pg gurus, tell me more about the xs series

BLACKonBLACK98 · Post by **BLACKonBLACK98** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:11 pm

i originally asked about the xs6600 when i joined. after putting it on the back shelf of my mind for a couple months i eventually bought one for a new build i am beginning.

couple things about me; i am a compulsive (and impulsive buyer) of all things that interest me, i read everything i can find, and i love matching (clothes, audio equipent, paper clips and staples, whatever). naturally the want for more xs gear arrived.

so my 6 channel should be arriving tomorrow, but i started looking at other xs series goodies. i've read every post on every forum concerning the xs. all that reading has led to the question, why isn't there more info? ppl rarely mention the xs when talking about pg gear, the collectors rarely have xs pieces, etc.

this series was before my time so i don't have any "back in the day" memories. i was initially attracted buy the power, then the quality, then the styling, then the features via manual studies, and finally the period correctness for the car (90 q45).

how did the xs series play into the pg line at the time(high/mid/low end)? what pieces are particularly nice (amps/subs/components)? any to avoid?

right now i have purchased the 6 channel as mentioned. i have my eye on a set of comps, an xs 12", and a couple 2/4 channel amps. i'm also a huge fan of new old parts so if anybody has any nib xs goodies lmk.

Post by **fuzzysnuggleduck** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:21 pm

I've only ever owned the XS124 subwoofers from the XS line. XS was a mid range line if I recall correctly, that's why collectors rarely seem to stock a ton of them.

The XS124 subwoofers were really "smooth" and "musical" but they lacked real authority. I would say they weren't particularly super accurate either, but they really sounded good to me anyways, kind of like they smoothed over any lack of accuracy in a very nice way. I upgraded to RSd subs and I prefer their oomph, plus they match my comps.

Brian is our local XS-man.

dako · Post by **dako** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:35 pm

I used to have a 6600 in my ex-girlfriend's car back in 2001 or so, and it was running a set of the XS comps and a 12" sub. I agree with the sub lacking a real strong authority (it was in a small sealed enclosure though, so my input could be skewed b/c of that), but the comps always sounded really freaking amazing to me. I remember after installing them, I was actually jealous that she was getting such a smooth and detailed sound out of the tweeters. I forget what we were listening to the first time we took the civic out for a drive and road tested the system, but I kept saying to myself, "God! Damn, these tweeters sound about 20 times better than mine." I think the XS series is solid as hell and very versatile.

gridracer · Post by **gridracer** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:46 pm

I bought a XS 2500 for my cousin and it was sent back to PG 3 times for repair now it sits on shelf once again needing repair. Either mine was built on a friday or it was junk.

dwnrodeo · Post by **dwnrodeo** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 6:33 pm

I had a pair of XS 104 subs in a sealed enclosure wired to an XS 2300 amp and I loved it! Not much authority like everyone said, but it loved double bass drums. If I had the room they would be used as midbass drivers in my current setup.

Post by **Rold Gold** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:28 pm

I beleive the 6600 is bigger than the other xs amps.....

Bfowler is the XS whore here and kan fill in with all sorts of info.......

scorpio86 · Post by **scorpio86** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:09 am

like above. they were the middle road line. the predecessor to the tantrum stuff. and again like above, very musical but lacking that extra oomph on the very bottom. but still sound very good.

Post by **Bfowler** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:55 am

i suspect there isnt more info about the XS line online becasue it before the days of lots of info online in general.

i always like the subs, they are very efficient, very fast, don't ply particularly low however. but are a good solid sub. they CAN be accurate but need a pretty bob box to do it.

the speakers are good. they are pretty smooth and detailed, but seem to be afraid of midbass.

these days, the RSD line pretty much speakers all the XS speakers/subs and has a similar price point.

let me know if you think of any other questions

gkitching · Post by **gkitching** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 8:32 am

I can attest to thier greatness. The fact that they were considered 'mid-level' is only because they were PG and the 'high-end' amps were the best available at the time. XS series would've been most other companies' 'high end'!

I've built numerous competition cars with them and won 3 different world championships using the XS series amps. The main differences were that the XS was a more straight forward design and didn't have some of the features of the higher end amps. Build quality and sonic transparency was definately there.

There was a rash of XS2500's that had a power supply issue but that was corrected and any that were a problem are probably long gone or repaired to new specs.

I would not have any reservation using them again.

Post by **Bfowler** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 8:41 am

^ to add to that...i have BEATEN THE CRAP out of my xs4600 and 2300 since 98' they are rock solid (i have MANY xs amps, but those are the first 2 i bought and the ones that went into daily driver installs)

BLACKonBLACK98 · Post by **BLACKonBLACK98** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:45 am

Bfowler wrote:(i have MANY xs amps, but those are the first 2 i bought and the ones that went into daily driver installs)

pics of said collection? anything nib you are willing to part with?

Post by **Bfowler** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 10:01 am

i never really took pics of them

you can see them in action in install in the install section

i have the xs4600, 2300, and 2500 all destined for my future truck install

i have a 2300 in my moms car, a 2300 in the girlfriends car

then i traded fairly recently a 2300 and 4300 to honzo for a x400.1

most of them are only in fair condition, the gear for my truck is all probably 8/10

im not really selling them...but they go for CHEAP on ebay.

2300's are ~$50 and 4600's and 2500's can be had for around $100

keep you eyes open and they will pop up

joyride · Post by **joyride** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 10:44 am

First amp I ever owned was a 2500. i loved that thing. I used to beat the crap out of it and it didnt give up. Hell, I even loaded it down with 2 xmax's at one point running less than 2 ohm and it didnt mind! Alot of people dont like the Rnet crossover, but I personally like being able to know exactly where your are set at.

At those prices, its a definite deal. I would love to do an XS install.

BLACKonBLACK98 · Post by **BLACKonBLACK98** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:02 am

yeah theres definitely no shortage of used ones, but i'd really like to find some nos like the 6600. still haven't got over my issue with buying used. probably not a good thing when your talking 10 yr old amps.

btw, when were they on the market?

Post by **Bfowler** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 12:00 pm

like 97-2000, so yeah, 10 year old amps.

the 6600's were kinda the odd ducks of the line up, and i could see many still being new...but the rest....pretty rare to find one new.

Thumper88 · Post by **Thumper88** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 12:02 pm

Not hard to find a new XS6600....

http://www.woofersetc.com/index.cfm?fus ... uct_ID=476

BLACKonBLACK98 · Post by **BLACKonBLACK98** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:08 pm

indeed. i'm hawk eying the street waiting for the ups guy to show up with mine. it never fails, the more i want something the later he shows up.

you say the xs6600 was the "odd duck". is that like the ugly duckling? from reading the manuals it seems like the flagship of the line (as multichannel usually are in my experience), with the 2500 being a strong contender by virtue of raw power.

also, i have been told that they are very underrated which seems a very likely possibility due to the published numbers, but i would appreciate confirmation of this from the pg loyalists.

Post by **Bfowler** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:15 pm

they are the odd duck becuse first, their size is different, they are wider then the rest of the lineup. also, they are 4300 and a 2300 in the same chassies that share a power supply.

nothing wrong with that by any means, just different

they are all generally about 10% over their rated power. so not VERY underrated, but a decent amount

BLACKonBLACK98 · Post by **BLACKonBLACK98** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:28 pm

hmmm... so the xs would probably not be a great amp for a 3 way active setup, since you have to bridge it to get what is considered decent power by today's standards.

i intend on running it bridged and passive initially, but the bandpassable rear rear channel was definitely icing on the cake. i had hopes of running a subless 3 way set up down the line.

if only they would have put the 2500 and 4600 in the same chassis. that would have been a winner.

Post by **Bfowler** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:55 pm

^can't tell you how many times i thought that

BLACKonBLACK98 · Post by **BLACKonBLACK98** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:27 pm

and here she is:

ridiculously heavy and solid feeling. the box was dated 05 which i didn't expect. anyways, i love her already.

Post by **smgreen20** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 5:14 pm

FuzzyHoNutz wrote: Bfowler is the XS whore here and .......

I think he's just an overall whore period.

I've had a total of three XS104 subs and one XS124 sub.

The 12 was DOA so I had no listening time on it. The first set of 10s I had were in a bandpass box powered by the bridged chs of a clarion APA4160 at 2 ohms!!!! Oh how I miss that amp. Loved it. I could.... Oh.. wait... back to the topic, So at about 150 wrms total those babies actually pounded and hard to. I later went to a sealed box for them on the same amp, oh that amp, damnit! But I loved their sound and looks.

I sold those a while back and have regreted it since. So I bought a 12 I thought to work, NOT! Then I bought a 10 and the basket was bent a bit, but I was able to fix that. It's in a box now, but I have yet to put power to it. Overall they're a great sub.

Post by **Bfowler** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:42 am

smgreen20 wrote:I think he's just an overall whore period.

sigh...this is true. i kinda am.

gridracer · Post by **gridracer** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 3:05 pm

Whats a XS4300 in close to mint shape worth?

davidc81 · Post by **davidc81** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 11:48 am

didnt that line go

QX-->XS-->TI?