub mounted through the rear seat arm rest. If I am remembering the correct car he also used an Audio Control crossover and Epicenter, and ADS plates in the back and 320i in the front. I honestly don't remember what head unit he used, but I do remember that it was really clean and solid. It would not be competitive even back then, but that was not the goal anyway. It was supposed to sound good and be fun, and it did that in spades...
Class A/B great for mids and highs but not the best choice for a bass amp for long term use at less than 4 ohms. I would know. I used a class A/B amp for subs from the mid 90s well into the 2000s, and that sucker would get HOT after a longer play session. The class D amp I use now outputs over 3x as much power and stays relatively cool all the time, even wired down to 2 ohms.
Back in high school the late 90's I had that amp in my 86 Trans am running 2 rockford series 2 15's in a wedge box against the rear window. Good times! I think I payed $179 for it in 1998.
Had a class a 6, back in the day. Had it running 3 8w6 at 1 ohm. It rocked!! Miss my old school stuff, someone stole my setup!! Besides the soundstream had jl, mb quart and ppi. All high end and it sounded incredible!!
Had a reference 405,believe that was the one,back in the day. Best amp i ever had,clean,strong. Wish i still had it. Had it running a old set of boston rally 10s. Clean system.
These Amps were made in Folsom CA. I grew up 25 miles away. The local shop in Elk Grove would test the Soundstream equipment. They had an ASTRO with (16 ) Reference15s running off a Tarantula. I miss those days .
Hey there Big D! I'd love to see the high current and 12v tests. I ran these amps back when new and still do. Always loved these. Shocked to see the low efficiency. They do get hot. Got to have some fans for sure. The sound can't be beat imo. I also run a couple of mc300's, a Picasso, and a d200. I would love to see you test those if you ever get hold of any. Thanks for all the vids! Rock on!
I have 3 Soundstream, Reference Amps and Soundstream reference tweeters and mids. All from the 90’s and all still working . Genesis dual mono amp , JL Audio 12W6.
I still have a TRA/1600.2 The chrome one with the two handles on top of the amp. I would love to see that thing on the dyno. I bought it used back in 2007. Bench tested it before purchased, then just stored away inside the house.
11:45 that resistor is part of the -/+15v rails for the op amps. Pretty cheap design if you ask me, they could’ve used 1.00 15v regulators and prevented from having a large resistor that heats up to the point of cooking the PCB. I’ve seen some PCBs with charred spots underneath those large resistors.
SOUNDTREAM amps have some issues with resistors getting excessively hot to the point they MELT SOLDER (10.0 1st gen). Ya can BUMP UP them to a more robust resistor and that helps matters a lot. These amps run excessively HOT... yep. BDBD/2023
Maybe rail voltage was too close to maximum input voltage of regulator. With heat, regulators SOA is even lower, so it could fail even sooner than resistor. But yes, transistor (not resistor) with zener is what I'd expect in a amplifier like this too.
Watching your videos, makes me want to dig out my old Car Audio and Electronics magazines I saved... yes like to see the high current test but just don't destroy the amp!
I have 3 Ref 200, 2 Ref 500s, a Ref 404s, 2 Ref 644s, a Ref 2.640, a Ref 4.760 and a Ref 4.400. Yeah, I love Soundstream Reference amps! Yes, high current tests please.😊 If you test an old school Precision Power I'll share my PPI list of goodies.
These Soundstream amps of this design had a very large number of bjts in the output section, usually showing in a better damping factor . It appears that you are an inspiration to others as I've noticed some other channels playing with old school car audio. The more the better.
Watching big wiz his the reason why 7 years ago I started to buy some old school gear I currently have soundstream amps and subs. My favorite amp that I have is my rubicon 1002 first gen it does get hot but nevera let me down. Also I have home theater stuff so I always compare my soundstream amp to home theater amps NAD because dynamic they have so much power that’s what you want. Headroom when you want to push your gear it has guts
Class ab amps can be so awsome. I still have 921 ,941 kenwood. Ads pq10. Sony pioneer, hifonics and orion. They all work and pound. Not the pq10 its a tweet amp.
Like all the old amps.brings back memories! Everyone wanted these! And ads(which looked & did kinda same thing) can we see some newer amps soon? Haven't had much in the way of that for a min. Thanks Big D!
i love my Human Reign... and just got lucky early this month and scored a never powered, still new in the original pro audio touring shipping case REACTOR.... still need a fosgate mosfet 1000, but slowly getting there :)
This gen of amps is fabulous For mids and highs its hard to beat the old reference 200 300 500 its seems to me the ones with XS/.0 or other had x-overs and had issues with them but the non card ones were good for the most part and the best sounding car audio Amps I ever herd and load em up and they get even better like few others
I still have one of these. Anyone who thinks MP3 is satisfactory for playing music will never notice the difference between it and a D class. But with a decent source, you would think that a crime has been committed in this world of D class amps. That’s why I still run a late 50’s era Class A amp in the workshop.
I wish there was a modern version of this amp. As far as door speakers it doesn't get better. SQ AF!! Oh, it's an ab class. Lol. I was wondering. The guts didn't look right.
I use to be a dealer back in the day and I used these to battle against the Orion HCCA's of day with great success but this design had issues with the screws used in its terminals that would break over time and would cause issues trying to remove and a few people never read the manual mainly on these Reference's high and low power switches on the bottom of the amp
...later models were silk screened on the amp "DO NOT SWITCH HIGH POWER TO HIGH CURRENT WHILE AMP IS ON"....I have made this mistake....repaired by SOUNDSTREAM at no cost in the mid 90s
@@thebassgeneratorinc229 …I have been using “ Eric’s Amplifier” for my repairs. His info is on the “ Soundstream registry “….google it if you are interested in pre 2000 SS gear….all your amps will be listed. They also have manuals for most amps…it is an interesting website if you like vintage SS gear
I’ve got a reference 500s and 1000sx, the latter of which is in the process of replacing mosfets and a recap. Once it’s back up and running, I’d be down to let you borrow it for a test if you’d like. You’re in California right?
High current test would be a cool thing to see. I didn’t feel like it changed the output drastically with my Reference 500 but I had weak electrical back then.
It should only make a difference driving low impedance loads. You can't just shove more current through a high resistance circuit, the resistance has to be low enough for the amps output. When he tests high current mode pay attention to the data sheet and what ohm loads are used for testing. He'll be able to test lower (amp was rated to .5 ohm if I remember correctly) and that is precisely where high current would be needed.
@@550n440 what was your speaker ohm load though? It won't help at all if you were above 1 ohm. I won't give an in depth electrical lesson, but real quick it's why a 55w 12v car headlight is much lower resistance than a 55w light designed for household voltage. You are selecting a voltage range to drive your speakers. Ohms law.
9:40. HELLO. YOUR PROMITER HERE SOOO FOR THE 9TH TIME 50% EFFICIENCY IS PERFECT. THE VERY BEST FOR CLASS A\B. BECAUSE ALL CLASS A\B SPLITS THE POWER SUPPLY SO IN A PERFECT WORLD 50% IS THE VERY MOST YOU CAN GET PERIOD SOO 50% IS THE VERY BEST. YOU CANT GET MORE THAN THAT WHEN YOU USE A 50 VOLT TOTAL IS USED AND 25 VOLTS IS USED FOR THE UP SWING AND 25 VOLT IS USED FOR THE DOWN SWING. SOOO FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME 50% IS VERY VERRRY GOOD. ANYTHING UNDER THAT IS JUST STARTING TO BE BAD. ON A CLASS A\B. THE REASON IT FELL LOWER THAN 45% WAS BECAUSE AT 2OHM AND 1OHM. IT MUST BE SWITCHED INTO HIGH CURRENT MODE.
Just wrapped up repairs on a Chrome 5.0 here... These amps became susceptible to VIBRATIONS... The Pre Amp board comes loose from the Main board on these. Reflow usually does the trick. Add some extra solder. As I REMEMBER these SOUNDSTREAM amps, they were kinda pricey, REALLY needed sound processing to compare to a RF similar of them times so REFERENCE goes... nobody listens to FLAT. These were very POWERFUL and quite clean constructs but sorta flimsy inside. SWITCHES are as cheap as there is so THEY are an issue. Other than them vibration issues and age related switch issues... These electrically have held up well over time. Mine work still in 2023 and I am PONDERING a system using a couple 5.0 and a 10.0 I recently modded... WOOFERS PLEASE. LOL.... There was a TIME.... Soundstream... waaaaahoppen?.... MEMORIES of the 90's... BDBD/2023
The amp isn’t rated to be played at 1ohm high power bridged. Just a heads up. I know it shows it in the manual but it restricts its output. Also. Really quick question. After you deoxed it I noticed you left the switch in coherent stereo, did you flip it to mono off screen? Not being a pest. Just making sure. Thanks buddy
i remember modifying one of this amp to run at higher idle current. technically forcing them to get more class A power region. told the owner to not to run the system without aircon lol
*❌✅ Correction the classA6.0 & A3.0 are stable in high current mode coherent stereo at 1/4ohm per channel 😎👍sounded the best but were hot as hell🔥👺doing it, because it was biased as class A even though it was technically A/B **___** pure 👂 ear Candy 🍭 though‼️*
Ok. The truth is.. called HIGH BIAS CLASS AB ..output stage. The bias runs in class A up til a certain wattage then it acts like class ab.. only the drive stage is class a. That design causes the low efficiency numbers.. THIS RESULTS IN CLEANER AUDIO. To my knowledge.. John France at fosgate invented the high bias theory and it was first used in the punch 150 J board amp. John Pleitz would know the details..
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Hello, can you test the GK Audio 1500.1D2? (1500rms 14,4 at 2 ohm). I like your content, I bought that amplifier but I don't have it yet, and there is no information
Soundstream before it was sold was some of the best stuff on the market.
i agree.
One of my favorites. Them & Phoenix Gold were both doing big things before being sold off.
Yup. Back when they were on top.. I had 2x reference 1000s and a ref500. Those 1000s hit hard on the Rockford 15s I had. The Reference 500 on Boston pro 6.5s up front. Miss those days.
...Soundstream USA has always been my favorite
Still is if it in good hands i have a ref 500 in use and 2 300's that are fresh still
I'd love to see the high current tests. I love the soundstream amps from back then!
I have several, they are amongst the best sounding amps I have in my collection of 50 or so amps
I have 3 soundsream amps and 5.1 front speakers . ❤️🥰❤️ I love them and 2 genesis amps
My cousin got back from the marines and had a black maxima. Denon head unit, ads speakers, cerwin Vega subs, and sound stream reference amps. Still one of the best sounding cars I sat in and this was way before dsp.
Those old-school car audio systems just had such emotionality to their sound that marked us. I miss those times! Modern sound systems miss that magic and just sound very loud.
I'll always love the 90s Soundstream amps. Had a Reference 300, 500, 700, 404, Class A 5.0, and a Class A Picasso. Along with the BLT line transformers, these amps sounded amazing. Used alongside SPL 60 components front and rear and two SPL 12s. I paid $699 for the Picasso new and people thought I was nuts! Lol. Until they heard how crystal clear it was. Not to mention how stunning it looked next to the 5.0. Chrome and beautiful. The reference amps of this area are some of the absolute best amps ever made in car audio history. Period. Wish I still had everything from back then. Hit 140 fb with the 700 on the SPL 12s and 142 with 5.0, same car same subs. Miss those days. Love your content. Big fan of the channel!
Love the old school Soundstream stuff!!! I had 2 Reference Class A 10.0's along with a bunch of other Reference Series amps. Loved them and wish I still had them!
yes .they were choice...dont make em like that any more
I still have 3 10.0s. One of my all time favorites.
@@littlejln213 I just bought one from eBay, a 1996..10.0…$500.. I have wanted one since the 90s, I am now able to afford one
Wow, imo best amp ever made. Didn't have a built in crossover but I'd still use one because the one's that are built in aren't always that great. Let me know if you are ever interested in letting one go, it will go to a good d home (cassic car) for sure .
Love the old Soundstream amps. Used several of the all chrome classs A references amps. Was a HUGE fan of the Van Gogh series, ran the VGA 500.4 with a VGA 1600.2, dual 4 gauge platinum power inputs, 115dB S/N ratio >500 Damping,Triple Darlington output circuitry, large low ESR Capacitance banks' they were some of the best made equipment I was lucky to have owned. They were famouse for the blue and the red, milltary grade 6 layer PCB bourds, audio grade resistors and beautiful board layouts.
Military grade? I figured they would need to use boards of a decent quality in order to be robust enough to survive the abuse of car audio. Strange.
The younger crowd won’t be able to appreciate the fact you could roll through the judging lanes with a 50 watt amp that could drive two efficient subs with around 200w of power. More over these amplifiers had some of the best sound signature. Super clean output. A pair of these in 0-100 watt class in the right build could be unstoppable.
...I have a 50w amp driving 2 12s right now. 😁
hey, dont lump us together. i prefer not getting loud but clean output rather than getting loud with laughable output quality. quality over quantity for me
@@n.shiina8798 but that’s just it. Those cars WERE loud and super clean.
@@bfytw2125 clean, sure. loud, how loud?. assuming the sub efficiency is 90dB/W. at 200W it would be 113dB theorical. 113dB is already loud. now compare with the same setup but bigger amp, let's say 2kW. the system could reach 122dB-ish. if we're talking about SQ contest, then yes a good 200W should be enough if the sub were efficient enough.
@@n.shiina8798 Try cars like with two Orion HCCA 50s and two Orion XTR DVC 10” subs doing 145+ on Flashdance… on the dash. My own personal competition vehicle in 1995 was a regular cab Nissan cut through with three C12” kickers in a sealed enclosure, running off of a Soundstream 6.0. That’s a 50x2 amp. That truck did 143dB legal on flashdance. 146dB outlaw. By todays big system standards these aren’t super loud numbers. But believe me these cars with highly efficient subwoofer could get plenty loud with these small output amps.
Hell yeah. Love the old school tests. Just so we can see if it was all hype or legit powa!
Plus gotta love the trip down memory lane! I absolutely druled over these amps as a kid. I love the old school vids, always take me back
many watts left on the table over the years...they may need to be re capped for accurate ratings
This is one of the very few soundtream amps I like!
I was using Soundstream amps before you were born Vega...love your channel, but you have much to learn
Very nice SQ amps. Along with a/d/s
Unmatched speaker cone control.
Ive had several reference Soundstream amps! Never regret those purchases ONLY selling or having stolen...
Still some of the best sounding amps to this day. If I didn't already have my PPI Power Class amps, I'd definitely be using old school Soundstream. Nice video BigD!! 💪🔥
Ps- Can't wait to see the high current mode video!!
I owned both the PPI art series and Soundstream Reference back in the day and thought the PPI amps had tighter bass and a more detailed top end with the Soundstreams sounding too warm.
@carlosoliveira-rc2xt sound quality is a very subjective matter, but both were definitely great sounding quality amps. 👌
Great stuff. High current 12v would be very interesting. I remember seeing these amps run that way, but have no clue what they were actually doing.
I love all your content, Big D, but the old school stuff is always my favorite. Great video, as always. 👏 👏 👏
so long as them love affair videos are few and far between.... LOL.... OLD!!!! BDBD/2023
Please do the high current mode, and half ohm bridged! Great video, thanks Big D.
i miss oldschool soundstream. they made product that was just so damn cool.
the 10.0 can work at 16 volt, as is unregulate power supply can output much more of the rated, a way to get more power for competitions
Yep! definitely looking forward to the high current tests! LOVE the old Soundstream stuff. I have a D60 II and a D100 sitting on the shelf!
a couple of classics...I have a NOS MC 120 on my shelf in my man cave
I am Running a reference 800.4 for my mid bass and mids on my tweeters is a reference 160s, awesome setup. Can recommend 🙂
I’ve got a class A 10.0, 5.0 and 2 rubicon 1002 first generation. Soundstream amps are extremely efficient at creating heat! They create crazy issues due to switches and pots that will drive you crazy trying to repair them.
Currently have 2 rubicon 1002 first gen and lil wonder 4.
In Facebook group I found a guy who fixes soundstream old school amps he worked and learn how to fix them not than other the engineers of soundstream OG I’m going to save up so he can recap my amps and probably get more power he told me his been doing upgrades to the internals to get more power 🤷🏻♂️ I seen the numbers are insane in 10.0
I used to see a lot of these amps on the IASCA comp circuit back in the day. People loved them. I could never afford them.
I installed a LOT of them back in the daze... Seems there was no dealer here but plenty of product.... later there was dealers. Kind of a New Kid on the Block amp company I recall along with Lanzar Earthquake... others... LOTS of new BRANDS popping up in the 90's. A time. BDBD/2023
@@bigdogbrodavepresents6178 It's a bit of a shame what's happened to all those great brands from the Golden Era. There are still a few of the good old brands that remain really good... like Linear Power (cha-ching!) and Zapco.
I could only afford the 200s, but they were great
@@dk8583 MMATS, D'Amore, Linear Power are still American made...also , some ARC...Zapco is shit, made overseas
@@raymo6795 Just because it's made overseas doesn't mean they junk. I've encountered plenty of American made items that are shit as well.
👍🏼👍🏼 the high current test please!! Ohhh and.. how about a look at the reference class A Picasso..
I installed a couple of those in a BMW back in the day. He also used a class AB Soundstream amp (I think it was a S200) bridged to drive a 12" sub mounted through the rear seat arm rest. If I am remembering the correct car he also used an Audio Control crossover and Epicenter, and ADS plates in the back and 320i in the front. I honestly don't remember what head unit he used, but I do remember that it was really clean and solid. It would not be competitive even back then, but that was not the goal anyway. It was supposed to sound good and be fun, and it did that in spades...
Used to run old soundstream. Great amps. Great subs
You’ll get rated power at 1ohm mono if you switch it to HIGH CURRENT, you’ll also get a better efficiency numbers.
Class A/B great for mids and highs but not the best choice for a bass amp for long term use at less than 4 ohms. I would know. I used a class A/B amp for subs from the mid 90s well into the 2000s, and that sucker would get HOT after a longer play session. The class D amp I use now outputs over 3x as much power and stays relatively cool all the time, even wired down to 2 ohms.
Back in high school the late 90's I had that amp in my 86 Trans am running 2 rockford series 2 15's in a wedge box against the rear window. Good times! I think I payed $179 for it in 1998.
Had a class a 6, back in the day. Had it running 3 8w6 at 1 ohm. It rocked!! Miss my old school stuff, someone stole my setup!! Besides the soundstream had jl, mb quart and ppi. All high end and it sounded incredible!!
Big D, of course *everyone wants to see the High Current results,* that's the entire reason I'm here!
Had a reference 405,believe that was the one,back in the day. Best amp i ever had,clean,strong. Wish i still had it. Had it running a old set of boston rally 10s. Clean system.
These Amps were made in Folsom CA. I grew up 25 miles away. The local shop in Elk Grove would test the Soundstream equipment. They had an ASTRO with (16 ) Reference15s running off a Tarantula. I miss those days .
Hey there Big D! I'd love to see the high current and 12v tests. I ran these amps back when new and still do. Always loved these. Shocked to see the low efficiency. They do get hot. Got to have some fans for sure. The sound can't be beat imo. I also run a couple of mc300's, a Picasso, and a d200. I would love to see you test those if you ever get hold of any. Thanks for all the vids! Rock on!
I do audio repair for a living and I get one of this series maybe 2-3 times a year. They’re starting to need refreshed. Excellent amps though.
I turned 21 in 93 and yeah, these were bucket list amps back in the day.
I have 3 Soundstream, Reference Amps and Soundstream reference tweeters and mids. All from the 90’s and all still working . Genesis dual mono amp , JL Audio 12W6.
I still have a TRA/1600.2 The chrome one with the two handles on top of the amp. I would love to see that thing on the dyno. I bought it used back in 2007. Bench tested it before purchased, then just stored away inside the house.
Old school Soundstream amps - some of the best sounding amps ever made. Thanks for the vid BDW
❌ And still are☝️😎✅
These are literally my favorite car amps ever.
I’d love to see how the D60 ii and D200 ii do. I had four D200 and six D60 back in the ‘90s. Loved those amps.
I loved my Rubicon 501 and 701!
Had a total reference system back in ‘94; amazing sound and volume on what is very low power nowadays.
Dude back in the day, my very first system were four thump 12s with a two hundred watt Jensen amp, man I was bumping😂😂
I owned a ref 300 and a
Ref 500. Both were excellent amps. I loved that system
I had 1 of these amps. Loved it. Yes please show high current mode!!!
11:45 that resistor is part of the -/+15v rails for the op amps. Pretty cheap design if you ask me, they could’ve used 1.00 15v regulators and prevented from having a large resistor that heats up to the point of cooking the PCB. I’ve seen some PCBs with charred spots underneath those large resistors.
SOUNDTREAM amps have some issues with resistors getting excessively hot to the point they MELT SOLDER (10.0 1st gen). Ya can BUMP UP them to a more robust resistor and that helps matters a lot. These amps run excessively HOT... yep. BDBD/2023
Maybe rail voltage was too close to maximum input voltage of regulator. With heat, regulators SOA is even lower, so it could fail even sooner than resistor. But yes, transistor (not resistor) with zener is what I'd expect in a amplifier like this too.
Had all soundstream amps on my first setup. 2 1000sx sub amps and can't remember the model of the 4 channel. Awesome stuff back in the day
They need to bring back this style of amp layout
Watching your videos, makes me want to dig out my old Car Audio and Electronics magazines I saved... yes like to see the high current test but just don't destroy the amp!
I have 3 Ref 200, 2 Ref 500s, a Ref 404s, 2 Ref 644s, a Ref 2.640, a Ref 4.760 and a Ref 4.400. Yeah, I love Soundstream Reference amps! Yes, high current tests please.😊
If you test an old school Precision Power I'll share my PPI list of goodies.
Ditto on the 3 Reference 200.
...nice collection, rivals my own...does your wife want you to move out, like mine
@@raymo6795 wife? What is wife?
@@renaissanceman7145 you are smarter than me.
One of my dream amps when I was younger.
These Soundstream amps of this design had a very large number of bjts in the output section, usually showing in a better damping factor . It appears that you are an inspiration to others as I've noticed some other channels playing with old school car audio. The more the better.
them times... its when a 30 watt amp put out 400 watts... RMS....LOL. I remember.
@@bigdogbrodavepresents6178 the 90s, the last great decade.
Watching big wiz his the reason why 7 years ago I started to buy some old school gear I currently have soundstream amps and subs. My favorite amp that I have is my rubicon 1002 first gen it does get hot but nevera let me down. Also I have home theater stuff so I always compare my soundstream amp to home theater amps NAD because dynamic they have so much power that’s what you want. Headroom when you want to push your gear it has guts
Of course we want to see all the test!!! No need to ask that's why I wait for at the end of the video
I love your videos. I’m a spec nerd.. this is always a pleasure to watch!!! ❤
Me too. The yearly CA&E price catalogue was my favorite piece of literature. I'd study every page. TH-cam makes it easier.😆
What's the worst efficiency amp you've ever tested? Great video as always! Really slick looking amplifier.
yet one of the best sounding ones for mids up
Class ab amps can be so awsome. I still have 921 ,941 kenwood. Ads pq10. Sony pioneer, hifonics and orion. They all work and pound. Not the pq10 its a tweet amp.
the BEST HIGHS come from the ADS guys... yep... BDBD/2023
Like all the old amps.brings back memories! Everyone wanted these! And ads(which looked & did kinda same thing) can we see some newer amps soon? Haven't had much in the way of that for a min. Thanks Big D!
I always considered the reference series of any manufacturer to be sound quality amps.
Rubis were great too...and the Granite's..the USAs and the Sa's...also the Ps
Great channel! I'm always watching, I used to do Itasca competitions back in the late eighties.
Man I love the terminals, whata clean look
Would love to see the high current mode tested, and I like that it says 960watt chassisink darlington power array on the circuitboard
and about half of that was what it produced on the DYNO... RMS... so yes what a construct from them times. BDBD/2023
Myy Guyyyy, I LOVE the old school.... Keep it coming.... Now lets seeee the old school Hifonics!!!
I'd love to see some Autotek BTS and HiFonics amps from this same time frame tested here. Maybe even a HiFonics GenX.
High current dyno, please 😉🤞🏼
i love my Human Reign... and just got lucky early this month and scored a never powered, still new in the original pro audio touring shipping case REACTOR.... still need a fosgate mosfet 1000, but slowly getting there :)
This gen of amps is fabulous For mids and highs its hard to beat the old reference 200 300 500 its seems to me the ones with XS/.0 or other had x-overs and had issues with them but the non card ones were good for the most part and the best sounding car audio Amps I ever herd and load em up and they get even better like few others
Cool looking amp! Of course I’d love to see high current tests!
Takes me back 2 spring break nationals ❤
I still have one of these. Anyone who thinks MP3 is satisfactory for playing music will never notice the difference between it and a D class. But with a decent source, you would think that a crime has been committed in this world of D class amps. That’s why I still run a late 50’s era Class A amp in the workshop.
I wish there was a modern version of this amp. As far as door speakers it doesn't get better. SQ AF!! Oh, it's an ab class. Lol. I was wondering. The guts didn't look right.
Lol glad we build more efficient amps these days
Definitely need to try high current. When running that low of impedance, it should have probably been in Hi current.
I remember my mutt system. Kicker 360z with soundstream 15'x2 winning my one and only local SPL comp. Solidly built with 22mmX2 closed box.
I use to be a dealer back in the day and I used these to battle against the Orion HCCA's of day with great success but this design had issues with the screws used in its terminals that would break over time and would cause issues trying to remove and a few people never read the manual mainly on these Reference's high and low power switches on the bottom of the amp
...later models were silk screened on the amp "DO NOT SWITCH HIGH POWER TO HIGH CURRENT WHILE AMP IS ON"....I have made this mistake....repaired by SOUNDSTREAM at no cost in the mid 90s
I still have a few 6.0's in need of repair as well as 2- 500's one work but the other does not and a Continuum
@@thebassgeneratorinc229 …I have been using “ Eric’s Amplifier” for my repairs. His info is on the “ Soundstream registry “….google it if you are interested in pre 2000 SS gear….all your amps will be listed. They also have manuals for most amps…it is an interesting website if you like vintage SS gear
I’ve got a reference 500s and 1000sx, the latter of which is in the process of replacing mosfets and a recap. Once it’s back up and running, I’d be down to let you borrow it for a test if you’d like. You’re in California right?
Damn 1993 one year after graduation lol. Yeah these amps rocked as well as the PPI amps as well.
Those were awesome, I had a 500 and a 300.
High current test would be a cool thing to see. I didn’t feel like it changed the output drastically with my Reference 500 but I had weak electrical back then.
It should only make a difference driving low impedance loads. You can't just shove more current through a high resistance circuit, the resistance has to be low enough for the amps output.
When he tests high current mode pay attention to the data sheet and what ohm loads are used for testing. He'll be able to test lower (amp was rated to .5 ohm if I remember correctly) and that is precisely where high current would be needed.
@@volvo09 I’m 100% sure I was clipping the F out of it… right up to audible distortion.
@@volvo09 I haven't read the manual but I'm thinking high current mode should have been used for the .5 ohm tests to get the right numbers.
@@550n440 what was your speaker ohm load though? It won't help at all if you were above 1 ohm.
I won't give an in depth electrical lesson, but real quick it's why a 55w 12v car headlight is much lower resistance than a 55w light designed for household voltage. You are selecting a voltage range to drive your speakers. Ohms law.
@@v12alpine I bet he'll do a new episode and we'll see the difference, pay attention to the low ohm loads and they will go up.
What up Big D, ya man I have a old school MTX 2600RT in my opinion sounds better and hit harder than my new skar 1200.1..❤ These videos Man
Gotta see those high current pulls!
I remember Soundstream amps from back in the day. Always wished I could afford one.
9:40. HELLO. YOUR PROMITER HERE
SOOO FOR THE 9TH TIME
50% EFFICIENCY IS PERFECT. THE VERY BEST FOR CLASS A\B. BECAUSE ALL CLASS A\B SPLITS THE POWER SUPPLY SO IN A PERFECT WORLD 50% IS THE VERY MOST YOU CAN GET PERIOD
SOO 50% IS THE VERY BEST.
YOU CANT GET MORE THAN THAT WHEN YOU USE A 50 VOLT TOTAL IS USED AND 25 VOLTS IS USED FOR THE UP SWING AND 25 VOLT IS USED FOR THE DOWN SWING. SOOO FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME 50% IS VERY VERRRY GOOD. ANYTHING UNDER THAT IS JUST STARTING TO BE BAD. ON A CLASS A\B. THE REASON IT FELL LOWER THAN 45% WAS BECAUSE AT 2OHM AND 1OHM. IT MUST BE SWITCHED INTO HIGH CURRENT MODE.
Another good one. I had never seen one of these before. Thank you.
High current, low ohm tests also efficiency on 1khz test tone and some mixed mono test on speakers home audio or other 11:05
Just wrapped up repairs on a Chrome 5.0 here... These amps became susceptible to VIBRATIONS... The Pre Amp board comes loose from the Main board on these. Reflow usually does the trick. Add some extra solder. As I REMEMBER these SOUNDSTREAM amps, they were kinda pricey, REALLY needed sound processing to compare to a RF similar of them times so REFERENCE goes... nobody listens to FLAT. These were very POWERFUL and quite clean constructs but sorta flimsy inside. SWITCHES are as cheap as there is so THEY are an issue. Other than them vibration issues and age related switch issues... These electrically have held up well over time. Mine work still in 2023 and I am PONDERING a system using a couple 5.0 and a 10.0 I recently modded... WOOFERS PLEASE. LOL.... There was a TIME.... Soundstream... waaaaahoppen?.... MEMORIES of the 90's... BDBD/2023
I remembered soundstream...those were the great days..
The amp isn’t rated to be played at 1ohm high power bridged. Just a heads up. I know it shows it in the manual but it restricts its output. Also. Really quick question. After you deoxed it I noticed you left the switch in coherent stereo, did you flip it to mono off screen? Not being a pest. Just making sure. Thanks buddy
Hey Big D, I have a bnib infinity reference 7540a, and also the 611a. I would love to see what they do on the dyno.
definitely want to see high current tests. just installed my old reference 200 last week. the gain dial was a little crunchy.
Remember these well. Nice nostalgia
Real SoundStram.
i remember modifying one of this amp to run at higher idle current. technically forcing them to get more class A power region. told the owner to not to run the system without aircon lol
Yo it does look cleaner with wire inputs like that
Forget smoke jacket blues. Hit it with some DJ MAGIC MIKE or Bass Mechanix
As an audiophile it gets a pass in my book 👍 Where else are you going to find a class AB amp that's stable down to 1 ohm stereo?
*❌✅ Correction the classA6.0 & A3.0 are stable in high current mode coherent stereo at 1/4ohm per channel 😎👍sounded the best but were hot as hell🔥👺doing it, because it was biased as class A even though it was technically A/B **___** pure 👂 ear Candy 🍭 though‼️*
Yes. Run the tests
Good stuff from the good old days
I've had the pleasure of trying everything I've wanted to from Linear to Xtant and just about everything in-between except Soundstream Reference..
Ok. The truth is.. called HIGH BIAS CLASS AB ..output stage. The bias runs in class A up til a certain wattage then it acts like class ab.. only the drive stage is class a. That design causes the low efficiency numbers.. THIS RESULTS IN CLEANER AUDIO. To my knowledge.. John France at fosgate invented the high bias theory and it was first used in the punch 150 J board amp. John Pleitz would know the details..
Nelson Pass said "bias is depth of field" and from what I've seen in home amps, it's so true.
@@wesw9586. Im afraid to comment sorta. Bias is the circuit that controls the output devices in class ab so that they work together.
@@davidstevens7809 right. What's the problem exactly?
Yes, need to have the High-Current results as well. The amp has 2 modes, it's not a complete test unless all modes are tested.