Does anyone have any JL amps, or have an opinion of them? I installed some several years back and really don’t remember if they were good, bad, or otherwise.
I am considering playing with one, but wanted to get some opinions prior to dropping any money on one.
JL Audio Amplifier Experiences?
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Audiophiliac
- Posts: 918
- Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 9:41 pm
- Location: Boise, ID
My opinion of JL as a company is fairly high. They know how to make some serious subwoofers and their speakers sound really good too. I can only imagine their amplifiers perform similarly. I had a 300/4 and a 500/1 I bought used and was going to put in my VW until I got my SOFAS...then I sold them...so I never had a chance to listen to them.
That doesnt help you know whether JL amps are good or not, but I wouldnt hesitate to try one out if I had the chance. The 500/5 seems like a really nice piece for someone looking for a single amp setup. I was looking for one at one point to try. The black finish looks especially nice.
That doesnt help you know whether JL amps are good or not, but I wouldnt hesitate to try one out if I had the chance. The 500/5 seems like a really nice piece for someone looking for a single amp setup. I was looking for one at one point to try. The black finish looks especially nice.
I must say i've always loved their design. I like having all the terminals on one side, and the heatsink location also gives you the option to install it in nearly any direction you want without saturating it. Definitely an amp made to be installed. And yet they still managed to keep them compact and attractive.
I wasn't too impressed with the sound of the V1's. Is there new circuit design for the V2 amps?
I wasn't too impressed with the sound of the V1's. Is there new circuit design for the V2 amps?
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dedlyjedly
- Silent but Dedly
- Posts: 1212
- Joined: Thu Dec 07, 2006 7:03 pm
- Location: Las Vegas
I worked at a JL dealer when the slash series first came out and I really liked them. As with anything else I've dealt with from JL, the build quality was great (from an installer's perspective), the design seemed to be well thought-out, they looked good (compared to the RF we were also selling! sounded better too!), and they consistently performed well. I personally owned a few, but swapped them out (when I switched shops) for PG Titanium for what I took to be a definite audible performance gain.
I would be really interested to see one of your reviews from an engineering standpoint on these amps. Do you know if the changes for the second version of these amps are only cosmetic?
I would be really interested to see one of your reviews from an engineering standpoint on these amps. Do you know if the changes for the second version of these amps are only cosmetic?
I personally do not know anything about the differences between the v1 and v2 amps. All I know is I just got the latest Crutchfield catalog in the mail and noticed they were selling JL now.
I also noticed they changed the look. It appears they just tweaked the sheet metal on the front of the amp, but either way, it is a huge improvement cosmetically IMO, and has caused me to consider them as a viable option.
I also noticed they changed the look. It appears they just tweaked the sheet metal on the front of the amp, but either way, it is a huge improvement cosmetically IMO, and has caused me to consider them as a viable option.
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Audiophiliac
- Posts: 918
- Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 9:41 pm
- Location: Boise, ID
JL audio has market share rock solid with the slash amps, mostly by layout, not performance. Every installer I ever knew thought they were the greatest amp ever made due only to the two facts that, 1 it fits under seats < a very poor place for any amp> and 2 all the control and connections were on one surface for ease of access.
Thats it, Thats all I ever heard. My experience inside them is not limited. They are a Hybrid transistor amp with Mosfet outputs much like many other brand names out there. Their class AB amps get hot and has a sink surface only on one side much like M amps from PG.
They have current sensing coils on the primary power toroid connections, these monitor and LIMIT the max power of any of their class AB and D amp to whatever the amp is rated at. This is how they control their power to the amp and limit it to a reasonable max power level that has NO HEADROOM .
By this I mean their 300.2 has a 350 watt power supply, and no matter what you do and how low you go in load that is ALL the amp will ever produce.
I have seen lots of them so they fail like any other name, and mostly due to failed outputs and when their internal protection does not work right the power supply goes also.
If you buy their product thinking it will give you more at low ohms your just kidding yourself at best. Their sink design limits it max power and their power supply is design to work at that limit only.
Is there anything special or different inside other than what I have posted above, well IMO no. Unless you like the pretty little green leds they use on their boards that unfortunately you cannot see because of a closed case.
JL support: Jl will only accept repairs through authorized dealers. If you amp breaks you must contact any of their dealers and arrange for the amp to be shipped back to JL at any rate that dealer decides to punch your ticket for. Their are guidelines but the dealer does not have to abide by them.
JL will NOT allow direct access to their service repair support group. Only through dealers period.
Now what you get: We have had to send a few back at my shop due to lack of parts. And what we have found is that in many cases you will get back a completely different amp in a new box, looking new in every way for a flat rate to the dealer that has a 40% margin that the dealer can add on before you get the amp.
So to recap, if your amp breaks you will get a new one in a new box most of the time: But the dealer is making at least 40% of the repair bill IF he stays inside of JL guidelines. And only through a dealer can you get there, no direct access like PG.
We had a 1000.1 go back for repair, is this case they actually repaired the amp. Two little control IC's and SMD transistor, they were honest and listed the parts replaced. The amp now worked and came back in a new box Looking new but the same serial number.
It FAILED instantly at the low ohm load the owner was running, and when it did it burned up so bad you could smell it three feet away with the cover closed up. This was a JL repair, you would figure it would have been right and tested. Maybe the owner was doing something wrong, who knows.
We sent it back to JL and this time he did get a brand new amp in a new box, and it did not fail.
Now I am not bad mouthing this product, I am telling you some of the things I have seen in the last year concerning JL amps, and their support services and how JL remedied the issues for the owner to keep them brand loyal.
JL replaces defective amps MOST of the time, even if its out of warranty, and your paying a service rate through a proper dealer only. Not too shabby IMO, but all offshore amps are so cheaply made this and should be possible from any maker out there and I do mean ANY maker out there.
I see lots of 1000/1's, 500/5's and tons of 500/1's and a few 300/2 or 4's every year so I am not in the blind here guys, and everything I have told you here is the truth as per a local dealer we use that accepts and handles all of the ones I cannot fix for my shop.
Oh and the JL rates are super cheap, so cheap that its not smart to throw them away if they die, especially if your dealer passes the discount back to you to keep you loyal. If he does not then repairs rates look like my walking rates or whatever the dealer wants to make off you that day.
All truth, no fiction here guys, good luck and I hope you all make the right decision for yourselves to keep you happy. JL does have pretty good support all though its regulated by your local dealer.
Happy amp buying guys, now back to my big move catch you all much later....C
Thats it, Thats all I ever heard. My experience inside them is not limited. They are a Hybrid transistor amp with Mosfet outputs much like many other brand names out there. Their class AB amps get hot and has a sink surface only on one side much like M amps from PG.
They have current sensing coils on the primary power toroid connections, these monitor and LIMIT the max power of any of their class AB and D amp to whatever the amp is rated at. This is how they control their power to the amp and limit it to a reasonable max power level that has NO HEADROOM .
By this I mean their 300.2 has a 350 watt power supply, and no matter what you do and how low you go in load that is ALL the amp will ever produce.
I have seen lots of them so they fail like any other name, and mostly due to failed outputs and when their internal protection does not work right the power supply goes also.
If you buy their product thinking it will give you more at low ohms your just kidding yourself at best. Their sink design limits it max power and their power supply is design to work at that limit only.
Is there anything special or different inside other than what I have posted above, well IMO no. Unless you like the pretty little green leds they use on their boards that unfortunately you cannot see because of a closed case.
JL support: Jl will only accept repairs through authorized dealers. If you amp breaks you must contact any of their dealers and arrange for the amp to be shipped back to JL at any rate that dealer decides to punch your ticket for. Their are guidelines but the dealer does not have to abide by them.
JL will NOT allow direct access to their service repair support group. Only through dealers period.
Now what you get: We have had to send a few back at my shop due to lack of parts. And what we have found is that in many cases you will get back a completely different amp in a new box, looking new in every way for a flat rate to the dealer that has a 40% margin that the dealer can add on before you get the amp.
So to recap, if your amp breaks you will get a new one in a new box most of the time: But the dealer is making at least 40% of the repair bill IF he stays inside of JL guidelines. And only through a dealer can you get there, no direct access like PG.
We had a 1000.1 go back for repair, is this case they actually repaired the amp. Two little control IC's and SMD transistor, they were honest and listed the parts replaced. The amp now worked and came back in a new box Looking new but the same serial number.
It FAILED instantly at the low ohm load the owner was running, and when it did it burned up so bad you could smell it three feet away with the cover closed up. This was a JL repair, you would figure it would have been right and tested. Maybe the owner was doing something wrong, who knows.
We sent it back to JL and this time he did get a brand new amp in a new box, and it did not fail.
Now I am not bad mouthing this product, I am telling you some of the things I have seen in the last year concerning JL amps, and their support services and how JL remedied the issues for the owner to keep them brand loyal.
JL replaces defective amps MOST of the time, even if its out of warranty, and your paying a service rate through a proper dealer only. Not too shabby IMO, but all offshore amps are so cheaply made this and should be possible from any maker out there and I do mean ANY maker out there.
I see lots of 1000/1's, 500/5's and tons of 500/1's and a few 300/2 or 4's every year so I am not in the blind here guys, and everything I have told you here is the truth as per a local dealer we use that accepts and handles all of the ones I cannot fix for my shop.
Oh and the JL rates are super cheap, so cheap that its not smart to throw them away if they die, especially if your dealer passes the discount back to you to keep you loyal. If he does not then repairs rates look like my walking rates or whatever the dealer wants to make off you that day.
All truth, no fiction here guys, good luck and I hope you all make the right decision for yourselves to keep you happy. JL does have pretty good support all though its regulated by your local dealer.
Happy amp buying guys, now back to my big move catch you all much later....C
First off JL sells more of these then any other bass amp they make. It has limitations and people think its louder at less than 4 ohms and it is not. Its outputs are not suited for 1 ohm loads.
I am going to quote Steve Mantz from a recent post on PASS DIY audio forums.
" we at ZED have not seen ANY Asian made car audio Class D bass amps with suitable outputs to sustain safe and reliable operation at 1 ohm loads"
So their you have it from a much more respected source then I. I can share the exact post if there are those that doubt my quotation. But for those of you that know me, you know when I quote others its no falsehood......C
I am going to quote Steve Mantz from a recent post on PASS DIY audio forums.
" we at ZED have not seen ANY Asian made car audio Class D bass amps with suitable outputs to sustain safe and reliable operation at 1 ohm loads"
So their you have it from a much more respected source then I. I can share the exact post if there are those that doubt my quotation. But for those of you that know me, you know when I quote others its no falsehood......C
I think he means designed for SPL applications. So make lots of power with no care for how they measure or sound. I think, but as soon as i hear the term not an audiophile amp it always makes me raise an eye browEric D wrote:Amps don't move air. What do you mean by this?cesri wrote:They are built to move air, a lot of air.why are they not an audiophile amp? What makes you say that?
They not refined, they not gentle with your ears.
Last edited by bdubs767 on Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
Can one send others to war if hes not willing to go himself?
For Sound Quality I mean brands like Brax, Genesis, Audison and of course Phoenix Gold ( Ms and Zx/Ti series, certainly not the china RSd ).
Rockford Fosgate and JLAudio make nice and good quality build amps, good for subwoofers and midbass sections.
If you like tizz-tizz bum-bum then you can go for these amps for all the frequencies, but if you like music as it should be you make JL and RF to drive only bass speakers.
Rockford Fosgate and JLAudio make nice and good quality build amps, good for subwoofers and midbass sections.
If you like tizz-tizz bum-bum then you can go for these amps for all the frequencies, but if you like music as it should be you make JL and RF to drive only bass speakers.
Why are the RSd and Xenon not as good as the MS ZX/ti? Because they are made in China? Doesn't make sense to me as they all are designed pretty much that same.cesri wrote:For Sound Quality I mean brands like Brax, Genesis, Audison and of course Phoenix Gold ( Ms and Zx/Ti series, certainly not the china RSd ).
Rockford Fosgate and JLAudio make nice and good quality build amps, good for subwoofers and midbass sections.
If you like tizz-tizz bum-bum then you can go for these amps for all the frequencies, but if you like music as it should be you make JL and RF to drive only bass speakers.
Can one send others to war if hes not willing to go himself?
I agree Doc, The 300/2/4's are Ok amps sound wise. Since they were meant for mids and tweets, I would expect JL to make a effort at SQ here.Eric D wrote:Maybe the 500/1, or the 1000/1, but I would guess the 300/2 and 300/4 are made for quality sound. If they actually have quality sound, that is something I need to verify myself.
Any reference I made was about the D class amps they make. By the way the 500/1 only has 4 each IRF-540's for a output stage and it appears to be a half bridge design so actually two 500/1's could be bridged to make a full bridge design amp.
And for reference a XS-2500 has twice the IRF-540 outputs of a 500/1, but these are two different class amps AB versus D for the 500/1. Just goes to show you that D class amps operating non-linear can maximize the power ratings of a mosfet since they are either on or off, and have no linear region to operate in and maintain.
I.E. the XS-2500 costs more to build than a Jl 500/1 at least by parts count...C
