Phoenix Gold Phorum

Ok so this post is going to be long! Let me first start by saying hello, my name is Matt, and I am a PG junkie. I may not be as bad as a lot of you but here is what I can remember I own currently.

1. #73 FAS, AX406A with box, Amp Nodes, and Birth Cert. My stupid installer through away my box and straw/burlap bag in 1994 when it was installed. I also have a Franked EQ230 to match the Amp and crossover.
2. MS2250TA, in box. Used for about a month till I blew my 12W6v2 up hard core, switched back to FAS in same car with a 12W3v2. lol
3. MS275 bought brand new in 1996 from a dealer that had it left over, still have box and documentation
4. 2 ZPA.3s
5. 1 ZPA.5
6. TI Powercore (15 Farad)
7. Black EQ232 to match ZPAs
8. Black AX406A to match ZPAs
9. 2 1200.1Tis
10. ZX475Ti
11. 1 TiDEQ that I just bought
12. Ti Bass Cube
13. Ti power and ground disty blocks
Fiance has:
1. ZX475Ti
2. ZX600Ti
3. Ti EQ215
4. Black AX406A (couldn't get a Ti one at the time)

Dang, I think that is about it.

My problem is this... I am running both my 1200s in my car to single 12W7s, one amp per sub. I plan to run 165W Focal Utopias front and rear, and I'd like to run the 475 to just the tweeters front and back. The woofers need power, so this is what I have come up with. Please give me advise on which will sound best:
1. 1 MS1000 (I found a dude that has 2 NIB~but I don't think I will buy both, he's working out a price for me currently) This would be 250 watts or MS power to each 6.5" woofer, should be plenty of mid bass and midrange to keep up with twin 12W7s..
2. 2 ZX600Tis, this would obviously be one front and one back, 150 x 4 or 150 watts per 6.5" woofer, this wouldn't have near the sack as the 1K would, but it'd match all my other install best obviously...
3. 2 ZPA .3 or .5s... 150x4 or 300 x 4 and a lot cleaner than the ZX from what I can tell in my other amps. The ZPAs I have currently are all in one install, so I would need to get other amps. If I did, could I get these Ti'ed finshed to match my other ZX/Tis?

The last question is whether or not the ZX/Tis sound better than the MS stuff. If not, I could just use my FAS and my MS2250/275 and make a single install that way... Same thing, could I get the whte MS amps Frank'd to all match?

Thanks to anyone who can help or point me in the right direction. Again, I am wanting the best over all SQ I can get with either MS or ZPA/ZX/Ti amps. If I wanted to start over completely, I'd get three Chrome Shadow VRx Audisons and call it a day, but I don't want to drop 6 grand either. And I likes my PG amps, never had a problem with em, and they sound great...

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!! First off welcome to the forum, and yes you definitely have the PG "Bug" like the rest of us here. You should feel right at home.

All of PG's high end lines share a lot of common components, you shouldn't hear any or little if at all- audible differences. You will find that the only differences might be in the features added/deleted from line to line. You should weigh in factors like: matching or not with what you already have, availability, and what you're willing to spend to acquire the amps. The easiest to find and possibly most economical would be the Ti's. There seems to be an abundance on the net/ebay as of late. Unfortunately you will have to find an outside source to refinish your amps to match your Ti's as PG no longer does custom work, boy do I wish they still did myself.

Oh BTW, you may get a little more "Juice" if you went with two Ti500.4's bridged to each component set.

But, whichever you do choose in the end is gonna sound SICK!!
Good luck and I hope you stick around!

why noy trial and error, and see what sounds best 2 you?- id luv to have me some of them ms amps u got!!!! btw welcome, Christian- yeah i think bridge two ti 500.4s like avicjr says- iuse one ti 500.2 this way and its INCREDIBLE!!!

Thanks for the welcome guys! I got a deal possibly in the works, if (when I hope) it pans out, I will post up which route I decided to go with... I sort of just stumbled across it on this forum.

If sound quality is most important I'd run modded ZPAs with balanced lines and a modded ZPX2. But... for validation purposes I'd also use an old school Soundstream Class A 100 to provide a reference point on sound quality at moderate volumes.

Welcome friend!

Tone wrote:If sound quality is most important I'd run modded ZPAs with balanced lines and a modded ZPX2. But... for validation purposes I'd also use an old school Soundstream Class A 100 to provide a reference point on sound quality at moderate volumes.

Thats some good info!

I decided to go with all TI amps, I am sure it will sound good enough. It will be processed through an Alpine Processor, so not as good as a PG, but more adjustable, so I should be able to tune it up.

The car is a 600 hp (soon to be 900 hp when I change the S/C) Cobra, so its fairly loud. Any difference in the amps I figured would be lost from exhaust noise and vibrations. If I ever build up my new GTI, I will make it the SQ beast with these ZPAs... what do I do to mod them? What does it make difference wise?

STROKD wrote:

Tone wrote:If sound quality is most important I'd run modded ZPAs with balanced lines and a modded ZPX2. But... for validation purposes I'd also use an old school Soundstream Class A 100 to provide a reference point on sound quality at moderate volumes.

Thats some good info!

I decided to go with all TI amps, I am sure it will sound good enough. It will be processed through an Alpine Processor, so not as good as a PG, but more adjustable, so I should be able to tune it up.

The car is a 600 hp (soon to be 900 hp when I change the S/C) Cobra, so its fairly loud. Any difference in the amps I figured would be lost from exhaust noise and vibrations. If I ever build up my new GTI, I will make it the SQ beast with these ZPAs... what do I do to mod them? What does it make difference wise?

Just do a search on these amps and crossover in this forum and you should find the info you seek.

Tone wrote: Just do a search on these amps and crossover in this forum and you should find the info you seek.

Thanks Tone!!

Welcome to the insane asylum.

Nice setup, post up pics during the install so we can check it out.