0:23 as a guy with 3 dead smart 5s in my possession, I'm very eager to see what I can learn from these videos. I watched your full guide video you did with the SFB sundown and learned a lot! I'm learning a lot from all of your videos and super grateful to have found this one. I'm looking to become the St. Louis MO amp repair guy here in the states and your videos are next to golds worth for me. Thanks so much
Free PIC and Mosfets??? ok Taramps has just risen to my ultimate goto amp!! As for you SAM, no gas no NOS, just plain old kick ass! keep it real bro, you content is just off the charts! why you haven't blown up yet is a complete and utter mystery to me. personally, i consider you among the likes of Rossman, ipad rehab and the likes, with the exception of the frequency ofcourse but still cutting edge repair/consumer advice! much love bro!!!
I for one like the more in depth video. On to the rest of the video. As far as amp reviews, I hold yours at #1. You tell me EXACTLY what I need to know. And thought who don't know a whole lot about car audio will still understand what your message is. Very well done Sam. Very well done
This channel needs way more subs. Way more likes. Way more shares. Way more thumbs up. That is some very deep technical details. Most amps look pretty on the outside, the insides are what matter.
Very informative and thorough explanation of the Taramps amplifier lineup. It's great to see back posting videos on UA-cam, it seemed that you took a break for some time.
The info in this video is priceless. Thank you for explaining these 2 Amps. It saves someone like me tons of money and heartache. I am going to get that smart 5k with a dsp and a bass knob. Bravo Barevids
Awesome video 🤙🏼. I frequently send people to look up your vids for specific, Misconceptions floating around. But on behalf of all nerds I love the long form review videos you do. But I get why they are hard for most to digest.
I have the smart 5bass and after a few weeks with it, i can honestly say it definitely puts out About double what my trinity tas8000.1 8k that was in there previously put out. Absolutely way more power available on bursts & seems to sound just more solid & harder hitting for over 100 bucks less than the trinity. Considered the smart 8 but couldn't really fit it & looking back, the smart 5 amps are actually way closer to doing what most 10k's would do
On a side note, a true mono input should have both Left and Right channels mixed. If using one or the other independently and there is a Bass effect on one of either channels that is not being used, it won’t be heard because that particular left or right plug is not connected. For best musical reproduction, it’s best to have both channels connected to experience all the sound the music is offering.
Just started investigating Brazilian amps, and there are a number of brands that are Brazilian manufacturers (Peavey for instance) that I did not know until recently. If the amplifier is actually "made" in Brazil (Taramps is) and not just designed there, that is already a plus in my book over Chinese offerings. Also Taramps seem to employ, smartly I think, fans in most of their amplifiers (every amplifier should have a fan I think). However, the fans are not of the same grade of fans like in a computer which run basically silent. And seem to run a bit loud, but I imagine the music will drown out any possible fan noise. But computer quality fans are also known for their longevity of operation, not just how quiet they run. On this end, I cannot say if the fans Taramps use make the grade or not. But, at least they are trying to provide better heat dissipation than their competitors, and "heat" is the biggest problem for any amplifier regarding operation, and challenging its durability and longevity of operation. If you happen to have a cheaper, less efficient Chinese amp, that in the beginning works well, but quits operating in a year or just starts not sounding good (distortion) it is due to heat, and the amps heat sink. That is generally the difference between your "budget" amps and higher quality amps like Rockford Fosgate (proven through time), and who knows maybe Taramps. They seem to be improving their designs and components while keeping their pricing below the competition, and doing a good job keeping them cool. Which should mean good long term performance. It just seems Taramps are more about SPL than sound quality. I could be wrong. (Examples: Rockford Fosgate is known for having some of the lowest distortion - less than 1/10 of a percent distortion, and longest lasting car amplifiers on the market. Rockford is known to Focus specifically on sound quality, not power. Kenwood falls into that category as well. Just fyi.)
Because they are brushless rc radio controlled high rpm fans designed to cool high amp output electronics.. im familiar with these type fans since I’ve been using similar like kinds in my remote control hobby purposes. I think it’s great if you can hear that sucker then you mean it’s moving a ton of air unlike your quiet pc fan, that would offer little help in cooling these amplifiers
You rock love all this info. Im at 3k smart going to the smart 5 wasnt sure if i wanted the bass or standard. Thank you for the comparison and the awsome video
@@DirtySouthFlorida3 one more question. Have you ever had a crescendo amp? I was looking at their skyway 3k. I've just heard they do rated power at 13.4 volts. I have 120 amp alternator, one d3400 AGM and an ioxis super capacitor. So whatever amp I get I need to make sure I have the electrical for it. Thanks for your advice
@barevids what is the rail limit ? Like how much output voltage would it take to reach the limits and the amp quiets the sound? Does it matter what ohm your at and what voltage you charge at ? I’m referring the bass version
The only reason I purchased the bass version is because I'm wired to .5 ohms, and so far the amp sounds great! No clipping and the bass sounds smooth and the lower bass sounds incredible! I have 4 12's 1200watts rms each, and with an rca bass knob( too bad taramps didn't provide a bass knob) I can adjust the level to my speakers ability and not overpower them. Btw awesome informative video. You are the best on UA-cam.
I have been seriously thinking of buying the smart 5k because of the price point on it. I had a taramps HD 10k for a little while and I didn't have any trouble out of it but just didn't like the full bridge design. I am thinking of buying another taramps product though once this came out. I may end up pulling trigger soon.
Been on my smart3 everyday jammin loud,26 months straight,never skipped a beat,other than the janky smartfans,its a good amp Gonna need another soon,but might go smart5
loved the video. like a the nerdy technical info to help me learn amps better. i will sit there on rewind until i understand what your saying. really liked the powerurs video, would have bought that amp if i didnt purchase a different one at the wrong time. more videos explaining amps. your my favorite youtuber for this.
Hi Sam, awesome technical breakdown as usual. Funny coincidence as I was eyeing the Smart 5K Bass but ended up buying twin Smart 3 Basses as it was a steal of a deal on Amazon ($300CAD each) and plan to wire each @ 0.7ohm for each 12" DC XL (dual 1.4ohm coils). I was wondering if you can you comment on how the Smart 3K Bass compares to the 5K Bass in regards to any intricacies or is it just a simple upscaling we see here with the Smart 5K bass? Alternatively at the time, I was looking at pair of regular Smart 3s due to the 12.6V rating vs 14.4V but ended up going with the Basses for the 0.5ohm stability for additional safety margin, even though I doubt I would even seeing 0.7 nominal often. Ultimately I plan to run these set to around 1.5-2Kw a piece to allow extra headroom. I'm second-guessing myself a little bit but at the price point I feel like I got a great deal.
Thanks for this. At first when I heard of Taramps, they really weren’t that good. Always seen mosfet failure, but it was mostly user error. I’ve never used one personally, but as I see more about the circuit, I’m starting to like them. Plus, they hooked up our online trainer.
I'm curious how these compare to Sundown sia. From what I've read the sia is less finicky with input voltage and I like that it has a bass knob, but there aren't many reviews on them.
Any update as to the reliability of the bass version? Did they make revisions like on the mosfets that you mentioned? I need a new amp, and my coils are d1.4, so .7 or 2.8 are my options, the way I see it the bass version is my only choice here but the subs a team sundown so it will take just about all the power I can throw at it
Hey Sam I just did a dyno and inspection on this same model on my channel, and noticed the transformer windings are definitely epoxied on mine and are solid in place. Mine should have been first production, as I imagine yours was, so maybe yours just slipped through. Just thought I'd mention it.
Id like to hear your thoughts on the new Taramps smart boss 3k. I bought one and its my new favorite amp i ever ran. Im 43 and remember when 1000 watts cost $1000 if you could find one. These small powerhouse amps like the smart boss 3k just blow my mind. I have it pushing a Resilient Sounds Onyx 12" i reconed. What a combination! I recently subscribed, i like your channel alot, especially the blind amp test with jbl and taramps, taramps should have cut you a check for that one, 😆 im sure it changed alot of peoples opinion of taramps in a good way, it did for me. Thanks for the videos.
Believe you can double the 150vmax mosfets in parallel to split the load across them to lower working temperatures & load. They'd have to experiment & see how it effects the circuit if they can't find higher rated mosfets. Shouldn't be different or much board redesign to add in.
Since the crossovers limit the output drastically unless wide open. Let's say I set the crossover FIRST then set the gain which would then overcome the wonky crossovers & not use the ones on the deck? Currently I am using the deck as you suggested but I hate when I need to pull the battery for one thing or another & my HU resets itself thus loosing the crossover settings.
This video was very helpful it explained to me on what's amp I wanted to buy this guy broke it down and very easy for me to understand so I'm going with the 5000 Watt bass amp thank you very much bro
Super Sam to the rescue.. I lost my faith in taramps, I use to have the 3k bass and a lot of bass notes were missing and not quite there. But bigger amp big subs more current etc etc. Never ends
You'll have had the filters set wrong. All the knobs need to be at zero other than the gain. If you are missing higher bass kicks then turn lpf up a touch. Hpf or subsonic should never be touched.
Hi Sam. I went ahead and bought the smart 5k. I am very happy with it m and thank u for this video. U helped out alot. I have a question. I'm seeing a lot of comments about people saying that these amps like or set it to 1.8 to 2.0 ac volts rca inputs.. WHY? What happens if I go with 4 or 5 volts ac? What advantages do I get by setting it at those lower voltages? I haven't seen any proof of this or an explanation as to why taramps perform better at 1.8 to 2.0 ac volts of rca input? I hope u see this and have time to explain this .. thank u . U are a badass at what u do and I appreciate the videos.
Its true, you get what you pay for! But simply full bridge is the best, even if its cheap its still going to great power. My Smart 3 gets pretty hot just at idle with no output, about 50 degrees C on the case, the fans then turn on but never turn back off because it constantly gain heat. But ive had it on for long drives at low volume and never had problems. The Smart 3 gave me a huge power boost without me having to upgrade my electrical, I can hold a little over 1000 watts RMS while holding 14.5V with just a worn old lead acid battery and stock 70amp alt that probably only does 30amp. My previous amp Pioneer GM-D8701 I was having huge voltage drop and could barely hold 600watts and I actually paid more for it!
Having been inside these Smart amps can you tell if the RCA inputs are connected internally? I've heard it said that they are combined inside therefore using both as inputs won't affect anything.
Would it be possible to coat the loose windings on the power supply transformers with hot glue or something to keep them from scraping each other or would that cause a problem?
These do seem to be getting better in reliability and wattage! Got me curious and I swore I would never run one but that was back when people was abusing them and blowing them out left and right! They now seem like a decent amp for an experienced user who will buy a bigger amp then they even need and run it easier!
@@khmerboxer214 just about twice as loud and pure I guess. Been working great! Power hungry tho. Got a 320a alt coming. The 180 I got just isn't doing it.
@Cali 82! the original has capable of more power technically. I personally was using the factory head unit so I wanted the bass crossover. Which I got a dap and changed the radio out anyways. The bass version still does rated power tho. And it's. 5 ohm stable! But I've love it and never once has a issue w it. Digs into them low lows real nice!
@Scott Wright🔊 so you're saying go with the regular 5 smart 5k not 5k bass??cuz im not running.5 jus at 1ohm..i thought the 5kbass was better and put out more power..the video i watched it put out way more then 5k so i was confused
Around 1:30 I think I'm missing what you're trying to say. The way I see it in my head. If I wire a sub to what should be on paper 1 ohm. And I know it can take 5k. I set it to 70v on the output of the amp. When I rise, let's say to 2 ohm in this example, I'll be pushing 2500w out of the sub. So I'm just a little confused by what you said there. I think because I can't tell if you were implying if you rise, this amp will still give constant power. But unless you yeet the volume and rely on the limiter it can't. Sorry for the dumb question or if it's confusing. I normally only supposed to be dumb on Tuesdays.
This is why you don't use multimeter to set your gains. All that does is calibrate it assuming the load is static, which it isn't. The Smart 5 is a 5000wrms 2ohm stable amplifier, that has the ability to be wired to 1ohm by using a limiter to reduce the output voltage if the power exceeds 5000w. If you connect a 1ohm load to the amplifier and calibrate voltage for that, you'll be leaving half the power on the table. The Smart 5 is also identical to a 10,000wrms 1ohm stable amplifier, just with less parallel mosfets since it only needs to handle half the current for 5k. So in your example, calibrate on the multimeter for 10k at 1ohm, and when rising to 2ohm you will see 5k. The amp just makes sure that in the instance that not enough rise is present, it doesn't actually try and produce 7,8,10k etc as that will damage it long term. If you look at the amp dyno videos of this amp you can see exactly what I mean. Certified and uncertified tests produce around the 5k mark at loads up to 2ohm, thanks to the limiter working as intended. However, during dynamic test, the audio pulse happens too quickly for the limiter to activate in time, and so you get a glimpse into how this amplifier works, with it putting out in excess of 8000 or 10,000w in some cases, since that's what this amplifier is, a 10k with a limiter above 5k that takes a few milliseconds to kick in. All the while you have enough rise, the limiter doesn't need to activate and the amp behaves exactly like a 10k would. Dip below that impedance limit of 2ohms, and the amp will prevent itself making more power than designed by reducing the output voltage.
Hello, how are you? Do you have the taramps screwed directly to the seat? Or is it with a wooden base or something underneath? since mine burned screwing it directly to the seat :(
Thank you for responding, unfortunately it happened to me without having it fixed, it had no problems, after fixing it to the seat I turned on the taramps and short circuit, first time I use taramps I am with that doubt since it lasted 1 hour from the purchase, greetings from Chile ;)@@barevids
On my Smart3k, I noticed the crossovers just plain SUCK. So I open them up and used the crossovers built in the head unit. Another thing is I got the same signal no matter if I plugged into the RCA in or out. So yes I just plugged into both and I haven’t had any problems. The only problems I had was the cooling fan quit and the amp got extremely hot. So I sent it back and got a new one. The pots on these amps are horrible, so you have to adjust them very slightly.
its common on most brazillian amps. jbl jl alpine and many others have full bridges with the kind of filters we like. though in this day and age even cheap decks have pretty decent dsp and or crossover capabilities
The pots being sensitive are because they have lower voltage rca inputs , i may be wrong but i lower the rca voltage from my head unit and it helped alot.
how to stop the throttleing on the smart 5/8... like what input votage, charging voltage, ac voltage, amp draw should you see to prevent it from the throttle
@@barevids so could you disconnect subs, play 40hz tone, and turn gain up to max volume clean and after a moment should start to see the ac voltage go down due to the throttle affect? So basically I’d have to turn the ac voltage down until it stays level , or will this not work if the amp doesn’t see a load from the subs?
@@Basshertz94 as I said, it depends on the rise, so you need to have subs connected. Use the clip light on the amp. It's accurate. If it comes on you're at the limits of the amp.
I also just took notice to the dual power inputs. I have single 0 AWG power and ground so I'm wondering if its OK to just split that or do I need to go back and actually run 4 separate wires? 🤔
Hey Sam. Toward 15min in you were saying the smart 5 would be louder then SBass 5k. But looking at 4x rise dynos the SB5k does more wattage. I understand you are saying because the rail voltages are higher. But if there's more wattage how would it be louder? I definitely like the reliability factor you speak of.
hello I greet you from Mexico, I see your videos on UA-cam, I would like to know which amplifier to buy a taramps 800x4 or rockville krypton f2. Which one has better sound quality?
@@barevids Great Im trying to decide between Big Boss and non Boss 8k I have a Wolfram 7.5K that I never used, too big for my space. I like the power band from these smart ones better as well.
I would love for you do a video on voice coils in parallel vs series cause to me when multiple woofer is series parallel they just not as loud seems as if the voltage is splitting up too much
Thank you so much for this video! You made my mind up for me. I now own a smart 5. Would have just bought the bass version, you know because basshead…….lol
Hey do u know where I can replacement mofsets for the smart 5k the numbersi took off the part I'm having a hard time finding the right part number any help would be appreciated
This is probably a silly question, based on pricing. But how do you think the Smart Taramps compare to the Sundown SIA ? Both being smart, Constant power, full bridge, mono blocks ? Are the Sundown SIAs worth the increased cost ?
The SIA are an absolute mess. The circuits are thrown together cheaply with absolutely no validation or optimisation. Example, the sia3000 uses completely the wrong PS switching frequency for the transformers used and the fets all run hot and inefficient as a result. Sundown do not design any of their own amplifiers, however the engineers at Taramps are passionate and build their circuits from scratch and only release when they are happy.
@@barevids Man you actually responded !! Thank you !! Taramps it is. I would like to get a PowerUS amp, but its out of my price range. It seems that you prefer the Smart Series over the Smart Bass Series. So I'm gonna get a Smart 3k to power my 18" Dayton Ultimax. Thanks!! Your youtube Channel is tremendously helpful !!
Sam so on the Taramps 3k would you go with the regular or bass version? Do the 3k fets have the same issue you state as the 5k bass version? Thanks a lot. I’m leaning to the 3k
If you understand HPF and LPF and are experienced with tuning a system, get the regular smart 3, it's more powerful. If you aren't sure and just want some bass easy, get the Bass version.
Was Good To Hear That The Low Pass Filter Went Down To 20Hz. Kinda Not Good To Hear That The High Pass Didn't Really Do Anything. I Really Need That In The Event Something Plays Below Tuning And Excursion Gets Way Out Of Hand.
hey Sam, i want to use the taramps ts400.4 to run tweeters but iam not sure about the way you wire in the tweeters to the amp.. i think it might be a noisy design as i have never seen only 3 speaker inputs for two speakes on an amp... sq is the main goal.. Can you advise if this amplifier is gonna be silent to my arc audio black tweeters?? Another thought,, how is the switching done with no output transistors.. at least i didnt see any on the heat sinks!!
Helpful video to understand some technical features on those bad boys, now actually is kind of difficult found help with this amps so I need some advice on my setup I have some issues with light dimming on my car I have a Taramps HD3000 4ohm with 2 Skars 12's 1600 watts each at 4ohm wired on series I hook up a "10farad capacitor" to see if improve the dimming but it doesn't help much, so what can I do to prevent light dimming on my car?
You aren't even close to having enough battery power to run that amp that 10 farad capacitor is doing absolutely nothing for you somebody obviously did not explain to you how much energy it takes to run these amplifiers especially if you don't want to burn them up you need at least two d3100's or somewhere near 45 amp hours of lithium along with an alternator and one ought power wire . Good luck my friend but definitely get you some batteries you're going to burn the amp up in a heartbeat if you don't.
Do the big 3 on your wire's. Battery, alternate r, starter to 0 gauge wire. And get a really good lithium battery. And double check your ground's also.
Great video as always. I have two quick questions. I have a 4k sub at 1ohm. Would you recommend the smart 5 or the powerus 8k? Is the powerus worth 2x the price? Also, when are you coming out with your own amplifier line? You know it would sell and you could call it barepower or something.
@barevids if you had the amplifier gain set to 3000w at 1ohm when the sub is playing and rises to 4ohm would it be a 2900w output or would it be 2000w because the gain is lower
Wow! Hey amigo I'm speechless so much information, very impressive 👏 😀 thank you! now I know which amp to get...ooh and you got yourself a new subscriber 🙂🙂take care bud..
@@barevidsFirst thanks alot for the reply it is very helpful.OK so still use hu for filters (active). One more question for you sir. My head unit only offers subwoofer lpf, no high pass on head unit. Lpf on head unit offers 50hz 80hz 120hz 160hz where should I set Hpf on amp since I don't have Hpf on head unit. Setup is 2 12" Incriminator Audio Death Rows in Gately 4.0 cu ft. subs up port back tuned to 32hz
![8000 watts, but What's New? Taramps MD8000.1 EX Amp Dyno Test and More [4K]](/img/n.gif)
Literally the most intelligent guy in car audio....hats off to you Sir!
0:23 as a guy with 3 dead smart 5s in my possession, I'm very eager to see what I can learn from these videos. I watched your full guide video you did with the SFB sundown and learned a lot! I'm learning a lot from all of your videos and super grateful to have found this one. I'm looking to become the St. Louis MO amp repair guy here in the states and your videos are next to golds worth for me. Thanks so much
Free PIC and Mosfets??? ok Taramps has just risen to my ultimate goto amp!!
As for you SAM, no gas no NOS, just plain old kick ass! keep it real bro, you content is just off the charts! why you haven't blown up yet is a complete and utter mystery to me.
personally, i consider you among the likes of Rossman, ipad rehab and the likes, with the exception of the frequency ofcourse but still cutting edge repair/consumer advice!
much love bro!!!
I for one like the more in depth video. On to the rest of the video.
As far as amp reviews, I hold yours at #1. You tell me EXACTLY what I need to know. And thought who don't know a whole lot about car audio will still understand what your message is. Very well done Sam. Very well done
Holy shit! Every amp review should be like this! Insanely detailed. Wow!
I bought the 5K SMART because of this Video and I LOVE IT. Thanks BRO
This channel needs way more subs. Way more likes. Way more shares. Way more thumbs up. That is some very deep technical details. Most amps look pretty on the outside, the insides are what matter.
i am impressed Taramps is increasing their quality... Very happy to see the improvements
Wow! this man knows what he's talking about!
My respect!!!
I bought two smart 5k's so im glad to see good info about them.
Very informative and thorough explanation of the Taramps amplifier lineup. It's great to see back posting videos on UA-cam, it seemed that you took a break for some time.
The info in this video is priceless. Thank you for explaining these 2 Amps. It saves someone like me tons of money and heartache. I am going to get that smart 5k with a dsp and a bass knob. Bravo Barevids
Your talk about subs excursion limit and comparison of your 10k vs the smart 5k really helped me understand
Awesome video 🤙🏼. I frequently send people to look up your vids for specific, Misconceptions floating around. But on behalf of all nerds I love the long form review videos you do. But I get why they are hard for most to digest.
Great info! All your videos are awesome Sam. Happy Taramps is listening to recommended improvements.
I have the smart 5bass and after a few weeks with it, i can honestly say it definitely puts out About double what my trinity tas8000.1 8k that was in there previously put out. Absolutely way more power available on bursts & seems to sound just more solid & harder hitting for over 100 bucks less than the trinity. Considered the smart 8 but couldn't really fit it & looking back, the smart 5 amps are actually way closer to doing what most 10k's would do
On a side note, a true mono input should have both Left and Right channels mixed. If using one or the other independently and there is a Bass effect on one of either channels that is not being used, it won’t be heard because that particular left or right plug is not connected. For best musical reproduction, it’s best to have both channels connected to experience all the sound the music is offering.
Head units mix down the subwoofer output to mono. Try it!
@@barevids
Yea that’s a better option when the head unit has sub output.
@@barevids if you want high output alternator buy J's alternator or iraggi alternator
@@cherryloujames8195 my iraggi 320 is beasst
what happens if someone were to use a rca Y cable??
Thanks I needed this now ik for sure I'm getting the smart 5k
One of the only channels i watch the entire video.
As always thank you for your time and knowledge. I hope they come out with a 10 or 12k soon
Thank you !!!! I know which one I will buy now (smart 5k Regular)
Just started investigating Brazilian amps, and there are a number of brands that are Brazilian manufacturers (Peavey for instance) that I did not know until recently. If the amplifier is actually "made" in Brazil (Taramps is) and not just designed there, that is already a plus in my book over Chinese offerings. Also Taramps seem to employ, smartly I think, fans in most of their amplifiers (every amplifier should have a fan I think). However, the fans are not of the same grade of fans like in a computer which run basically silent. And seem to run a bit loud, but I imagine the music will drown out any possible fan noise. But computer quality fans are also known for their longevity of operation, not just how quiet they run. On this end, I cannot say if the fans Taramps use make the grade or not. But, at least they are trying to provide better heat dissipation than their competitors, and "heat" is the biggest problem for any amplifier regarding operation, and challenging its durability and longevity of operation. If you happen to have a cheaper, less efficient Chinese amp, that in the beginning works well, but quits operating in a year or just starts not sounding good (distortion) it is due to heat, and the amps heat sink. That is generally the difference between your "budget" amps and higher quality amps like Rockford Fosgate (proven through time), and who knows maybe Taramps. They seem to be improving their designs and components while keeping their pricing below the competition, and doing a good job keeping them cool. Which should mean good long term performance. It just seems Taramps are more about SPL than sound quality. I could be wrong. (Examples: Rockford Fosgate is known for having some of the lowest distortion - less than 1/10 of a percent distortion, and longest lasting car amplifiers on the market. Rockford is known to Focus specifically on sound quality, not power. Kenwood falls into that category as well. Just fyi.)
Because they are brushless rc radio controlled high rpm fans designed to cool high amp output electronics.. im familiar with these type fans since I’ve been using similar like kinds in my remote control hobby purposes. I think it’s great if you can hear that sucker then you mean it’s moving a ton of air unlike your quiet pc fan, that would offer little help in cooling these amplifiers
It makes sense that both the
input/output rca terminals are just connected electrically. Basically daisy chained. Internal y-splitter. Basically..
You rock love all this info. Im at 3k smart going to the smart 5 wasnt sure if i wanted the bass or standard. Thank you for the comparison and the awsome video
Get the smart bass i owned them all and it sounds way better and its more powerfull
@@DirtySouthFlorida3 I was debating getting a smart bass 3k or smart 3k. So definitely get the bass version? I'm going to put it on two Sundown 12s
@@850CANE the SMART BASS VERSION its worth it bigtime ive had them all and alotta reasons why... Theres bass theres smart and there's smartbass
@@DirtySouthFlorida3 one more question. Have you ever had a crescendo amp? I was looking at their skyway 3k. I've just heard they do rated power at 13.4 volts. I have 120 amp alternator, one d3400 AGM and an ioxis super capacitor. So whatever amp I get I need to make sure I have the electrical for it. Thanks for your advice
@@850CANE yea there good but more expensive up to you. Seen a symphony amo catch on fire tho at .5ohm
@barevids what is the rail limit ? Like how much output voltage would it take to reach the limits and the amp quiets the sound? Does it matter what ohm your at and what voltage you charge at ? I’m referring the bass version
The only reason I purchased the bass version is because I'm wired to .5 ohms, and so far the amp sounds great! No clipping and the bass sounds smooth and the lower bass sounds incredible! I have 4 12's 1200watts rms each, and with an rca bass knob( too bad taramps didn't provide a bass knob) I can adjust the level to my speakers ability and not overpower them. Btw awesome informative video. You are the best on UA-cam.
Wow this guys knows his stuff!!
I have been seriously thinking of buying the smart 5k because of the price point on it. I had a taramps HD 10k for a little while and I didn't have any trouble out of it but just didn't like the full bridge design. I am thinking of buying another taramps product though once this came out. I may end up pulling trigger soon.
Excellent video as always! I learn something every time I watch one of your videos.
Been on my smart3 everyday jammin loud,26 months straight,never skipped a beat,other than the janky smartfans,its a good amp
Gonna need another soon,but might go smart5
Running two smart 3 on one B2 XM 18" D1 - i am very pleased with the Performance...
ua-cam.com/users/shortsZx7Z2ODO_1s?feature=share
I have a 3k md on a zxv 15 and it BANGS!
Wow! I really like this amp!
loved the video. like a the nerdy technical info to help me learn amps better. i will sit there on rewind until i understand what your saying. really liked the powerurs video, would have bought that amp if i didnt purchase a different one at the wrong time. more videos explaining amps. your my favorite youtuber for this.
The rca l and r are parallel. Manual states dual rca input/ output. Just a built in splitter
Can u use both rca's????? As inputs?
Hi Sam, awesome technical breakdown as usual. Funny coincidence as I was eyeing the Smart 5K Bass but ended up buying twin Smart 3 Basses as it was a steal of a deal on Amazon ($300CAD each) and plan to wire each @ 0.7ohm for each 12" DC XL (dual 1.4ohm coils). I was wondering if you can you comment on how the Smart 3K Bass compares to the 5K Bass in regards to any intricacies or is it just a simple upscaling we see here with the Smart 5K bass? Alternatively at the time, I was looking at pair of regular Smart 3s due to the 12.6V rating vs 14.4V but ended up going with the Basses for the 0.5ohm stability for additional safety margin, even though I doubt I would even seeing 0.7 nominal often. Ultimately I plan to run these set to around 1.5-2Kw a piece to allow extra headroom. I'm second-guessing myself a little bit but at the price point I feel like I got a great deal.
The Smart 5k does well on bass but really well on mids too.
So excited Sam, thank you for new video 👍🎉
Great presentation 👍 can you make a video with the stetsom amps.
Thanks for this. At first when I heard of Taramps, they really weren’t that good. Always seen mosfet failure, but it was mostly user error. I’ve never used one personally, but as I see more about the circuit, I’m starting to like them. Plus, they hooked up our online trainer.
I ran an hd 10k and i loved it, ran it for a year before selling it to my buddy.
Thanks for the update. Didn't even know there was a 5k coming out. That's the one I really want. Thanks ✌️
i have a rockford T2500.1BDCP and i can say the constant power REALLY changes how the subs behave
THD!
T2500 GOT 2 GOLDEN BOWLING BALLS
I'm curious how these compare to Sundown sia. From what I've read the sia is less finicky with input voltage and I like that it has a bass knob, but there aren't many reviews on them.
ORION HCCA....skip the games.....
Any update as to the reliability of the bass version? Did they make revisions like on the mosfets that you mentioned? I need a new amp, and my coils are d1.4, so .7 or 2.8 are my options, the way I see it the bass version is my only choice here but the subs a team sundown so it will take just about all the power I can throw at it
Been using mine over a year now pretty maxed out🤷♂️
Hey Sam
I just did a dyno and inspection on this same model on my channel, and noticed the transformer windings are definitely epoxied on mine and are solid in place.
Mine should have been first production, as I imagine yours was, so maybe yours just slipped through.
Just thought I'd mention it.
Interesting, good to know!
Hey facekicker . Hello fellow Utahn😂
Cant wait to get my normal smaRT 5 LOVE MY SMART 3 ITS GOING TO MOVE TO MY MIDS AND HIGHS
Id like to hear your thoughts on the new Taramps smart boss 3k. I bought one and its my new favorite amp i ever ran. Im 43 and remember when 1000 watts cost $1000 if you could find one. These small powerhouse amps like the smart boss 3k just blow my mind. I have it pushing a Resilient Sounds Onyx 12" i reconed. What a combination! I recently subscribed, i like your channel alot, especially the blind amp test with jbl and taramps, taramps should have cut you a check for that one, 😆 im sure it changed alot of peoples opinion of taramps in a good way, it did for me. Thanks for the videos.
Believe you can double the 150vmax mosfets in parallel to split the load across them to lower working temperatures & load. They'd have to experiment & see how it effects the circuit if they can't find higher rated mosfets. Shouldn't be different or much board redesign to add in.
Since the crossovers limit the output drastically unless wide open. Let's say I set the crossover FIRST then set the gain which would then overcome the wonky crossovers & not use the ones on the deck? Currently I am using the deck as you suggested but I hate when I need to pull the battery for one thing or another & my HU resets itself thus loosing the crossover settings.
Just bought the smart 5 to run 2 12d4 skar evl subs.
Update the smart 5 ate my 2 evl 12s I upgraded to better subs
This video was very helpful it explained to me on what's amp I wanted to buy this guy broke it down and very easy for me to understand so I'm going with the 5000 Watt bass amp thank you very much bro
Super Sam to the rescue.. I lost my faith in taramps, I use to have the 3k bass and a lot of bass notes were missing and not quite there. But bigger amp big subs more current etc etc. Never ends
You'll have had the filters set wrong. All the knobs need to be at zero other than the gain. If you are missing higher bass kicks then turn lpf up a touch. Hpf or subsonic should never be touched.
Hi Sam. I went ahead and bought the smart 5k. I am very happy with it m and thank u for this video. U helped out alot. I have a question. I'm seeing a lot of comments about people saying that these amps like or set it to 1.8 to 2.0 ac volts rca inputs.. WHY? What happens if I go with 4 or 5 volts ac? What advantages do I get by setting it at those lower voltages? I haven't seen any proof of this or an explanation as to why taramps perform better at 1.8 to 2.0 ac volts of rca input? I hope u see this and have time to explain this .. thank u . U are a badass at what u do and I appreciate the videos.
Its true, you get what you pay for! But simply full bridge is the best, even if its cheap its still going to great power. My Smart 3 gets pretty hot just at idle with no output, about 50 degrees C on the case, the fans then turn on but never turn back off because it constantly gain heat. But ive had it on for long drives at low volume and never had problems.
The Smart 3 gave me a huge power boost without me having to upgrade my electrical, I can hold a little over 1000 watts RMS while holding 14.5V with just a worn old lead acid battery and stock 70amp alt that probably only does 30amp. My previous amp Pioneer GM-D8701 I was having huge voltage drop and could barely hold 600watts and I actually paid more for it!
Had 1 of these go up in smoke within 30 seconds... No idea what's up. The other 4 amps in the system work flawlessly.
Having been inside these Smart amps can you tell if the RCA inputs are connected internally? I've heard it said that they are combined inside therefore using both as inputs won't affect anything.
Same!!!! Can u use both rca's as inputs??
Would it be possible to coat the loose windings on the power supply transformers with hot glue or something to keep them from scraping each other or would that cause a problem?
How much difference between smart 5k and smart 5k bass? I’m about to order one or the other, can’t decide I got 2x 15s.
@@colemclane650 I would most definitely go with the Smart 5 if i were u. just listen to what hes saying. Peace and bass!
@@Hertzsogood219 I ordered smart 5k got it fir $450 from res sounds !! What a steal !! Should be wired in next weekend let’s goooooo
@@colemclane650 how’s it been working for you?
@@gagedoble2843 works great loads of power, would recommend 140-200ah agm and alternator for full potential for sustained play
These do seem to be getting better in reliability and wattage! Got me curious and I swore I would never run one but that was back when people was abusing them and blowing them out left and right! They now seem like a decent amp for an experienced user who will buy a bigger amp then they even need and run it easier!
I just got my smart 5 bass version yesterday in the mail. I had the original smart 3 up until I bought this. So I'm hoping it'll sound good and pure.
How does it sound compared to smart 3?
@@khmerboxer214 just about twice as loud and pure I guess. Been working great! Power hungry tho. Got a 320a alt coming. The 180 I got just isn't doing it.
@Scott Wright🔊 I've been trying to see who got the smart 5k bass..I cnt decide on which one..do u think the 5bass is better??or what's the difference
@Cali 82! the original has capable of more power technically. I personally was using the factory head unit so I wanted the bass crossover. Which I got a dap and changed the radio out anyways. The bass version still does rated power tho. And it's. 5 ohm stable! But I've love it and never once has a issue w it. Digs into them low lows real nice!
@Scott Wright🔊 so you're saying go with the regular 5 smart 5k not 5k bass??cuz im not running.5 jus at 1ohm..i thought the 5kbass was better and put out more power..the video i watched it put out way more then 5k so i was confused
Great video dude. Very good info!
Very good video! 👍🏾 thanks!
Thank you again Sam for another great video nuff respect keep up the good work 🇯🇲 🇺🇸 👍 🙏
Around 1:30 I think I'm missing what you're trying to say.
The way I see it in my head. If I wire a sub to what should be on paper 1 ohm. And I know it can take 5k. I set it to 70v on the output of the amp. When I rise, let's say to 2 ohm in this example, I'll be pushing 2500w out of the sub.
So I'm just a little confused by what you said there. I think because I can't tell if you were implying if you rise, this amp will still give constant power. But unless you yeet the volume and rely on the limiter it can't.
Sorry for the dumb question or if it's confusing. I normally only supposed to be dumb on Tuesdays.
This is why you don't use multimeter to set your gains. All that does is calibrate it assuming the load is static, which it isn't.
The Smart 5 is a 5000wrms 2ohm stable amplifier, that has the ability to be wired to 1ohm by using a limiter to reduce the output voltage if the power exceeds 5000w. If you connect a 1ohm load to the amplifier and calibrate voltage for that, you'll be leaving half the power on the table.
The Smart 5 is also identical to a 10,000wrms 1ohm stable amplifier, just with less parallel mosfets since it only needs to handle half the current for 5k. So in your example, calibrate on the multimeter for 10k at 1ohm, and when rising to 2ohm you will see 5k. The amp just makes sure that in the instance that not enough rise is present, it doesn't actually try and produce 7,8,10k etc as that will damage it long term.
If you look at the amp dyno videos of this amp you can see exactly what I mean. Certified and uncertified tests produce around the 5k mark at loads up to 2ohm, thanks to the limiter working as intended. However, during dynamic test, the audio pulse happens too quickly for the limiter to activate in time, and so you get a glimpse into how this amplifier works, with it putting out in excess of 8000 or 10,000w in some cases, since that's what this amplifier is, a 10k with a limiter above 5k that takes a few milliseconds to kick in. All the while you have enough rise, the limiter doesn't need to activate and the amp behaves exactly like a 10k would. Dip below that impedance limit of 2ohms, and the amp will prevent itself making more power than designed by reducing the output voltage.
Note that I am disregarding rail sag and simplifying some values to make this example easier to understand.
@@barevids so what amp you think is better the smart 5 bass or smart 5?
Soooo.. wonder if they made any changes? Is the regular 5k better than the bass now 2 years later?
Is there a way to protect the loose transformer coils?
Thank you for the content big man 😀
Hello, how are you? Do you have the taramps screwed directly to the seat? Or is it with a wooden base or something underneath? since mine burned screwing it directly to the seat :(
It won't burn due to being screwed to metal, something else happened.
Thank you for responding, unfortunately it happened to me without having it fixed, it had no problems, after fixing it to the seat I turned on the taramps and short circuit, first time I use taramps I am with that doubt since it lasted 1 hour from the purchase, greetings from Chile ;)@@barevids
The power supply fets do you think it is safe by them heating up ? I dont want to burn my car up
On my Smart3k, I noticed the crossovers just plain SUCK. So I open them up and used the crossovers built in the head unit. Another thing is I got the same signal no matter if I plugged into the RCA in or out. So yes I just plugged into both and I haven’t had any problems. The only problems I had was the cooling fan quit and the amp got extremely hot. So I sent it back and got a new one. The pots on these amps are horrible, so you have to adjust them very slightly.
its common on most brazillian amps. jbl jl alpine and many others have full bridges with the kind of filters we like. though in this day and age even cheap decks have pretty decent dsp and or crossover capabilities
The pots being sensitive are because they have lower voltage rca inputs , i may be wrong but i lower the rca voltage from my head unit and it helped alot.
@@Hayawasa how did you lower the voltage from the rca from the head unit?
My sub out has a level adjustment.
no bass below 35hz , no matter what you do
how to stop the throttleing on the smart 5/8... like what input votage, charging voltage, ac voltage, amp draw should you see to prevent it from the throttle
It changes depending on what you're rising to at each frequency.
@@barevids so nothing to do to stop it ?
If it's throttling you're at the limits of the amp clamping 8k and you need a bigger one.
@@barevids so could you disconnect subs, play 40hz tone, and turn gain up to max volume clean and after a moment should start to see the ac voltage go down due to the throttle affect? So basically I’d have to turn the ac voltage down until it stays level , or will this not work if the amp doesn’t see a load from the subs?
@@Basshertz94 as I said, it depends on the rise, so you need to have subs connected. Use the clip light on the amp. It's accurate. If it comes on you're at the limits of the amp.
I also just took notice to the dual power inputs. I have single 0 AWG power and ground so I'm wondering if its OK to just split that or do I need to go back and actually run 4 separate wires? 🤔
Hola amigo saludos desde Mexico.. Crees que le afecte trabajar a 0.8 ohms al smart 5 regular
Hey Sam. Toward 15min in you were saying the smart 5 would be louder then SBass 5k. But looking at 4x rise dynos the SB5k does more wattage. I understand you are saying because the rail voltages are higher. But if there's more wattage how would it be louder? I definitely like the reliability factor you speak of.
Did you ever get a chance to give a comparison in the van?
hello
I greet you from Mexico, I see your videos on UA-cam, I would like to know which amplifier to buy a taramps 800x4 or rockville krypton f2. Which one has better sound quality?
Missed ya bro. But here you are gracing us with another dope video🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
So which is better the smart 5k or the smart 5kbass???
Has the smart bass had the rail voltage issue resolved yet?
Also any opinion on the Big Boss Bass line?
Video on big boss coming soon
@@barevids Great Im trying to decide between Big Boss and non Boss 8k
I have a Wolfram 7.5K that I never used, too big for my space. I like the power band from these smart ones better as well.
I was actually considering swapping my 4 Rockford t2500-1bdcp’s for two of these. This will be an interesting watch for me.
Don't do it
@@EvanField6380 why mate?
@@EvanField6380 he'd get more power may lose a little sound quality soo why not
@@HS786UK93 what's your electrical set up ?
@@HS786UK93 dirty power and cheaply made
Sorry not to keep yapping but would like to know your opinion on the other taramps models that have md in front of it vs hd or bass model, thanks
I would love for you do a video on voice coils in parallel vs series cause to me when multiple woofer is series parallel they just not as loud seems as if the voltage is splitting up too much
BRO I love your videos thanks for all the info!
Do you know if they changed any of the negatives you found for the smart and smart bass 8ks?
Question whats your thoughts on the Sundown salt amplifiers??
Awesome 👌, but I challenge Sam to speak highly on a Korean! He seems to be riding high on Brazilian.
They are decent built amps, other than that nothing special. Still uses an older designs.
Good amp.... Power acoustic 10000
Thank you so much for this video! You made my mind up for me. I now own a smart 5. Would have just bought the bass version, you know because basshead…….lol
Awesome thorough vid 👏
Hey do u know where I can replacement mofsets for the smart 5k the numbersi took off the part I'm having a hard time finding the right part number any help would be appreciated
@@adamagedone4u irfb4127
I take it that the irfb is the other part number that works? And can u recommend who I can get it from
This is probably a silly question, based on pricing.
But how do you think the Smart Taramps compare to the Sundown SIA ?
Both being smart, Constant power, full bridge, mono blocks ?
Are the Sundown SIAs worth the increased cost ?
The SIA are an absolute mess. The circuits are thrown together cheaply with absolutely no validation or optimisation. Example, the sia3000 uses completely the wrong PS switching frequency for the transformers used and the fets all run hot and inefficient as a result. Sundown do not design any of their own amplifiers, however the engineers at Taramps are passionate and build their circuits from scratch and only release when they are happy.
@@barevids Man you actually responded !!
Thank you !!
Taramps it is. I would like to get a PowerUS amp, but its out of my price range.
It seems that you prefer the Smart Series over the Smart Bass Series. So I'm gonna get a Smart 3k to power my 18" Dayton Ultimax.
Thanks!! Your youtube Channel is tremendously helpful !!
Sam so on the Taramps 3k would you go with the regular or bass version? Do the 3k fets have the same issue you state as the 5k bass version? Thanks a lot. I’m leaning to the 3k
If you understand HPF and LPF and are experienced with tuning a system, get the regular smart 3, it's more powerful. If you aren't sure and just want some bass easy, get the Bass version.
Thanks bud. I’m gonna go for the regular 3k.
Excellent video man
Was Good To Hear That The Low Pass Filter Went Down To 20Hz. Kinda Not Good To Hear That The High Pass Didn't Really Do Anything. I Really Need That In The Event Something Plays Below Tuning And Excursion Gets Way Out Of Hand.
hey Sam, i want to use the taramps ts400.4 to run tweeters but iam not sure about the way you wire in the tweeters to the amp.. i think it might be a noisy design as i have never seen only 3 speaker inputs for two speakes on an amp... sq is the main goal.. Can you advise if this amplifier is gonna be silent to my arc audio black tweeters?? Another thought,, how is the switching done with no output transistors.. at least i didnt see any on the heat sinks!!
You want class AB on tweeters not class D, you don't need much power at all like 30w would be enough.
Helpful video to understand some technical features on those bad boys, now actually is kind of difficult found help with this amps so I need some advice on my setup I have some issues with light dimming on my car I have a Taramps HD3000 4ohm with 2 Skars 12's 1600 watts each at 4ohm wired on series I hook up a "10farad capacitor" to see if improve the dimming but it doesn't help much, so what can I do to prevent light dimming on my car?
You aren't even close to having enough battery power to run that amp that 10 farad capacitor is doing absolutely nothing for you somebody obviously did not explain to you how much energy it takes to run these amplifiers especially if you don't want to burn them up you need at least two d3100's or somewhere near 45 amp hours of lithium along with an alternator and one ought power wire . Good luck my friend but definitely get you some batteries you're going to burn the amp up in a heartbeat if you don't.
Do the big 3 on your wire's. Battery, alternate r, starter to 0 gauge wire. And get a really good lithium battery. And double check your ground's also.
Great video as always. I have two quick questions. I have a 4k sub at 1ohm. Would you recommend the smart 5 or the powerus 8k? Is the powerus worth 2x the price? Also, when are you coming out with your own amplifier line? You know it would sell and you could call it barepower or something.
What amp did you go with
@@iChubbs_81 went with the powerus 8k's
@barevids if you had the amplifier gain set to 3000w at 1ohm when the sub is playing and rises to 4ohm would it be a 2900w output or would it be 2000w because the gain is lower
Wow! Hey amigo I'm speechless so much information, very impressive 👏 😀 thank you! now I know which amp to get...ooh and you got yourself a new subscriber 🙂🙂take care bud..
Great detailed video. Thanks
Any idea of the damping factor for the smart 5?
high but not as high as a class AB...it has massive power but shit weak bass below 35HZ!!
false information. @@lunam7249
enjoy geeking out amp stuff, thanks 4 u and big d wiz videos
Mr Sam!
If I'm setting my filters with a CC1 do the sketchy filter setting apply to me. Or will they be set correctly with the CC1?
Thanks brother!
For regular smart 5, leave the CC1 on the side, set all knobs to minimum and set active lpf 55hz ☺
@@barevidsFirst thanks alot for the reply it is very helpful.OK so still use hu for filters (active).
One more question for you sir. My head unit only offers subwoofer lpf, no high pass on head unit. Lpf on head unit offers 50hz 80hz 120hz 160hz
where should I set Hpf on amp since I don't have Hpf on head unit.
Setup is 2 12" Incriminator Audio Death Rows in Gately 4.0 cu ft. subs up port back tuned to 32hz