Xtant! very impressed

[PaulD]

Xtant was good back in the day but I haven't heard much from them lately (last 15 years or so). What are you using the SIP chips for ? Audiocontrol used to use DIPs to set crossover points, I would custom make them myself.

[Xtant77]

The sip chips are also for changing x-over freq. as well. Xtant has quite a few adjustments & add-on mudules. Not like most other amps, that's for sure.

[PaulD]

honestly, I prefer a seperate processor box rather than one built into the amp.

xover point = xover freq ... those two terms are interchangeable

[Xtant77]

I thought about installing a processor but I don't compete & wanted to keep my system more on the simpler side. My H.U. has a built-in eq which helps a great deal & I have the pqm's mounted in both amps. Xtant has started making new amps & speakers but like most things in the U.S., they are made in China. They're extremely nice looking but haven't heard their "new" sound quality yet. My amps are old school pre-mitek amps & couldn't be happier except for ease of adjustments & power consumption but I look at them like the old carbureted big block 454 engine, they'll pass everything but a gas station,lol. Saving my money up for some better components but for right now with the economy going to shit, got to take care of other bills 1st & take care of the equipment i've got. Do you own your own shop or is car audio just a hobby? Nice equipment by the way.

[PaulD]

Just a hobby, and yes - car audio can be an expensive hobby. Honestly, amp SQ is pretty much a joke. The distortion and non-linearity of even a good speaker is an order of magnitude higher than even a crappy amp.

[Xtant77]

I can't find a single review of any new Xtant equipment, beginning to wonder if they are actually selling these. I haven't considered the perfection of a speaker as much as the longevity of most of them. compared to most electronics, speakers don't seem to have much a life especially in total sun,cold,heat,etc. Speakers just aren't made to last that long for a reason. Turnover.

[PaulD]

The car ones last a bit longer - the cones and suspension are treated. Reviews in magazines are pretty much worthless, they never say anything bad to avoid losing advertising dollars.

[Xtant77]

I liked the idea of the metal cone for longevity but sound quality may be a little different depending on someone's personal tastes. I always did like Alma Gates Bronco & the PPI designs, Alma seemed to be a nice lady when I met her several years ago. The flat cone seemed like it would hold together better but the surrounds seem to always be a problem, at least with mine anyway. It's amazing to me what people will do to their vehicles to get an spl record & then what? Start selling the equipment for half what the endorsements paid for them? Crazy world. If you know of anyone that has tuned Xtant amps, would love to learn more. Thanks.

[PaulD]

I am sure I could tune an amp/processor combo. The problem companies had with metal cones was getting the adhesive to stick to the surround AND the cone. The stiffness of of the metal cone help eliminate some of the break up modes but introduced other issues - it's all a trade off.

[Xtant77]

On my Xtant amps, I have 14.9 volts going into them, but trying to figure out where all the gains should be; they go from -20,-10,0,+10+20 db gain increments with my H.U. saying that it puts out 4 volts. And that's just the rough adjustment increments, then there's the adjustment knobs for finer gain adjustments. It sounds ok right now, but i'm sure it could sound batter with a precision adjustment. Your thoughts?

[PaulD]

You have severely mixed your terms. 14.9V is a little high but that's the value the cars alternator is putting out. 4 volt output on the deck means 4V rms of signal over the RCA cables. I not only adjust the crossovers but use time alignment and 1/3 octave equalization.

[Xtant77]

No, there were no mixup in terms, maybe you misinterpreted what I was trying to convey. The 14.9 (at idle) volts coming from the custom alt was suppose to give you an idea of input voltage compared to an ordinary factory car; the 4 volts coming from the H.U. was where the interesting part of the equation relies for course gain adjustment before fine tuning. Now, whether i'm truely getting 4 volts thru the rca's to my amps is another question. Now my amperage spikes close to a 200 amp draw on full (edge of distortion) volume with hard bass thumps. Power hungry bastards to say the least. I hope that was a better explanation of this issue. Would you recommend midbass drivers (@ the correct freq. for the drivers) in the front doors to help reproduce compressed music a little better? I'm not an image freak but do like superb sq. Thinking about buying a passive crossover strictly for the midbass drivers to keep costs down, & an rm4 or8 module for the 5th & 6th channels, your thoughts? Appreciate the help. Wesley,Ar.

[PaulD]

A good midbass driver is always a plus but personally I would not use a passive crossover. This is why I like external processors, 4 way ability is pretty common. You only get 4 volts from the HU when it's putting out max power but it's pretty much a moot point as long as you are not getting any engine noise. I use fiber optic from the HU and DVD changer to the processor, so I avoid all of that from the get go. Old school amps do tend to be a power hungry, just the way it is.

[Xtant77]

I don't have the fancy processors nor do I want them unless I find one that blows me away. Nor do I have any engine or other background noises & no fiber optics. But i'm curious if midbass drivers need to be closest to mids & highs for time alignment or does that matter like the fact that sub's are non directional. I built small enclosures (tupperware bowls with dynamat)for my midrange 6.5's. Tons of work. Should I do the same for the midbass to get the best sound possible? It's kind of funny that there are 7 or 8 stereo shops within 100 mile radius of me & a Mexican shop has the best attitude,work, & prices thus far that I found, go figure. Do you know of anyone that has an rm4 or rm8 they don't need at a reasonable price? Sure could use the additional 2 channels. Thanks!

[Xtant77]

Just thought @ fiber optics in audio, that's got to make a tremendous difference in response timing & better at reproducing instrumentation 20-20,000 htz, or more