First of all, I don't own MTX and I'm not trying to defend them, and I'm sorry to be a bit harsh, but I want to know why you DON'T like MTX. I just read on another post by you that you've never owned any MTX. How is it possible you have never had any MTX gear, but yet you know that it is or isn't good, and at the same time don't know about Phoenix Gold, Focal, or Diamond. If you know enough about the current state of car audio to be NOT recommending a mainstream company like MTX, then you surely would know about Phoenix Gold, and would at least have HEARD of Focal and Diamond, which you said in another post that you haven't. I don't get it when people are recommending or NOT recommending something that they know nothing about. It's no wonder that new people to this hobby are confused about what to get. John Doe thinks MTX is the greatest thing since sliced bread because he's had MTX in his system for 6 years with no problems. And, meanwhile, John Q. Public, who owns Audiobahn, thinks they are cheap even though he's never really owned any. And John Newbie doesn't know what to think because he's 18 with no experience and happens to be friends with John Q. Public. So he buys Audiobahn like Mr. Public. And then he's really confused because he wonders why the **** someone, supposedly with knowledge, would recommend such a thing OVER MTX. At least he has some chrome to fall back on.

 

Don't know much about all the other brands like mtx and all. what i can tell you is i have a rockford fosgate punch 60. i bought it when i was in HS(1994) and it is still driving my 2 12" kickers without a bit of trouble.

 

The last time I looked at Focal they were not cheap. The 165A 6.5 speakers were $300.00 with only a 120 Watt "Peak" power output and 93dB. I listened to them and still they did not warrant the high price. This was there lowest priced 6.5 speaker?


I don't know but for $300.00 US you can get a set Alpine R 136A and save $60.00 I know they only have 90dB and 3dB is good for a few more turns up on the ****. I just don't listen at 90% power anyways.

 

I don't see how one can label MTX as "cheap." Pricewise, they are in the same range as Kicker and RF, maybe slightly less. I paid $225 and $300 for my two amps (a 342 and an older 2150x). Qualitywise, they sound great and are very reliable and well-built. The amps are very heavy and feel like they are made from a solid block of metal. For fun, I took them apart and was impressed with how "flawless" the circuit boards looked. Also, my two amps were made in the US of A, which is quite rare considering that most electronics nowadays are made in China.

I'm don't mean to imply that MTX is the best amp one can buy. But in my book, they certainly are not "cheap" in any way.

My opinion on opinions is that everyone has the right express one. However, their validity always has to be considered and questioned.

P.S. LinearPower, your rant was dead on.

 

Anyone have expieriences with Sony Xplode's?

 

Amps, Speakers, and HU's are like tools. There is the best and then everything else. It all depends on how much you want to spend and how it sounds to you.


Everybody says there just as good as Snap-On. If that was so why does everybody campare there tools too Snap-On? Could it be cause they are the standard by which everbody else is Judged.

If you want the best get ready to pony up at least 10K to start with. Then hope you can win it back!

 

Below average.

 

My manager at work has the MTX Thunder502, on 2 12" MTX 5500 subs, in a custom box, and it sounds ok, just not the best I've heard before, and it could be that he doesn't have it configured well, I also know another guy that has an MTX amp and a 12" Kicker L7, and the sound was kind of crackly, these have just gave me a cheap impression on MTX.
I do know about Phoenix Gold, and I researched on focal and diamond audio once I heard about them. Phoenix Gold amps, are great stuff, I know several people with PG's, and different brand's of subs, and when I hear their system's, it's like there's a feeling of strength and dependability in their system. It's like sitting at a cheap Dell computer, and it feels weak, but then I can get on a custom built computer, with a Gb of RAM and it feels beefy. I'm not totally against MTX, but I would save my money and not buy their amp's so I could buy something better than them, that is if it were me. Just my personal opinion.

 

Ok, your opinion of MTX amps has some validity based on these observations. However, keep in mind, the "sound" of any given system, be it car or home audio, is a synergistic effect of ALL its components. So listening to a system that doesn't sound quite good, it's really hard to point to the "weak link" without doing selected equipment swaps. And like you suggested, proper configuration and adjustment is extremely important to good sound. Also, speakers and subs would have the greatest impact on the sound of a system. The quality of your manager's bass has more to do with the sub and sub box than the amp itself. Also, I bet the guy with the "crackly" sounding system has his amp gain turned up too high and is clipping his amp or overpowering the sub. His sub could even be damaged from this.

Again, I don't intend to come across as an MTX-fanatic who gets defensive at comments about them. In fact, it really doesn't effect me one bit if MTX thrives or goes under. I'm just giving some general food for thought for everyone when they comment on audio equipment.

 

I know that there is a lot to make a sound system actually sound good, and you have to configure it to your car/truck's acoustics, but from those people I know with the MTX's, my impression of MTX wasn't good.

 

first off THD stands for Total Harmonic Distortion 1% is kinda high, but usable

also, MTX is a great brand, the product is made by the parent company called Mitek, which also makes products like Xtant, Streetwires, and Polk Audio as well. If you want proof look at the 2004 dB Drag Racing world finals held in Nashville last month.

((NASHVILLE, TN, USA) -- dB Drag is about being the best, and
competitors from around the world show up for a contest of "who is
the loudest vehicle on the planet." MTX's Team ThunderForce brought
down the house at this year's dB Drag Finals the weekend of October
23-24. With two world championships and a best of show, Team
ThunderForce members Kara Lucius, John Hellemn, Jay Lovelace and
Jimmy Zimmerman finished the dB Drag season even stronger than they
began.

TForce duo Kara Lucius and John Hellemn, Extreme 2 competitors, are
once again the loudest on the planet turning in a high score of
170.5 dB, more than 1dB louder than last year's world championship
score at the dB Drag Finals. This award will be added to the stack
that the pair has won over the year with eight MTX 1501D amplifiers,
StreetWires interconnects and two 15" woofers all housed in the back
of their MTX competition van.

"We're really relieved to have dB Drag Finals behind us," Hellemn
comments. "We had zero failures at the show and we're in pretty good
shape now for IASCA and MECA finals coming up in the next few weeks.
We're hoping to finish all three finals with championships...that's
our goal."

Jay Lovelace, now six-time world champion, also brought home a world
championship in the Extreme 1 class with a high score of 168.2 dB.
After the season he has had, no one expected any less. With world
records in both SLAP and IDBL competitions along with an extensive
collection of trophies from various competitions throughout the
year, he showed that his '98 Chevy Astro loaded with twelve MTX
1501D amplifiers and an 18" subwoofer more than adequate to earn him
some hardware for his mantel.

Jimmy Zimmerman and his Team Shady competition van complete with 5
MTX RFLs and 20 Thunder1501D amplifiers took home the award for Best
of Show at the finals. The Best of Show title is judged based upon
overall appearance of the vehicle including the exterior and
interior including the aesthetic appeal of the install. Jimmy Z's
brand new van, complete with custom airbrushed exterior, was the
ideal candidate for the award.

See Team ThunderForce continue their success at the 2004 IASCA
finals and MECA finals November 13-14 in Louisville, KY.

So, if you have a doubt that MTX products are bad, hopefully this will assure you that they arent.