I love these old amps...I hit 152.8db (in the under 500 watts class) with eight Power 10's driven by two fosgate 200's and one 4040 amp... Love retro... This is in a 1988 Honda crx...
Back in 95 I had a 91 crx with 2 Rf 200ix's on 6 power 10's and a 60ixand a 40 on mids. Never had mine metered though. Mine slammed so I could only imagine what 8 10's did. Crx's we're magical cars for subs! Still using my 200's and the 60 today along with a 4020 in my Ridgeline. An pair of old school 200ix bridged at 2 ohm will run the hell out of a pair of sundown sa8
@@johnregister6437 Your cars sound so great! Awesome that the rf cheater amps live forever--oh and I live near the hq of Audio Control and they used to show up at all local shows in the Seattle area with all the goodies for db drags and sound quality. Good times!
Killer old school RF system bro, especially stuffed in a CRX! Those DSM amps are my favorite of all the Punch series. Punch200 dyno insane numbers. I had a Punch40i and absoloutely loved it.
Always liked sound stream and ppi back in the day. Love these vintage amp tests , I mean I’m not hating on those jp amps that blast out 10k plus numbers but it’s rad to see the stuff we had in early and late 90s and we thought slapped lol! I have a old Visonik with uv meters I’d love to send and also a old xtant. You the man big D
*The Rubicon Lil' Wonder is rated:* 4 ohms stereo (12.6V) - LOTS! 2 ohms stereo (12.6V) - MORE! 2 ohms stereo (14.4V) - EVEN MORE! 4 ohms bridged Mono (14.4V) - HUGE! *Video Index:* 0:00 Intro 0:20 History of the Lil' Wonder 2:41 Features 4:36 Wiring Up the Amp 5:30 Amp Dyno Stereo Tests 8:57 Amp Dyno Mono Tests 11:31 Subwoofer Demo 13:40 Full Range SQ Demo 14:25 What's Inside and Final Thoughts 16:34 Extras *Shop: (affiliate links)* Elac Debut 6.2 Bookshelf Speakers: amzn.to/35i6RjK Soundstream Rubicon Amps (eBay): ebay.to/3aSGOCn My Favorite Screwdriver Kit: amzn.to/2x0VzcE SMD / D'Amore Engineering Amp Dyno: goo.gl/sJTcf7 XS Power D1400 Batteries - amzn.to/2BPFCKW XS Power PSC60 Charger - amzn.to/2CHGcfs Fluke 1000A AC/DC Clamp Meter: amzn.to/2Rw5WDA Handheld Dyno: amzn.to/2u2EgKV My Favorite Screwdriver Kit: amzn.to/2x0VzcE _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_
I know these have protection circuitry, but I still would have loved to see a 2 (or at least a 3) ohms Mono attempt on this one. I know these little amps can take it, as I saw a lot of competition vehicles running them back in the day. I'm pretty sure they had to put slightly larger fuses in them to keep them operational though.
I love those old Soundstream amps! I've had a couple three and have never been let down! They have good clean power! Lol, these kids nowadays with their 3k watt amps! Back in the day we didn't need that much power! I remember back then i had a Coustic Amp360 on 2 Orion XTR twelves (rated 65X2). Surprisingly enough it bumped! really well!
Lmao… 😂 William “JOE” Trees…. Dang you caught me!!! What a blast from the past!!! I actually remember writing that email… I don’t remember the response… I love your work and videos… I was heavily involved in the 12volt electronics and competing during the 90s and was really wanting to use these “lil wonders” in a system… but I was “wondering “ how many watts they were… lol😅😂 pun definitely intended!!! Keep up the fine work!!!!
I love my old school soundstream amps. I've got a Reference 1000s and 500s, though i'm in the middle of repairing the 1000s after the mosfet array exploded.
I have two rubicon 1002 one is on my daily with soundstream t4 12 been bumping it since 2016. I got that amp in offer up for 60 bucks the guy told me he wanted something better which was those new hifonics amps I laugh inside and gave him the money and left 😅
FINALLY BIG D!!!!! I have been bugging you about doing an old school Rubicon. hopefully you can get one of the bigger brothers and test one from this line of Amps. from my understanding the lil' wonder was basically a Rubicon 202 with the bass x-over stuff added to it. good job big D!! 👍
This is great! Cool video! I always wondered about these amps. I have an old school Lanzar 100 mosfet (Zed) amp I’d be happy to send you for testing. It’s the series before the Optis. It’s black with red script. I ran one on two Cerwin Vega XL 12’s back in the day and it hit hard. If it breaks, no biggie.
I love the old Soundstream amps. I still have a Rubicon 555 that was in my wife's car for years with two Kicker 12's and 4 Alpine separates. I'm tempted to put it in something.
I really enjoy the knowledge you share with all of us, I been watching for the last 3 years & am grateful for all the work you put in 👊😎, I been waiting & hoping someday you would find & test a classic beast the Crossfire 602, I had this amp in 1997 & in 1999 I was running it 1ohm bridged on a pair of Rockford Punch Power 15's, the amp Never shut off & gave them subs all they wanted, I been so curious over the years wondering just how much power that amp was pushing, maybe somewhere out there one of your subscribers has this amp or maybe you know where one is, a video on this amp would be wonderful, again thank you for your honest reviews & everything you do 😁
I had the 602 years and ago and tested it, just did not make a video. Email me willistonaudio (at) gmail dot com and I can send you the results if you wanna see. May take me a few days to find the test sheet tho
I still have Rubicon 204, wich I bought as new back in 90's. I miss those sensitive subs of 90's. It was normal sub to have sensitivity from 90 up to 100 dB.
I actually prefer the old school amps and subs... My very first system was a small Jensen amp, all I remember it was white with a horizontal LED VU meter. And two 15 " MTX Road thunders... Loved it... Lol
The amp actually did way more power wise into the reactive load vs what it did resistive on the dyno. If you go back and look at these new class D mono amps, they do really poorly in comparison.
I had one of those solo basic subs in a 12 in a bandpass box itwas insane . I had a punch 200ix running it . I remember the good old days . I would really like to start collecting and using a bunch of the old amps . Phoenix gold m25 m50 and m100 . And these soundstream amps the reference series
I have been collecting for the past few years. It started out as just storing gear removed from cars that I sold, but I have been buying vintage classics on eBay for the past few years. You would be surprised how much the classics go for. You will not get a PPI Art Series for less than $400. Same with any US Amps. I paid about $400 for a Nickel plated Mmats 500 watt 2 channel,it works perfectly. But that is not always the case. Probably about half that I have bought needed repair. Many times they are advertised as “ working and tested”. Typically, that means it powers up and the light goes on, but no speakers are hooked up, and they often have a blown channel or something.Buyer beware.But, the high quality , special amps from back in the day are high priced, often more than when new, some 30 plus years ago…Linear Power stuff is expensive. I bought a “ new old stock” Soundstream 5 channel, new in box from 1996. I am currently contemplating a nos Soundstream 4 channel from about 1990…but it is expensive,and I am reticent to pull the trigger on that…but, I enjoy my collection of stuff that I could not afford as a youth… I have 30 or so American made classics that will likely never be installed in a car sitting neatly on shelves in my man cave. I hook them up to a test bench that I built and play with them, like a 55 year old teenager. My wife thinks I am nuts Chad.
Hello Big D. I believe Soundstream was circling the drain when these came out.All things considered , this was not a bad little amp for the money...also remember the "Angina".I think these were designed by Wade Stewart, who passed away a few months ago. He designed most SS amps through the late 80s to late 90s, and had been doing repairs with OEM parts up until his passing a few months ago. I was hoping you might do a bit of a tribute to one of the greats of the 90s , that died without much fanfare. I have owned ALL(most)of the legacy brands of stereo amps,.Soundstream were in my best systems, and my favorite of the legacy brands. I really wish that Wade Stewart got some props, and recognition of his passing and contributions to the industry., he designed some of the best stuff the industry ever offered..if not you Big D, than who? We would all love a history lesson, reach out to you sources , and give us one, Soundstream was one of the greats, overkill, and overbuilt to high standards by Americans, and an American family...give em their due Big D, peace brother
They were circling the drain...the "we have been open every day this year" is ironic cause by 2003/4 they were dead until Epsilon bough the brand and relaunched it in 2007, that's a whole other ordeal where they assemble a team that really seemed to believe in the brand only to have the higher ups at epsilon turn it into the shell it is today. Same goes for PPI, the crew involved in the rebirth of SS in 07 where the same group behind the relaunch of PPI in 2010.
@@audiophile6475 …I am afraid the list is long of once great American brands that sold out to conglomerates that sold out to cheap Chinese labor and mediocre products. It really bums me out.Soundstream, PPI, MTX, Rockford,XTANT, Phoenix Gold, Kicker, Orion, ,Zapco …and many other once great American companies. I would appreciate any knowledge you may have of SS and Wade Stewart anyone might have. Soundstream was / is my favorite.
@@raymo6795 Phoenix Gold has actually stayed pretty true to it's roots since coming back in the mid 2000's, stinger owns them now and their gear is well made and does rated. Soundstream and PPI are sad tales when you look at how much effort was put into the relaunch products, SS had the Human Reigns and Reference line that where and are very well regarded. Hell the entry level Picasso amps where pretty good entry level class A/B and class D amps. Same goes for the Power Class at PPI and the entry level Sedona lines at PPI. But it became obvious that despite the passion the people behind these brands had Epsilon was looking at one thing, how can we make these High Volume High Profit Brands as apposed to being successful and stable
I installed many amps from most of the legacy brands, Soundstream were / are my favorites.They did have some problems, mostly due to the owners abusing, and not understanding the “high power” and “ high current “ modes , . But the terminal layout , and terminal posts made for the nicest install. And the SS had the prettiest guts in the industry. It was a different time. If you a problem, you spoke directly to the engineers and tech staff a SS. They were a small , family owned ,business in California ….no Chinese involved. We don’t really have anything like it anymore, Except maybe Linear Power and Mmats….I strongly recommend either of these if you have the money…they are the real deal
Wow, wild how similar that sub is to the one I had in High school through Technical school through stumbling out on my own. A 10" dual wound polypropylene cone with an enclosure made by chopping a heavy home stereo speaker in half and just keeping the 10" hole (And sealing up the rest with more of the chopped apart enclosure). I think the amp was 125 watts pushing through a physical crossover to the voice coils.
I had a Reference series amp that was the same size. I paid $10 for it in the late 90's when the guy I bought it from said he didn't think it worked right. He had it on the wrong setting under the cap on the bottom. lol
I had a polished Soundstream amp from the upper series. It was a gigantic 5 channel amp called “The Continuum”. It sounded quite good but didn’t really have balls.
That little Wonder did better than a lot of your flea market amps 😂 I have both the USA 100 and 200 put up by soundstream and they have the flag printed circuit boards
Test light will not only consume the energy from spark, but in case of unknown short inside the amp it will stay on - so you will not burn your cables or power supply! (or fuses). Serves as current limiter for the amp.
@@wal2 my wife is often pestering me about my amps. She asks ( nags)”Why do you need so many amps”, I say, “ I don’t know,” and she would be wise to not make me choose between her and my stuff, and to stay out of my man cave…. I have 30 or so vintage pieces, many of which I bought new, many I have been collecting over the years if I see one that is special…I am in the market for a Poweramper
I'd love to see you hook up one of the idoing Android head units to see what the specs are. All they list is max power 45w per channel at 14.4v. no listing for rca voltage, rms ratings, s/n, sensitivity, etc.
Does tri-mode require an passive crossover in line ? how it works for the ohms/watts calculations ? I never see any amps anymore talking about that connection ... pre 2000 all booklets tell you how ... after like 2005 not so much ...
@@wal2 ok was confirming ... I have couples kicker passive xover for bass and for mids/trebles ... From the 1995-2000 ... Last ones they made ... Still all in box ... Lol now I know what to do with them lol
@@wal2 It was a thing in the 90s. Crutchfield had tutorials in their catalog back in the day. “Tri Mode” capable was always noted in their specs. Most amps had no crossovers,but eventually more and more did….. to a point where we have 12 channel DSPs that a laptop is required to set and exceed my ability to understand . I used to set crossovers with a small screwdriver, now I need a computer and a microphone
Tried to Google the ad. No dice. Lol my favorite car audio ad was a old 40 Ford flat black with the brushed stainless discs on the wheels. Was the back of the car and it had a bunch of the lady stickers on the back fender. Can't remember what brand the ad was for. But what a cool looking pic of the car. Was like a drag car or salt flat speed car or something. I lost the magazine a long time ago and I've never been able to find the ad again.
@@raymo6795 That's true, but those other factors are more difficult to measure quantitatively relative to other amps. Efficiency, stereo separation, S/N ratio: I get it. But for 99% of enthusiasts we needed to match wattage to the driver's on a limited budget, so dollars per watt was hugely important.
@@bozanimal5576 For the typical,adult ,audiophile ,75 watts /channel should be sufficient for your front channels, maybe 100/.,maybe 500 watts for a well designed sub.That is a sensible system that can be achieved without modifying elec/ alternator system.As a youth, I had in my 92 Honda Prelude, a Soundstream Rubicon 1002, and a Rubicon 604 with balanced line transmitters ,that’s 1600 watts of class A/B, battery draining, headlight dimming power, with 2 15”Soundstream SPL subs and MB Quarts for the front stage.One day I looked at all of this neatly, self installed gear that was crammed into the trunk of my small Japanese car, keep in mind, those Soundstreams were about20” each and those subs required a substantial enclosure, not to mention the crossovers and caps etc…suffice it to say, there was no more trunk and I removed the back seat, it was then it occurred to me that I really did not need this kind of power to fill the cabin of my Japanese compact car with quality sound….but it was a lot of fun, and I still have those amps.As I have gotten older, I realize that quality is more important quantity. If you are interested quality sound, than you buy quality equipment . I find that the more simple, the better. My 97 BMW M3 has MicroPrecision speakers in the doors and a Brax 10” sub and a Helix class A/B 4 channel amp with a New Avic Pioneer HU, it sounds awesome ,and will play louder than I will ever listen to it. I don’t know how many watts it is.I don’t care. But that is where I am in my life Boz. Many like these Asian or Brazilian mega watt amps to fill the small cabin of their car with bass. …to each his own Brother…But I like that Soundstream lil wonder., and since American made products are so rare, I will buy German.
@@raymo6795 I'm in the same boat. Moved from a trunk full of stuff to a simple 3-channel JL amp (American made!) under my front seat. Plenty of high-quality, pure power. I never did Soundstream in the 90's- outside my price range. I had Profile amps and eventually upgraded to Kicker amps, but it was a lot of time and trading. Kicker still makes a lot of their stuff in the US. A few manufacturers still hanging in there, but there's just not much of a market anymore, sadly. I'll probably say goodbye to my custom installs when we eventually need to trade-in our aging cars, since so much of modern car electronics are so highly integrated I just don't have the time to devote to it anymore. Anyway, thanks for sharing!
Its not that strange . In the old time a lot of subs had a 140 to 160watt RMS. I still use a old stock new Pioneer subwoofer . A 10" 140watt RMS Pioneer with diamond cone free air . Sound great in mijn Honda hr-v 4x4 for daly use .
….why does anyone need 10000 watts of audio power to fill the cabin of a Honda HRV with high quality sound? Your system seems sensible Sebastian for a daily driver. In my work car is a quad voice coil 8” that gets about 350 watts, and it is more than enough for satisfactory bass.
@@raymo6795 i had one time a Sony 15" 1400 watt with a amp that do 600watt RMS. Its useles , its needs a lot of power to pump that bass . If the power is not on IT even my big 6x9 rear speakers make more bass . I have the learn the hard way that watts is fun but nog if you drive around town with the music low. Lol.
@@wal2 if they ever sold some they should have that in file then maybe can reach owner/s for a nice video ... 32000$ amp ... WOW !!! I GET UNIQUE ART BUT STILL ... what is it worth today for real ... 60 000$ ?!?!?!?!? Lol
Oldschool trick spray the spider with some spray starch and let it dry the spider is worn out helps bring some life back in old subs your welcome I've been banging since 1994 when I got my license 😀
It might be a dumb question but is the kicker sub a 8ohm sub? I saw the ohms in the video go up to 12ohms at one point, and was like there’s no way that’s a 4ohm sub… But I remember this lil amp we used to sell in a shop I worked at in 2000. Great lil amp, unfortunately it got passed by a lot for the bigger one.
I think the “ lil wonder’ and the Angina were a desperate marketing scheme. The industry was changing and many other brands (MTX,RF,Kicker) had already moved manufacturing off shores( India,Korea,China). SS was a family owned business that was struggling with. The rumor was that the wife of the founder took over in SS waning days and eventually sold it. I am not sure if it went directly to Epsilon or if there was another owner in between, because they did make some amps in the US that did not look like SS amps, but had familiar SS names, I don’t know of their quality, but did not resemble the Wade Stewart (rip) amps. I think the Lil Wonder and Angina were old, tried and true SS/ Wade Stewart designs, and fine products,judging by how many there are on eBay, some 20plus years later, and my own personal experience with installing them back in the day.Keep in mind that much of what I write is from rumor and memory from 20 years ago, and I could not swear it’s accuracy, but I would love to hear the story of Soundstream, and have urged Big D to research it. I have no lil wonder at Angina in my collection, but I may seek some out as a tribute to the final days of an American car audio legend
Back then you didn't need alot of power to make good bass because subs were alot more efficient. I had an old targa hexfet which was 75x4 bridged on two 4 ohm pioneer IMPP 12s in a sealed hatch box and it hit hard and low. Alot harder and lower than the 1000 watt JBL 1001ez amp (which dynos well over 1000 watts) on four American Bass XD-844s. If you had four 12s on a Punch 200 DSM you were shaking the block and rattling windows.
@@HashDogg06 no, please re-read my comment. I said TWO Pioneer IMPP twelves on a 75wx4 amp bridged (150x2 assuming it does its rated power). My four 8s are getting 1200-1300 real watts. And I've been into car audio since the 90s when I was in high school, so im not wondering anything. Im simply making a comparison of how loud you could get in the 90s with just 150 watts compared to what you need to get that same loudness in todays more powerful subwoofers. I just happened to mention my 8s as a reference since thats what I am running now. Just one of my 8s handles as much or more power than both of those pioneers (rated at 150 watts rms).
@@Jackmerius_Tacktheretrix Oh okay yeah my bad for not reading your comment properly. Yes you are right about efficiency but that mainly due to softer suspension parts. I can remember having a 15" JBL (made in mid 90's) back in around 2003 which had 97db sensitivity, now that went really well but no way it could hang with today's 15's. Ronnie got 143db from a single DD 8" on 100watts a couple years ago, you just got to know how to use them.
![1993 Infinity DPA 275 - Class D Before It Was Cool [4K]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/G4JlSYMjcmo/mqdefault.jpg)
![1993 Infinity DPA 275 - Class D Before It Was Cool [4K]](/img/tr.png)
I love these old amps...I hit 152.8db (in the under 500 watts class) with eight Power 10's driven by two fosgate 200's and one 4040 amp... Love retro... This is in a 1988 Honda crx...
Back in 95 I had a 91 crx with 2 Rf 200ix's on 6 power 10's and a 60ixand a 40 on mids. Never had mine metered though. Mine slammed so I could only imagine what 8 10's did. Crx's we're magical cars for subs! Still using my 200's and the 60 today along with a 4020 in my Ridgeline. An pair of old school 200ix bridged at 2 ohm will run the hell out of a pair of sundown sa8
@@johnregister6437 Your cars sound so great! Awesome that the rf cheater amps live forever--oh and I live near the hq of Audio Control and they used to show up at all local shows in the Seattle area with all the goodies for db drags and sound quality. Good times!
CRX was a crazy cabin for bass!!
Thats awesomeness 👌. Todays mics itd be around 140db for those who wanna know what that is by todays standards. Very impressive
Killer old school RF system bro, especially stuffed in a CRX! Those DSM amps are my favorite of all the Punch series. Punch200 dyno insane numbers. I had a Punch40i and absoloutely loved it.
My lil'wonder4 is still powering my front stage since new. Best amp I have ever owned. And i have had a few.
Always liked sound stream and ppi back in the day. Love these vintage amp tests , I mean I’m not hating on those jp amps that blast out 10k plus numbers but it’s rad to see the stuff we had in early and late 90s and we thought slapped lol! I have a old Visonik with uv meters I’d love to send and also a old xtant. You the man big D
Thanks for watching and commenting!
*The Rubicon Lil' Wonder is rated:*
4 ohms stereo (12.6V) - LOTS!
2 ohms stereo (12.6V) - MORE!
2 ohms stereo (14.4V) - EVEN MORE!
4 ohms bridged Mono (14.4V) - HUGE!
*Video Index:*
0:00 Intro
0:20 History of the Lil' Wonder
2:41 Features
4:36 Wiring Up the Amp
5:30 Amp Dyno Stereo Tests
8:57 Amp Dyno Mono Tests
11:31 Subwoofer Demo
13:40 Full Range SQ Demo
14:25 What's Inside and Final Thoughts
16:34 Extras
*Shop: (affiliate links)*
Elac Debut 6.2 Bookshelf Speakers: amzn.to/35i6RjK
Soundstream Rubicon Amps (eBay): ebay.to/3aSGOCn
My Favorite Screwdriver Kit: amzn.to/2x0VzcE
SMD / D'Amore Engineering Amp Dyno: goo.gl/sJTcf7
XS Power D1400 Batteries - amzn.to/2BPFCKW
XS Power PSC60 Charger - amzn.to/2CHGcfs
Fluke 1000A AC/DC Clamp Meter: amzn.to/2Rw5WDA
Handheld Dyno: amzn.to/2u2EgKV
My Favorite Screwdriver Kit: amzn.to/2x0VzcE
_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_
I know these have protection circuitry, but I still would have loved to see a 2 (or at least a 3) ohms Mono attempt on this one. I know these little amps can take it, as I saw a lot of competition vehicles running them back in the day. I'm pretty sure they had to put slightly larger fuses in them to keep them operational though.
I love those old Soundstream amps! I've had a couple three and have never been let down! They have good clean power!
Lol, these kids nowadays with their 3k watt amps! Back in the day we didn't need that much power! I remember back then i had a Coustic Amp360 on 2 Orion XTR twelves (rated 65X2). Surprisingly enough it bumped! really well!
I think it’s all a ploy to get us buying more wire, electrical, batteries, etc
Lmao… 😂 William “JOE” Trees…. Dang you caught me!!! What a blast from the past!!! I actually remember writing that email… I don’t remember the response… I love your work and videos… I was heavily involved in the 12volt electronics and competing during the 90s and was really wanting to use these “lil wonders” in a system… but I was “wondering “ how many watts they were… lol😅😂 pun definitely intended!!!
Keep up the fine work!!!!
Beautiful old school amp Big D.
I love my old school soundstream amps. I've got a Reference 1000s and 500s, though i'm in the middle of repairing the 1000s after the mosfet array exploded.
Oh man I hope to find a mint 1000s one day. Those looks so cool with the window to see the caps
I have Reference 705s xD and need repair too... im not sure but problem be in power supply... maybe... i hope ;P
These Soundstream Rubicons were amazing. Total legend!
Soundstream back in 90’s were amazing. Especially the Class A stuff.
Good work as always.....man I still run my Rubicon 1002 daily! They just don't make em like they use to!
Oh wow that’s cool!
I have two rubicon 1002 one is on my daily with soundstream t4 12 been bumping it since 2016. I got that amp in offer up for 60 bucks the guy told me he wanted something better which was those new hifonics amps I laugh inside and gave him the money and left 😅
@@juliobello4561 I woulda laughed too 😂
FINALLY BIG D!!!!! I have been bugging you about doing an old school Rubicon. hopefully you can get one of the bigger brothers and test one from this line of Amps. from my understanding the lil' wonder was basically a Rubicon 202 with the bass x-over stuff added to it. good job big D!! 👍
I have a bigger Rubi you’ll see in a future episode 😝
Soundstream amps were my highschool dream amps.
Yeah a bit out of my price range. The preppy class
This is great! Cool video! I always wondered about these amps. I have an old school Lanzar 100 mosfet (Zed) amp I’d be happy to send you for testing. It’s the series before the Optis. It’s black with red script. I ran one on two Cerwin Vega XL 12’s back in the day and it hit hard. If it breaks, no biggie.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I had a Rubicon 12" woofer. It was awesome...
👌😬👍
Man, super fun. Thanks for doing all this dude. Really neat to re live all this.
I’m totally having a ball!
Will never forget first time I heard one I was totally frickin blown away!!!
checked FB marketplace after watching this, found a pair of them pretty fresh looking for $150 CAD total!
Cool!
I love the old Soundstream amps. I still have a Rubicon 555 that was in my wife's car for years with two Kicker 12's and 4 Alpine separates. I'm tempted to put it in something.
Hi! I love your channel. Please test the Lanzar optidrive 4150.
Thanks for the suggestion
best car audio dyno content creator on youtube......way to go wheelie!
That was some solid 1999 power. Things sure have changed.
Now we need gigawatts and such
Mine still powers my subs to this day! Great little amp and has worked hard it's entire life so far!
Wow - sure brings back memories of the old days.
I've always been curious about those since I picked one up a while back.
I would put 2 kicker comps 12 inch from back then on this amp!
Trust me it would rock!
God bless y’all!
😬👍
I subscribed to that magazine and kept them all but the boxes they were in got misplaced during a move a few years ago... You have them all?
I’ve been accumulating them over the past 12 years as mine were tossed in a move around 2000
I really enjoy the knowledge you share with all of us, I been watching for the last 3 years & am grateful for all the work you put in 👊😎, I been waiting & hoping someday you would find & test a classic beast the Crossfire 602, I had this amp in 1997 & in 1999 I was running it 1ohm bridged on a pair of Rockford Punch Power 15's, the amp Never shut off & gave them subs all they wanted, I been so curious over the years wondering just how much power that amp was pushing, maybe somewhere out there one of your subscribers has this amp or maybe you know where one is, a video on this amp would be wonderful, again thank you for your honest reviews & everything you do 😁
I had the 602 years and ago and tested it, just did not make a video. Email me willistonaudio (at) gmail dot com and I can send you the results if you wanna see. May take me a few days to find the test sheet tho
Cool little amp! Was manufactured on my birthday 🤣 crazy how far this tech has come
👌😬👍
I e had most of the Rubicon's from the 90s and reference and loved em..always sounded great..
Yeah boi
Awesome video as always Big D 👍
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I still have Rubicon 204, wich I bought as new back in 90's. I miss those sensitive subs of 90's. It was normal sub to have sensitivity from 90 up to 100 dB.
😬👍
I have some old school soundstream amps late 90s early 2000s old ega amps Picasso amps and Rubicon amps.
There was also an ANGINA amp which I think was a follow-on to these a couple years later.
Recall the name, never researched the amp
I installed a few Anginas, they were a tiny mono amp,but surprisingly potent.
Great content as always D. Why do you have wire wrapped around one RCA? Just curious 🤨
I asked myself the same question when I noticed 🤣
I actually prefer the old school amps and subs... My very first system was a small Jensen amp, all I remember it was white with a horizontal LED VU meter. And two 15 " MTX Road thunders... Loved it... Lol
Named after Stevie Wonder as a child, the ratings are blind on paper but packs a good harmonical punch.
Oh snap!
@@wal2
Lol..don’t take the comment seriously since I was just joking around with the Stevie Wonder thing. But who knows,. 😄
Cool little amp thx D! Look at the RISE wow! PS. what's up with the cheesy carpet on the quad box?
Covering the logos. BigD needs some sub sponsors 😝
@@wal2 But you and Kicker are like peas and carrots, I hope they will partner with you!
@@wal2 Dude PS I need your Affiliate code D4sound is asking for it, so you can get credit for the JP 13ab
The amp actually did way more power wise into the reactive load vs what it did resistive on the dyno. If you go back and look at these new class D mono amps, they do really poorly in comparison.
Good point 👌
I had one of those solo basic subs in a 12 in a bandpass box itwas insane . I had a punch 200ix running it . I remember the good old days . I would really like to start collecting and using a bunch of the old amps . Phoenix gold m25 m50 and m100 . And these soundstream amps the reference series
I have been collecting for the past few years. It started out as just storing gear removed from cars that I sold, but I have been buying vintage classics on eBay for the past few years. You would be surprised how much the classics go for. You will not get a PPI Art Series for less than $400. Same with any US Amps. I paid about $400 for a Nickel plated Mmats 500 watt 2 channel,it works perfectly. But that is not always the case. Probably about half that I have bought needed repair. Many times they are advertised as “ working and tested”. Typically, that means it powers up and the light goes on, but no speakers are hooked up, and they often have a blown channel or something.Buyer beware.But, the high quality , special amps from back in the day are high priced, often more than when new, some 30 plus years ago…Linear Power stuff is expensive. I bought a “ new old stock” Soundstream 5 channel, new in box from 1996. I am currently contemplating a nos Soundstream 4 channel from about 1990…but it is expensive,and I am reticent to pull the trigger on that…but, I enjoy my collection of stuff that I could not afford as a youth… I have 30 or so American made classics that will likely never be installed in a car sitting neatly on shelves in my man cave. I hook them up to a test bench that I built and play with them, like a 55 year old teenager. My wife thinks I am nuts Chad.
So right about eBay. I’ve had similar experiences lately 🤦♂️
Hello Big D. I believe Soundstream was circling the drain when these came out.All things considered , this was not a bad little amp for the money...also remember the "Angina".I think these were designed by Wade Stewart, who passed away a few months ago. He designed most SS amps through the late 80s to late 90s, and had been doing repairs with OEM parts up until his passing a few months ago. I was hoping you might do a bit of a tribute to one of the greats of the 90s , that died without much fanfare. I have owned ALL(most)of the legacy brands of stereo amps,.Soundstream were in my best systems, and my favorite of the legacy brands. I really wish that Wade Stewart got some props, and recognition of his passing and contributions to the industry., he designed some of the best stuff the industry ever offered..if not you Big D, than who? We would all love a history lesson, reach out to you sources , and give us one, Soundstream was one of the greats, overkill, and overbuilt to high standards by Americans, and an American family...give em their due Big D, peace brother
I will consider this for sure
They were circling the drain...the "we have been open every day this year" is ironic cause by 2003/4 they were dead until Epsilon bough the brand and relaunched it in 2007, that's a whole other ordeal where they assemble a team that really seemed to believe in the brand only to have the higher ups at epsilon turn it into the shell it is today. Same goes for PPI, the crew involved in the rebirth of SS in 07 where the same group behind the relaunch of PPI in 2010.
@@audiophile6475 …I am afraid the list is long of once great American brands that sold out to conglomerates that sold out to cheap Chinese labor and mediocre products. It really bums me out.Soundstream, PPI, MTX, Rockford,XTANT, Phoenix Gold, Kicker, Orion, ,Zapco …and many other once great American companies. I would appreciate any knowledge you may have of SS and Wade Stewart anyone might have. Soundstream was / is my favorite.
@@raymo6795 Phoenix Gold has actually stayed pretty true to it's roots since coming back in the mid 2000's, stinger owns them now and their gear is well made and does rated.
Soundstream and PPI are sad tales when you look at how much effort was put into the relaunch products, SS had the Human Reigns and Reference line that where and are very well regarded. Hell the entry level Picasso amps where pretty good entry level class A/B and class D amps. Same goes for the Power Class at PPI and the entry level Sedona lines at PPI. But it became obvious that despite the passion the people behind these brands had Epsilon was looking at one thing, how can we make these High Volume High Profit Brands as apposed to being successful and stable
@@audiophile6475 …PG is made where?…….surely not Phoenix . I own some PG vintage stuff, it is first rate, and made in USA.
Big power back in the day! But the sound of rubi, could not be beat. So smooooooth!
Their reference amps were far superior to the rubicon ones.
@@LBCAndrew …and generally better in all ways, but the Rubicon amps were really a nice sounding line
I installed many amps from most of the legacy brands, Soundstream were / are my favorites.They did have some problems, mostly due to the owners abusing, and not understanding the “high power” and “ high current “ modes , . But the terminal layout , and terminal posts made for the nicest install. And the SS had the prettiest guts in the industry. It was a different time. If you a problem, you spoke directly to the engineers and tech staff a SS. They were a small , family owned ,business in California ….no Chinese involved. We don’t really have anything like it anymore, Except maybe Linear Power and Mmats….I strongly recommend either of these if you have the money…they are the real deal
Thx for testing in 12.6V.
I knew someone would appreciate
Do you make reviews of subwoofers or stereos?
Wow I forgot about
this Amp! ❤
I had one of these running my 6.5 components in my old 1997 Mazda b2300 single cab. Then I had the rubicon 702 on my two sound stream SPL 10’s.
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Do you have a link to any of the Car Audio Magazines scanned for download?
not at this time but I'm working on it! Supporters on Patreon.com/OldSchoolStereo will see them first!
I used to wonder if you were gonna do a video on one of these.
Wonder No Mo!
Love that outro! :)
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That's actually impressive for that little thing
Yessir!
Wow, wild how similar that sub is to the one I had in High school through Technical school through stumbling out on my own. A 10" dual wound polypropylene cone with an enclosure made by chopping a heavy home stereo speaker in half and just keeping the 10" hole (And sealing up the rest with more of the chopped apart enclosure). I think the amp was 125 watts pushing through a physical crossover to the voice coils.
Dig it! Great vid, Big D!
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God I miss my 2, 1997 Sounstream Class A 10.0s.
Awesome amps for sure
The Lil Wonders were basically slightly modified Rubicon 202 and 204.
I have a set of Solo S12D’s and 2 sets of the S15D’s. I love those subs. Would think that 10 would be a lil punchier. Was that enclosure .66?
Pretty close yeah
I had 4 of these amps and I wish I still had them
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I had a Reference series amp that was the same size. I paid $10 for it in the late 90's when the guy I bought it from said he didn't think it worked right. He had it on the wrong setting under the cap on the bottom. lol
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That manual Tho wowzers 😜🤪
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Nice. Reminds me of my punch 75 from that era.
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I had a polished Soundstream amp from the upper series. It was a gigantic 5 channel amp called “The Continuum”. It sounded quite good but didn’t really have balls.
Very cool amp 👌
The power rating in the manual said this
Bridged@ 4ohms lots
Bridged@ 2ohns more
Bridged@ 1 HUGE
That's exactly how soundstream rated the lil wonder
I have 3 examples (2 ads and 1 screenshot from the manual) that disagree with this. They are all shown in the video
Bro how tf did I not get this upload notification?
Wtf shoetube?
I don’t control the notifications but also this is my 2nd channel so make sure you’re subbed
@@wal2 I know it’s all on RUclips for not notifying, I had to unsub and resubscribe, so hopefully I’ll get the next one.
I have a similar model but only the 102... worked great at powering a single 12 and before that a pair of 6 inch.
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That little Wonder did better than a lot of your flea market amps 😂 I have both the USA 100 and 200 put up by soundstream and they have the flag printed circuit boards
yes and we wonder no more! The USA amps are super cool too!
Big D, I'm curious about using the test light the ground to prevent a spark. Aside from not wanting to spark a fire, is there another benefit to this?
Test light will not only consume the energy from spark, but in case of unknown short inside the amp it will stay on - so you will not burn your cables or power supply! (or fuses). Serves as current limiter for the amp.
This!!! Just make sure you do this before connecting RCA’s. I do not know why I had them connected, they should not be 🧐
Just curious, how many amps do you have in your collection?? And does the Mrs. have anything to say about it?
Like I always say more than 5 less than 500 😝
@@wal2 my wife is often pestering me about my amps. She asks ( nags)”Why do you need so many amps”, I say, “ I don’t know,” and she would be wise to not make me choose between her and my stuff, and to stay out of my man cave…. I have 30 or so vintage pieces, many of which I bought new, many I have been collecting over the years if I see one that is special…I am in the market for a Poweramper
I hate to be not-picky, but that sub is actually a D series solo-basic, S10D. The s10c had a visible dust cap
You’re correct! Great catch!!
I'd love to see you hook up one of the idoing Android head units to see what the specs are. All they list is max power 45w per channel at 14.4v. no listing for rca voltage, rms ratings, s/n, sensitivity, etc.
If they say 45w max then it's likely around 15w rms
My boy had the 555 talk about current hog amazing amp.
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that box is minty reminds me of some stuff I had back in the day
🤣👍 I was kinda embarrassed to use it, but decided showing the old school sub with this amp was needed
Fantastic!!!!
Does tri-mode require an passive crossover in line ? how it works for the ohms/watts calculations ? I never see any amps anymore talking about that connection ... pre 2000 all booklets tell you how ... after like 2005 not so much ...
Yes some companies made tri-mode crossovers (PG, Sony, PAC, etc) or you could add the caps and coils yourself to make the passive crossover network
@@wal2 ok was confirming ... I have couples kicker passive xover for bass and for mids/trebles ... From the 1995-2000 ... Last ones they made ... Still all in box ... Lol now I know what to do with them lol
@@Buzztiburon13 eBay
@@wal2 It was a thing in the 90s. Crutchfield had tutorials in their catalog back in the day. “Tri Mode” capable was always noted in their specs. Most amps had no crossovers,but eventually more and more did….. to a point where we have 12 channel DSPs that a laptop is required to set and exceed my ability to understand . I used to set crossovers with a small screwdriver, now I need a computer and a microphone
Pretty cool amp
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Tried to Google the ad. No dice. Lol my favorite car audio ad was a old 40 Ford flat black with the brushed stainless discs on the wheels. Was the back of the car and it had a bunch of the lady stickers on the back fender. Can't remember what brand the ad was for. But what a cool looking pic of the car. Was like a drag car or salt flat speed car or something. I lost the magazine a long time ago and I've never been able to find the ad again.
that sounds familiar....
@@wal2 I think it was a back and whit picture too.
Pioneer?
@@mattmanyam could be
@@ericw4237 maybe MTX? I remember that ad vaguely... Now I'm stuck!
Curious how you felt it stacked up versus other amps of its time from a dollars per watt standpoint?
...so caught up in "watts" . there are more important factors.
@@raymo6795 That's true, but those other factors are more difficult to measure quantitatively relative to other amps. Efficiency, stereo separation, S/N ratio: I get it. But for 99% of enthusiasts we needed to match wattage to the driver's on a limited budget, so dollars per watt was hugely important.
@@bozanimal5576 For the typical,adult ,audiophile ,75 watts /channel should be sufficient for your front channels, maybe 100/.,maybe 500 watts for a well designed sub.That is a sensible system that can be achieved without modifying elec/ alternator system.As a youth, I had in my 92 Honda Prelude, a Soundstream Rubicon 1002, and a Rubicon 604 with balanced line transmitters ,that’s 1600 watts of class A/B, battery draining, headlight dimming power, with 2 15”Soundstream SPL subs and MB Quarts for the front stage.One day I looked at all of this neatly, self installed gear that was crammed into the trunk of my small Japanese car, keep in mind, those Soundstreams were about20” each and those subs required a substantial enclosure, not to mention the crossovers and caps etc…suffice it to say, there was no more trunk and I removed the back seat, it was then it occurred to me that I really did not need this kind of power to fill the cabin of my Japanese compact car with quality sound….but it was a lot of fun, and I still have those amps.As I have gotten older, I realize that quality is more important quantity. If you are interested quality sound, than you buy quality equipment . I find that the more simple, the better. My 97 BMW M3 has MicroPrecision speakers in the doors and a Brax 10” sub and a Helix class A/B 4 channel amp with a New Avic Pioneer HU, it sounds awesome ,and will play louder than I will ever listen to it. I don’t know how many watts it is.I don’t care. But that is where I am in my life Boz. Many like these Asian or Brazilian mega watt amps to fill the small cabin of their car with bass. …to each his own Brother…But I like that Soundstream lil wonder., and since American made products are so rare, I will buy German.
@@raymo6795 I'm in the same boat. Moved from a trunk full of stuff to a simple 3-channel JL amp (American made!) under my front seat. Plenty of high-quality, pure power.
I never did Soundstream in the 90's- outside my price range. I had Profile amps and eventually upgraded to Kicker amps, but it was a lot of time and trading.
Kicker still makes a lot of their stuff in the US. A few manufacturers still hanging in there, but there's just not much of a market anymore, sadly. I'll probably say goodbye to my custom installs when we eventually need to trade-in our aging cars, since so much of modern car electronics are so highly integrated I just don't have the time to devote to it anymore.
Anyway, thanks for sharing!
Pre Epsilon was good stuff!
They were in financial hardships at this time but still had some cool atuff
Its not that strange .
In the old time a lot of subs had a 140 to 160watt RMS.
I still use a old stock new Pioneer subwoofer .
A 10" 140watt RMS Pioneer with diamond cone free air .
Sound great in mijn Honda hr-v 4x4 for daly use .
Kids today don’t get it
….why does anyone need 10000 watts of audio power to fill the cabin of a Honda HRV with high quality sound? Your system seems sensible Sebastian for a daily driver. In my work car is a quad voice coil 8” that gets about 350 watts, and it is more than enough for satisfactory bass.
@@raymo6795 i had one time a Sony 15" 1400 watt with a amp that do 600watt RMS.
Its useles , its needs a lot of power to pump that bass .
If the power is not on IT even my big 6x9 rear speakers make more bass .
I have the learn the hard way that watts is fun but nog if you drive around town with the music low.
Lol.
I really want to see a Soundstream Human Reign Original piece A class dyno or even just a review ... if they ever sold 1 ...
That would be cool
@@wal2 if they ever sold some they should have that in file then maybe can reach owner/s for a nice video ... 32000$ amp ... WOW !!! I GET UNIQUE ART BUT STILL ... what is it worth today for real ... 60 000$ ?!?!?!?!? Lol
I remember the ads for this amp. It had a naked dude posing and his junk was covered up by the amp.
I think that was a different ad, I recall it being a tweeter and the ad stated, when you're this small you have to be good 🤣
@@wal2 yeah, I don’t think many companies used naked dudes to sell amps lol.
Sad part is that old solo barick is prob worth more then the amp even in today's market
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Yo D, what is EDKH?
The first word is Epstein, you got the rest
It's the first thing Google presents, pretty weird thing to put on your products though, I didn't think it could be that. Ballsy!👍🤣
That poor kicker deserves a better box, bet a small sealed box that thing would slap 👋
Yeah that box kinda embarrassing
99 Restructure ? Is that the year they sold out and started making products in China. Around 99 is when a lot of car audio companies where bought out
I picked up one of these at a swap meet in good shape for $7 lol
I’m sure it don’t work…but for $7🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
Cmon..I’m buying it lol
Who knows, it might work!
I bet this would sound good on some powerful tweets
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What's up with that Human Reign Original Piece that cost 33,500$???
Yeah I noticed that too...one of a kind I guess? Don't know the story unfortunately
Yes, that is pricey
Total Harmonic Distortion- You can't hear it. Lmao, so True
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Oldschool trick spray the spider with some spray starch and let it dry the spider is worn out helps bring some life back in old subs your welcome I've been banging since 1994 when I got my license 😀
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It might be a dumb question but is the kicker sub a 8ohm sub? I saw the ohms in the video go up to 12ohms at one point, and was like there’s no way that’s a 4ohm sub…
But I remember this lil amp we used to sell in a shop I worked at in 2000. Great lil amp, unfortunately it got passed by a lot for the bigger one.
Yes it's a 4 ohm sub. Impedance rise Goteem!
I think the “ lil wonder’ and the Angina were a desperate marketing scheme. The industry was changing and many other brands (MTX,RF,Kicker) had already moved manufacturing off shores( India,Korea,China). SS was a family owned business that was struggling with. The rumor was that the wife of the founder took over in SS waning days and eventually sold it. I am not sure if it went directly to Epsilon or if there was another owner in between, because they did make some amps in the US that did not look like SS amps, but had familiar SS names, I don’t know of their quality, but did not resemble the Wade Stewart (rip) amps. I think the Lil Wonder and Angina were old, tried and true SS/ Wade Stewart designs, and fine products,judging by how many there are on eBay, some 20plus years later, and my own personal experience with installing them back in the day.Keep in mind that much of what I write is from rumor and memory from 20 years ago, and I could not swear it’s accuracy, but I would love to hear the story of Soundstream, and have urged Big D to research it. I have no lil wonder at Angina in my collection, but I may seek some out as a tribute to the final days of an American car audio legend
Jesus that human reign amp was 33,500$....it looks badass but still.
Must’ve been some one off unit. May have even been a joke knowing Soundstream
Do you have a credit card?
Why low amp cost more then one's with higher watts
Nice 👍🙏🙏
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What’s up with the watts/ohms???
In the reactive tests? Obviously a lot of impedance rise going on
@@wal2 yeah that was crazy
Back then you didn't need alot of power to make good bass because subs were alot more efficient. I had an old targa hexfet which was 75x4 bridged on two 4 ohm pioneer IMPP 12s in a sealed hatch box and it hit hard and low. Alot harder and lower than the 1000 watt JBL 1001ez amp (which dynos well over 1000 watts) on four American Bass XD-844s. If you had four 12s on a Punch 200 DSM you were shaking the block and rattling windows.
People want small boxes now so you need big powa
@@wal2 yessir!
So what you are comparing is 4x 12" subs vs 4x 8" subs & yet wonder why it hit harder.
@@HashDogg06 no, please re-read my comment. I said TWO Pioneer IMPP twelves on a 75wx4 amp bridged (150x2 assuming it does its rated power). My four 8s are getting 1200-1300 real watts. And I've been into car audio since the 90s when I was in high school, so im not wondering anything. Im simply making a comparison of how loud you could get in the 90s with just 150 watts compared to what you need to get that same loudness in todays more powerful subwoofers. I just happened to mention my 8s as a reference since thats what I am running now. Just one of my 8s handles as much or more power than both of those pioneers (rated at 150 watts rms).
@@Jackmerius_Tacktheretrix Oh okay yeah my bad for not reading your comment properly. Yes you are right about efficiency but that mainly due to softer suspension parts. I can remember having a 15" JBL (made in mid 90's) back in around 2003 which had 97db sensitivity, now that went really well but no way it could hang with today's 15's. Ronnie got 143db from a single DD 8" on 100watts a couple years ago, you just got to know how to use them.
That chip is a resistor pack.
Shows Solobaric s10c but that looks like a s10d.
Correct!
I was thinking it would do atleast 250 rms bridged.
It’s in line with small amp power at the time. I mean $300 in 1999 didn’t get you a lot
I have one still in the plastic package never powered on
I had that same amp it would get to hot to touch but it bumped
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Boom shocka locka