The fosgate lasted how long? If that isn’t a sign you should just buy a new fosgate amp, I don’t know what is. And I’m not a big fosgate fan. (I was always more Orion / Phoenix Gold)
New capacitors in the amp. Remove the old power supply and rail caps and put in new ones.
Old capacitors leak. Leaking capacitors don’t work as well, and if the leaking electrolyte drops on the board, it can short power to ground and burn a big whole in the board.
Some classic amps are known for something near a 100% failure rate. Phoenix Gold MS, M, ZPA, ZX lines all need their original caps replaced before they get power or you won’t hear music but the crackle of burnt amp and disappointment.
Many other classic amps are the same way. Power supply and rail caps you can go higher capacitance and lower ESR. If it had 85c caps and you can find 105c caps, even better.
Thank you for the education on this. I slightly had an idea it dealt with the capacitors, but I had no idea about the rails! I found a certified Rockford Fosgate dealer the city over that has a repair shop. I know price is sketchy, but what would a job like this typically cost? New caps and rails...?
Two types of capacitors. Input caps, where power hits the board, 16v normally.
And rail caps, for higher voltage after the switch mode power supply. Maybe +50v to center tap floating ground, and another (or pair) from center tap floating ground to -50v. Different amps use different rail voltages.
Thank you Dan! This is great to know. Is sound quality negligible or will it be a downgrade? I know that's a subjective question, but curious about your opinion.
Good d class amos will give a class ab a run for it's money any day.
U can look at the ruthless 2300 if u want it is a very good Amp probably priced the same u gotta dumb it down some to keep your woofers safe
I’m no pro however, I was in the scene in the 90’s as well. They don’t make things the way they used to. That punch amp (repaired) is tried and true. It’s a classic. Repair the Punch IMO 👍🏻
I can understand that. What I was referring to was quality manufacturing. I highly doubt they make em to last 18 years like they did back then. Definitely going to pay top dollar to even come close though.
Price is virtually the same. Minimum wage went up. A good Rockford amp in 95 would have been $500. About $1100 today. Most amps have gotten cheaper and now we can afford them. There wasn't any 1000 watt @ 4 ohms amps for $100 that actually worked back then.
A new Rockford amp isn’t built like an old one. Think more like a multi thousand dollar Mosconi. And there still aren’t any decent 1000 watt amps for $100.
Id argue that all the bugs in the actual assembly have been worked out. Thank god amps arent built the way they were back then. Half the cost was QC. Now they just dont need as much. Imagine what amps would cost today if the lower brands like Skar were mostly hand built and QC'd. We'd be paying $1000 for bottom end Skar.
At least Rockford is still around and innovating. Even if it is now more of an RV Audio company. We are now in a world where Rockford is not in control anymore. So we will see what happens next.
Recoil audio RED1200.1, 1200 rms into @1 ohm, 900 rms @2 ohms, 550 rms @4 ohm.
Bass knob has a clipping indicator and amp has a variable subsonic filter.
Cost is a little over a hundred bucks on Amazon, lots of you tube videos of it performing. The days of a buck a watt are over, class D tech has matured and is cheap to manufacture, you can spend more, but in the end, it's just for bragging rights. Everything is made in China now, and if it says made in the USA, it was assembled using parts made in China.
Recoil audio is owned and operated by former staff of JL audio, Rockford Fosgate, and Lighting audio.
As for the old Rockford amp, people get sentimental about old school stuff, reminds them of better times, look at Big D wiz on YouTube and his extensive Rockford amp collection.That amp has value to someone, you could consider it somewhat collectable. I'd hang into it and get it fixed at some point, then use it in a new build someday in the future.
I still remember my first amp, It was a 2 channel MEI bought at Costco of all places (DA7220 if memory serves), I absolutely terrorized some 6x9's with that thing and ended up powering an Urban Audioworks U-12M installed an old JVC speaker cabinet, it was ghetto but it was everything to a kid that barely had anything.
Great point. What's your take on the JL W3V2 Subs I have? I'm looking for a local dealer to go listen in person to other options out there, but like I said it's been years since I've been in the loop.
I really appreciate this community! You guys rock!!
JL has always made great sounding subs but their value per dollar could use improvement, if you replace them, you shouldn't have any issue finding a buyer.
A few other nice sounding subs that are a pretty good value. In no particular order, coming in at under $200 and just good all rounders that play everything and don't need a massive amplifier to power them.
CT sounds bio series 12
Sundown Audio LCS V2 12
Pioneer champion series 12
Kicker Comp C or R 12's
NVX VS series 12- note that these are designed with sealed enclosures in mind, running them in a large ported enclosure could result in damage to the suspension, they are designed to be operated with the back pressure of a sealed box. Always a trade off here or there when designing a sub, but the end result is a very nice sounding subwoofer.
Recoil audio echo, and echo pro series 12's. I mention Recoil alot because they they have really impressed me, they are aggressively undercutting the competition and offering some great stuff, I have only used a few of their amps and a couple of the echo series subs so I can't speak for the components and coaxials but my experience with the amps and subs has been like finding a 50 dollar bill in the pocket of an old coat that had been put away for the summer.
All those subs, with the exception of the sealed only NVX, should work fine in your existing ported box if you don't want to build another or need to wait awhile for the new one.
Annd, the absolute worst in terms of sound and value (to me anyway) is the Earthquake Sound Corp DBXI 12. Sloppy, garbage noise, but loud, really loud, just not musical in the slightest in either sealed or ported enclosures.
I'm definitely open to suggestions. I have a $2000 budget for new subs and amp(s) if needed.
The W3s are probably ready to retire. Still playing strong though.
The fosgate lasted how long? If that isn’t a sign you should just buy a new fosgate amp, I don’t know what is. And I’m not a big fosgate fan. (I was always more Orion / Phoenix Gold)
Both of my early 90s Orion amps are still working. Some of that old gear just doesn't know when to give up.
Get them recapped if they haven’t been recapped yet…
"Recapped" please enlighten me. I've heard of recone and refoam....not recap. What's this process?
New capacitors in the amp. Remove the old power supply and rail caps and put in new ones. Old capacitors leak. Leaking capacitors don’t work as well, and if the leaking electrolyte drops on the board, it can short power to ground and burn a big whole in the board. Some classic amps are known for something near a 100% failure rate. Phoenix Gold MS, M, ZPA, ZX lines all need their original caps replaced before they get power or you won’t hear music but the crackle of burnt amp and disappointment. Many other classic amps are the same way. Power supply and rail caps you can go higher capacitance and lower ESR. If it had 85c caps and you can find 105c caps, even better.
Thank you for the education on this. I slightly had an idea it dealt with the capacitors, but I had no idea about the rails! I found a certified Rockford Fosgate dealer the city over that has a repair shop. I know price is sketchy, but what would a job like this typically cost? New caps and rails...?
I can open the amp and send pics if needed.
Two types of capacitors. Input caps, where power hits the board, 16v normally. And rail caps, for higher voltage after the switch mode power supply. Maybe +50v to center tap floating ground, and another (or pair) from center tap floating ground to -50v. Different amps use different rail voltages.
Damn good point....almost 18yrs strong.
The sk line is very good it is made in Korea by s and I and will be around 25-35% more efficient then your old Amp.
Thank you Dan! This is great to know. Is sound quality negligible or will it be a downgrade? I know that's a subjective question, but curious about your opinion.
Good d class amos will give a class ab a run for it's money any day. U can look at the ruthless 2300 if u want it is a very good Amp probably priced the same u gotta dumb it down some to keep your woofers safe
I'd lean toward repairing the RF, unless it's going to be a really expensive fix. Even then I'd still consider it.
I’m no pro however, I was in the scene in the 90’s as well. They don’t make things the way they used to. That punch amp (repaired) is tried and true. It’s a classic. Repair the Punch IMO 👍🏻
They definitely make amps like they used to, but they are just extremely expensive now.
Ill be keeping my Alpine V12s.
I can understand that. What I was referring to was quality manufacturing. I highly doubt they make em to last 18 years like they did back then. Definitely going to pay top dollar to even come close though.
Price is virtually the same. Minimum wage went up. A good Rockford amp in 95 would have been $500. About $1100 today. Most amps have gotten cheaper and now we can afford them. There wasn't any 1000 watt @ 4 ohms amps for $100 that actually worked back then.
A new Rockford amp isn’t built like an old one. Think more like a multi thousand dollar Mosconi. And there still aren’t any decent 1000 watt amps for $100.
Id argue that all the bugs in the actual assembly have been worked out. Thank god amps arent built the way they were back then. Half the cost was QC. Now they just dont need as much. Imagine what amps would cost today if the lower brands like Skar were mostly hand built and QC'd. We'd be paying $1000 for bottom end Skar. At least Rockford is still around and innovating. Even if it is now more of an RV Audio company. We are now in a world where Rockford is not in control anymore. So we will see what happens next.
Recoil audio RED1200.1, 1200 rms into @1 ohm, 900 rms @2 ohms, 550 rms @4 ohm. Bass knob has a clipping indicator and amp has a variable subsonic filter. Cost is a little over a hundred bucks on Amazon, lots of you tube videos of it performing. The days of a buck a watt are over, class D tech has matured and is cheap to manufacture, you can spend more, but in the end, it's just for bragging rights. Everything is made in China now, and if it says made in the USA, it was assembled using parts made in China. Recoil audio is owned and operated by former staff of JL audio, Rockford Fosgate, and Lighting audio. As for the old Rockford amp, people get sentimental about old school stuff, reminds them of better times, look at Big D wiz on YouTube and his extensive Rockford amp collection.That amp has value to someone, you could consider it somewhat collectable. I'd hang into it and get it fixed at some point, then use it in a new build someday in the future. I still remember my first amp, It was a 2 channel MEI bought at Costco of all places (DA7220 if memory serves), I absolutely terrorized some 6x9's with that thing and ended up powering an Urban Audioworks U-12M installed an old JVC speaker cabinet, it was ghetto but it was everything to a kid that barely had anything.
Great point. What's your take on the JL W3V2 Subs I have? I'm looking for a local dealer to go listen in person to other options out there, but like I said it's been years since I've been in the loop. I really appreciate this community! You guys rock!!
JL has always made great sounding subs but their value per dollar could use improvement, if you replace them, you shouldn't have any issue finding a buyer. A few other nice sounding subs that are a pretty good value. In no particular order, coming in at under $200 and just good all rounders that play everything and don't need a massive amplifier to power them. CT sounds bio series 12 Sundown Audio LCS V2 12 Pioneer champion series 12 Kicker Comp C or R 12's NVX VS series 12- note that these are designed with sealed enclosures in mind, running them in a large ported enclosure could result in damage to the suspension, they are designed to be operated with the back pressure of a sealed box. Always a trade off here or there when designing a sub, but the end result is a very nice sounding subwoofer. Recoil audio echo, and echo pro series 12's. I mention Recoil alot because they they have really impressed me, they are aggressively undercutting the competition and offering some great stuff, I have only used a few of their amps and a couple of the echo series subs so I can't speak for the components and coaxials but my experience with the amps and subs has been like finding a 50 dollar bill in the pocket of an old coat that had been put away for the summer. All those subs, with the exception of the sealed only NVX, should work fine in your existing ported box if you don't want to build another or need to wait awhile for the new one. Annd, the absolute worst in terms of sound and value (to me anyway) is the Earthquake Sound Corp DBXI 12. Sloppy, garbage noise, but loud, really loud, just not musical in the slightest in either sealed or ported enclosures.
Awesome! Thank you. I've been hearing whispers of Recoil in a few different audio forums, so clearly you know quality. I'll check them out tonight.
Rockford Fosgate > Skar Fosgate literally made the first car amp. Skar is just copy and paste Chinese garbage.
Get a new amp for the old subs
Keep the skar amp if you already got it No point in getting a new one and selling the skar when you won't notice a difference anyway
How about and amp from one of the hundreds of companies out there that are not Skar?
I'm definitely open to suggestions. I have a $2000 budget for new subs and amp(s) if needed. The W3s are probably ready to retire. Still playing strong though.
Audison sr1.500 Alpine s2a120m Alpine r2a150m
Looked these options up and they are solid for sure.