"Budget" amps

[Truekaotik]

I have used and installed them all over the years....
The problem is all of this is subject to the end user, meaning you will have your own opinion after using both. Someone else's opinion is just that, their personal opinion of whatever product is mentioned. There are so many threads beating the same horse with a different stick that the vast majority of opinions mean nothing if you haven't experienced it for yourself. Some say entry level, some mid, some say high dollar, how do choose? Find a local place or two with the product you desire , if you cannot like some, then a risk is involved trying one or both products yourself. Every thread the die hard PPI/ Polk guys fight the WS/JL guys on price to power. There is so much more that goes into a amplifier than just the wattage output to money but that is all some people want to compare. Basically I will say this, you need to experience them for yourself because your opinion might be different than one made in this thread.

[David Analog]

Since I was invited to join the party...
I would hate to be classified as an audiophile in that might imply it's only about the equipment. To me it's all about the music and I'm simply wanting to avoid any equipment that stands in the way of the music experience. The music I normally listen to is from an era when production expenses weren't spared. So there is a lot of deep content, less compression, and a lot of dynamic range.
Is a boat a perfect environment for accurate music reproduction? Heck no. The open boat environment takes away something but also gives something quite unique in return. Underway at speed? It's hard to make subtle distinctions. Chillin' at rest or puttin' at a slow cruise along the shore line checking out the cottages? Heck yes!
The thing I like about the marine open air environment is....no standing waves....no reflection off glass....no interior boundaries. You usually get a heavy dose of the initial radiation with far less of the reflected radiation. And I especially like that particular quality about open air.

I totally agree that you have to hear the difference for yourself. If you can't hear the difference then it's just money wasted. But....the system execution as a whole can make a big difference when trying to compare products. For example, if someone is using the PPI platform and suddenly changes to a better amplifier, they might not hear the potential difference if the system design, the full installation execution, and system tuning isn't on par with that of a better overall system. So now they are making a comparison based on limitations other than the integrity of the amplifier or a single piece of equipment.

I've heard many boats where the owner was bragging on a forum how great it sounded. When I heard it in person it sounded dreadful. The tower amplifier was improperly bridged and sounded downright harsh. The sub box was re-mounted several times and the old penetrations weren't filled. The bass-reflex alignment was nasty. The tuning was horrible. Many times I've had this experience. And it wasn't always the DIY consumer as some of the systems were professionally done. And the owner was clueless, thinking he had a good sounding system. Now if you upgrade one component in that system the better component doesn't stand a chance of being perceived as an upgrade.

Most people are limiting their opinion of the value of an amplifier based on a CEA2006 power rating as compared to a ratio of cost. Yet, the CEA2006 may not be a very good indication of how that product sonically performs. And IMO, in the case of the PPI, the power rating doesn't scratch the surface.

Consider that the rating method is based on a voltage supply that you cannot get in a boat, power and distortion at one single easy frequency, and oftentimes with only one channel driven versus all channels driven simultaneously.

Yes, I can hear an obvious difference in a very good system. In a bad system the difference is masked by all kinds of other limitations.

[toomuchuv]

Sorry Gents, didn't mean to incite a battle here. I guess it is my ignorance of class D amps that has me second guessing my choice for amps. I understand that A/B are a better choice for SQ, but at the expense of efficiency. I am looking to upgrade for longer playtime and maintain decent sound quality.

[David Analog]

Sorry Gents, didn't mean to incite a battle here. I guess it is my ignorance of class D amps that has me second guessing my choice for amps. I understand that A/B are a better choice for SQ, but at the expense of efficiency. I am looking to upgrade for longer playtime and maintain decent sound quality.

Nope, not a battle at all. You want a healthy exchange of contrasting ideas and different opinions....just as long as it doesn't go personal it's all good for the reader.

Class AB a better choice for SQ versus Class D? Not at all true. You won't hear a difference between a really good Class AB and a really good Class D. There are good and bad versions of both.
Many of the cheap Class AB amplifiers are really only Class B with no bias applied. And many of the Class D are made no better than to produce a favorable CEA2006 power spec but with shortcuts galore. To repeat, there are good and bad versions of both.

[Laketexoma]

When it comes down to it the only opinion that matters is the one who own the boat! I have had huge systems in boats in the past that sounded great.(but I'm going with the studio M on my 16). I have been into cars stereo for more years than I can even count lol. If it sounds good to you and your are happy who cares what the amps cost. 100 people can listen to the same system and have 100 different opinions on what its lacking. Hope you find what makes you happy and enjoy time on the water..

[kend]

Love my PPI 900.4 and would never put an A/B in my boat for power usage reasons only.
Trip, Assuming your plug is open where the water can drain outside the boat then its drying the air and is genius.