Big D has become a staple in the audio community and synonymous with finding no BS reviews on amps. You've been awesome brother. Keeping these companies honest. Keep up all the great work!
Early 2000’s, one of the best systems I ever had was two power DVC 12s in a ported enclosure, with two power 800 amps, one on each woofer, and a 75.2 on mids and highs, whatever the top of the line rockford ones were called at the time. Was in an LS400. People still talk about that system to this day. Wish I could go back to those days, before everyone started drinking the kool-Aid and being angry all the time… life was much better then!
I still have that one still two 800@2 and two HX2 12inch with a 400@4 to mid's and 200@4 for hight's. I just happen to have the same stereo system. Still listen to it works perfect.
My favorite system was two 15" punch power DVCs in individual sealed boxes in the extended cab of my little toyota pickup. Had to rip everything out of the back to make them fit. Phoenix gold zx titanium mono amp powered them. JL Audio components and Alpine 4 channels for highs. That thing screamed as loud as you could take it.
Forget Netflix. I've been on a binge watching this channel. It would be awesome if you could have videos listing your favorite: 1-mono amps, 2--four channel amps, 3--above 4 channel amps, etc. Maybe using criteria like "Project Farm" does here on UA-cam...power vs rating, size, cost, connections & control, and finally aesthetics. Each category could have a weighted score. You've definitely got the experience and have built a ton of credibility to do it.
had my p1000 over 5 years working hard everyday, my bro has had his t1000 for over 8 years and no problems at all, my jl slash 500 v2 has lived well over 12 years and im glad too say with some brands the cost is worth it they never die, ive went through cars faster than these amps lol
The topology of this amp is extremely unique. If I recall correctly the output stage is like a class A/B except the outer semiconductors operate solid state and the inner semiconductors operate in class D and the outer ones act as a shunt to vary the supply voltage to the class D section thus how the amp keeps constant power at different impedances. Just an extremely innovative and interesting design that no one else has done. Also all of the semiconductors are top of the line which is why it costs so much. Nothing will suddenly blow up after slamming on it all day every day.
@@wal have been running the same t2500 in my silverado-1500 with a mechman 400 elite for well over 3 years, this amp gets beat on daily for 2 to 3 hours and never gone into protect yet. Soon going to replace it with a Surge 7K though because for $1k, how can you go wrong?
@@dcplze3107 I used to design and build custom one of a kind amps completely from scratch and I'm sorry brotha but you don't know what you're talking about. The amps that are designed with cost effectiveness in mind (most amps now) use the cheapest shit semiconductors they can get ahold of (international rectifier, MOSPEC, etc) and push them to their absolite limits when the amp is ran at full tilt. They also mostly use cookie cutter designs that aren't unique. Rockford amps are a completely different story. ALL of the high power semiconductors are high end (ST Microelectronics, ON semi, etc) and are over specced. The amp will last literally forever. They're also in-house designs. Regardless of where an amp is made, it's still relying on all the internal components.. You can assemble an amp out of garbage components or high end ones and itll be the same amp regardless of where you assemble it. It costs what it costs because thats what the components cost to build it
Another great video! Thank you for all your hard work and help, informing the community and those just getting into car audio. Fosgate amps have always been reliable and good clean power. Keep up the great work, brother.
@@wal sorry if you see 3 posts or so i was trying to fix grammar errors YT kept saying { error loading comment } Apologizes if it looked like i was being an idiot
I have been running one of these amps for years. I love mine. Nice seeing it metered. You always do an amazing job talking and testing amps. Thanks for them.
I own one of these. Still wrapped up bnib. I think for the kind of money they want for these that they should’ve come with a nice bass remote knob WITH clip indicators. Their competitors include one with their amps that cost under $300. Rockford Fosgate has definitely been cheaping out and cutting lots of corners lately. They’re one of the audio companies that should be leading the pack, not falling behind but taking the time to raise prices.
Thanks Big D, I bought this amp in Nov. 2019, from Rockford Fosgate on sale for $1150. Thats was new not a refurb. Couldnt afford it now if I had to buy another.
Not necessarily overpriced, it's not inexpensive but the efficiency and overall durability are unquestionable. Value isn't always based on price alone, IMHO.
I had 2 of the 1000-1BD several years ago and I definitely regret getting rid of them. If I remember correctly they were in the neighborhood of 1,300 watts rms. Some of the best amps I ever had for the money.
I bought three brand new T2500-bdcp’s from Crutchfield just over a year ago in March of 2021 for my Yukon Denali. They were $1599.99 each. I thought $4799.97 for the three amps were mad expensive until I saw they increased their price by $380 each. Now I sort feel I got a good deal. I love these amps and I love Rockford. I still have my first Rockford Fosgate amp which is a Punch 150 that I purchased in 1990 for my 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS Turbo. That was the first year the Eclipse came out. (Years later it turned into a girls car) when the body styled changed. LOL. I ran a 10” Stillwater Bazooka tube in the hatch. I obviously don’t have that car but the Punch 150 is in currently in my 85 year old mother’s 2015 Honda Odyssey minivan pushing an 8”sub. I can tell you from experience,Rockford is definitely reliable.
Great video as always! Yes Rockford fosgate isn’t cheap but,I believe you get what you pay for. I have been a Rockford fan boy since I first got into car audio back in 89-90. I got back into the hobby about 2 years ago. I’m running the Punch 600x4 on my doors and, the Power 750x1 bdcp on my 2 12’s. And after all these years I’m still very happy with Rockford.
I have run this amp with 2 13w7 in a custom Gately 5 cu ft ported enclosure. The price increase would be a tough pill to swallow but I bought the amp because in my opinion it was the best subwoofer amp on the market. Build quality, SQ, real world power and the vu meters. I beat on the amp and it never gave me a single problem. The quality of bass with the w7 and 2500 bdcp amp is exceptional. I’d like to add a third 13w7 with a 1 ohm final load. Also, the bass knob isn’t just a regular bass knob. It alters the frequency response and therefore i never used it. I would much prefer a simple remote gain type knob.
@@wal the quality of bass from the combo is really stunning. Very expensive but totally worth it for me. Although the w7s are now a dinosaur design they were the right woofers for me. They are articulate, tight and transparent very similar to a w6v3 but can pound when you need to.
I used to drool over wanting to owning one of these back in the day, when I was younger. Then I was able to afford a couple and ultimately passed on it because of the price tag/power ratio, there is just better options these days for less, same can be said about JL audio amps. The people that worked on them having their logos on the pcms was always something that was really cool though.
I agree these amps are beast I have the 1500 bdcp signal to noise an dampening is through the roof they last forever I still haven’t found a better amp other then Digital designs
i am happy you remembered this is an old design.. but for its time it was top of the line.. still pretty good just need better efficiency. Dynamic power is the amp trying to limit its current... constant power power limiting..
I remember around 2013 this amp was going for 800 new. Definitely want to pick one up one day when they're not so expensive. RF has actually dropped the price down to 1.2k new now.
Great review. Thank you! From my experience, RF amps sound really good compared to other brands like Alpine, Kenwood, Skar and so on. Plus, they last almost forever. RF is right up there with JL Audio.
Definitely agree with that... I still have trouble understanding how the JL filtering and dampening make it sound soo damn good! But RF has really improved and moved up... along with its price
What’s up Brutha D!!! Between you and Ryan (Budget Gem), I got back into car audio once again. As everyone has said before this comment, we truly appreciate all your dedication and knowledge. Much love my good man 💯
One of the cleanest, best sounding bass amps currently sold. The bass knob is $40 every shop I've been in and the potentiometers don't last. My one and only complaint.
Watching this again I wonder if the lto cells resting at 15v may have thrown it into a slight panic. It shouldn't by any means but dynamically these amps HAVE ALWAYS made big numbers.
That’s a lot of cheddar, but a very high quality amp. Great video as always. Also on a side note I have noticed RF amps don’t like low ohm sine wave runs as most of the ones I’ve tested went into and out of protect as well.
If I’m not mistaken, that bass knob is also not for gain but for “punch EQ” or bass boost. Why you’d want that on a knob I do not know, but pioneer did it for a while as well.
*SHOP: (affiliate links)* T2500-1BDcp: amzn.to/3wGBF7R T1500-1BDcp: amzn.to/3sIqhqD Rockford Fosgate Amplifiers: amzn.to/3lpzgsS Massive Audio Subwoofers: amzn.to/3Lw084Y Test Your Amplifier with SMD AMM-1: lddy.no/106tm My Favorite Screwdriver Kit: amzn.to/2x0VzcE *See the T1500-1BDcp Video: **ua-cam.com/video/VKO_sWLsMhs/v-deo.html* SMD / D'Amore Engineering Amp Dyno: goo.gl/sJTcf7 XS Power D1400 Batteries - amzn.to/2BPFCKW XS Power PSC60 Charger - amzn.to/2CHGcfs Fluke 1000A AC/DC Clamp Meter: amzn.to/2Rw5WDA Handheld Dyno: amzn.to/2u2EgKV My Favorite Screwdriver Kit: amzn.to/2x0VzcE Video Index: 0:00 Intro 0:48 Steve Meade Designs 1:02 Unboxing the Amp 1:51 No Bass Remote? 2:40 Features and Specs 4:01 Amp Dyno Tests 7:12 Subwoofer Test 8:54 Thermals and Internals 10:38 Pros and Cons 11:26 Final Thoughts 11:57 Extras _DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase from one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases_
Thanks for another great video BIg D! I was actually shocked at how poor the efficiency was on this amp. Though the power is still very stellar. I've always said if I can come across one of these amps in very good condition at a nice price I will buy it. Or, even if I can find the 2500bdcp for Sale new at a low sales price or clearance price I will quickly buy it! These amps imo are great amps even with the crazy low efficiency. Over $2900 new is way too much, no question about that. More than $1 per rated watt takes me back to late 90s/early 2000s.
The Price is insane to me. The Skar SKV2-2500.1D Korean amp is only $509.00. It passed the Dyno test with ease. I personally have the Skar SKv2 3500 and this amp is amazing.
Your skar is skarbage. It's insane to you because you don't value your car audioand don't understand thatyour buying more the just watts 🤦🤦🤦, you probably just want people to hear your bass.
This is crazy timing. I just bought a t1500.1 and a 2500.1 just popped up for sale. I was looking at buying it and the t600.4 from the guy. Awesome video
My favorite AMP. Saving up for my second one to strap for a T3! … I got mine from Sounds of Tri-State as well. Not a single problem with the manufacturer refurb.
Had one of these a few years back that I ran 3 American Bass 12s with . Final static load was 0.66 ohms . As long as I played at a moderate volume for 10 minutes I could run with no issues , even in NC with high 80's to low 90's . I presume impedance rise after warming up brought the load above protect threshold .
I love mine. Only had to send it in once for repair. Running 2 black t2d212s power subs to match. Most tell me it's loudest trunk system they ever heard
I have in my possession two 500w rms coil subs, the subs are dual 4 ohm single coil. So basically I either connect all 4 coils in parallel to get a 1 ohm requirement and 2000w rms or I do a mixed series/parallel connection between the 4 coils to get a final requirement of 2000w rms at 4 ohms. I am undecided whether to buy the t2500 and use it at 4ohm or the t1500 and use it at 1ohm. Calculating that the former I would pay 1400 euros and the latter 800 euros, surely the savings is a lot. But in the first case with the t2500 I would make the amplifier work in full peace of mind at 4 ohms and with an efficiency just over 72%, and in the second case with the t1500 I would make the amplifier work at 1 ohm and with an efficiency of less than 65%
These are sweet amps, just spendy and heck! The brand new 20 year old T3002 I got from ya is still working hard at 1 ohm stereo beating down a myriad of mids. I bet it's still pumping underated watts 20 years from now yet. Spendy, but 10, even 20 year old RF equipment has quality that most of today's brands STILL can't touch. Great video, always wondered what these did stacked against competition.
I have the t1500-1bd not the cp model but looks the same. Works good but waiting to get some Lto lithium and some super caps so I can run my cab45...🤤👍🏼💯
Pumping this videos big d wiz!!! out like I used to in the base house back in 91 off cedar block in Compton back when the 808s used to have the block going crazy
I have a used 400-4 that was scratched pretty bad so I wrapped the cover in 3M's black carbon fiber wrap. So when I got my new 1500, I wrapped it with some 3M clear PPF (Paint Protection Film) and has done amazing. It's self healing meaning if it gets a scratch it will smooth back out with heat. So if the amp gets warm, and it will and should, any scratches should pretty much vanish. Mackie P.....nice to hear that the 1000 is a good one also. A lot say this is the best one for the money over all and not the 1500.
Rockford Fosgate, the cat's meow of car amplifiers. By far the best I've heard. I do agree, there are many other companies that have exceeded the power and efficiency of the RF designs for way cheaper. So I'd say, are you willing to pay $1k-$1.5k for something that most folk couldn't tell the difference in sound quality? I'm good.
Interestingly the bass knob isn't just a bass knob. As seen at @2:13 it mentions that the "Remote Punch EQ is an equalizer for Bass & Treble" With diagram. So does that mean it can also be used with Rockford full range amps?? If so, then that would seriously mess up with the settings for the gain on the amp. But it is a monster of an amp.. Can never be disappointed with an Rockford's amps performance
Big D, I can't take the videos anymore... making me too jealous!! Otherwise, of course I love any videos you throw out there. I have a love / hate relationship with "Do it bump doe?".... If I step away for even a moment and you go into testing the amp on speakers and I have all the amplifiers / speakers even at quite low volume, well.... there goes the dishes in the kitchen, cabinets vibrating, windows rattle, etc.... the other day, I may have been playing it a little on the loud side and I was vibrating some power cords out of the electric outlet near the equipment. Ah, I guess I won't complain and just turned it up a little more. Much love man!!! You keep on rocking and make sure you take care of yourself and the family.
These have almost tripled in price over the last decade. No reason for that except the greedy pricing game all these companies are playing. Electronics are always high markup items to begin with, but it's just gotten insane lately.
Thank you so much for this review! So much money when a Orion HCCA will absolutely bloe this thing out of the water at half the price! This is borderline Dick Riculous!
Used to be an RF hater with their griddle looking amps. Now I hate that I didn't look into them closer and love the current stuff. Hell I just love all car audio lol...
Dang I missed this video... I own 3 of them myself when it first came out and I love em... I have 3 T1 the 1st gens and I love em All... All in a Lincoln town car
I’ve had a few different type of amps, i bought a Rockford fosgate r1200-1d and man it makes any note sound good. I had it on a loaded enclosure 12” skar evl. It will blow any skar amps, ct amps, or any of the cheap popular competitors and with no battery upgrade. People are going to say it’s not true but it is, if you have had a quality amp then you install a cheap amp. You can instantly tell the difference in the bass notes. My sound system got stolen, now I have a jp23 amp with 2 audio legion 10s, honestly I should of got another Rockford fosgate amp instead
Don’t get me wrong if your starting to get into sound system and is in a budget, you can’t go wrong with these cheap popular amps but if you got the money I would definitely go with Rockford fosgate or JL Audio
I've got my previous generation power T10001BD Rockford Fosgate amp still. It burned one of the tinsel leads off of my T2 12 inch woofer voice coil. I've got to get a recoil and spider kit for it. That single woofer in a slot ported box would disturb my breathing with three inches of cone movement and 1050 watts RMS. I think it said that it was built in Tempe Arizona on the box.
Honestly, 2K for the best RF amp isn't bad. Hard sell though when these guys like JP selling 3300 watt monsters with Bluetooth remotes for $599. I've been putting $100 a month away towards the RF for a year. Almost there.
you should make a video of what's the best amp at 100 watts , 200 watts , 300 watts .... and so on and so on ..... until you get to 1000 watts ..... i bet people love to watch that ..... get alll the amps together ..... 😁👍
Good amp design and tight regulation isn't going to have dynamic headroom. Efficiency can be addressed with higher input voltage designs of 300-500VDC which may get common when more EVs are on the road. Nice thing is you can use the same gauge wire for power and speakers! 😀
I want to see Big D test an Rockford T40001BD. I think the reason they don’t come with a bass knob is that most of the guys who can afford to run them already have a bass knob.
@@smellsuperb1 I sold the four I had along with two Rockford 100 farad cap banks and four RE Audio XXX 18’s. I sold everything as a package for $9k. Didn’t even come close to what I paid for it all though.
Sure, but it’s preferable to run drivers with lower WRMS ratings than the amp, which allows for headroom well before any possible distortion. I’m sure you already know this. Just commenting for others who might read this
@@ScramTek I'm kurious why he is wondering about that low dynamic power and "didnt know why" but pointed out that power supply thing multiple times in other Amps like JL HD1200/1 and forgot it in this one ;-) But no matter - love his Videos
Great review as always! I too am surprised at the dynamic 🤷. Iv never owned a nice model like that but, I'll rep the prime series all day long 👌. The sound quality (and loudness) on the stock electrical I had in the car was what sold me. My bigger skar amp rp series isn't as loud, nor does it hit as clean even on better electrical 🤷🤷🤷. It's about half the cost though
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Big D has become a staple in the audio community and synonymous with finding no BS reviews on amps. You've been awesome brother. Keeping these companies honest. Keep up all the great work!
I appreciate the love and feedback!
Agree, and you probably meant "now"
Don’t you mean “BigD HAS become a staple…”?
You wrote that he’s NOT..
Much deserved quarter mill + subscribers
@@ScramTek Yea typo 😁 Big guy with big fingers haha! Fixed it 👍
Early 2000’s, one of the best systems I ever had was two power DVC 12s in a ported enclosure, with two power 800 amps, one on each woofer, and a 75.2 on mids and highs, whatever the top of the line rockford ones were called at the time. Was in an LS400. People still talk about that system to this day.
Wish I could go back to those days, before everyone started drinking the kool-Aid and being angry all the time… life was much better then!
I still have that one still two 800@2 and two HX2 12inch with a 400@4 to mid's and 200@4 for hight's. I just happen to have the same stereo system. Still listen to it works perfect.
My favorite system was two 15" punch power DVCs in individual sealed boxes in the extended cab of my little toyota pickup. Had to rip everything out of the back to make them fit. Phoenix gold zx titanium mono amp powered them. JL Audio components and Alpine 4 channels for highs. That thing screamed as loud as you could take it.
These amps used to be around $1300-1400 a few years ago. Insane that they still don’t come with a bass knob with the amount the price increased
theyare in promo rn for 1299
@@henriquee67 Where to order?
@@rogelio2931 on their website
They're still on "promo" a year later at Crutchfield for $1299. I'd be willing to bet sales dropped off a cliff trying to sell these at $1979 MSRP.
Forget Netflix. I've been on a binge watching this channel. It would be awesome if you could have videos listing your favorite: 1-mono amps, 2--four channel amps, 3--above 4 channel amps, etc. Maybe using criteria like "Project Farm" does here on UA-cam...power vs rating, size, cost, connections & control, and finally aesthetics. Each category could have a weighted score. You've definitely got the experience and have built a ton of credibility to do it.
Thanks for the suggestion 👌
had my p1000 over 5 years working hard everyday, my bro has had his t1000 for over 8 years and no problems at all, my jl slash 500 v2 has lived well over 12 years and im glad too say with some brands the cost is worth it they never die, ive went through cars faster than these amps lol
The topology of this amp is extremely unique. If I recall correctly the output stage is like a class A/B except the outer semiconductors operate solid state and the inner semiconductors operate in class D and the outer ones act as a shunt to vary the supply voltage to the class D section thus how the amp keeps constant power at different impedances. Just an extremely innovative and interesting design that no one else has done. Also all of the semiconductors are top of the line which is why it costs so much. Nothing will suddenly blow up after slamming on it all day every day.
Not designed to be highly efficient but yes designed run all day at rated power
Very good answer my friend.. Interesting
@@wal have been running the same t2500 in my silverado-1500 with a mechman 400 elite for well over 3 years, this amp gets beat on daily for 2 to 3 hours and never gone into protect yet. Soon going to replace it with a Surge 7K though because for $1k, how can you go wrong?
Overpriced & Chinese made.. remember that 🤔
@@dcplze3107 I used to design and build custom one of a kind amps completely from scratch and I'm sorry brotha but you don't know what you're talking about. The amps that are designed with cost effectiveness in mind (most amps now) use the cheapest shit semiconductors they can get ahold of (international rectifier, MOSPEC, etc) and push them to their absolite limits when the amp is ran at full tilt. They also mostly use cookie cutter designs that aren't unique. Rockford amps are a completely different story. ALL of the high power semiconductors are high end (ST Microelectronics, ON semi, etc) and are over specced. The amp will last literally forever. They're also in-house designs. Regardless of where an amp is made, it's still relying on all the internal components.. You can assemble an amp out of garbage components or high end ones and itll be the same amp regardless of where you assemble it. It costs what it costs because thats what the components cost to build it
Another great video! Thank you for all your hard work and help, informing the community and those just getting into car audio. Fosgate amps have always been reliable and good clean power. Keep up the great work, brother.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@wal sorry if you see 3 posts or so i was trying to fix grammar errors YT kept saying { error loading comment } Apologizes if it looked like i was being an idiot
I have been running one of these amps for years. I love mine. Nice seeing it metered. You always do an amazing job talking and testing amps. Thanks for them.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I own one of these. Still wrapped up bnib. I think for the kind of money they want for these that they should’ve come with a nice bass remote knob WITH clip indicators. Their competitors include one with their amps that cost under $300. Rockford Fosgate has definitely been cheaping out and cutting lots of corners lately. They’re one of the audio companies that should be leading the pack, not falling behind but taking the time to raise prices.
Thanks Big D, I bought this amp in Nov. 2019, from Rockford Fosgate on sale for $1150. Thats was new not a refurb. Couldnt afford it now if I had to buy another.
The price is insane, could be had under $1000 some years back. Over priced for power output but Rockford still makes top quality equipment.
I know the cost of everything is rising, but Geesh 😮
Not necessarily overpriced, it's not inexpensive but the efficiency and overall durability are unquestionable. Value isn't always based on price alone, IMHO.
@@smellsuperb1 This amp is so well build, it would easily outlast my car, i iguess.
I’ve had the same t1000 bdcp in my past 4 or 5 builds avg about 2-3 yrs each. Can’t remember the exact number but it’s still going strong.
@@smellsuperb1 did you see the efficiencies in the video? @1ohm it did 59%
We did a build YEARS ago with 3 of these amps.
Wired to 1ohm, rising to 2.2 ohm. Voltage dropping to 10.9v and they STILL made over 3k.
👌😬👍
According to that amp it wouldn't. Not even close...
I had 2 of the 1000-1BD several years ago and I definitely regret getting rid of them. If I remember correctly they were in the neighborhood of 1,300 watts rms. Some of the best amps I ever had for the money.
Still run a T2500.1 I did have to get it repaired once back in 2012, but going strong ever since. I have it on 2 15 Kicker L7's in my 96 2 door Tahoe.
I bought three brand new T2500-bdcp’s from Crutchfield just over a year ago in March of 2021 for my Yukon Denali. They were $1599.99 each. I thought $4799.97 for the three amps were mad expensive until I saw they increased their price by $380 each. Now I sort feel I got a good deal. I love these amps and I love Rockford. I still have my first Rockford Fosgate amp which is a Punch 150 that I purchased in 1990 for my 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS Turbo. That was the first year the Eclipse came out. (Years later it turned into a girls car) when the body styled changed. LOL. I ran a 10” Stillwater Bazooka tube in the hatch. I obviously don’t have that car but the Punch 150 is in currently in my 85 year old mother’s 2015 Honda Odyssey minivan pushing an 8”sub. I can tell you from experience,Rockford is definitely reliable.
I have this amp in my car pushing a Fi sp4 18. Been working great in my car for 6yrs now. I have the audiocontrol epicenter in dash as my bass knob.
Nobody cares
Yes this is what I been waiting for checking everyday and boom!!! Here it is. The t1500-1BDCP videos is one of my favorites
Yeah boi!
Great video as always!
Yes Rockford fosgate isn’t cheap but,I believe you get what you pay for. I have been a Rockford fan boy since I first got into car audio back in 89-90. I got back into the hobby about 2 years ago. I’m running the Punch 600x4 on my doors and, the Power 750x1 bdcp on my 2 12’s. And after all these years I’m still very happy with Rockford.
RF always been top notch 👌
I like their old school stuff back when they were made it usa, but don't think the newer stuff is worth the money.
I have been building with Rockford Fosgate since 92. Still have all my amps and still use them daily
I highly rate Rockford amps. Some of the best available!
The other products are pretty average tho. So many other better options when choosing subs
@@ScramTek I never did mess with any of Rockford’s speakers. I run JL Audio subs and Focal door speakers.
I love the way those VU meters look. So clean and simple, will look good forever.
I have run this amp with 2 13w7 in a custom Gately 5 cu ft ported enclosure. The price increase would be a tough pill to swallow but I bought the amp because in my opinion it was the best subwoofer amp on the market. Build quality, SQ, real world power and the vu meters. I beat on the amp and it never gave me a single problem. The quality of bass with the w7 and 2500 bdcp amp is exceptional. I’d like to add a third 13w7 with a 1 ohm final load.
Also, the bass knob isn’t just a regular bass knob. It alters the frequency response and therefore i never used it. I would much prefer a simple remote gain type knob.
Oh man this amp and a pair of W7’s must be audio bliss
@@wal the quality of bass from the combo is really stunning. Very expensive but totally worth it for me. Although the w7s are now a dinosaur design they were the right woofers for me. They are articulate, tight and transparent very similar to a w6v3 but can pound when you need to.
Jl audio is even more overrated and over priced then rf. W7 are junk.
Man I kno u sound real good with a quality sound.
@@kriptic22 Lol you’re the first person I’ve ever heard say that. The W7s are phenomenal
Currently running the T600-4 on my mids and it’s definitely pricey but well worth it.
I’ve got this same amp in the packaging with 2 W712s….just waiting to get it all hooked up
I used to drool over wanting to owning one of these back in the day, when I was younger. Then I was able to afford a couple and ultimately passed on it because of the price tag/power ratio, there is just better options these days for less, same can be said about JL audio amps. The people that worked on them having their logos on the pcms was always something that was really cool though.
I agree these amps are beast I have the 1500 bdcp signal to noise an dampening is through the roof they last forever I still haven’t found a better amp other then Digital designs
i am happy you remembered this is an old design.. but for its time it was top of the line.. still pretty good just need better efficiency. Dynamic power is the amp trying to limit its current... constant power power limiting..
Yeah, it hasn't kept up with the last decade of amp developments
Awesome that you mentioned sound of tri state ! I'm in delaware and worked there for 7 years! Love your content! Very informative ! Thank you!
I remember around 2013 this amp was going for 800 new. Definitely want to pick one up one day when they're not so expensive. RF has actually dropped the price down to 1.2k new now.
Prob changing out to a new line? I guess we’ll see soon
Great review. Thank you! From my experience, RF amps sound really good compared to other brands like Alpine, Kenwood, Skar and so on. Plus, they last almost forever. RF is right up there with JL Audio.
Agreed 👌
Definitely agree with that... I still have trouble understanding how the JL filtering and dampening make it sound soo damn good!
But RF has really improved and moved up... along with its price
Kicker lasts 20 yrs plus too daily use
@@ThisIsSolution agreed; that damping factor and s/n ratio are outstanding. Plus, the power delivery makes most of RF class D sound like class AB.
Neck and neck wit jl audio my opinion
I'll stick with my HCCA 3000.1
It's AWESOME, even tho it's gone up $30 to $679. The quality and amount of power it can take is amazing!!!!!!
Orion FTW
Every semiconductor in this amp is the highest grade remotely possible. That’s why it costs so much. It wasn’t designed with any cost objectives.
Yep
Still made in china though… 🙄
What’s up Brutha D!!! Between you and Ryan (Budget Gem), I got back into car audio once again. As everyone has said before this comment, we truly appreciate all your dedication and knowledge. Much love my good man 💯
Thanks for watching and commenting!
One of the cleanest, best sounding bass amps currently sold. The bass knob is $40 every shop I've been in and the potentiometers don't last. My one and only complaint.
Lol I guarantee you would not be able to tell the difference between this amp and any other amp that does the same wattage, in a blind test.
@@casemods constant power alone makes a difference regardless who makes it, best way to fight rise and I can hear a difference.
Watching this again I wonder if the lto cells resting at 15v may have thrown it into a slight panic. It shouldn't by any means but dynamically these amps HAVE ALWAYS made big numbers.
I have one of these but around a 2006 model, bought it new. LOVE these 2500.1 amps
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I’m not even really into car audio and I watch most all of your videos. Thanks, Big D!
That’s a lot of cheddar, but a very high quality amp. Great video as always. Also on a side note I have noticed RF amps don’t like low ohm sine wave runs as most of the ones I’ve tested went into and out of protect as well.
If I’m not mistaken, that bass knob is also not for gain but for “punch EQ” or bass boost. Why you’d want that on a knob I do not know, but pioneer did it for a while as well.
My absolute favourite Amps I have both T1500 and T2500 best amps have them for my F250 pushing two U8 Sundowns love love Rockford amps
The amps pretty awesome, but, that sub isn’t getting any attention, that sub is a BEAST!!
And it sounds freaking awesome sealed!
I can only imagine!! Glad to see you be able to use it in tests!
The amp guy to see is Big D Wiz,testing and pushing em hard to keep us rocking with no splattin n Poppin. Good show ol boi like always.
Just picked this amp up for 1200,can't wait to hook it up to my w7 12!!!!!
WOW that's one hell of an amp!
for the price of an 8k it better be lol, i would rather have 10k clamped power for that much money.
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Video Index:
0:00 Intro
0:48 Steve Meade Designs
1:02 Unboxing the Amp
1:51 No Bass Remote?
2:40 Features and Specs
4:01 Amp Dyno Tests
7:12 Subwoofer Test
8:54 Thermals and Internals
10:38 Pros and Cons
11:26 Final Thoughts
11:57 Extras
_DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase from one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases_
Thanks for another great video BIg D! I was actually shocked at how poor the efficiency was on this amp. Though the power is still very stellar. I've always said if I can come across one of these amps in very good condition at a nice price I will buy it. Or, even if I can find the 2500bdcp for Sale new at a low sales price or clearance price I will quickly buy it! These amps imo are great amps even with the crazy low efficiency. Over $2900 new is way too much, no question about that. More than $1 per rated watt takes me back to late 90s/early 2000s.
The Price is insane to me. The Skar SKV2-2500.1D Korean amp is only $509.00. It passed the Dyno test with ease. I personally have the Skar SKv2 3500 and this amp is amazing.
Your skar is skarbage. It's insane to you because you don't value your car audioand don't understand thatyour buying more the just watts 🤦🤦🤦, you probably just want people to hear your bass.
I'd not trade my t2500's for 50 sk2500's
This is crazy timing. I just bought a t1500.1 and a 2500.1 just popped up for sale. I was looking at buying it and the t600.4 from the guy. Awesome video
Get it. I'm in the process of getting another t2500 and t400.4.
I know the price, but they're absolutely ridiculous and well made.
I've got 2 of these the RED edition on 4 DD Z's and they ARE ROCK SOLID. haven't had them dyno'd yet but my term lab was 151 and some change
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My favorite AMP. Saving up for my second one to strap for a T3! … I got mine from Sounds of Tri-State as well. Not a single problem with the manufacturer refurb.
Beast of an amp always had good luck with Rockford fosgate amps
I have a t600-4 and at 2ohm Bridged puts about 500w per channel down and doesn't miss a beat that whole line was beasts.
Love the info you give us consumer Have a company ever came after you to sue or stop dynoing their products
No but you can’t argue facts
That would be a huge mistake on their part because he could counter sue for false advertisement with solid proof
I have 1500bdcp and I recommend it over this amp it’s the real deal!
Yep bought a t1000 and bought separate a bass knob plus inline 150 amp fuse box but worth the price 7 years going strong pushing 2 12 in subs.
Enjoy your videos. I particularly enjoy watching them at 0.5 speed
Had one of these a few years back that I ran 3 American Bass 12s with . Final static load was 0.66 ohms . As long as I played at a moderate volume for 10 minutes I could run with no issues , even in NC with high 80's to low 90's . I presume impedance rise after warming up brought the load above protect threshold .
I love mine. Only had to send it in once for repair. Running 2 black t2d212s power subs to match. Most tell me it's loudest trunk system they ever heard
I have in my possession two 500w rms coil subs, the subs are dual 4 ohm single coil. So basically I either connect all 4 coils in parallel to get a 1 ohm requirement and 2000w rms or I do a mixed series/parallel connection between the 4 coils to get a final requirement of 2000w rms at 4 ohms.
I am undecided whether to buy the t2500 and use it at 4ohm or the t1500 and use it at 1ohm. Calculating that the former I would pay 1400 euros and the latter 800 euros, surely the savings is a lot. But in the first case with the t2500 I would make the amplifier work in full peace of mind at 4 ohms and with an efficiency just over 72%, and in the second case with the t1500 I would make the amplifier work at 1 ohm and with an efficiency of less than 65%
I have the 1000 and its a beast. 300a alternator is a must
These are sweet amps, just spendy and heck!
The brand new 20 year old T3002 I got from ya is still working hard at 1 ohm stereo beating down a myriad of mids. I bet it's still pumping underated watts 20 years from now yet.
Spendy, but 10, even 20 year old RF equipment has quality that most of today's brands STILL can't touch.
Great video, always wondered what these did stacked against competition.
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I have the t1500-1bd not the cp model but looks the same. Works good but waiting to get some Lto lithium and some super caps so I can run my cab45...🤤👍🏼💯
👍🏽🔥 I got 2 tho 1dbcp👍🏾
Pumping this videos big d wiz!!! out like I used to in the base house back in 91 off cedar block in Compton back when the 808s used to have the block going crazy
I have a T1000 and absolutely love it!! But you’re damn right about just a thought scratching it. Thanks for the solid video!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I have a used 400-4 that was scratched pretty bad so I wrapped the cover in 3M's black carbon fiber wrap. So when I got my new 1500, I wrapped it with some 3M clear PPF (Paint Protection Film) and has done amazing. It's self healing meaning if it gets a scratch it will smooth back out with heat. So if the amp gets warm, and it will and should, any scratches should pretty much vanish.
Mackie P.....nice to hear that the 1000 is a good one also. A lot say this is the best one for the money over all and not the 1500.
Rockford Fosgate, the cat's meow of car amplifiers. By far the best I've heard. I do agree, there are many other companies that have exceeded the power and efficiency of the RF designs for way cheaper. So I'd say, are you willing to pay $1k-$1.5k for something that most folk couldn't tell the difference in sound quality? I'm good.
Hard to NOT be a fan of Rockford! Since day one they rock!
Badass amp man. Keep those awesome videos coming. Still killing it with my Audiopipe amps. (Bought after your bench tests 😁)
That sub was holding in like a champ. Crazy it was taking >3k and staying composed!
Yeah lots of control from the amp too!
My p1000-1bd is still beating after all these years. Big D, do you know when these were released? I think I've had it for 13 years already?
Love your commentary can you please start doing apps with lower voltage to see what they perform thanks..🔊🔊
Thanks for the suggestion 👌
Cool video D thx. I have a T1500 running two Audio Dynamics 2212 D2 wired to .5 in a Bobby box, in my wife's daily.
Interestingly the bass knob isn't just a bass knob. As seen at @2:13 it mentions that the "Remote Punch EQ is an equalizer for Bass & Treble" With diagram.
So does that mean it can also be used with Rockford full range amps?? If so, then that would seriously mess up with the settings for the gain on the amp.
But it is a monster of an amp.. Can never be disappointed with an Rockford's amps performance
Big D, I can't take the videos anymore... making me too jealous!! Otherwise, of course I love any videos you throw out there. I have a love / hate relationship with "Do it bump doe?".... If I step away for even a moment and you go into testing the amp on speakers and I have all the amplifiers / speakers even at quite low volume, well.... there goes the dishes in the kitchen, cabinets vibrating, windows rattle, etc.... the other day, I may have been playing it a little on the loud side and I was vibrating some power cords out of the electric outlet near the equipment. Ah, I guess I won't complain and just turned it up a little more. Much love man!!! You keep on rocking and make sure you take care of yourself and the family.
Boom shocka!
@@wal you da best brotha'..... Thank you for your kindness and hard work!
Nice video. Would be interested to see this for the Mtx Rfl mono as well
I had 4 of these on 4 shd tantric 18s at 1.2 ohms. Sounded great an was doing 150s all day
Always wanted one of those BD amps. The first one I've seen in a couple years. ☺️👍 Savage amplifier
What happened to the old T-2500 video? This is the 2nd dyno on this amp on this channel. What ever happened to the first original T-2500 video?
Beautiful internals. Always loved Rockford since I bought the power hx2 12's and ran them on the old power bd1000 amps.
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These have almost tripled in price over the last decade. No reason for that except the greedy pricing game all these companies are playing. Electronics are always high markup items to begin with, but it's just gotten insane lately.
Covid19 government money $$$
My 2500 does
3672@ 2ohm
3821@ 1ohm
I run it at .7 ohm all day everyday and it never goes into protect
Can I take mine to you to compare???
Thank you so much for this review! So much money when a Orion HCCA will absolutely bloe this thing out of the water at half the price! This is borderline Dick Riculous!
I had two of these in my first ever “Big Build” lol At the time they were like $1599 i believe. This was back in 2011
Yeah they were $1599 until recently. Big ol fat price bump!! 😳
Used to be an RF hater with their griddle looking amps. Now I hate that I didn't look into them closer and love the current stuff. Hell I just love all car audio lol...
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10 years later and my t1500 power is still going strong with my 12” mtx 9500
Bet the neighbors loved that demo. How does the massive compare to the quad box?
I did the demo when another neighbor was mowing 😂
Dang I missed this video... I own 3 of them myself when it first came out and I love em... I have 3 T1 the 1st gens and I love em All... All in a Lincoln town car
Awesome 👏
I preciate da response brotha...👍
I’ve had a few different type of amps, i bought a Rockford fosgate r1200-1d and man it makes any note sound good. I had it on a loaded enclosure 12” skar evl. It will blow any skar amps, ct amps, or any of the cheap popular competitors and with no battery upgrade. People are going to say it’s not true but it is, if you have had a quality amp then you install a cheap amp. You can instantly tell the difference in the bass notes. My sound system got stolen, now I have a jp23 amp with 2 audio legion 10s, honestly I should of got another Rockford fosgate amp instead
Don’t get me wrong if your starting to get into sound system and is in a budget, you can’t go wrong with these cheap popular amps but if you got the money I would definitely go with Rockford fosgate or JL Audio
It's the constant power output that makes them special,my EMF merica puts out 12k at 2 and 1 ohm much like the Rockford.
I've got my previous generation power T10001BD Rockford Fosgate amp still. It burned one of the tinsel leads off of my T2 12 inch woofer voice coil. I've got to get a recoil and spider kit for it. That single woofer in a slot ported box would disturb my breathing with three inches of cone movement and 1050 watts RMS. I think it said that it was built in Tempe Arizona on the box.
Thanks for the vid but im gonna stick with my Smart 5K its been doing a Great job for the last 6mths with no issues
I don’t make vids telling you what to get. I make them to show what’s up
@@wal didnt say you did just voiced my opinion like every one else
Man I remember when you wanted quality in this power range, it was HUGE Zapco or similar. An absolute monster in size. This is small!
Honestly, 2K for the best RF amp isn't bad. Hard sell though when these guys like JP selling 3300 watt monsters with Bluetooth remotes for $599. I've been putting $100 a month away towards the RF for a year. Almost there.
I used to doo 1 amp per coil back in the late 90s it was super brutal
you should make a video of what's the best amp at 100 watts , 200 watts , 300 watts .... and so on and so on ..... until you get to 1000 watts ..... i bet people love to watch that ..... get alll the amps together ..... 😁👍
This is the best amp RF has ever put out...
Got one of those amps in a car on 2 mojo 15s at .5 ohm going strong. Eats up voltage but it’s super impressive
Good amp design and tight regulation isn't going to have dynamic headroom.
Efficiency can be addressed with higher input voltage designs of 300-500VDC which may get common when more EVs are on the road.
Nice thing is you can use the same gauge wire for power and speakers! 😀
I want to see Big D test an Rockford T40001BD.
I think the reason they don’t come with a bass knob is that most of the guys who can afford to run them already have a bass knob.
I sold one of those 2 years ago for $1000, the thing was monstrous. I couldn't even test it on my power supply fully (only 30amps smh)
@@smellsuperb1 I sold the four I had along with two Rockford 100 farad cap banks and four RE Audio XXX 18’s. I sold everything as a package for $9k. Didn’t even come close to what I paid for it all though.
Always loved the designer's avatars.
Agreed 👌
Considering how underrated this thing is, it makes me wonder what my old T1000-1BD can do.
the "constant power" power supply dont give you much dynamic power.
you see that on other amps with regulated power supplies as well
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Sure, but it’s preferable to run drivers with lower WRMS ratings than the amp, which allows for headroom well before any possible distortion. I’m sure you already know this. Just commenting for others who might read this
@@ScramTek I'm kurious why he is wondering about that low dynamic power and "didnt know why" but pointed out that power supply thing multiple times in other Amps like JL HD1200/1 and forgot it in this one ;-)
But no matter - love his Videos
Great review as always! I too am surprised at the dynamic 🤷. Iv never owned a nice model like that but, I'll rep the prime series all day long 👌. The sound quality (and loudness) on the stock electrical I had in the car was what sold me. My bigger skar amp rp series isn't as loud, nor does it hit as clean even on better electrical 🤷🤷🤷. It's about half the cost though
That Kicker KXA 2400.1 was my choice when it came out in 2020 for $1000. Many people would love it if it was still available
Fk that give me a warhorse
the circuit board is definitely cool. i like the little illustrations. construction looks good too.
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@@wal thanks buddy. Where can I get some of my old school fosgates repaired. Thanks again.
the issue you had with dynamic power and 1-ohm protection. the amp is a rebuild or remanufactured/repaired not brand new out of the box..