homepage  - car audio - amplifiers page

C A R   A U D I O system map headunit processors amplifiers speakers subwoofers B M W   3 2 0 i   S E engine suspension wheels bodykit interior gallery CAR OF THE MONTH L I N K S

Phoenix Gold M50 amplifier The amplification in the system consists on a Phoenix Gold M50 and an Annihilator HA400C. The Phoenix Gold is an old piece of kit and the manufacturer has stopped producing them and you can no longer get them new. However, these are solidly built from quality components and do exactly what an amplifier should do, amplify. It adds no "sound" and doesn't leave any signature in the output. The amp is rated at 2x50 watts RMS but is capable of producing much more if the impedance or load is increased when it's bridged down. I currently have the M50 running the front sound speakers as I think the quality is much better than the Annihilator, which is more of a powerhouse subwoofer amplifier. In the sound path from the headunit, this amplifier receives frequencies only 120hz and above. The M50 also looks like a solid piece of electronics, with a solid alloy extruded heat sink and excellently disperses the head produced. The amp has a thermal and electrical protection system and 24 karat gold speaker connections and is designed for quality all throughout the signal path. For additional cooling under heavy loads, there are a pair of 3inch fan's that blow cool air across the surface of both amplifiers. The tech. spec. is in the table below. Features 2 x 50 Watts per channel Bridgeable Outputs Tri-Linear output capability, simultaneous stereo & bridged mono Adjustable Bass EQ (0 to +12db) @ 45Hz Pulse Width Modulated MOSFET Switching Power Supply Stable into 1 Ohm loads High-current Triple-Darlington Output design 2 layer, 2 ounce Gold Plated Copper G-10 Glass-Epoxy printed circuit board Variable input sensitivity (200mV to 2V) Thermal Overload Protection Superior muting circuitry assures no turn / turn off noise Optically isloated power supply VI limited circuitry with overcurrent LED Extensive burn-in and QC testing for the ultimate in reliability Specifications Output power per channel Into 4ohm @ 12V DC - 50 WRMS Into 2ohm @ 12V DC - 100 WRMS Bridged power in to 4 ohm - 200 WRMS THD at rated power 4ohm 0.02% SMPTE at rated power 4ohm 0.05% Frequency Response 10Hz to 30Khz +/- 1db Signal to noise ratio 100db (20 tp 20KHz) Input Sensitivity 200mV to 2V Current consumption @ 4ohm stereo - 15A @ 2ohm stereo - 30A @ 2ohm stereo, 4ohm mono - 35A Efficiency > 80% (Power supply) Dimensions 10.625inches Length x 8.25inches Width x 2.0 inches Height Annihilator HA400C amplifier The Annihilator is apparently manufactured by Earthquake and was released as a cheaper alternative, although I have yet to find any supporting evidence to support this. Anyway, this amplifier produces 2x200 RMS and the quality is good enough to power a pair of 15 inch subwoofers very well. Like the M50, the HA400C has thermal protection but also has a built in crossover, with the selectable choice of low and high pass, producing output for mid's and tweeters or subwoofers respectively. In the signal chain, the Annihilator only receives frequencies 70hz and below. Like the M50, the HA400C is capable of loading down to 2 Ohms Stereo, also capable of running in "tri-mode" [with a stereo output and a bridged mono output for a subwoofer]. As before, the Annihilator technical specification is below. Mono Bridge Power @ 4ohms 400 watts Stereo output power @ 2ohms 200 watts Stereo output power @ 4ohms 130 watts Signal to noise ratio 108db Damping factor > 100 T.H.D. 0.06% Crossover (200hz) sub / full / high Current Idling - 0.6A Max at 4ohms - 25A Dimensions (H*W*D) 2x9x12 inches Fuse rating at 4ohms stereo 30A All trademarks and copyrighted images / icons are acknowledged and accepted. Phoenix Gold Corporation   Annihilator® [possibly Earthquake] Questions or comments ? Just fill in the form Email  Question / Comment : backward  forward Copyright © Ben Tullett, 1998 - All rights reserved. Contact me: webmaster@ben-tullett.com