100 watt Amp? Yeah, right! 1997 Audio Art 100HC Amp Dyno Test
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- Опубліковано 20 сер 2024
- #caraudio #highcurrent #cheateramp
The Audio Art 100HC is one of the most beautiful amplifier designs EVER!! From the stunning white and polished aluminum exterior to the absolutely incredible internals. The amplifiers dual-mono design by David Yeh has impressed both SPL and SQ users over the years. The amp has a high-current design and is capable of powering speaker loads between 0.5 and 16 ohms. Back in the day this would be considered a 100 watt amp (for competition purposes). The original MSRP was $999 USD and it's main competition were Orion's HCCA and US Amps VLX series amplifiers.
Here we take a look at this work of "Audio Art" and try it out on the Amp Dyno as well. Spoiler alert...it's down right impressive! Too bad there's not a good way to portray sound quality over UA-cam or you would be impressed with more than the looks and output power!
Search for Audio Art Amplifiers on eBay:
goo.gl/4HRc5J
Awesome power supply for testing amplifiers: goo.gl/TcJExs
See amp-performance.de test data on this amp: goo.gl/nvjMsr
Handheld version of Amp Dyno used for testing amps: amzn.to/2xHEaYa
Full disclosure: All of the opinions in this video are my own and the content wasn't reviewed by anyone prior to posting. Affiliate links are provided for your convenience. I receive a portion of the sales from these links, which help me bring you more unbiased content for this channel.
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![AMPLIFIER ART? 1994 Precision Power Art Series A404 and A600 Amps [4K]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XE2uuY-zKKE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Old School HiFonics vs Orion Amp Dyno and SPL Testing [4K]](/img/n.gif)
Search for Audio Art Amplifiers on eBay: goo.gl/4HRc5J
Awesome power supply for testing amplifiers: goo.gl/TcJExs
Handheld version of Amp Dyno used for testing amps: amzn.to/2xHEaYa
See amp-performance.de test data on this amp: goo.gl/nvjMsr
Full disclosure: All of the opinions in this video are my own and the content wasn't reviewed by anyone prior to posting. Affiliate links are provided for your convenience. I receive a portion of the sales from these links, which help me bring you more unbiased content for this channel.
BigDWiz
Can you test VM AUDIO AMPLIFIER (ECD5400.1)pls
beautiful amp. if you ever get your hands on a zpa .5 i would love to see that test. was my fav SQ powerhouse from back in the day
BigDWiz I have the 100hc how much could I get for it it's in Sam conditions if not better
Kyle Van I have a ZPA 0.5 and I assure you it does over rated, no problem.
The big problem with testing them today is they are well known for having leaky caps so even powering one up is risky... I need to recap mine soon and get it back in a car. They also WILL NOT make anything even close to any power without a seriously stout line driver (something like 10V). I ran mine off of an Audio Control Matrix.
BigDWiz Hey BigD I have a alpine 3533 amplifier that if you would like to test you can I have no use for it right now so I don't care if it gets damaged on the Dyno but if I could see the output that would be amazing.
i bought a junky old 97 thunderbird off of Craigslist several years ago for $400 for parts and when i went to pick it up, much to my surprise it had an old competition system in it, complete with an Audio Art 100HC, 50HC and a couple Audio Control 30 band EQTs. i couldn’t believe the score I found! I've since sold EQTs but held on to the 100HC and 50HC. Great amps!
These amps were the stuff dreams were made of when I competing in the late 90's.
Tammy Forbes those were great amps.
the ppi art series were also.
Lol i think i didnt get a system till 2000.that was bc it was all overprice and couldnt afford it at 17 yrs old.but i made a break and got a flea market amp and a 15 mtx.i put it kn a single carb s10 sealed box seat all way on steering wheel😂.to me to this day rockford and jl and orion is a straight rip off.
Yep Audio Art and Autotek BTS series.
1997: This AMP is 100 Watts => 1500 Watts.
2017: DIS AMP MAKE 99999 WATTS! => 300 Watts + burning circuit.
+NameIst Unbekannt great point and the truth!!
NameIst Unbekannt
I'm guessing from the fact that it states 0.5 -16 ohm output impedance and 11-16v input that the 50w x2 100w x1 is at the highest 16 ohm and k the lowest 11v
Nexus 7 Tablet these amps can also drive much higher ohm's, infact higher ohms wouldn't hurt an amp, lower ohms would tho.
That's a true gem there man. I remember the brand name but I never knew anything about them. You're helping us to keep a look out for these old diamonds in the rough. People sometimes find stuff like this for next to nothing at garage sales and flea markets. Thanks for showing us D.
You are right, saving the old school gems! Thanks for watching and commenting
Facts!!
This amp is absolutely gorgeous. Thank you for sharing
+www.GPcarAudio.com thanks Ty. Looks like GP is booming, good deal brother. Wishing you continued success 🤙
BigDWiz thanks man
I had about 10 of these amps when I was collecting. I had a mint 50HC and many others including a 100HC. Found a 200ms in a local shop still new in the box! Loved these amps. Super strong and built like tanks.. sounded wonderful.
+ISEE YOU 😲
It's funny, I remember when we were hooking up eight to sixteen subs on a single 100 watt amp in the '90s and got loud as hell and never had problems.
V S so very true.. the good old days of multiple subs!!!
I had a full system on a RF punch ,45hd running trimode!!!
No doubt! Of course subs were 500-750 watts rms
I love seeing those old mags. I used to subscribe to all of them and the annual directory was huge for my friends and I.
Williston Audio Labs I ran a 100hc for years and still actually have it. Was always impressed but never knew what a beast it was til I came across your video! Thank you!
I just noticed you have the audio art amp on your banner behind you while you gave it 2 thumbs up. It is a beautiful amp. Thanks for the video. Great work.
MAN!! I miss Audio Art. It was the real deal.
I agree brother. And what sucks is this company literally disappeared. They have wonderful sound and never break. I have 6 Audio Art amps , and I have yet to replace any components and they just keep rocking.
I love this channel because after watching the video I can read the comments and it makes me feel like I'm back in 1996 reading car audio magazines and wishing for equipment
+turbojunker thanks bro, I'm glad you feel that way. I try to test a variety of amps so nobody feels left out...but I enjoy testing the OS amps the most. Even if they don't put out ten kajillion watts 😬
Always wanted one of these! I could never afford one back then though. This may really be the case for the phrase "they don't make them like they used to!"
My buddy Steve, God rest his soul, was running 2 of these on 8 Protech 15s in his Jeep Cherokee back in 1999 and back then hitting 161 db. Serious amp
the Audio Art amps are so special especially when paired with audio control products (x-overs)
I totally remember that audio art advertisement.
Audio Art were always my favorite next to Soundstream reference series. I also loved the Audio Art component set with the titanium tweeters.
+OldSport oh yeah, the SS Ref series were at the top of my list too!
Bought one at a swap meet in 2004 for 5 bucks. Installed in my boat with some JBL Marine speakers and dash tweeters. Didn't know what I had, but it sounded killer on the lake. Wish I still had it.
I remember I had the audio art mids and highs. they were one of the best sounding speakers that I ever owned.
Great review, but noticing there's one thumb down. Who is disliking this review??? Why? Its a simple review, backed with straight facts. You really can't argue anything other than you don't like the amps color or Big D's background music. Must be punk kids' day, I guess.
+Doc Holidaze always a hater in the crowd. It's all good 🤘
I had a 50hc back in the day running 4 15inch audio art's in a '90 escort gt in an isobarrick encloser. It would bounce a quarter 4 inches off the roof.
I still have 2 100HC amps in my stash. The best sounding amp I ever had
Can you sell one of them?
do you know the transistors model?lg
@@MrKilijan they are under the board. If I ever take it apart, I will take pictures
@@laroxdabest640 where u from?
Holy crap!! Gobs of headroom!! 🤤 I can only imagine how beautiful that amp would sound pushing a 3-way comp set on the front-end. Wish I could hit Powerball someday. I'd have enough of these old school amps to fill a warehouse!! 😄 Awesome video BigD!! 👌
I've been wondering since I started watching you videos a year ago why you hadn't done a dyno test on the 100HC. You was trying to save the best for last! This is my favorite amp.
Back in the 90's I wanted Orion HCCA amplifiers after getting a 280GX Orion. Then I went to a car audio competition in Riverside Ca. one summer day. I had a friend who was competing in it with his Mazda 323. There was a black Integra at the show running all Audio Art after the Alpine head unit. That car was gorgeous and I learned what Audio Art was there in Walnut California. I started looking and after seeing their 50HC and 100HC, Orion HCCA was no longer the dream. The Audio Art's were just that beautiful and power rating were right there with the HCCA's. Sadly all I was ever able to own was a EQ from them. One of these day's I'll see one up for sale on eBay or where ever and get them. I'll have to replace the EQ as well though. It went with my old 84 Fiero when I finally sold it about 6 years ago.
I used to be a dealer of these amps back in the day every drug dealer in Detroit wanted them.lol
None of my local shops carried them, curious, did they sell well?
Same here... Closest shop to me that carried them was Custom Audio Concepts (the first guys to ever RTA a perfect 40 in IASCA SQ.. it was a Lemans you drove from the back seat) and their SQ car was running AA amps. They said they didn't sell worth anything because no one had ever heard of them.
Maxwelhse I also can't imagine $999 or $799 for an amp is gonna make them fly off the shelf even if they are the real deal.
I just remember all their stuff being super-expensive when compared to RF, Orion, SS, & brands such as that. They always looked really cool, and I was familiar with the brand, but it was always "Unobtainium".
@@TheBrokenLife I remember that car !! They removed the front seats to get the best possible imaging and sound quality!!
Audio Art was some of the sexiest amps of our time.
Oh Boy Audio Art got amazing power and beautiful design and the interior guts are immaculate!!!
Audio Art made good amplifiers. I liked them as well as the Alpines. They always got the job done.
Audio art were beautiful amps. Reminds me of Phoenix gold purple amps...I love those Phoenix gold. I couldn't afford neither...but there were always a dream to own one.
Agreed. Two of the most beautiful amp internals from those brands
I remember these amps buddy of mine had 2 in his setup. The polished center is what sets em off such pieces of art like big D said.
It was rare to see these beauties at an IASCA or USAC event, but when you did you knew the owner knew what they were doing.
I worked for eXotica car audio in Marion Ohio in the 90s. We retailed US Amps, Memphis, Eclipse, Pioneer, Audio Art, Cerwin Vega and a handful of other manufacturers. Audio Art was the most popular amp brand we carried until we dropped it for Memphis(not my call, I was just an employee). We also sold a lot of AA woofers, but we sold more American Bass. We did a comp vehicle with 8-AA100HCs that were built for the vehicle. After the comp vehicle was dismantled, I ended up with two of them. I probably shouldn't have sold those amps, even though I probably got more for them back then than they would sell for today.
Great video! I would take an amp like this and run 4 15s then take the matching 50HC and run mids and highs
Thanks again for the test. Keep them coming, always look forward to your videos!
+Russel Schwerma thanks bro, appreciate da support 🤙
Had no idea these were built so well
amps like this really slammed the low notes at 20 Hz. most of these class d amps I hear slam at 45hz but have no bottom. I play a 15-20hz test tone and the speaker barely moves. I remember my Phoenix gold XS2150 bridged to 2 ohms would make my 07 kicker cvr slam like it was going to come out of the box when I played those 10 Hz-25 Hz test tones on bass mechanic quad maximus. I mean it really shook my Land Rover Discovery like someone was kicking the back seat! It was in a regular sealed hatch back enclosure. Fast forward, same vehicle, my 400.1 kicker amp won't do it, neither does my very under rated JBL 1001ez when hooked to a kicker box with 2 CompR 12's. that amp would make them bottom out at lower frequencies bit they just don't slam like kicker CVR's used to. Matter of fact, my single CVR on my Phoenix gold xs2150 slammed lows belpw 30 Hz twice as hard as those 2 CompR 12's in the kicker box (bought from best buy, rated to handle 1,000 watts rms 2,000 peak). The JBL 501ez bench tested at 717 watts certified, so I know my 1001ez is putting well over 1,000. It just seems today's car audio doesn't hit the lows. My SVS PB2000 home theater sub with its 500 watt amp slams 20 Hz harder than my kicker box with 2 compR 12's do with my 1,000+watt rms JBL amp, and instead that SVS sub looks like its moving 2-3 inches. %he kicker box has tons of slam around 45 Hz, but it gets weak as it gets lower. My old Phoenix gold XS2150 and single 07 kicker CVR seemed like the lower it went the harder it slammed. Guess ill have to search for some good old scbool now get amps as they seem to get the job done better.
rochab77 I believe you about the pg amps. I've got a collection of them from vintage to later years. My 2500 Xs kicked the crap out of my kicker 15" l7 til I smelled coils cooking.
Some of that is to do with the speaker/enclosure. Yeah and calls D amps are really not the greatest when it comes to anything below 25 Hz. I can get mine to play down to 22 Hz and I can hear distortion even at low volumes.
Some have a switchable subsonic filter, for people who want spl at higher bass notes. Check under the bottom cover and you may have the switch.
Taking me back to the days when I actually read magazines! Lol....I remember that Audio Art ad just like it was yesterday! Lmao.....keep up the good work, Big D!
+hookhousebeatz I miss the old magazines with all that info. We are spoiled today by the Internet though. So much more info available 🤙
had both of these models LOVED them. i miss the old school amps like these. not that there are not good amps still available but imo some just dont compare to amps like these. even with the massive power the sq these had was awesome.
Some of the most beautiful and best sounding amps ever IMO
That's what I'm talking bout! The tiny cheap amp series was interesting, but bad boy old school goodness is what I love to see!!!
A couple times a year I have to watch this video and remind myself how awesome Audio Art amps are! I have two AA amps, the 100HC and their six channel amp. They've been sitting for 8 years. They are for in my H2 but I can't work on it due to a back disability. I also have a Fabtech 6" lift that cost me 5k along with a bunch of new front end parts that I just look at every day. Sad....
Super amps... I loved mine... I had 2 before and they kicked azz... in 1997 one of these on a 15d2 stroker was an incredible setup... I had 2 amps and 2 strokers... a nice little +150 db setup that I competed in SQ as well with... love your vids...
+1gggman1 awesome! Thanks for sharing your experience and for watching my vid 👍
I have one 340.6 in my car, i love it! From Brazil!
This never gets old....
Still have my 200.2 (Brown one) in my garage. Would bump two 10" RFP in a sealed box back in the day. Also have the XM1 Coustic x-over I would use it with. Good amps. Made in the USA..
My favorite old school line!!! I remember their Black Sentra!!!!!
👌😬👍
I would NOT have expected that out of a 100 watt amp...but kudos Audio Art...
I would always see these apps in ads when I had the car audio and electronics magazine subscription, late 90s.
For a very short period of time, these amps were about the best deal out there for the few people who knew to look for them. I bought my 50HC for $130 (shipped!) in 2000 or 2001. It's been running subs on under 2 ohm loads (1 ohm currently) for 16 years and rarely complains (after about 2 hours of playing hard in a trunk it will thermal protect... 10 minutes later it comes back and all is well).
These are great little amps. I'd still love to find a 100HC at a reasonable price. I'd also like to get some decals made up to replace the silk screening.
I had a guy laser etch them,he scanned and cleaned up the image. This way I could Polish the plates before etching.
always an interesting pcb layout when the transistors are inverted smack dab into the heatsink.
My FIRST thought was the internals looked like DLS. Nice to know they’re designed by the same guy.
Very talented designer 🎼
Loved these back in the day......feed them well and they dropped bombs.
I had 4 of these back in 2000 running on 2 DD 9515B series on 17 v..yes they could take 17 v..I love these amps...I was at .7 ohms per amp
About a month ago,I found one in the junkyard.bought it for $20..the fuse was blown,but it was in the inside..works just fine..its a audio art 200.2
Wow, sweet deal!
I remember these were one of the most cleanest amps for its time for the power it produced.
I had an LA Sound two way crossover with a parametric bass boost back in the early 90s. It sounded excellent with my PPI amps, found it at a pawn shop. I opened it one day and the circuit was well designed.....and had AUDIO ART silk screened on the pcb. What the heck? Sucks I got rid of it, but newer decks have a lot of internal eq capability nowadays and you can save a lot of external noise interference and other distortion. Still, I can only imagine how good their amps sound.
Great vid as always Big-D! Keep Em coming
+blech71 thanks bro. Only 15 hours invested in this one 😲
I miss my 50HC nobody could believe that's the only amp running my 15s in 1998
Another great video Sir
As always amazing content & straight up legit testing
Absolutely no filler & all killer
Audio Art also made quality x-over
2 ways $99 3 ways $ 125
shown in that competition sound van
but you gotta hear their components
Loud, clear & crisp mids & tweets.
2 ways were with x over for $99 a
pair back in 1990..mine lasted about
12 yrs before too much sun damage.
Wasn't David Yeh apart of ZED amps
??? Designer / engineer too
Loving the content amigo!!
As an aging car audio competition nut, I can honestly say your channel is the only one that makes me truly nostalgic.
Question: Have you ever come across a Phoenix Gold amp called The One??
+bigshotdadz thank you sir! I've seen the review of this monster amp on UA-cam, but never seen one in person.
man I had the audio art 100hc..was one that got me really in the audio I ran so many subs on it. and being young and dumb I sold it. wish I had it now I've told so many stories lol good studf
Make a plexiglass window and mount it with a nice frame around it and make it a piece of art. That's the only way this amp should be installed. 👍🏻
You are correct sir! Pictures/video don't do this beauty justice!
I drooled over this amplifier! It was one of those untouchable objects for me. Like a Lamborghini or a mansion LOL
i would really really love to see one of those fosgate "freeload" amps tested. I mean, test the headunit without amp even hooked up first, then test headunit through amp, then with amp "on"
I bought a 100hc used on a forum that was supposed to be broken. He made a mistake and it worked perfectly! Only problem was these was an absolute power hog at 1ohm mono. Love the board design though.
Oh also got hot AF!
I had a 200.2xe they are very underrated audio arts from that series
+Jason # 👌😊🤘
I ran the hell out of mine... The amp would run a quarter ohm load if it wasn't full tilt 24/7. I let it eat till the protection light came on, lol. It ran various combos of subs, but the happiest at quarter ohm was some later 90's kicker comp 12's, It had a hard time keeping up with the late 90's fosgate punches. But, the amp was never quarter ohm stable and that was just me abusing it. It never died, Just needed quick cash so I sold it in 2002 for $350
I had that 97 Car Audio directory, I read the thing so much it took the silver colour off the front cover haha
As usual, great video!!
Thanks 👌
It would beat up the Orion HCCA 2100..... Old school real power
I always wandered what amp that was on your banner behind you, now I know! That thing looks crazy, it's like a Tron city for electrons. Awesome stuff good sir
AWESOMENESS BROTHER BASSHEAD
I love your vids I always see things I remember from a kid that my uncle would have
old school is in yo blood!
Man that's a beauty! I wish I was able to get some of them old school amps
Umm, get on Ebay brother, they are all over. In fact, I can sell you some of my old school amps if you would like.... :-)
I never heard of this company either, and I though I knew good old cheater amps. Sweet amp.
I wish you could get your hands on an ISOGRAPHITE MAJESTIC 500 watt amp. It was my go to amp way back in the day.
My buddy had one of these amps...pretty good for when it was made.
I loved there Sentra from back in the day
Thank you so much for this amp dyno .. one day i well get my hands on one
Get the handheld version, the AMM-1 for about 1/10th the price of the big Dyno - amzn.to/2xHEaYa
Very very beautiful amp no doubt
Would love to see you dyno an earthquake pa2020 uhc. I have one that's just been serviced and did 694w @ 4 ohm. (rated at 40w 😂) but I've run it at 1 ohm before, it definitely bumped.
I have the Audio Art 50hc on 2 10 Jl Audio W1 in a forth order Boston Acustic pro for componits clarion first video head unit with the coinciding processor completed in SQ events back in the 90s to early 2000s zero to 100 watt class still have the car and old school set up in it won a lot of events with the set up
Awesome 👏
Had one back in the day, damn good amp!!
Dont know if anyone outside of sweden knows what company MDS is, but i had one 4 channel from them, with 100w per channel (think it was claimed) , 4 ohm. Plexi front with VU-meters, it looked so good. They claimed that audio art was the manufacturer, or it was the same factory that did audio art.. so i can almost say, i owned a audio art amplifier in the early 2000's haha Had it running a couple of Lanzar 3-way coaxial 8" speakers. Not that common..
The DLS ultimate amps were designed by David Yeh, same designer as this amp. They were made in Sweden
Another awesome video as usual. Amazing amp. I've never even seen one before, and I'm into the audio. I've heard plenty of talk though. Probably should have Googled it by now huh? 😛
Thanks again BigD. You da man!
loved audio art!!
See if you can get your hands on a autotek high current 50. Great cheater amp back in the day. It was only rated at 50 watts at 4 ohms. I had a few. Bad ass amp. I was in the 0-100 watt trunk class.
Those 9100's are VERY hard to come by. Not sure I've seen one for sale in the past 8 years
Wow. What a quality looking item. Proper design and attention to detail with solid power to back it up. Those specs though - huge frequency range and low distortion. Lovely, thanks man
+FastAsFunk I think Audio Art and their early motto of making the best sparing no expense lead to their demise...but wow, we sure did benefit from this company vision
Thanks! I really enjoy your content!
Wish you had a solid 16 volts. Info said 11-16. Bet you would pull a clean 1200
I bet so too
After watching this I want one of these.
Really want to see some XTANT amps tested!
+ThePants great recommendation! I'll have to see what I can work out 🤔
I bought one of these amps after watching this video.
Yohhh bruh this amp is so beautiful
Big D...
If you can find one, see if you can get your hands on a Coustic Power Logic amp432u(?) class A amp and test it. If not I'll see if I can have the one I have in storage in NC shipped.
It was a mid 90s jem that did WAY over rated power of 100wpc @4 ohms.
My guess, with all it was stuffed with (8 outputs per channel), it had to put out well over 1k bridged.
"That's what good amps do... goes into protection when it needs to... " I had an old amp that I have been using on and off for 12 years and it just flipped to protect mode and won't come out even with nothing but power ground and remote wired in. Wish I knew more about amps... Would love to just bypass the protection circuit and keep using it lol.
I drive two 12" MB Quart DVC subs at 1ohm (I think) from a single bridged channel with the Audio Art 100HC that I have.
Them good old days bro , when everyone didn't claim they had 2k watts
The 100HC is one of my favorite amps ever
Picked a great shape zapco 650.6 and zapco eq linedriver. Balanced cables from eq to amp
Thanks for the reply Big D Wiz, if I get a larger one I'll send you mine👍🏻😁