But Arc Audio is now selling full range Class D's, correct? Apparently someone at Arc Audio thinks Class D can compete. Everybody is now selling full range Class D, including those who aspire to high fidelity.

I was considering replacing my Arc Audio 125.1 and 500.1 for Class D just for a cleaner, lighter, stealth install. Are you saying I'd be crazy to do that? I very happy with my current sound. It would simply be for a cleaner install and less strain on the car's electrical system.

 

In what way would using a class d amp make the install cleaner, lighter or more stealth? Where did you mount your arc audio mini's? Where would you mount your class d amp?

 

My mini's are mounted on the wall behind the passenger seat. I could replace both with a single Class D. It would be small enough that the passenger seat could be moved/reclined all the way back. With my current set up that is not possible.

One amp equals one power and one ground. I could do away with some wiring.

Given the smaller size and the fact that Class D runs cooler, I could possibly use the OEM location in the floor or possibly hide the amps above the rear fender wells where GM hid the XM module. Both locations would be %100 stealth.

With Class D I would no longer hear fans running behind the passenger seat every time I open the door to get in or open the hatch to load groceries. Admittedly, that is not a big issue.

I am very happy with the sound of the mini's and agree that they are probably the best option currently available. However, Class D is getting good reviews. Maybe I'd be nuts for considering replacing the mini's. I don't know. Has anyone tried full range Class D amps?

You could write everything I know about audio amps on the back of a postage stamp, but it appears that Class A, B, etc. amps are going the way of tube amps. There will be always be die hard fans that swear by the warmer sound. But Class D looks like the future, at least in car audio.

 

My arc audio mini amps are in the passenger footwell. The only other amps that could possibly fit there, that I know of, are the Rockford Fosgate amps that Dennis (c5bearsfan) recently posted. The arc audio minis are better amps.

Which class d amp were you considering? Someone more knowledgable can chime in, but it will likely be a downgrade from you current setup.

 

I am considering a JL Audio HD900/5. But I'm worried about it being a down grade. That one amp would do essentially everything my two Arc mini's do but with a much smaller foot print. At least on paper it would. And it gets good reviews.

Arc Audio doesn't really make a single Class D that would be an equivalent. Arc Audio is selling their full range, low-power Class D's cheap. I don't understand their marketing strategy. To get an equivalent Arc Class D set up I'd have to use 3 amps. It'd be stealth, but that's a lot of wires. I ain't doin that.

Alpine's Class D's also get good reviews. But due to their measurements I don't think I could use them in a set up that would be any different then the configuration I've already got with the minis. I can't use the cubby holes in the hatch since I have a Z and the battery is in one cubby hole, and I have a JL stealth sub in the other hole.

Your install is very impressive, but I don't see how you are going to make any adjustments to the amps without uninstalling them. I'm not sure that would work for me.

 

Maybe someone with a lot more car audio experience can opine on Arc Audio mini amps versus the JL Audio HD900/5.

You are right about the adjustments. The passenger footwell has a small place for the stock amp. The Arc Audio mini amps (500.1 and 125.4) consume every bit of available space in the stock amp location. I can make easy adjustments to whichever amp I have facing out (the 125.4) and the other amp must be adjusted before reinstallation. Removing the amps requires the removal of four screws, removing a large connector in the car, removal of the plastic trim piece above the footwell, shuffling around some wiring and squeezing the amps / bracket assembly out of the confined space. Its not a quick process and I would not want to do it regularly. If you make frequent adjustments then it is not a good option for you. If you can set your amps and then forget your amps, want to maximize available space in the hatch, and want to maximize stealth then this is a good option for you.

Earlier, you mentioned mounting the amps above the wheel wells... there is not much room here for an amp. Maybe the new Rockford Fosgate miniature amps from Dennis will fit there, but nothing else.

 

I was at Arc Audio and got to listen to the D class amps in the prototype stage and chat with the engineer, a good buddy of mine, in charge of them in his office/shop. They are as good as D class gets but it is just not possible to do what an good AB or hybrid amp (AB with switching power supply, H class) can do. I have talked with a few top engineers at other manf as well and they all say the same thing.

Arc D class, on top of the D class game, built because of demand but the H Class KS Mini amps, nothing else like them on the planet.

And they are very efficient in power consumption.

I ran them in my truck to save space in the back seat for our Akita and Irish Wolfhound and they just blew me away on ID full size horns and x69s, huge output, incredible sound, hard to believe such tiny amps could do what the could do.

125.2 on the horns, 125.4 bridged on the mids, 500.1 on the sub.

So, the Arc D class amps, state of the art, KS Mini, KEEP THEM

Rick

 

I had the arc ks series amp in one of my vette installs and it did not sound good at all. I sold it and replaced with a jl audio class A/B amp and what a huge difference. I guess I'm one of the die hard class A/B guys. The only speaker I would run with class D would be a sub. It is tempting when the class d amps are so small and compact, but I would rather sacrafice all my trunk space before I went class D. Just my 2 cents

 

I agree completely with the exception of subs, no class D for me.

As mentioned the Arc Audo KS mini amps, H class which sound dang fine, are what I use in the Vette audio packages because they sound great, tiny, 3.2 lbs, etc.....and nothing else fits in the stock Bose amp location except far inferior D class(ick)

When you run a great sounding sub(very few are in that league) a class D amp will not do the job sonically, I have tried, even some high power, expensive ones, D no way, just not good enough. AB or H, or sometimes G, the only amps I will run

Rick

 

I have the Arc XDi804 & XDi805 from DoubleD - but have not yet installed them (waiting for some cooler weather & doing the full deadener thang as well). I will be putting them stacked in the footwell as well ...

 

Will the XDi805 definitely fit in the footwell?

[sorry to hijack thread, OP]

 

I don't think so. Take a look at the measurements and compare them to the measurements of the ks mini. The ks mini amps just fit in the footwell, any wider and they would not.

 

ks125.4 mini: 11.6" (L) x 5.15" (W) x 1.7" (H)

ks500.1 mini: 11.6" (L) x 5.15" (W) x 1.7" (H)

XDi804 4 channel: 8.125" (L) x 6.5" (W) x 2.25" (H)

XDi805 5 channel: 11.25" (L) x 6.5" (W) x 2.25" (H)

The length is not a problem. The width might be a problem. The height might also be a problem if you intend to install two amps in the space.

You will notice that there is not much room to either side of the ks mini amps installed in the footwell... you need to wedge an additional 1.35 inches. Here is a pic of my amps:

 

Going to be a tough fit, I have not tried them as just prefer a better sounding amp. The Arc Class D amps are state of the art in class D, still just class D. I was really hoping this time around we could get the sonic quality I prefer in the latest class D amps but just not there.

But, some will still be satisfied, that is cool, I was spoiled when I competed and built one of the best systems I had ever heard(light years beyond my imagination) and now I have a tolerance level I just will not go below. Cool thing is, superb sounding systems are not super costly.

By the time you build a moderate system with all the supporting issues taken care of you can have and incredible one for not a huge amount more. For far less than a set up aftermarket brakes, a huge amount less than an SC, even less than many spend on a set of heads, you can have a world class audio system, great real sound deadening, good audio does not have to cost all that much

Most are quite surprised at the level of the systems I offer for the price

Rick

 

Either will fit, and both should fit from measurements I made (see pics). I have not installed yet, but have them sandwiched at the ready. ...

 

Check out Kedar's excellent post <CLICK HERE> and this is where I got the idea (thanks tons Kedar, his photo is atchd). I will certainly have to do some fudging and cutting to make them fit, as these are about 1/2" thicker than his were (the two together) ...

 

Be careful about air flow, when I designed those amp mounts they are to allow air to flow all around the amps, thicker and wider amps are going to limit that, possibly to restricted.

Let us know how it goes of course.


Sincerely
Rick

 

Conflicting information! Doh! lol

I'd really rather run just the XDi805 instead of the two minis, but I definitely don't want to be doing any cutting in there to make it fit.

On the other hand, stacking two minis down there concerns me as well.


I am anxious to see how this plays out, Thrash.


Thanks to everyone for all the specs and information! Good stuff here!

 

Let us know how it goes. If your install is a success then vette owners will have more amp options for the footwell. I would
start be removing the stock amp and seeing if just one of your amps fits (the shorter one for ease of testing). Removing the stock amp is not difficult, four screws and a few plugs at the top of the amp. You may have to shove around some wiring to make room for the larger amp.

How will you secure the other side of the amps (the side that is not screwed together)? How will you secure the amps in the footwell? You will see that in Rick's amp rack there are metal tabs to secure the rack to the stock locations.