See More at usampsinc.com/ See the USA-50HC usampsinc.com/product/us-amps-usa-50hc/ Elac Debut B2 6.2 Speakers - amzn.to/3yXbRce 1997 US Amps VLX-400 Amp Dyno Test ua-cam.com/video/_3kN5mBTBpA/v-deo.html 1996 US Amps VLX-25 Amp Dyno Test ua-cam.com/video/bBOsJOFvKa4/v-deo.html _Note: Amp was sent from U.S. Amps for testing, but video is not sponsored by U.S. Amps. U.S. Amps paid a fee to have the amp tested and shown in this video but all content was created by Williston Audio Labs without input from U.S. Amps and we show features, tests and give our honest feedback_ VIDEO INDEX 0:00 Intro 0:30 Unboxing the USA-50HC 1:29 Features and Specs 3:29 Stereo Amp Dyno Tests 6:18 Sound Demo Mids and Highs 7:14 Bridged Mono Tests 9:00 Sound Demo with Subwoofers 10:53 What's Inside? 12:18 PROS and CONS 13:49 EXTRA Tests SHOP Affiliates: SAVARD Speakers: www.Shop4Boom.com (use WAL7 for 7% off) Amazon - amzn.to/3wNX6Fn Crutchfield - howl.me/cjZI33auToW TEST BENCH EQUIPMENT SMD / D'Amore Engineering Amp Dyno (AD-1): is.gd/wccad1 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 AMM-1: is.gd/wccamm1 My Favorite Precision Screwdriver Kit: amzn.to/3yAaPmn _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. As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase_
I have an old school Memphis pb 600.2 I can't find anything about this amp. It needs to be repainted. I really want to get amplab to repair it and have you test it and pull up any information about it in case someone else has the same amp and were in the same boat.
Thanks for this review big d, most apreciated. The amp looks, well its pro ably the nicest looking amp on the market at the moment, salt amps in the mushroom/ grey silver and d4s amps and the orions ssurge look sweet but i really like the look of this amp, and its a usamp so winner winner chickin dinner👍
One of my proudest demo/SPL builds was a 94 LT1 Caprice Wagon, 10 USA-50HC amps mounted vertically so all 10 were seen thru rear glass. Rear seats were evicted by a wedge of 20 JL 12W4 Subs, 10 on top 10 on bottom. Each amp drove 2 subs wired for 1 ohm bridged. Man the 90’s were some of the most elaborate over the top steel installs, nobody builds motorized amp racks that hide everything these days it’s all just plain Jane static equipment. 🎵 “Those Were the Days” 🎵
@NvTwist- Awesome setup you had. Did you ever hear of, or see a guy who had i think a walled Honda civic, with 16- 12s in the back seat area, and a trunk full of US-AMPS Amplifiers? I got to hear that thing @ a shop in the 90s, it was Awesome! I think he did a 160Db, on the old meter= prob. a 152 to a 155Db on a Term Lab. Did you ever meter your system?
@@evilinside5984 oh it wasn’t my vehicle it was built as the shops sales/demo/ShowCar. Even thou the amount of power and number of subs normally seen in DB Drag/SPL/Burp stripped interior competition vehicle’s the wagon install done like stealth SQ builds. Well um semi stealth, the only components not hidden were the amps heat sinks and the wedge wall of subs. Massive bass to draw the crowd the clean install brought in the customers. Favorite trick to show off the massive power was to place a Sunday newspaper on the dashboard roll up window and close the doors and do a quick full power burp that effectively making it the fastest paper shredder ever built, instantly shredding the paper flying thru out the entire cab. A crowed pleaser cause everyone enjoys watching carnage.
When I worked at a stereo shop in the 90's the manager had a side project with 18 polk DB 10's in a rear seat (removed) wedge on a 92 thunderbird. Two cessna alternators and 9 alpine V12's. I would not dare sit in that thing. Pink panther theme song (revenge of the pink boom) was the theme song lol.
US amps were the envy of so many back in the day. I managed to get a hold of a 100HC and then it took me months to get the electrical system in my 1977 Ford Maverick able to handle it without the headlight dimming. My buddy had a 200HC and a 100HC. Crazy times, good times and man, back in those days the bump came before the groceries.
US Amps has changed hands several times..."RE Audio" was the last I heard that acquired US Amps...This amp probably has little in common with the original Made in FLA US Amps
I worked for a custom install shop in the 90's... we had a US Amps 100HC on our demo board. I could literally activate every single sub cabinet on our floor (about 15 cabinets, maybe 20-25 subs total) all in parallel, and it would just play right through it. Always astounded me.
We didn't have U.S. amps where I was, but used to do the same in the early 1990s with the Soundstream Reference 500 at our store. We had like 16 subs, and it would run them all in that demo room. We sold alot of those demoing them that way. Miss those days!
Back in the day, most subwoofers were either single 8 ohm, or single 4 ohm coils. Installers are usually pretty smart. Multiple Subwoofer, demo show room setups, of up to (32)- single 8 ohm voice coil subwoofers, could be ran on the 1/2 ohm stable High Current Amplifiers. Each pair of single 8 ohm woofers in series= 16 ohms per enclosure. Parr. all down to 1/2 ohm, & no one knew about impedance rise back then= 1/2 ohm @ rest, would rise on average 2x to 4x, on music, so 1 ohm, to 2 ohm power. Heck, even if they were all single 4 ohm coiled woofers= 1/4 ohm @ rest, & prob. 1/2 ohm, to 1+ohm after impedance rise!?
@@andrewmiller9681 ...Are you sure about that? I would gladly pay the price for an American made amp. Mmats still manufactures in FLA, but only class D amps, and no multi channel amps...Most of their products are made over seas.I will do some research Andrew, I hope you are correct
@@raymo6795a good/well designed class d amp will specwise maybe have 0.001% thd while a class ab could be 0.0001% thd rated, but push either and they will have more thd either way also imo a good class d amp distorts the audio less than a class AB amp and amplifies it more cleanly overall, the reason some people prefer AB and tube amps is because they actually DISTORT the signal, especially tube pre/amps they also consume far less power
I have the 100hc to pair to a dd9518sc , 89 CRX . Its absolutely a beautiful amp. also id like to add the guys now running us amps are a great group 🤝.. yes , you can buy other amps cheaper.. everyone has a budget.. but good luck if something goes wrong 💁. I can pick the phone up and call these guys and they will treat you like family.. between the nostalgia, the performance, and the service.. i have no regrets 🤘
I'm going for low power, sq , and loud.. I don't need a ton of power to be loud . My box , my amp, and my car are correct for what I'm trying to accomplish.. I'm under a 2k rated amp and doin 50s 👍
Good lord did this bring back memories. As a car stereo nerd born in Gainesville, FL. (home of US Amps), I was always so proud to have their amps in my rides in the mid 90's. They were never flashy, but they were built like tanks and produced some serious power. I still remember the industrial park they were located in. It was cool to visit the exact spot my amp was made in.
Really feel like they came back because JP is now winning in this segment and they clearly are unable to compete. I feel like they really dropped the ball. Friend of mine had one in his Del Sol in the late 90s powering 3 JL w6 (V1) in his trunk. I also worked at Circuit City and knew about them. I stupidly ran MTX but oh well. I know better now. Great job BigD~~~
It’s great to see US Amps coming back and building these amplifiers. People talk about nostalgia and all these other things. I think this is down to each person‘s preference and what they want from an amplifier, I am an AB amplifier guy. I know there is a perceived sound difference between an AB and class D amplifier. That can be and has been debated in many other places. I would be willing to spend the money to get an amplifier like this because I feel it is a better-quality unit. There is a group of audiophiles out there who are looking at sound quality over SPL. This is more the type of amplifier for them because you have a ton of power for Mid and Highs.
US Amps has always been one of my favorite amps and im happy to see them back in the game. Yet, these components would have never made it into US Amps back in the day. Still nice to see them back.
Its really no different than Soundstream or any number of legacy brand amps that once had American made , high quality products, that have sold out. This is not like the original US Amps, they are just using the name...I would not dream of buying this amp
I had the US Amps 2000X class AB on two 15" HCCA Orions With a high output Alternator and in the winter time when the volts got higher, Id start my truck in the morning and see 15.4 Volts on the dash and the amp would NOT turn on until the voltage went down to 13.8. Sometimes it would take 20 minutes to kick on. Great amp and lots of power. I think they bench tested it around 3000 watts rms @ 2ohm, But it not turning on was so annoying because of the high voltage that I ended up selling the amp and switching over to class D. Never had the problem again. Them amps dont turn on if the voltage is to high. Once it turned on then it was fine. But I couldn't be patient, so I sold it.
@@andrewmiller9681 History means nothing when the product has nothing to do with the history, other than the memberries over the looks and name. Not made in the USA. Using bottom shelf components.
Very cool but that price is insane. I can't imagine anyone willing to pay $0.35+/watt unless you have some sort of sentimental connection to the brand. If someone was doing a resto on a 80s/90s vehicle and wanted period correct gear your $ could be much better spent on vintage refurbished equipment. Absolutely no reason to buy reproductions like this. There is still plenty of quality stuff from back in the day out there! Thanks big D
Still a beauty!! Great power, but not to keen on the price. If it's still 100%USA built, then I can see the price point being closer to proper. Great video Big D, I'm looking forward to the other two on testing😊
OK, one 375Amp alternator, 1/0 cable, a lithium cell bank, and some Ultra Caps. Got it. Class AB. Actually, its efficiency was quite good at 4Ohms and 2Ohms. 2ohm was still the theoretical typical Class AB efficency of 50%. I don't like pushing anything. I would keep it at 4Ohms because that turkey was getting warm. Like the HiFonics Eros Series VIII gold edition we had at between 2 and 3 Ohms mono during a nice humid July night, blasting. Melted a marshmallow on it for fun. Tasty.
I know a guy that had picked up a Earthquake Bandpass box and a US Amps USA-300 amplifier. Apparently he just tossed them out for newer gear. This was around two years ago and yes the amp worked fine.
I have always saw the "use head phones" in your videos, but don't usually have them handy. I use the speakers in the TV that I use for a monitor in the house. I pulled my Polk M20s from my boys room (he doesn't use them), and put them in my garage running off of an old AudioSource AMP One/A set up in a near field configuration. I can finally say those little Elacs sound good.
I remember paying about the same for a US Amps 400 many years ago. I think it did around 1200 at 2ohm bridged. I ran 4 15 inch Kove KXP pros off it. So loud and clean. I’m glad they are trying to make a comeback 😃😃😃
(I hope I'm not jumping the gun with this comment) This amp was one of the "Big Dawgs" in the car audio world! There was one other (close to this brand name) USA Acoustic (I think). It wasn't seen much in my area but it was a banger as well. Thanks for the upload on this one! 🤙🏻🤙🏻
Afternoon Derek! Thanks as always. It’s always a learning lesson class when watching your videos, and you have a knack for making sure that you add some laughs. I don’t know if you have interest, but I got two MB quartz amps DSC-450/4125 amps I would offer up for testing. Don’t know your process, and I think I won’t be able to get to mount them anytime soon, while I’m trying to locate an installer. LMK- thanks & Cheers
I ran the VLX25 back in high school. Had it on two Volcano 12's and a Orion XTR DVC 12. In a ford festiva with a very large enclosure where the back seat once was 😂. Calrion head unit/mids/highs
I think we put way too much stock in capacitor brands. Caps are not rocket science and they are within spec. I've repaired hundreds of amps and brand names fail just as much, but even off brand last decades. I do agree they should have used 25v instead of 16 though
@@xxskizzumxx I have had caps bulge and bust open. Cheaper caps. I have a amp with samyoungs and and never had a issue. It's about longevity for your 💰💰💰
Why is it not worth it? Is it because you only buy crap like skar ? Incase you are new, this amp is made in the US and is not only a SPL but a SQ amplifier..it's very clean
@bennyblanco14 they are no longer made in the USA. The design of everything is American, but the build is done in Korea if memory serves me correctly. With that said, Michael James tests each and every one before it is sent to the customer, and if it is not within his tight specs, he will not send it. Customer service is top notch. Unlike big corporations, the guys and gals at US Amps cares
One brand that was not sold around here in the 90's. But u knew of it if u read any of the Car Audio magazines they had back then. Most newer charging systems are 13V or so DC, atleast that is what my Taco says all the time even when bumping it's at 13.5V.
Geat Video, but 2400 watts for $1000 is a big pill to swallow. US Amps is definitely a product for a niche group of people. Hopefully they can survive, but the market will be difficult.
When I competed in 93-94 that’s what I ran US Amps. Can’t remember the exact models. I know my kids and tweet amp was rated at 50 and my sub amp was rated at 200.
That's US made prices for chinesium made amp. I can buy a US made amp from Mmats with more power and half the size. Sure, it would be class D, but it's made in USA.
I Remember the ghostsbuster demo rollin in KC downtown at the haunted houses it was one of the attractions. Also, they used to have the audio expos. Where are you Buy everything from EQ to whatever audio cool stuff back in the 80s.
The signal to 96db noise ratio and the .053 THD are nice, but they're not $1,079 MSRP nice. If you're going to pay for a Chinese or Korean made amp, you might as well pay NVX's prices.
@@cnorbcrnkn they certainly did. A nod to the old school cool when they were made in Gainesville, FL which happens to be local to Jacob Scott who was in charge of D4S’s amp lineup
@@cm1752 U.S. amps had this design first. D4S used as inspiration for their JP amps. I imagine because us amps was no longer in business at the time. These are not made in the same place as D4S amps.
D4s definitely used the heatsync design of US Amps, but the circuitry was designed by Michael James and approved by the founder of US Amps, Dirk Ecker, as a design that he would put his own name on.
FILE THIS UNDER: Things I could not afford then; and things I do not consider desirable now. No doubt. I'm a budget baller. Budget ballers waste a lot of cash until they decide to settle under a brand. Stop playin with me.. lol
Is it common to have differences between channels of 20 or more watts between channels. That seems bad especially if you get close to max on the speakers?
Hey Big D look at getting a Quantasylum Audio analyzer. It shows what the THD on an amp is. Around 600 bucks which isn't really that bad for what it can do.
I've seen those and don't want to go down that route as it just too geeky for my audience. I know some people want to get that deep in the SQ weeds, but I just don't see the benefit for most of my viewers. I do appreciate the suggestion though
Really disappointed to find out that they used really cheap components had to look it up and decon are like the bottom of the barrel capacitors which is one of the most important parts of the amplifier. It looks like they are charging a premium just for the name. Sad because I really wanted run one of their 500 HC amps
@@HappyHarryHardon oh yes for the price I agree. I was hoping for better build quality but I hope they do some changing as I was gonna buy one. I was just saying the 100HC is a better comparison to the Jp13.2. you can find the jp13.2 for the same price at $500 as at the end they had a 40% off sale. People just want to price gouge.
Question - Is SoundStream still putting out decent subs? Also, when I seen the temperature when you were dyno'n the US Amp. I kind of figured it would run a little warm on the subs. I'm still a bigger fan of the ole school Orion... 😁
See More at usampsinc.com/
See the USA-50HC usampsinc.com/product/us-amps-usa-50hc/
Elac Debut B2 6.2 Speakers - amzn.to/3yXbRce
1997 US Amps VLX-400 Amp Dyno Test ua-cam.com/video/_3kN5mBTBpA/v-deo.html
1996 US Amps VLX-25 Amp Dyno Test ua-cam.com/video/bBOsJOFvKa4/v-deo.html
_Note: Amp was sent from U.S. Amps for testing, but video is not sponsored by U.S. Amps. U.S. Amps paid a fee to have the amp tested and shown in this video but all content was created by Williston Audio Labs without input from U.S. Amps and we show features, tests and give our honest feedback_
VIDEO INDEX
0:00 Intro
0:30 Unboxing the USA-50HC
1:29 Features and Specs
3:29 Stereo Amp Dyno Tests
6:18 Sound Demo Mids and Highs
7:14 Bridged Mono Tests
9:00 Sound Demo with Subwoofers
10:53 What's Inside?
12:18 PROS and CONS
13:49 EXTRA Tests
SHOP Affiliates:
SAVARD Speakers: www.Shop4Boom.com (use WAL7 for 7% off)
Amazon - amzn.to/3wNX6Fn
Crutchfield - howl.me/cjZI33auToW
TEST BENCH EQUIPMENT
SMD / D'Amore Engineering Amp Dyno (AD-1): is.gd/wccad1
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 AMM-1: is.gd/wccamm1
My Favorite Precision Screwdriver Kit: amzn.to/3yAaPmn
_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. As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase_
I have an old school Memphis pb 600.2 I can't find anything about this amp. It needs to be repainted. I really want to get amplab to repair it and have you test it and pull up any information about it in case someone else has the same amp and were in the same boat.
Thanks for this review big d, most apreciated. The amp looks, well its pro ably the nicest looking amp on the market at the moment, salt amps in the mushroom/ grey silver and d4s amps and the orions ssurge look sweet but i really like the look of this amp, and its a usamp so winner winner chickin dinner👍
So take a classic brand name like USAMPS, build it in China, and charge over $1000 for it?
One of my proudest demo/SPL builds was a 94 LT1 Caprice Wagon, 10 USA-50HC amps mounted vertically so all 10 were seen thru rear glass. Rear seats were evicted by a wedge of 20 JL 12W4 Subs, 10 on top 10 on bottom. Each amp drove 2 subs wired for 1 ohm bridged.
Man the 90’s were some of the most elaborate over the top steel installs, nobody builds motorized amp racks that hide everything these days it’s all just plain Jane static equipment.
🎵 “Those Were the Days” 🎵
@NvTwist- Awesome setup you had. Did you ever hear of, or see a guy who had i think a walled Honda civic, with 16- 12s in the back seat area, and a trunk full of US-AMPS Amplifiers? I got to hear that thing @ a shop in the 90s, it was Awesome! I think he did a 160Db, on the old meter= prob. a 152 to a 155Db on a Term Lab. Did you ever meter your system?
@@evilinside5984 oh it wasn’t my vehicle it was built as the shops sales/demo/ShowCar. Even thou the amount of power and number of subs normally seen in DB Drag/SPL/Burp stripped interior competition vehicle’s the wagon install done like stealth SQ builds. Well um semi stealth, the only components not hidden were the amps heat sinks and the wedge wall of subs. Massive bass to draw the crowd the clean install brought in the customers. Favorite trick to show off the massive power was to place a Sunday newspaper on the dashboard roll up window and close the doors and do a quick full power burp that effectively making it the fastest paper shredder ever built, instantly shredding the paper flying thru out the entire cab. A crowed pleaser cause everyone enjoys watching carnage.
When I worked at a stereo shop in the 90's the manager had a side project with 18 polk DB 10's in a rear seat (removed) wedge on a 92 thunderbird. Two cessna alternators and 9 alpine V12's. I would not dare sit in that thing. Pink panther theme song (revenge of the pink boom) was the theme song lol.
Yes your right!!! Digital sound vs analog warm bass
US amps were the envy of so many back in the day. I managed to get a hold of a 100HC and then it took me months to get the electrical system in my 1977 Ford Maverick able to handle it without the headlight dimming. My buddy had a 200HC and a 100HC. Crazy times, good times and man, back in those days the bump came before the groceries.
groceries way pricier nowadays
@@chokechange You got that right. Back then I could feed me for a month for $50.
They are pretty, but they are pretty expensive. You would expect some better components.
Yeah it's not the 90s anymore?For the price you can get a nice Korean amplifier with a lot more wattage
Made in China I suspect
@@trailerpark187 I think they said Korea in on of their UA-cam videos, but I could me wrong.
@@ceciljones1248 I wouldn't have a problem with owning them, but you can basically get two for one if you go with another brand.
If you can't afford it, you can't afford it . 💁 I have a suspicion if you had one it would be nice tho 👀
US-Amps after decades still in beast mode. But I’m not sure anymore about the components used.
They did use Elna caps, which are very nice.
US Amps has changed hands several times..."RE Audio" was the last I heard that acquired US Amps...This amp probably has little in common with the original Made in FLA US Amps
I worked for a custom install shop in the 90's... we had a US Amps 100HC on our demo board. I could literally activate every single sub cabinet on our floor (about 15 cabinets, maybe 20-25 subs total) all in parallel, and it would just play right through it. Always astounded me.
We didn't have U.S. amps where I was, but used to do the same in the early 1990s with the Soundstream Reference 500 at our store. We had like 16 subs, and it would run them all in that demo room. We sold alot of those demoing them that way. Miss those days!
@@StonerCreek74 Good times my friend
That's crazy
Back in the day, most subwoofers were either single 8 ohm, or single 4 ohm coils. Installers are usually pretty smart. Multiple Subwoofer, demo show room setups, of up to (32)- single 8 ohm voice coil subwoofers, could be ran on the 1/2 ohm stable High Current Amplifiers. Each pair of single 8 ohm woofers in series= 16 ohms per enclosure. Parr. all down to 1/2 ohm, & no one knew about impedance rise back then= 1/2 ohm @ rest, would rise on average 2x to 4x, on music, so 1 ohm, to 2 ohm power. Heck, even if they were all single 4 ohm coiled woofers= 1/4 ohm @ rest, & prob. 1/2 ohm, to 1+ohm after impedance rise!?
I'd pay that price if it was still made in Gainesville Fl....U.S. Amps!!!!
@@andrewmcgee1649 put your money where your mouth is they will build you one here in florida
Put your money where your mouth is they can make you one here in florida
It would easily be 4 times the cost if it was made here.
@@andrewmiller9681 ...Are you sure about that? I would gladly pay the price for an American made amp. Mmats still manufactures in FLA, but only class D amps, and no multi channel amps...Most of their products are made over seas.I will do some research Andrew, I hope you are correct
@@raymo6795a good/well designed class d amp will specwise maybe have 0.001% thd while a class ab could be 0.0001% thd rated, but push either and they will have more thd either way
also imo a good class d amp distorts the audio less than a class AB amp and amplifies it more cleanly overall, the reason some people prefer AB and tube amps is because they actually DISTORT the signal, especially tube pre/amps
they also consume far less power
I have the 100hc to pair to a dd9518sc , 89 CRX . Its absolutely a beautiful amp. also id like to add the guys now running us amps are a great group 🤝.. yes , you can buy other amps cheaper.. everyone has a budget.. but good luck if something goes wrong 💁. I can pick the phone up and call these guys and they will treat you like family.. between the nostalgia, the performance, and the service.. i have no regrets 🤘
@@MatthewGuynn-ki8rn Will that thing handle my 9921 dd?
@@ceciljones1248 💁 depends on what your trying to do .
I'm going for low power, sq , and loud.. I don't need a ton of power to be loud . My box , my amp, and my car are correct for what I'm trying to accomplish.. I'm under a 2k rated amp and doin 50s 👍
Thanks for the feedback, that helps out people who are on the fence 👌
They said " hold up JP"! I'm back!!!!
US amps are not in the same ballpark as DOWN4SOUND
@@elcomandante9299its the look! And getting 2nd looks like "that looks like my 90s amp"! Nothing about tech.
Good lord did this bring back memories. As a car stereo nerd born in Gainesville, FL. (home of US Amps), I was always so proud to have their amps in my rides in the mid 90's. They were never flashy, but they were built like tanks and produced some serious power. I still remember the industrial park they were located in. It was cool to visit the exact spot my amp was made in.
Really feel like they came back because JP is now winning in this segment and they clearly are unable to compete. I feel like they really dropped the ball. Friend of mine had one in his Del Sol in the late 90s powering 3 JL w6 (V1) in his trunk. I also worked at Circuit City and knew about them. I stupidly ran MTX but oh well. I know better now.
Great job BigD~~~
Hey there was nothing wrong with MTX. They made some great amps, and some of the subs were pretty beastly as well.
It’s great to see US Amps coming back and building these amplifiers. People talk about nostalgia and all these other things. I think this is down to each person‘s preference and what they want from an amplifier, I am an AB amplifier guy. I know there is a perceived sound difference between an AB and class D amplifier. That can be and has been debated in many other places. I would be willing to spend the money to get an amplifier like this because I feel it is a better-quality unit. There is a group of audiophiles out there who are looking at sound quality over SPL. This is more the type of amplifier for them because you have a ton of power for Mid and Highs.
US Amps has always been one of my favorite amps and im happy to see them back in the game. Yet, these components would have never made it into US Amps back in the day. Still nice to see them back.
Its really no different than Soundstream or any number of legacy brand amps that once had American made , high quality products, that have sold out. This is not like the original US Amps, they are just using the name...I would not dream of buying this amp
True. Unlike the D4S amps that are made in the USA with all quality components......😂
Hands down best 2 channel amp yet I love full range 🙌 amplifiers
I had the US Amps 2000X class AB on two 15" HCCA Orions With a high output Alternator and in the winter time when the volts got higher, Id start my truck in the morning and see 15.4 Volts on the dash and the amp would NOT turn on until the voltage went down to 13.8. Sometimes it would take 20 minutes to kick on. Great amp and lots of power. I think they bench tested it around 3000 watts rms @ 2ohm, But it not turning on was so annoying because of the high voltage that I ended up selling the amp and switching over to class D. Never had the problem again. Them amps dont turn on if the voltage is to high. Once it turned on then it was fine. But I couldn't be patient, so I sold it.
Looks like d4s for the win on price and performance.
Was waiting for this comment😅 shows you don't know your history
@@andrewmiller9681 History means nothing when the product has nothing to do with the history, other than the memberries over the looks and name. Not made in the USA. Using bottom shelf components.
@@andrewmiller9681What does history have to do w/ the product being reviewed? The answer is it has nothing to do w/ it.
I always love seeing some U.S. Amps!! Always brings me back.
Thank you D!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
WoW, 😲 impeccable numbers for those US amps. Class ab at it's finest. That's what I'm talking about baby....
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Very cool but that price is insane. I can't imagine anyone willing to pay $0.35+/watt unless you have some sort of sentimental connection to the brand. If someone was doing a resto on a 80s/90s vehicle and wanted period correct gear your $ could be much better spent on vintage refurbished equipment. Absolutely no reason to buy reproductions like this. There is still plenty of quality stuff from back in the day out there! Thanks big D
Still a beauty!! Great power, but not to keen on the price. If it's still 100%USA built, then I can see the price point being closer to proper. Great video Big D, I'm looking forward to the other two on testing😊
Hopefully they stick around long enough for version two. I give them a C+ for effort.
thanks for the feedback!
@@wal he was talking about us AMPS I believe.
OK, one 375Amp alternator, 1/0 cable, a lithium cell bank, and some Ultra Caps. Got it. Class AB.
Actually, its efficiency was quite good at 4Ohms and 2Ohms. 2ohm was still the theoretical typical Class AB efficency of 50%. I don't like pushing anything. I would keep it at 4Ohms because that turkey was getting warm. Like the HiFonics Eros Series VIII gold edition we had at between 2 and 3 Ohms mono during a nice humid July night, blasting. Melted a marshmallow on it for fun. Tasty.
@@pgmurray76 marshmallow will melt @ 100 degrees
I know a guy that had picked up a Earthquake Bandpass box and a US Amps USA-300 amplifier. Apparently he just tossed them out for newer gear. This was around two years ago and yes the amp worked fine.
I have always saw the "use head phones" in your videos, but don't usually have them handy. I use the speakers in the TV that I use for a monitor in the house. I pulled my Polk M20s from my boys room (he doesn't use them), and put them in my garage running off of an old AudioSource AMP One/A set up in a near field configuration. I can finally say those little Elacs sound good.
I remember paying about the same for a US Amps 400 many years ago. I think it did around 1200 at 2ohm bridged. I ran 4 15 inch Kove KXP pros off it. So loud and clean. I’m glad they are trying to make a comeback 😃😃😃
(I hope I'm not jumping the gun with this comment)
This amp was one of the "Big Dawgs" in the car audio world! There was one other (close to this brand name) USA Acoustic (I think). It wasn't seen much in my area but it was a banger as well.
Thanks for the upload on this one! 🤙🏻🤙🏻
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I saw those amps in action back in the day, and they were impressive back then. They still impressed me yet again in power loads Big D.
HOLY HELL BIG D!! I dont think ive ever heard those Elacs sound better from any of the countless car amps youve had em on. WOW
Great color on this one!! And it’s got the juice for sure
It really is a looker! The bottom as well with the engraved acrylic. And yeah, she ain't slackin' for powa
Thankyou very much for this video. Hopefully the rest of their models will have better components.
These things look and sound great so yeah upping the caps at a minimum would be great
Afternoon Derek! Thanks as always. It’s always a learning lesson class when watching your videos, and you have a knack for making sure that you add some laughs. I don’t know if you have interest, but I got two MB quartz amps DSC-450/4125 amps I would offer up for testing. Don’t know your process, and I think I won’t be able to get to mount them anytime soon, while I’m trying to locate an installer. LMK- thanks & Cheers
I ran the VLX25 back in high school. Had it on two Volcano 12's and a Orion XTR DVC 12. In a ford festiva with a very large enclosure where the back seat once was 😂. Calrion head unit/mids/highs
For the price put some nichecon or Samyoung caps in that beast
I think we put way too much stock in capacitor brands. Caps are not rocket science and they are within spec. I've repaired hundreds of amps and brand names fail just as much, but even off brand last decades. I do agree they should have used 25v instead of 16 though
I'm pretty sure they will build you one with any brand capacitor you want.
@@xxskizzumxx I have had caps bulge and bust open. Cheaper caps. I have a amp with samyoungs and and never had a issue. It's about longevity for your 💰💰💰
Oh yes class a/b goodness. Still the same price from the 90s. I cant wait to buy some
Had two of these and a 100HC. Those amps were sick as hell.
Not worth it Just buying the name!
Why is it not worth it? Is it because you only buy crap like skar ? Incase you are new, this amp is made in the US and is not only a SPL but a SQ amplifier..it's very clean
@@bennyblanco14 Not made in the US, even uses cheap components.
Never underestimate the importance of a name.
@bennyblanco14 they are no longer made in the USA. The design of everything is American, but the build is done in Korea if memory serves me correctly. With that said, Michael James tests each and every one before it is sent to the customer, and if it is not within his tight specs, he will not send it. Customer service is top notch. Unlike big corporations, the guys and gals at US Amps cares
Can't wait until you get the Orion NT amps to test
Those are going to be sweet for sure
@@chadwalton2128 me too!!
Beautiful finish on that amp!
$1k? That's disappointing. They were expensive in the 90s, but worth it when compared to the competition. Today? not so much.
Sq is more than a spl
One brand that was not sold around here in the 90's. But u knew of it if u read any of the Car Audio magazines they had back then.
Most newer charging systems are 13V or so DC, atleast that is what my Taco says all the time even when bumping it's at 13.5V.
Geat Video, but 2400 watts for $1000 is a big pill to swallow. US Amps is definitely a product for a niche group of people. Hopefully they can survive, but the market will be difficult.
NICE! I had the US Amps 100HC back in the day!
When I competed in 93-94 that’s what I ran US Amps. Can’t remember the exact models. I know my kids and tweet amp was rated at 50 and my sub amp was rated at 200.
That's US made prices for chinesium made amp. I can buy a US made amp from Mmats with more power and half the size. Sure, it would be class D, but it's made in USA.
Quality sound vs loud noise
seems like an amp named "US Amps" should be made in the USA...I have some 30 year old US Amps...lets see if this amp is around in 30 years
Been waiting on this for awhile
When you did the thing at 12:02 in, I thought it was gonna be like "Why is this so far out from all the rest of the stuff?" vs what u said lol
US amps was the type of design jp copied. They are nice looking amps
I DO LIKE THE BOLD COLORS OF YOUR SPECS AND THE NEW READY CUTAWAYS
Awesome testing.
Love the HDR video quality 👍
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I wonder if US Amps can compare to Sundown or JP amps far as quality.
8g for the remote!!!! That’s what we used to power the amps in the 80s!!!
Yup, I remember these. I would run their products. Imo they look slick.
Its a ok first attempt with some room for improvement
USA for the win....just wish it was actually made in the USA
They can make you one here in florida
I wish anything was made in u.s.a.
Will , haz un video del amplificador US AMP AX3200DE , es un monstruo😅
I Remember the ghostsbuster demo rollin in KC downtown at the haunted houses it was one of the attractions. Also, they used to have the audio expos. Where are you Buy everything from EQ to whatever audio cool stuff back in the 80s.
Everyone else: look how small our most powerful amps are
US Amps: hold my surfboard
We used to call the VLX 400 The Surfboard. 😂
They need to up their game with the caps.
Why not a half ohm test using the kicker box??
Big D is this a new US amp ❓
i miss my 50hc so much used to to stomp two 9500 DD 15's
Excellent video as always, Please dyno the Earthquake 900w 5 Channel Amp if possible. It's that blue space ship looking thing🤣
I would call this a Soft Fail 😢
The signal to 96db noise ratio and the .053 THD are nice, but they're not $1,079 MSRP nice. If you're going to pay for a Chinese or Korean made amp, you might as well pay NVX's prices.
A name Sir … just a name out of the mist of the past PHOENIX GOLD , please let it be known!
Would love to see you test an audiobahn a5000 spl
Everything was spot on till the power connections. Threw me for a loop 😆🤣
Seems pretty decent for a class A/B.
I shoulda got an original when I lived in Gainesville
I remember that big ole 44" long amp from US amps. Saw a guy with 8 of them running 8 Dr Crankenstein 18s in an old school Bronco.
Good lawd, 8 of them? Probably needed 12 extra batteries
@@wal don't remember if he had a bunch or not but it was LOUD . Carl Casper in Louisville KY early 2000s
Always wanted one, but was out of my price range
If it is made in China, shouldn't they change the nsme to China Amps?
Cool amp. Beautiful color.
These amps remind me of the Orion HCCA amps.
Great video Big D💪💪
Very similar looking as the D4S brand - probably manufactured in the same build house.
I still feel that D4S took inspiration from the earlier US Amps models in terms of styling and shape
@@cnorbcrnkn Oh definitely, and I love them for it.
@@cnorbcrnkn they certainly did. A nod to the old school cool when they were made in Gainesville, FL which happens to be local to Jacob Scott who was in charge of D4S’s amp lineup
@@cm1752 U.S. amps had this design first. D4S used as inspiration for their JP amps. I imagine because us amps was no longer in business at the time. These are not made in the same place as D4S amps.
D4s definitely used the heatsync design of US Amps, but the circuitry was designed by Michael James and approved by the founder of US Amps, Dirk Ecker, as a design that he would put his own name on.
FILE THIS UNDER: Things I could not afford then; and things I do not consider desirable now.
No doubt. I'm a budget baller. Budget ballers waste a lot of cash until they decide to settle under a brand.
Stop playin with me.. lol
Hey D what’s a really good efficient A/B amplifier you would recommend to run four 4 ohm ds18 pro 6.5 speakers
look just like the jp amplifiers
Lmao no d4s ripped off usamps go do your homework
I'm still in sticker shock on these! What's even funnier is Orions gonna do the same thing!! Wheres the DSP?? Nice review btw.
Thanks for warching and the feedback
Mini Vandals? PROJECT FARMS cup of tea.
Over 2V more input than the amp is rated, but yeah, she's purdy.
Is it common to have differences between channels of 20 or more watts between channels. That seems bad especially if you get close to max on the speakers?
Another great video !!!
Beautiful amps but wayy too overpriced for todays standards.
Any thoughts on Lightning audio? It seems like they werent very popular and dont seem to get more hate than anything.
Awesome amp just to expensive
Please test the Down 4 Sound JP 1.2 z3!!!!!
How about a budget box /amp combo? Maybe 2x10s or 2x12s
Wonder if the dampening is what it used to be? The d4s amps are very similar
Hey Big D look at getting a Quantasylum Audio analyzer. It shows what the THD on an amp is. Around 600 bucks which isn't really that bad for what it can do.
I've seen those and don't want to go down that route as it just too geeky for my audience. I know some people want to get that deep in the SQ weeds, but I just don't see the benefit for most of my viewers. I do appreciate the suggestion though
In the paintball world, anodizing is a big deal. We would call that a "Dust" finish.
Really disappointed to find out that they used really cheap components had to look it up and decon are like the bottom of the barrel capacitors which is one of the most important parts of the amplifier. It looks like they are charging a premium just for the name. Sad because I really wanted run one of their 500 HC amps
Nice, now bring back RE!
Thanks.
I used vlx-400 on my tweeters for about a year back in 99. 🤣🤣. It's who you know...😉
Now that's a beef tweeter amp!
I rather drop 1000$ on the JP13.2
@@HappyHarryHardon I paid $500 for the 13.2 for my dad. Never used brand new. The 100HC is more comparable to the 13.2
@@gabrieljackson7316 Not all of us are cool like you and your dad so if it’s a choice between paying 1000+(not 500$), I’d rather buy the 13.2.
@@HappyHarryHardon oh yes for the price I agree. I was hoping for better build quality but I hope they do some changing as I was gonna buy one. I was just saying the 100HC is a better comparison to the Jp13.2. you can find the jp13.2 for the same price at $500 as at the end they had a 40% off sale. People just want to price gouge.
I have a question I have 6 8ohm loud speakers for my doors what ohm amp should I use someone please help
Question - Is SoundStream still putting out decent subs?
Also, when I seen the temperature when you were dyno'n the US Amp. I kind of figured it would run a little warm on the subs. I'm still a bigger fan of the ole school Orion... 😁