okay - changed my priorities ("pleasure" before work).

let the discussion begin... I will update the sticky as well.

first of all, a BIG THANK YOU to BAL (aka Alex/Haze). He supplied the amps.
Let me make it VERY CLEAR HERE... I do not benefit from these tests and there are no favs called in by him or anyone else.

The whole point of these tests is to see what the amps are doing ON THE BIKE, not in a lab with x thousand dollar equipment and a perfect 14.4V input.

tests were done under the same conditions and with the same equipment as I did 2 or so years ago, except for the bigger power bank (more watts to absorb) and actually bridging.

are the numbers dead on? NO, simply because the volume on the HU and the gain control on the amp are "stepped" (f.e. 1 click more gain on the amp throws the amp in clipping mode on the scope showing f.e. 125 W while before the non clip signal showed 118W). but it will give you an impression of the power etc.
As some Vendors are providing specs that are really unrealistic, these numbers validate those (or not).

Hope the below helps some of you and/or get some "Myths" out of the way

location of the test docs (and the older ones):
All tests and some other freeware goodies like pink noice, mp3gain and kenwood audio editor

below on the bike, running (all input Voltage >-14Vdc, except where indicated; IMO a "standard" bike will NEVER give you 14.4Vdc).
Testing was done under same conditions as previous tests - see post 1

Diamond HXM800.4
4 Ohm – non bridged: ~105 Watt ~20.5 Vac
2 Ohm – non bridged: ~165-170 Watt ~18.2 - 18.4 Vac
4 Ohm – bridged: ~325 Watt* ~36.0 Vac

DB Neo4
4 Ohm – non bridged: ~85Watt ~18.4 Vac
2 Ohm – non bridged: ~128 Watt ~16 Vac
4 Ohm – bridged: ~250 Watt ~31.6 Vac

DD D4
4 Ohm – non bridged: ~78.5 Watt ~17.7 Vac
2 Ohm – non bridged: ~120 Watt ~15.5 Vac
4 Ohm – bridged: ~225 Watt ~30 Vac

JL 500/4
4 Ohm – non bridged: ~75Watt ~17.3 Vac
2 Ohm – non bridged: ~133 Watt ~16.3 Vac
4 Ohm – bridged: ~260 Watt ~32.2 Vac

MMATS MD4100
4 Ohm – non bridged: ~90 Watt ~19.0 Vac
2 Ohm – non bridged: ~145 Watt ~17.0 Vac
4 Ohm – bridged : ~290 Watt* ~34.0 Vac

* Input power dropped below 14Vdc, even with revving. and only when 1 channel of the 2 was hooked up (bridged). IMHO the voltage would never get above 14V without changes to your bike's charging system.

 

Interesting to see the DB and D4 specs.
I thing DB specs their Neo4 at 500 watts bridged. 250 in the real world.

 

Thanks brother for taking a weekend to do this and add some real life in the seat perspective. I think if you consider how manufacturers produce their specs all of these amp were just a tad under at 14 or so volts. So really the manufacturer specs are pretty accurate. I've had a chance to play with all of these amps and wanted to share my own thoughts on them and also point out what their retail price is. Bench numbers are nice, but price and sound quality I think is also a measure of performance! In rank order of the ones I liked:


1. JL 500/4 - 359.00. I think this amp had the best sound quality, it has a very rich sound with great detail. It produces more power than the D4 but also cost 80.00 bucks more. I've used this amp bridged to a set of 10's and also used it to run a set of 6.5's on one channel and horns on the other. What I don't like about this amp is every connection is a pig tail and that makes it a pain to hide wires.


2. MMats 4100 - 319.00 I thought this was second in sound quality. It's a very precise sounding amp, similar to the Arc amps. Not as warm as the D4 but has more volume to it. Fits every bike, price is less than other amps in it's class. I need to do a entire bike with one or two of these to really give the stamp of approval.


3. DD D4 - 279.00. At that price this is a solid amp. It's the warmest sounding of all of them, but I think the above two when bridged provide better power. The same speaker sounded louder with the other two amps, but instantly you can tell this one was going to provide some really good low end. At it's price, I really like this amp and I think it's built better than the MMats 4100...sturdier, has band pass capability. A solid performer when bridged.


4. Diamond 800.4 - 599.00. I've tried for a while to really like this amp and have tested it numerous times. I think the Micro line sounds better. Now bridged to a set of 10's those 300+ really thump, but that's a lot of money to pay for that. This amp in the right set up could be great. Sound is good, price is a lot.


5. Db Drive Neo4 - 269.00 I think that's the going price. Amazon had them for 118.00 so I snagged one up to test out. It's a budget amp that went up against some quality amps. I thought the build quality was solid, but the sound that comes from it is pretty bad. For the retail price they list for there are better options for a few bucks more. Would not use.

 

That's the one I have too along with their 7.1's and a Hog tunes tweeter pod.

 

test was done back in the day. see link to test reports

 

Thank you two for all the time and effort put into this. Great information and reviews!!

 

Pm'd about kits