And this is why some car audio amplifiers are better than others! I remember back in the late '90s/2000s when setting up IASCA competition systems for SQ, you wanted amps that had tightly regulated power supply sections because the stability of output power does indeed affect RTA curves in repeated testing. I guess this is a reason I refuse to use cheap amps in my systems to this day whether the system be in my truck or my home. Quality amplification is where it's at!
For those that think this amp is overpriced, you're paying for the research and development that goes into a proprietary design. Meaning, you don't get an amp like this from some generic buildhouse. There are no cheap copies or clones of this amp available. If you want to pay less then you can find something cheaper that will do the job. But, it won't have the same technology and will be of lesser quality. Not saying a cheaper amp won't suit your needs but, in this case you truly do get what you pay for. For me personally, the only downside to this amp is the country it is made in. Excellent review Dereck!
Nice, man! That R.I.P.S. (Regulated Intelligent Power Supply) Technology is Why Their Amps Are Pricey. You can get your promised power output from as little as 11 volts to 14.4 volts. The downside is that if you put more voltage power to it, it won't make a difference to give you more power like other amps. But for systems where you can't add extra batteries or High Output Alternators I think this is a win. So many people have argued with me on my other youtube channel over this but im glad you made this video to show what these HD amps can do. The sub amps like the HD750/1 HD1200/1 and even this one here on the video give you more power at 2 ohms vs 4 ohms or 1.5 ohms. I need to bring those dudes who were putting these Amps down to your channel so they can see exactly what you just showed. 😎👊
Well said. I think a lot of people are hung up on price versus the quality and uniqueness of JL amps. They offer several different amps across a variety of price ranges. Their RD amps for example are very reasonably priced and feature unregulated power supplies. Great value amps.
Thank you so very much for testing my amp! If you get it new at a brick and mortar store they usually throw in the bass knob for free, at least they did with me. Also I got it for $1k, not on sale.
Check out my 2nd Channel: www.WheelieWilliston.com Shop: JL Audio HD900/5 (Amazon): amzn.to/3j3fNw1 JL Audio HD900/5 (eBay): ebay.to/36vIr46 Genius Audio Amplifiers: amzn.to/3qFaaqE SMD AMM-1 Audio Multimeter: amzn.to/2WRc5eD Elac Speakers: amzn.to/3mR0WWF Williston Audio Merch: teespring.com/stores/bigdwiz Savard Hi-Q Subwoofers: amzn.to/2ZPdgNx Shop Car Amplifiers on Amazon: amzn.to/37zs8Uz 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
Proud owner of one of these, driving Morel speakers in a 1977 Holden Kingswood. Pretty happy to see that it performs as per spec (not that I’ve ever doubted JL’s claims) thanks for the review, Big D!
I have 2 900/5’s in my Chevy truck for 10 channels. Hooked up though a audio control DM-810. 10 channels with active cross overs. Bought them used as I am not a billionaire. They are incredible.
JLs have always been very good when it comes to under rating their amps. I've had multiple Slash amps, the 1000/1 V2 was so under rated its not funny lol. Just installed a 900/5 in my last video, and it was a killer little amp! 😁😁
I have been running this 900/5 amplifier since 2017, its excellent! I paired it up with a JL Tweak88. Amazingly you can get digital optical audio from a stock Ford SYNC headunit with a PAC adapter that has a TOSlink output! unbelievable how good you can tune things with Tweak88 and a laptop, and get some excellent sound from a stock headunit. I was a car audio installer back in the 90's, and I never imagined the equipment would get this good. I run 2 JL Audio 8w3v3 subs, and a custom component kit with big Hertz ML 280.3 tweeters and some fancy front door speakers (I honestly forget what they were lol). The crossovers are high pass for tweeters in custom pods, bandpass for door midrange speakers, and lowpass for the subs, with the TweaK88 running 6 channel to the amplifier.
I owned a lot of the HD amps over the years. Great amps. But MY GOD... the plugs are such a pain in the butt. I’d spend half an install session just trying to remove the freaking plugs. 😂
I have always, for about 25 years, been a huge JL audio fan. I was a JL audio dealer from 96-02. I had a vehicle I competed SPL in IASCA with 12 500/1 and 12 15w3. I had a vehicle I competed IASCA in the pro 301-600 class and placed 9th, 7th, and 6th, in the world in 98,99,2000 using JL audio subs. I own this amp. Purchased brand new direct from JL audio, and it did not work out of the box, so obviously zero quality control or testing was done. They did promptly send me a call tag and immediately got me out a new amp, which worked perfectly. Kinda. I have it running a c5 component set in front, c5 coaxial in rear, and a single 12 w3. The entire amp is run at 4 ohm. I can tell you it is very efficient. My stock charging system with the big 3 upgrade maintains 14.2 volts at max unclipped volume. The lack of dynamic power makes this amp very not “musical”. Is it unique? Yes. Will it hold its value well? Yes. Do I like it? Hell no. As I said the lack of dynamic power makes it seem very underpowered. At moderate-high volume, but still 2-3 volume notches below clipping it overheats and goes to like a limp mode after about 30 minutes. Listening to rock. Not rap or heavy bass songs. It still makes sound, just zero bass and low volume until it cools down. It is in a well ventilated area and keep in mind I’m maintaining over 14 volts and the amp is running at 4 ohm. I could go into more detail, but I’ll just say compared to what else is available I would personally not recommend this amp. If it was $500 maybe. $1249. No way. Just my 2 cents.
@@skofdoggy cosmos audio ep2000.5 Look it up. Big D even tested it. Less money and if I remember correctly about 4 times the power. Comes with a nice bass know with power and clipping indicators. There’s several others, but that’s the best value/quality.
Back in the 80s This amp was a DREAM ENJOY THE TECHNOLOGY ONE DAY IT WILL BE A CHIP YOULL CHANGE OUT LIKE A BUTTON BATTERY TO GET THIS PERFORMANCE ONE DAY
Love my 900/5. I've had it in my truck with JL components front and rear and a pair of their 8" CP108s behind the rear seats for years and the system RAILS with zero issues.
@@wal I got this installed in my truck. You're right, the power & speaker plugs were difficult to R&R. I ended up using some dielectric grease to help them slide in and out. Other than that, I love this amp! My neighbors don't like it. But oh well, I can't hear them complain.
I loved mine. I bought it used too. Had it on 2 sets of coaxials and a w7 10 in a ho jl box all installed in a 2010 kia rio and now I see why the lights never dimmed due to the efficiency. Nice review and keep them coming big D........... giggity 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Love all jl products. I have a jl 1000/1 I bought off a friend. It is a shame it just sits in a corner with all my other amps/electronics. It really is the best amp I own. Best part is the power is the same from 1.5-4 ohm. People really under estimate how powerful that really is.
When I was young I chased massive watts. Now that I’m older I realized how foolish of an endeavor that was. There’s a limit to how loud I want my music. And this amp is all I would need.
@@Bob_Smith19 i spent 1250 on 8800 watts rms certified. 650 for 2 3500w amps. High dampening factor, high temp caps, power supply good to 16v. And 600 for 4 2channel AB class amps. Some people just need more and better.
Surprised how this amp has kept it's value too! being almost 10 years old now you'd expect the technology to change so much this one would be rather cheap now
Nice, ill bet it sounds clean as an AB amp. They're are spending no doubt but your getting a serious level of quality. I've been beating on a Rockford T-1500 for almost a yr, every day, and for at least half the day and all it wants is more. And sounds great doing so! Thanks for the knowledge and excellent content!
Reminds me of my jl 1000/1 v2's that i had in my 2000 eclipse gt... had 4 jl 12s and 4 jl 10s, i think they were w6's. Been 20 yrs so... but i was running 2 of the jl 1000/1 v2's. I was in my 20s back then. Only system i ever had that blew out my back window.
Haven't made it through the video yet, but I'll probably never sell my (2) JL 500/1v2 and the HD600/4 amps. Rock solid power, great sq, and a small footprint. JL really made a nice amp with these HD series. Had them for almost 10 years and they still look new. How the hell does someone damage nearly every surface and knob on an amp like this?!?
@@chuckd9007 they are expensive... just because it's older doesn't mean its bad. They make great amps with sq and consistent power output in mind. There is some very cool class d stuff out now days with a super small footprint.... but for the record, I bought used.
@@LifeofBliss im not knockimg you for buying it used. Im knocking JL for charging 1250$ for a 1000w amp. I paid 600$ for 4 AB class amps to run my mids and highs. 2 are 800w rms bridged powering 4-8" mid bass per front door and 2 are 150w rms x2 for the 2 silk dome tweeters per door. I paid 600$ dollars for all the drivers and nobodys JL system that i know (6-7people) comes anywhere close to sounding as good as mine and all of them spend more on door speakers and amps than i did.
@@chuckd9007 oh I didn't take it that way. I agree, they are expensive... personally I don't care for JL speakers. Amps and subs I like, but even those are a bit rich for my blood compared to some of the brands out there today. I dont see myself buying any more JL stuff in the future. Stereo Integrity will probably be my go to for subs 🤤 i have 3 of their 24s for my theater and they are built like a tank and priced right imo. I've been out of the car audio game for a bit, so I'd have to look at amps to get a better idea with those. Sounds like you have a killer system though man 👍 can't beat that a/b sound!
@@LifeofBliss ive been running one tcsounds lms ultra 18 in a trunk wall of a sedan on 7000w rms for like 6 years. When i saw you building the boxes for those 24s i knew i needed a bigger sub. Next vehicle im definitely upgrading to something bigger.
Sell these à lot and have one for over 4 years running my kx2 fronts biamped and my downfired 10tw3. Beautiful sounding amp with great power. It doesn't like to get hot or struggle for current are the only thinga that I've ever seen complaints on it stemming from. Also the rated power at 2 ohm for the 4ch portion was changed a few years back without a revision number. Guessing you have one from before thus the higher numbers. It would overheat and shut down under heavy play even with good ventilation so there was a rolling update.
Thank you Dick Ridiculous You the man with the un bias honest testing...always quality content, audio, video & clarity. You can pay to play for high quality parts & performance that will last you decades or buy cheap stuff repeatedly.
Some of you might be wondering what high-fidelity class d is. JL uses a very high sampling rate to convert the sine wave to class d. Which allows much cleaner sound.
And then you put it in a car. Never understand this...who cares? If it was going into a studio environment then great...but its going in a pickup or Jeep or Hyundai. This amp will never see the type of environment where that matters, so you're wasting your money. Worse...people hook it up to "average" speakers and now they wasted even MORE money. Hi Fidelity + Car = LOL.
The best thing I see in this design is flexibility. You get 1200 watts from 1.5-4 ohms. This makes this amp useful over multi car installs. You change subs, you are not stuck with choosing a particular ohm rating to get desired wattage. With so many amps being the same underneath, the labels and heat sinks only separate them. Yes, it has a higher than normal price point, but the beauty is its flexibility. To me as an old school guy working on an daily SQ built, I see the value.
Absolutely!! Plus its consistent power at all range of voltages also is a huge plus! Most standard amps only put out the rated watts at spec at 14.4V. Well what if your vehicle doesn’t? My 4Runner as well as a number of other Toyota’s alternator/voltage regulator fluctuates from 13.8v at startup. And then sits at 13.2v. That 1.2v difference doesn’t sound like much, but you end up losing a lot of output. With fluctuations, your stereo can sound great one minute, and then sound weaker the next.
I am a big fan of JLAUDIO amplifier’s and speakers. I have the older slash a/b amplifier’s. a/b 75 X 4 and the older 5 channel slash a/b amplifier. I also have the class D HD 150 X 4 and Class D HD 750 X 1 mono amplifier.
Rob, honestly, AudioControl is just playing ''catch-up" to this *10 Year Old* JL Audio design... And the 2nd Gen Alpine PDX-V9 was very comparable, and under-rated as well. Both of those "old" amplifiers were also designed to be "stackable", which I found very useful for many installs. You could pick any one of these amps based purely on the specific features they have in terms of system flexibility, etc, and be a happy SQ camper for many years. FYI, you can usually pick up the JL HD amps at a good dealer for considerably less than their advertised MSRP, and the dealer will usually throw in the bass knob for free as well just to make the sale if you haggle a bit. ;)
Great video review .. I agree I don’t like the speaker connectors going to the amp. They’re very hard to get out. I have three of these JL HD amps … overall great small little amps they put out good power and don’t put out much heat . Keep up the great honest reviews . I’ll keep watching.
Hey Big D.. I was waiting for your sound quality review on this. For something this expensive it ought to make those speakers sing... Did it? I like when you give us your opinion on the quality of sound.. Thank!
They sound great and can be purchased for a lot less than their advertised MSRP at a good local dealer (some are more willing to deal than others). AudioControl's LC-5.1300 is just playing catch-up and IMO isn't any better. I would say the same about the Alpine PDX-V9. Basically they are all the same general form factor, highly efficient, and sound great! Loved that the PDX and JL were designed to easily be "stack mounted" if needed.
I would love to see some subwoofer reviews with stress tests.... Like the new Wolfram HGs or DEAF BONCE 30s or AVATAR STU OR WOLFRAM PTs just an idea 💡
Video uploads got a little out of order. I did the AudioControl last week. See it here: Single Amp Solution? AudioControl LC-5.1300 Five Channel Amp Dyno Test and Review [4K] ruclips.net/video/JakXSsHLUfA/видео.html
Shoutout to Big D! for these awesome videos that keep us entertained and informed!! Have you got some old school Alpine stuff to review sometime? Which one is Alpine, cookie cutter or bespoke?
Keep the 5ch testing coming Big D! 👍😎👍 Got an Audison LRx 5.1k installed in my Prelude. Just need some nice weather to finish the front doors and hook up the sub 🥳
You seem to be the master of amps :) Thank you for your reviews. I am looking for an amp to drive one or two Dayton 12” subs HO DVC. I have an Alpine PDX V9. What amp would you recommend to drive 2 Daytons? I figure I can do one
I'd like to see reviews of the jl Rd 900/5 I have this amp and sound quality on thr Rd sounds very impressive too but at a guess I'd say the sub channel is pushing out 600 rms ish . The amp is a very warm sounding amp and give a very full sound to all my speakers . The jl Rd amp sounds better than my focal 5 channel amp but the focal has 700rms + on sub channel at 2ohm and its definitely more than the jl . The jl sound a lot lot better sq though .
Compared the JL HD 900 to the Alpine PDX v9 and the Alpine clearly was the better sounding amp, with a much cleaner audio output & absolutely zero distortion, and was compared back to back multiple times just to verify. as of now 10 years later the Alpine Is Still performing flawlessly, driving 14 speakers and a12-inch sub! This is surely a testament to the Alpine quality, durability and reliability.. .
Those PDX amps sound horrible to me. I've owned several, and they sound incredibly sterile. I've been running my entire setup on a JL HD900/5 and couldn't be happier with the output and quality of sound.
1st, I love your channel, I'd love to see a jl rd 1500 dyno. An amazing video would be a combo of all JL, slash series 1000/1, jx 1000/1, jd 1000/1, xd 1000/1, rd 1000/1. To see the differences in cost and watts. Thx and hope to see these videos in the future
I will always have love for jl, kicker, and mtx. W6's the round solobaric's and the thunder 2300 are all systems I wish I still had. (Did pick up a thunder 2300 recently tho) 😁
I guess I'm lucky to have been out of the 12 volt industry just long enough that I didn't see this amount of junk come through the doors of our shop{meaning the knockoffs}. We only had to worry about things like DUAL or BOSS and we could just look it and kinda giggle inside to figure out how to tell the customer their stuff was junk. But then again almost anybody likes to say they're an Installer nowadays.
Awesome review. I love JL the amp is to pricey for me at moment. Have to send daughter to college. Higher priority than an amp at the moment. I luv the reviews keep up the good work. 👍🏻
My first system was almost all JL audio. Best audio decision I ever made was to not buy another JL product ever again… price for performance is bad. Great quality products but in this hobby results mean much more
Can you test the Power Acoustic RZR-2500.1D at 1ohm? I've seen it tested at its rated 2ohm load and it met the rating, but I've got one at 1ohm and it rarely goes into protect. I really enjoy seeing what amps put out below the rated ohm load. Keep the tests coming, super informational!
Hey Big D I really enjoy all of your videos man. You're channel Inspired me to start finding out the actual RMS power the Amps I come across when doing installs for people who are Interested in knowing exactly what their amp is capable of as well. Have you ever put a Memphis Audio viv900.5 on the Dyno? I'm just wondering because I'm looking into getting one for a good price and just wondering if it puts out it's rated Power. Keep up the good work man I'm sure your videos has saved a lot of people a lot of money on Amps they would've been disappointed in.
In your opinion which is the best 5 channel, Audio Controls LC 1300, The RF T1000X5ad, or a JL product? Currently have a older but refreshed RF BD1000 mono and was going to buy a 4 channel to run mids/highs in my tundra. Debating on doing the entire system with a 5 channel - thoughts?
It's really sad that not only has the slash series been discontinued but it looks like the HD has now been moved down to jl heritage line and on its way out looks like they're done with the rips technology
He already did a review of it and a similar kenwood amp, I bought that pioneer and it broke on me twice, would go into thermal rollback intermittently although the thing was stone cold and never got hotter than Luke warm
Really great specs for class d. I don't see many class d amps below .1% thd. Pioneers are the only other ones I've seen that have thd that low and JL still has them beat with all outputs at 12 volts and .03% thd
Had to watch a review on the amp I have in my jeep 🤣. This power supply is a big selling point in my buddy’s f150 now since his voltage fluctuates for his oem agm (raptor), see this a lot on new vehicles with fuel saver mode alternators. I’ve also heard these type of power supply doesn’t do great on a load like this? Same with amplifiers like the Mosconis?
3 года назад+1
Can you do a dyno Test on a BavSound amplifier? That one would be amazing to get real results! 😭 thanks !
Love the video, I now own several JL Audio amplifiers that I've managed to get on incredible deals RD 400/4(won) XD 700/5 $50😳. Also i wanted to offer two songs that you can play worry free on RUclips, that are great for demos NCS- ( WiDE AWAKE: SOMETHING MORE) (DJ RUSSTICALS: ICE) (WITH ICE YOU CAN PICK THE FREQ. YOU WANT TO PLAY IN)
Is there a way to test the built in amps on Home Audio Subwoofers on your amp dyno, to see if they're putting out the power as advertised? That would be cool to see. Thank you for the awesome vids. Have you considered either of these songs from No Copyright Sounds for your playlist? 1 - Lost Sky "Fearless" 2 - Lost Sky, Chris Linton "Fearless Pt. II"
@@wal I found the video. Thank you. It's too bad I live way up here in Canada or else I'd send you in one of my JL Audio Dominion D110's to test the power output of the plate amp to see if it does it's rated 750 watts.
You can buy them for considerably less than their advertised MSRP price at a local dealer...and they will usually throw in the bass knob for free to make the sale if you haggle a bit. ;) Anything comparable in size, quality, features, and performance is equally expensive, and these sound great.
You're paying for the research and development that goes into a proprietary design. Meaning, you don't get and amp like this from some generic buildhouse. There are to cheap copies or clones of this amp available. If you want to pay less then you can find something cheaper but, it won't have the same technology and will be of lesser quality. Not saying a cheaper amp won't suit your needs but, in this case you truly do get what you pay for.
![Most Powerful 5 Channel Amp? Cosmos Audio EP-2000.5 Amp Dyno Test and Review [4K]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZI53dKUVeXc/mqdefault.jpg)
And this is why some car audio amplifiers are better than others! I remember back in the late '90s/2000s when setting up IASCA competition systems for SQ, you wanted amps that had tightly regulated power supply sections because the stability of output power does indeed affect RTA curves in repeated testing. I guess this is a reason I refuse to use cheap amps in my systems to this day whether the system be in my truck or my home. Quality amplification is where it's at!
Great point
For those that think this amp is overpriced, you're paying for the research and development that goes into a proprietary design. Meaning, you don't get an amp like this from some generic buildhouse. There are no cheap copies or clones of this amp available.
If you want to pay less then you can find something cheaper that will do the job. But, it won't have the same technology and will be of lesser quality.
Not saying a cheaper amp won't suit your needs but, in this case you truly do get what you pay for.
For me personally, the only downside to this amp is the country it is made in.
Excellent review Dereck!
Nice, man! That R.I.P.S. (Regulated Intelligent Power Supply) Technology is Why Their Amps Are Pricey. You can get your promised power output from as little as 11 volts to 14.4 volts. The downside is that if you put more voltage power to it, it won't make a difference to give you more power like other amps. But for systems where you can't add extra batteries or High Output Alternators I think this is a win. So many people have argued with me on my other youtube channel over this but im glad you made this video to show what these HD amps can do. The sub amps like the HD750/1 HD1200/1 and even this one here on the video give you more power at 2 ohms vs 4 ohms or 1.5 ohms. I need to bring those dudes who were putting these Amps down to your channel so they can see exactly what you just showed. 😎👊
But where the RIPS amps shine is in their efficiency %. They usually run much higher than unregs do.
Well said. I think a lot of people are hung up on price versus the quality and uniqueness of JL amps.
They offer several different amps across a variety of price ranges. Their RD amps for example are very reasonably priced and feature unregulated power supplies. Great value amps.
@@msh6865 absolutely! 😁👊
Thank you so very much for testing my amp! If you get it new at a brick and mortar store they usually throw in the bass knob for free, at least they did with me. Also I got it for $1k, not on sale.
Do you get the amp back?
I'm trying to figure out how I paid $950 for mine back in 2013 but now online its going for $1,500?
Check out my 2nd Channel: www.WheelieWilliston.com
Shop:
JL Audio HD900/5 (Amazon): amzn.to/3j3fNw1
JL Audio HD900/5 (eBay): ebay.to/36vIr46
Genius Audio Amplifiers: amzn.to/3qFaaqE
SMD AMM-1 Audio Multimeter: amzn.to/2WRc5eD
Elac Speakers: amzn.to/3mR0WWF
Williston Audio Merch: teespring.com/stores/bigdwiz
Savard Hi-Q Subwoofers: amzn.to/2ZPdgNx
Shop Car Amplifiers on Amazon: amzn.to/37zs8Uz
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
Proud owner of one of these, driving Morel speakers in a 1977 Holden Kingswood. Pretty happy to see that it performs as per spec (not that I’ve ever doubted JL’s claims) thanks for the review, Big D!
Great test, been waiting patiently for about 4 years for this test. Love my 900/5. Thanks for tests Big D!
Good things come to those who wait 😝
How do you like the sub output
Shout out to Bid D's production values.
Thanks brother 👍
I have 2 900/5’s in my Chevy truck for 10 channels. Hooked up though a audio control DM-810. 10 channels with active cross overs. Bought them used as I am not a billionaire. They are incredible.
The sound Quality of that amp is so much better than I expected.
It’s good
JLs have always been very good when it comes to under rating their amps. I've had multiple Slash amps, the 1000/1 V2 was so under rated its not funny lol. Just installed a 900/5 in my last video, and it was a killer little amp! 😁😁
I have been running this 900/5 amplifier since 2017, its excellent! I paired it up with a JL Tweak88. Amazingly you can get digital optical audio from a stock Ford SYNC headunit with a PAC adapter that has a TOSlink output! unbelievable how good you can tune things with Tweak88 and a laptop, and get some excellent sound from a stock headunit. I was a car audio installer back in the 90's, and I never imagined the equipment would get this good. I run 2 JL Audio 8w3v3 subs, and a custom component kit with big Hertz ML 280.3 tweeters and some fancy front door speakers (I honestly forget what they were lol). The crossovers are high pass for tweeters in custom pods, bandpass for door midrange speakers, and lowpass for the subs, with the TweaK88 running 6 channel to the amplifier.
I owned a lot of the HD amps over the years. Great amps.
But MY GOD... the plugs are such a pain in the butt. I’d spend half an install session just trying to remove the freaking plugs. 😂
I have always, for about 25 years, been a huge JL audio fan. I was a JL audio dealer from 96-02. I had a vehicle I competed SPL in IASCA with 12 500/1 and 12 15w3. I had a vehicle I competed IASCA in the pro 301-600 class and placed 9th, 7th, and 6th, in the world in 98,99,2000 using JL audio subs. I own this amp. Purchased brand new direct from JL audio, and it did not work out of the box, so obviously zero quality control or testing was done. They did promptly send me a call tag and immediately got me out a new amp, which worked perfectly. Kinda. I have it running a c5 component set in front, c5 coaxial in rear, and a single 12 w3. The entire amp is run at 4 ohm. I can tell you it is very efficient. My stock charging system with the big 3 upgrade maintains 14.2 volts at max unclipped volume. The lack of dynamic power makes this amp very not “musical”. Is it unique? Yes. Will it hold its value well? Yes. Do I like it? Hell no. As I said the lack of dynamic power makes it seem very underpowered. At moderate-high volume, but still 2-3 volume notches below clipping it overheats and goes to like a limp mode after about 30 minutes. Listening to rock. Not rap or heavy bass songs. It still makes sound, just zero bass and low volume until it cools down. It is in a well ventilated area and keep in mind I’m maintaining over 14 volts and the amp is running at 4 ohm. I could go into more detail, but I’ll just say compared to what else is available I would personally not recommend this amp. If it was $500 maybe. $1249. No way. Just my 2 cents.
So what would you recommend thats 5 channels, same wattage as this but better? Eh?
@@skofdoggy cosmos audio ep2000.5 Look it up. Big D even tested it. Less money and if I remember correctly about 4 times the power. Comes with a nice bass know with power and clipping indicators. There’s several others, but that’s the best value/quality.
Back in the 80s
This amp was a DREAM
ENJOY THE TECHNOLOGY
ONE DAY IT WILL BE A CHIP YOULL CHANGE OUT LIKE A BUTTON BATTERY
TO GET THIS PERFORMANCE
ONE DAY
I went through two of these amps…when they worked, they were wonderful.
Love my 900/5. I've had it in my truck with JL components front and rear and a pair of their 8" CP108s behind the rear seats for years and the system RAILS with zero issues.
Awesome 👏
Finally one of my fav amps used this for years back in day
I just bought this amp to free up space behind the seat of my single cab F-250. I bought this amp based off your reviews Steve. Thanks
It’s a pretty amazing little amp. I’m a bigger fan of the AudioControl 5.1300, but both are awesome
@@wal I got this installed in my truck. You're right, the power & speaker plugs were difficult to R&R. I ended up using some dielectric grease to help them slide in and out.
Other than that, I love this amp! My neighbors don't like it. But oh well, I can't hear them complain.
I loved mine. I bought it used too. Had it on 2 sets of coaxials and a w7 10 in a ho jl box all installed in a 2010 kia rio and now I see why the lights never dimmed due to the efficiency. Nice review and keep them coming big D........... giggity 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Its perfect for people that want normal systems that just sound good not trying to flex the car next to u at the stop light
Love JL brand, plus it holds its value over time... unlike the cheaper knockoff crap
It’s a fact
Love all jl products. I have a jl 1000/1 I bought off a friend. It is a shame it just sits in a corner with all my other amps/electronics. It really is the best amp I own.
Best part is the power is the same from 1.5-4 ohm. People really under estimate how powerful that really is.
👌😬👍
1000 clean watts is nothing when you have 4000
@@chuckd9007 I beg to differ. It is actually 1/4 of 4000 or 25% of 4000. Pretty simple math actually. :)
When I was young I chased massive watts. Now that I’m older I realized how foolish of an endeavor that was. There’s a limit to how loud I want my music. And this amp is all I would need.
@@Bob_Smith19 i spent 1250 on 8800 watts rms certified. 650 for 2 3500w amps. High dampening factor, high temp caps, power supply good to 16v. And 600 for 4 2channel AB class amps. Some people just need more and better.
I've never understood how folk's amps end up so beat up....like every control and surface of that amp is covered in idiot marks....
Under seats can be brutal
Some people underestimate the importance of mounting their amp. I've always mounted mine. More for anti-thieft than anything else.
@@michaelhollon5332 some people mount their amps but might also use it for work and throw stuff in it
@@michaelhollon5332 I thought the same thing....so they just stole the whole car.
Agreed. My 90's MTX 4160 I bought new STILL looks perfect in 2021.
Surprised how this amp has kept it's value too! being almost 10 years old now you'd expect the technology to change so much this one would be rather cheap now
Great video I just picked one these up for about $250 used today happy with it so far
JL for Life
Glad to see this amp tested. Been waiting. Now to watch the video!
Nice, ill bet it sounds clean as an AB amp. They're are spending no doubt but your getting a serious level of quality. I've been beating on a Rockford T-1500 for almost a yr, every day, and for at least half the day and all it wants is more. And sounds great doing so! Thanks for the knowledge and excellent content!
RF has excellent amps as well. Hard to go wrong either way.
I’ve had my 900/5 in my single cab truck for like 10+ years along with a JL tw5 sub. Expensive YES, but worth the money in quality and reliability
There ya go!
Sometimes brands that are bespoke kick out cookie cutter amps and make us all into big dummies
#Facts
Why pioneer why
Reminds me of my jl 1000/1 v2's that i had in my 2000 eclipse gt... had 4 jl 12s and 4 jl 10s, i think they were w6's. Been 20 yrs so... but i was running 2 of the jl 1000/1 v2's. I was in my 20s back then. Only system i ever had that blew out my back window.
Haven't made it through the video yet, but I'll probably never sell my (2) JL 500/1v2 and the HD600/4 amps. Rock solid power, great sq, and a small footprint. JL really made a nice amp with these HD series. Had them for almost 10 years and they still look new. How the hell does someone damage nearly every surface and knob on an amp like this?!?
Why are people way over paying for a ten year old design then?
@@chuckd9007 they are expensive... just because it's older doesn't mean its bad. They make great amps with sq and consistent power output in mind. There is some very cool class d stuff out now days with a super small footprint.... but for the record, I bought used.
@@LifeofBliss im not knockimg you for buying it used. Im knocking JL for charging 1250$ for a 1000w amp. I paid 600$ for 4 AB class amps to run my mids and highs. 2 are 800w rms bridged powering 4-8" mid bass per front door and 2 are 150w rms x2 for the 2 silk dome tweeters per door. I paid 600$ dollars for all the drivers and nobodys JL system that i know (6-7people) comes anywhere close to sounding as good as mine and all of them spend more on door speakers and amps than i did.
@@chuckd9007 oh I didn't take it that way. I agree, they are expensive... personally I don't care for JL speakers. Amps and subs I like, but even those are a bit rich for my blood compared to some of the brands out there today. I dont see myself buying any more JL stuff in the future. Stereo Integrity will probably be my go to for subs 🤤 i have 3 of their 24s for my theater and they are built like a tank and priced right imo. I've been out of the car audio game for a bit, so I'd have to look at amps to get a better idea with those. Sounds like you have a killer system though man 👍 can't beat that a/b sound!
@@LifeofBliss ive been running one tcsounds lms ultra 18 in a trunk wall of a sedan on 7000w rms for like 6 years. When i saw you building the boxes for those 24s i knew i needed a bigger sub. Next vehicle im definitely upgrading to something bigger.
Put one in a buds truck on some Illusion audio subs and he had kicker door speakers. This thing is amazing!
👌😬👍
I am a fan of the 5 channel amp. I owned a reference 405 sound stream for over a decade, It was incredible! still miss it LOL
I ahve one of these. A really incredible amp. I didn't buy it new. I got it for 400 or 500 used. Works fantastic.
i've had one of these in marine trim in my miata for years. its a beast.
This is one of my favorite amp’s..thing hits hard...love it
I love all the Ebay ads for amps and subwoofers, "HITS HARD " lol
About damn time you did another JL amp
Sell these à lot and have one for over 4 years running my kx2 fronts biamped and my downfired 10tw3. Beautiful sounding amp with great power. It doesn't like to get hot or struggle for current are the only thinga that I've ever seen complaints on it stemming from. Also the rated power at 2 ohm for the 4ch portion was changed a few years back without a revision number. Guessing you have one from before thus the higher numbers. It would overheat and shut down under heavy play even with good ventilation so there was a rolling update.
I will probably consider this when I down grade my system in the future. This will be great for two sets of 2-way components and a subwoofer.
Great use 👌
Thank you Dick Ridiculous
You the man with the un bias honest
testing...always quality content, audio, video & clarity.
You can pay to play for high quality
parts & performance that will last you decades or buy cheap stuff
repeatedly.
Got my HD900/5 for 350$ it sounds phenomenal, about to wire it to some TW3s in my new truck
Wtf who'd you steal that from?
Thank you for the video. Now, I feel that my purchase of two HD900/5 amps is justified for my next installation.
Some of you might be wondering what high-fidelity class d is. JL uses a very high sampling rate to convert the sine wave to class d. Which allows much cleaner sound.
Great point
And then you put it in a car. Never understand this...who cares? If it was going into a studio environment then great...but its going in a pickup or Jeep or Hyundai. This amp will never see the type of environment where that matters, so you're wasting your money. Worse...people hook it up to "average" speakers and now they wasted even MORE money. Hi Fidelity + Car = LOL.
@@MoragTong_ It's a valid point for sure! Takes a LOT to modify the automotive environment to make it capable of extreme sound quality.
The best thing I see in this design is flexibility. You get 1200 watts from 1.5-4 ohms. This makes this amp useful over multi car installs. You change subs, you are not stuck with choosing a particular ohm rating to get desired wattage. With so many amps being the same underneath, the labels and heat sinks only separate them. Yes, it has a higher than normal price point, but the beauty is its flexibility. To me as an old school guy working on an daily SQ built, I see the value.
Absolutely!! Plus its consistent power at all range of voltages also is a huge plus! Most standard amps only put out the rated watts at spec at 14.4V. Well what if your vehicle doesn’t? My 4Runner as well as a number of other Toyota’s alternator/voltage regulator fluctuates from 13.8v at startup. And then sits at 13.2v. That 1.2v difference doesn’t sound like much, but you end up losing a lot of output. With fluctuations, your stereo can sound great one minute, and then sound weaker the next.
This is a very nice sounding amp
👌😬👍
@@wal Any chance you can dyno an old Memphis 1000D or 500D???
Performing *
I am a big fan of JLAUDIO amplifier’s and speakers. I have the older slash a/b amplifier’s. a/b 75 X 4 and the older 5 channel slash a/b amplifier. I also have the class D HD 150 X 4 and Class D HD 750 X 1 mono amplifier.
Very well designed, but I gotta feeling the AC 5.1300 fittin to murder dis one 😵😵
Power wise absolutley. That's my only gripe with the HD series. Sound quality amazing, power is meh
@@angelvip2474 at 4 ohms that AC isn't rated the same as this one. I also find it hard to compare the two given the HD series came out 10 years ago.
Rob, honestly, AudioControl is just playing ''catch-up" to this *10 Year Old* JL Audio design...
And the 2nd Gen Alpine PDX-V9 was very comparable, and under-rated as well. Both of those "old" amplifiers were also designed to be "stackable", which I found very useful for many installs.
You could pick any one of these amps based purely on the specific features they have in terms of system flexibility, etc, and be a happy SQ camper for many years.
FYI, you can usually pick up the JL HD amps at a good dealer for considerably less than their advertised MSRP, and the dealer will usually throw in the bass knob for free as well just to make the sale if you haggle a bit. ;)
@@DoeBoy999 that's fair enough.
Great video review .. I agree I don’t like the speaker connectors going to the amp. They’re very hard to get out. I have three of these JL HD amps … overall great small little amps they put out good power and don’t put out much heat . Keep up the great honest reviews . I’ll keep watching.
Hey Big D.. I was waiting for your sound quality review on this. For something this expensive it ought to make those speakers sing... Did it? I like when you give us your opinion on the quality of sound.. Thank!
Sounded great to my ears
They sound great and can be purchased for a lot less than their advertised MSRP at a good local dealer (some are more willing to deal than others).
AudioControl's LC-5.1300 is just playing catch-up and IMO isn't any better. I would say the same about the Alpine PDX-V9. Basically they are all the same general form factor, highly efficient, and sound great!
Loved that the PDX and JL were designed to easily be "stack mounted" if needed.
I'm running this in my 4Runner with all JL replacement speakers and 2 10s in the back and I'll definitely confirm it sounds REALLY good. Very crisp.
I have learned running JL Audio equipment you don't need a lot of power when the output of the amplifier is clean and dynamic 👌.
I would love to see some subwoofer reviews with stress tests.... Like the new Wolfram HGs or DEAF BONCE 30s or AVATAR STU OR WOLFRAM PTs just an idea 💡
Me too wolfram is making big claims with power handling on those subs
Running two of these in my set up
Jl audio 10w6v3 x 2 and focal k2 power ran active with future plan of adding a pair of focal k2 power 3.5s
Sounds like sweet setup 👌
The power/speaker plugs look like the old PPI amps that followed the white "ART" series of amps. They were difficult to replace if they were lost.
I unplugged one that was left plugged in for like 10 years and the male terminal came with it. Pulled it right out of the board
Looking forward to that Audiocontrol. Sounds like it's a gem.
Video uploads got a little out of order. I did the AudioControl last week. See it here: Single Amp Solution? AudioControl LC-5.1300 Five Channel Amp Dyno Test and Review [4K] ruclips.net/video/JakXSsHLUfA/видео.html
Shoutout to Big D! for these awesome videos that keep us entertained and informed!!
Have you got some old school Alpine stuff to review sometime?
Which one is Alpine, cookie cutter or bespoke?
Keep up the great content!
Can you do some more videos on budget tube amplifiers?
Great job as usual.
Awesome! Learned something new today! Keep em comin dude. Awesome video
Keep the 5ch testing coming Big D! 👍😎👍
Got an Audison LRx 5.1k installed in my Prelude. Just need some nice weather to finish the front doors and hook up the sub 🥳
Gonna watch this after church. Thank you again!
🙏🙏🙏
Awesome little review, I think some Builds with passive radiators comparisons with ported would be cool and different. Advantages, disadvantages.
You seem to be the master of amps :)
Thank you for your reviews. I am looking for an amp to drive one or two Dayton 12” subs HO DVC. I have an Alpine PDX V9. What amp would you recommend to drive 2 Daytons? I figure I can do one
I guess this is as close as I’m gonna get to an amp dyno for my JL RD900/5.
I'd like to see reviews of the jl Rd 900/5 I have this amp and sound quality on thr Rd sounds very impressive too but at a guess I'd say the sub channel is pushing out 600 rms ish . The amp is a very warm sounding amp and give a very full sound to all my speakers . The jl Rd amp sounds better than my focal 5 channel amp but the focal has 700rms + on sub channel at 2ohm and its definitely more than the jl . The jl sound a lot lot better sq though .
Compared the JL HD 900 to the Alpine PDX v9 and the Alpine clearly was the better sounding amp, with a much cleaner audio output & absolutely zero distortion, and was compared back to back multiple times just to verify.
as of now 10 years later the Alpine Is Still performing flawlessly, driving 14 speakers and a12-inch sub! This is surely a testament to the Alpine quality, durability and reliability.. .
Those PDX amps sound horrible to me. I've owned several, and they sound incredibly sterile. I've been running my entire setup on a JL HD900/5 and couldn't be happier with the output and quality of sound.
That is insane how much the sub channel put out at 2 ohms! I’m ordering the marine version of this cause I can get a good deal!
I should have bought one when they were 800 bucks 😢
1st, I love your channel, I'd love to see a jl rd 1500 dyno. An amazing video would be a combo of all JL, slash series 1000/1, jx 1000/1, jd 1000/1, xd 1000/1, rd 1000/1. To see the differences in cost and watts. Thx and hope to see these videos in the future
I will always have love for jl, kicker, and mtx. W6's the round solobaric's and the thunder 2300 are all systems I wish I still had. (Did pick up a thunder 2300 recently tho) 😁
I guess I'm lucky to have been out of the 12 volt industry just long enough that I didn't see this amount of junk come through the doors of our shop{meaning the knockoffs}. We only had to worry about things like DUAL or BOSS and we could just look it and kinda giggle inside to figure out how to tell the customer their stuff was junk. But then again almost anybody likes to say they're an Installer nowadays.
Solid amp with great loudspeaker control.
when he said cookie cutter i was hoping to see a picture of big lenny
Awesome review. I love JL the amp is to pricey for me at moment. Have to send daughter to college. Higher priority than an amp at the moment. I luv the reviews keep up the good work. 👍🏻
Thanks for watching and commenting!
My first system was almost all JL audio. Best audio decision I ever made was to not buy another JL product ever again… price for performance is bad. Great quality products but in this hobby results mean much more
Couldn’t agree more. Extremely overpriced for what you get on all their products.
Can you test the Power Acoustic RZR-2500.1D at 1ohm? I've seen it tested at its rated 2ohm load and it met the rating, but I've got one at 1ohm and it rarely goes into protect. I really enjoy seeing what amps put out below the rated ohm load. Keep the tests coming, super informational!
Hey Big D I really enjoy all of your videos man. You're channel Inspired me to start finding out the actual RMS power the Amps I come across when doing installs for people who are Interested in knowing exactly what their amp is capable of as well. Have you ever put a Memphis Audio viv900.5 on the Dyno? I'm just wondering because I'm looking into getting one for a good price and just wondering if it puts out it's rated Power. Keep up the good work man I'm sure your videos has saved a lot of people a lot of money on Amps they would've been disappointed in.
Thanks for the suggestion
In your opinion which is the best 5 channel, Audio Controls LC 1300, The RF T1000X5ad, or a JL product?
Currently have a older but refreshed RF BD1000 mono and was going to buy a 4 channel to run mids/highs in my tundra. Debating on doing the entire system with a 5 channel - thoughts?
It's really sad that not only has the slash series been discontinued but it looks like the HD has now been moved down to jl heritage line and on its way out looks like they're done with the rips technology
Incredible SQ. Truly all any HiFi nut needs price be damned.
HiFi nuts ignore price. They pay $300 for interconnects
I love this channel! Algorithm boost!!!!!!!!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
And thanks for the schooling on the terms; we are never too old to learn somrthing new!
Big Dwizzz, please rate the R2 750x5 by Rockford fosgate. Would love to see those results. The audiocontrol LC5.1300 was also really cool to see 😁
So which sounded better the Jl or the lc5 in your opinion?
I'm curious about the Pioneer 5 channel amp
He already did a review of it and a similar kenwood amp, I bought that pioneer and it broke on me twice, would go into thermal rollback intermittently although the thing was stone cold and never got hotter than Luke warm
Mine lasted 2 years. FR channel clapped out. Now I have a $900 paper weight. It was awesome..while it lasted 😪
Really great specs for class d. I don't see many class d amps below .1% thd. Pioneers are the only other ones I've seen that have thd that low and JL still has them beat with all outputs at 12 volts and .03% thd
Thats pretty sweet . Even looking at some massive stuff myself . Can u get your hands on an ex5 and see whats up?
I would love a video dyno test of the JL Audio RD 900. Please and thank you.
The plugs for the power and speakers are a copy off a MB quarts amp that I have that was made by Rockford fosgate
Had to watch a review on the amp I have in my jeep 🤣. This power supply is a big selling point in my buddy’s f150 now since his voltage fluctuates for his oem agm (raptor), see this a lot on new vehicles with fuel saver mode alternators.
I’ve also heard these type of power supply doesn’t do great on a load like this? Same with amplifiers like the Mosconis?
Can you do a dyno Test on a BavSound amplifier? That one would be amazing to get real results! 😭 thanks !
Love the video, I now own several JL Audio amplifiers that I've managed to get on incredible deals RD 400/4(won) XD 700/5 $50😳. Also i wanted to offer two songs that you can play worry free on RUclips, that are great for demos NCS- ( WiDE AWAKE: SOMETHING MORE) (DJ RUSSTICALS: ICE) (WITH ICE YOU CAN PICK THE FREQ. YOU WANT TO PLAY IN)
Like bdcp technology.
Great video as always BROTHER
Have you done a Dyno or amp test involving cooling vs not cooling?
Is there wattage difference between the 2?
Very cool!
No internal fuses?
Old school PPI style terminal blocks!
Is there a way to test the built in amps on Home Audio Subwoofers on your amp dyno, to see if they're putting out the power as advertised? That would be cool to see. Thank you for the awesome vids.
Have you considered either of these songs from No Copyright Sounds for your playlist?
1 - Lost Sky "Fearless"
2 - Lost Sky, Chris Linton "Fearless Pt. II"
Absolutely and thanks for the tracks. Search for Polk audio, Yung and Dayton Audio Amp Dyno vids and you’ll see me testing the plates from these subs
@@wal I found the video. Thank you. It's too bad I live way up here in Canada or else I'd send you in one of my JL Audio Dominion D110's to test the power output of the plate amp to see if it does it's rated 750 watts.
Great video Big D. Basically we are paying for the brand not the amp $1200.00 dollars that's lot of money for a small amp.
You can buy them for considerably less than their advertised MSRP price at a local dealer...and they will usually throw in the bass knob for free to make the sale if you haggle a bit. ;)
Anything comparable in size, quality, features, and performance is equally expensive, and these sound great.
@@bbfoto7248 thanks.
You're paying for the research and development that goes into a proprietary design. Meaning, you don't get and amp like this from some generic buildhouse. There are to cheap copies or clones of this amp available.
If you want to pay less then you can find something cheaper but, it won't have the same technology and will be of lesser quality.
Not saying a cheaper amp won't suit your needs but, in this case you truly do get what you pay for.
I've never had a sheet of paper that was 1.9" thick before 🤔
Lol
🤦♂️
🤷♂️
At 1.9 inches thick wouldn't that be considered wood?
Someone got reamed here..he was pretty thick sheet 😂
Real nice test