JL A1400 vs Zapco 350.2

[Kryptonite]

Anyone have any suggestions on these amps. the sub in question is the 10w1v2 with the sub enclosure from JL ...


Kryptonite

[hemi]

Go with the JL. I think the Zapco only works at 4 ohms when bridged.

[el_duderino]

The Zapco is a much better sounding amp.

If the load is lower than 4 ohms use the 500.1.

[hemi]

The Zapco 500.1 is overkill for the 10w1, way too much.

[Kryptonite]

I'll be bridging the zapco amp (if I choose it) and the speaker requirement is 100w - 250w RMS. It's a 4 ohm woofer.

I've been looking at the JL 250/1 or A1400 or the Zapco 200.2 and 350.2 ...

I have a 360.4 for my intended mids/highs but I've still been toying around with the idea of selling it and just getting a 650.6 Zapco for everything...

cin >> input (or is it << ?)

[hemi]

I own a car audio shop, that is why I recommend the JL. Your woofer is 2 ohms and the zapco is 4 ohms when bridged. Also, the Zapco is kind of overkill for that woofer. There really isn't a need for that good of an amp. If you really like the Zapco, maybe look into a 10w3-4 ohm woofer. That would be perfect.

[el_duderino]

I own a car audio shop, and that is why I recommend the Zapco.

It's a better sounding amplifier. Why wouldn't you want the better sounding amplifier?

The impedance rating of the W1 per JL's website is either 4 or 8, and the guy who owns it says it's 4.

When you replace the W1 with a better-sounding woofer, won't you be glad you got the better-sounding amp?

[Kryptonite]

Originally Posted by hemi

I own a car audio shop, that is why I recommend the JL. Your woofer is 2 ohms and the zapco is 4 ohms when bridged. Also, the Zapco is kind of overkill for that woofer. There really isn't a need for that good of an amp. If you really like the Zapco, maybe look into a 10w3-4 ohm woofer. That would be perfect.

Originally Posted by el_duderino

I own a car audio shop, and that is why I recommend the Zapco.

It's a better sounding amplifier. Why wouldn't you want the better sounding amplifier?

The impedance rating of the W1 per JL's website is either 4 or 8, and the guy who owns it says it's 4.

When you replace the W1 with a better-sounding woofer, won't you be glad you got the better-sounding amp?

No battling fellas. When its said and done, you both have good opinions and I will take them for what they are worth. Im leaning more toward the zapco amp (350.2 or 200.2), knowing that it is more power than needed for the 10W1v2 (4ohm), but quite right if I decide to upgrade to the 10w3 down the road. Now, its just the hassle of getting my hands on one for a good price. I would consider getting a JL, but the quality of Zapco is hard to beat at times.

Kryptonite

[digitaljok]

Originally Posted by Kryptonite

Im leaning more toward the zapco amp (350.2 or 200.2), knowing that it is more power than needed for the 10W1v2 (4ohm), but quite right if I decide to upgrade to the 10w3 down the road. Now, its just the hassle of getting my hands on one for a good price. I would consider getting a JL, but the quality of Zapco is hard to beat at times.

Well I'm in exactly the same boat here, deciding what amp to get for the Stealthbox on the way. Did you consider the Zapco i-250? It's cheaper, but more importantly, it will take balanced speaker level input wire directly instead of just RCA inputs. Interestingly, the old JL e1400D had these speaker level connectors too, but now the A1400 and 250/1 have only RCA inputs. Guess it must be cheaper to make that way...Anyways, I bring up the Zapco i-250 because apparently the i-force line's circuitry is mostly the same as that in the reference line (350.2 & 200.2). At 4 ohms, there's no difference between the two. El duderino ought to remember the thread that talks about this:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...=501411&page=2 See posts #45 &46

This install will be my first, and it seems like not having to wire up RCA plugs is a plus. It also doesn't hurt that the models that just so happen to support bare wire are cheaper than those without. I'm not going to worry about any potential difference in sound quality between Zapco and JL as both are above average.

The only problem then is, as you put it, "getting my hands on one for a good price". Even though I read about zapco all over the place, there are barely any units available online that are in the right ballpark. Almost all on eBay are multichannel and/or overpowered. Is zapco that hardcore against internet sales, or is this little i-250 amp just that obscure? And since the JL e1400D is discontinued, I expected a lot to be on eBay, but again, there are very few. All the new units seem to be priced like they're still the latest model! If it's time to go local, I'd welcome any recommendations for the Los Angeles area, and I don't mind used units.

Kryptonite, I don't know if this affects your deliberations any, but let us know what you decide on and how the install goes.

[Micah D. Cranman]

Ken (el.duderino) carries Zapco and may be able to get you the amp you need. I don't know about his pricing, but whatever he charges, his expertise and the full warranty and support you get will surely be worth it.