modular amp idea? can it work?

Post by **Bfowler** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:59 pm

ok, so i have had this idea in my head for a while and i'm sure there is a good reason it isnt in production from someone

here it is...

MODULAR AMP

basicly sell amps in 2 parts. a power supply part, and a output part

you could have various modals of each. say a 300, 600 and 1200 watts power supplies and pair them with a output section (1, 2, 4...maybe even 5)

so now you can mix and match your ideal amp.

decide down the road your 300 watt 4 channel isnt cutting it....upgrade the power! (maybe do a turn in credit for the old power modual)

have a 600 watt 2 channel. decide you want to run your components active now...swap out to the 4 channel modual.

i realize that this leaves open the potential to have lots of inventory, but i still think its a cool idea

thoughts?

GlasSman · Post by **GlasSman** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 4:23 pm

Ok....heres the thing.....if the market is so limited at the moment that PG decides not to even produce a 2 channel amp....how could this idea be supported for a future product?

Is it a good idea? Yes but it's actually more of a niche product than a 2 channel amp.

Misfire · Post by **Misfire** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 6:20 pm

Great idea Brian! Though I believe you would have to start with a big chassis/footprint, even if you start with the small power. Would be fun to design the idea, even if just on paper/computer.

Post by **stipud** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:20 am

I don't really think this would be useful for the Joe Average consumer.

For a niche brand catering to enthusiasts, I could see it...

southfloridaPGlover · Post by **southfloridaPGlover** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:37 am

http://forum.realmofexcursion.com/galle ... ?photo=144

GlasSman · Post by **GlasSman** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:52 am

The idea was also thrown around over at DIYMA.

freshkryp69 · Post by **freshkryp69** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 8:39 am

several amp companies have done this like the Adcom 4702, old skool phase linear kw series etc..and some others Im forgetting to mention..

freshkryp69 · Post by **freshkryp69** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 8:40 am

GlasSman wrote:The idea was also thrown around over at DIYMA.

do you have a link?

GlasSman · Post by **GlasSman** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 2:45 pm

freshkryp69 wrote:
GlasSman wrote:The idea was also thrown around over at DIYMA.
do you have a link?

It could take a while but I'll do a bit of searching.

GlasSman · Post by **GlasSman** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 2:48 pm

Here:

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diy ... ifier.html

Post by **Eric D** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 4:31 pm

Great idea, but nothing new.

I tried hard as hell to pitch this same concept to Rockford when I worked there over 7 years ago.

A pretty simple thing I overlooked killed it. Dealers would likely end up with odd components people don't want, and this would kill profits when they never sell.

Even at the time I worked there Rockford had maybe 50 items in the Fosgate product lineup. Of those, probably 10 would just never sell and sat on dealers' shelves. Rockford had some plan where you could send these back for credit.

All the stuff would end up at the company sale twice a year and sell for next to nothing. $1 an inch for speakers. It is a funny sight to see a pallet with say 500 3.5in co-axials and people grabbing at them for $3.50 each!

GlasSman · Post by **GlasSman** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 4:55 pm

Eric D wrote:
All the stuff would end up at the company sale twice a year and sell for next to nothing. $1 an inch for speakers. It is a funny sight to see a pallet with say 500 3.5in co-axials and people grabbing at them for $3.50 each!

Like seagulls after scraps of food?

oldschoolfan · Post by **oldschoolfan** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 5:21 pm

Wasn't the original RF Symmetry a sort of modular set up?

GlasSman · Post by **GlasSman** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:16 pm

oldschoolfan wrote:Wasn't the original RF Symmetry a sort of modular set up?

Yes it was....but on the preamp side.

Post by **Eric D** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 7:28 am

oldschoolfan wrote:Wasn't the original RF Symmetry a sort of modular set up?

Wow, you are going WAY back now...

There were 3 versions of the Symmetry that I know of (could be more). GlasSman is correct about the last version, and maybe the second one as well (I don't know the second one much).

The very first version was not only a preamp, EQ and crossover like the last, it was also an amp, and it even had DSP with a microphone for different acoustic compensation.

My hard core RF collector friend has one. He has one or two 30W x 4 amp modules for it (I am pretty sure they were 30W by 4). If you remember the way old Punch 30, you would know what I mean. There were sockets on the Symmetry for these amp modules in a Punch 30 heatsink to slide in and function. I think it would accept a couple of them.

The whole Symmetry was about the size of a small microwave. All the options were on pull out boards. When I worked at Rockford I found a bunch of the EQ and DSP cards in a box on a shelf no one ever looked at. I should have taken them, but never did. Even if I had them, I would never trust them to still work after all these years.