Sound Storm Laboratories EVO2500.1 Evolution Series Monoblock Class A/B Car Audio Amplifier - 2500 High Output, 2-8 Ohm Stable, High/Low Level Inputs, Low Pass Crossover, Hook Up To Subwoofer For Bass

Having purchased many less than top of the line amplifiers, I was not expecting this one to exactly go above and beyond the call of duty. And to be honest, it hasn't. It has however met my expectations in most areas in disappointed me in at least one.To begin, I have this amplifier pushing one 10" Pioneer Champion Series Pro (800RMS@2OHMS)(3,000MAX@2OHMS).This amplifier advertises a 1000 RMS rating @ 4 Ohms, so you must think i'm crazy, but anyone with experience in budget amplifiers can tell you that the advertised ratings often don't relate to reality. I haven't measured it, but know that at most this amp could power 2-mid level 10's or 1 high-level 12 at most. 2 12's would definitely be pushing it. Now let me break things down a little bit.Appearance, definitely 5 stars here, the brushed metal finish is very nice, I did notice however that it is relatively easy to scratch.Sound Quality, 4 Stars, not blow you away kinda jams but if you tune it properly you can make it sound top notch.Heat Displacement, 3 Stars, the heatsinks on this thing look nice and are pretty large, but many does this thing get warm to the touch. After playing music at around 85% volume for an hour this thing is almost hot to the touch. I'm using it at 2 ohms which it's rated for, but it still worries me a little bit as I know some amps will fail if the heat becomes to great. (You should also know this is a class A/B amplifier, which means it is not as efficient with the power it consumes(as opposed to a D Class amp), which means it produces more heat.)Overall, 4 Stars, I know the people who are looking at amplifiers at this price level are budget-conscious of their purchases like I am (18, college student), but amplifiers are the kinda thing where it's YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. Simple as that to be honest, don't expect the world for >$100.Happy Bumping!Brian.

The amp came on time and packaged well. Installation was easy in spite of the limited documentation. Should be expected from a "budget brand".My only complaint is when I got it all hooked up and I fired it up I noticed a faint thumping noise in my subs. They would thump about once a second. I got a bad unit. It happens. Amazon is sending a replacement even as I write this review. I will update when I get the replacement installed.However, I did put the amp through its paces just the same. I was pleased that the 1 ohm rating was not inflated like a lot of budget brand items found on amazon, but I'm fairly certain the power rating is. The amp is fused at 105Amps. Simple math ( 105 Amps x 13.6 Volts = 1428 Watts Max ) shows that the max power is substantially lower than the claimed 4k. The RMS rating for 4 ohms is more likely the correct Max rating for 1 ohm. The only good news though. This thing drives like a 1500 Watt amp should at 1 ohm.UPDATE:So I got the replacement pretty fast. I finally installed the replacement and it has the same exact problem as the first one with an added flaw. I now hear radio interference in my subs as well. The popping in the new one isn't as bad but still makes the same noise with the same problem. Now, I know some people will criticize my setup claiming my installation is the cause of the problem. I'm not new to car audio, so I know how to eliminate other items as the cause. After disconnecting everything but 1 sub wired at 2 ohms and powered and turned on directly by a battery (no chance of outside equipment affecting the amp), the problem still persists. Good ground connection to bare metal with 1/4-20 bolt and nut and soldered lugs(I don't trust just crimping in high power DC circuits). No RCAs connected. Head unit taken out of the line. Subs rewired to 2 ohms even though the amp is 1 ohm stable. I even swapped in my trusty 7 year old Panasonic head unit. Same problem. I was going to at least give 2 stars because it's powerful and is 1 ohm stable, but the lack of consistent quality doesn't permit me that freedom. I seriously considered keeping it since I probably could live with the noise now since it's much quieter than the first unit, but I can't bring myself to justify the poor sound quality in my setup. That and I worry about the amp having a catastrophic failure at the expense of my brand new Polk subs. I'm also returning the SSL EVO1600.4 4 channel amp I purchased for my 4 corners. The only reason I bought that one is because it matched this one. Instead, I will be spending $100 more than these two amps cost to get a Polk D5000.5 5 channel amp that is a near perfect match for my speakers, which are conveniently all Polk also. Though I will have to tear down my trunk again for the 3rd time since I started this build, it will be worth the peace of mind.Pros:true 1 ohm stablethough the rating is seriously inflated, this still works out to be a pretty serious 1500W @ 1 ohm ampCons:first unit was defective. Had a steady "switching" noise coming through the subs about every second.replacement unit was also defective. Same "switching" noise with the added benefit of hearing radio interference as wellSummary:My first impression was that this is a good amp and I just got a bad one the first time. It happened twice. 2 out of 2 amps were bad. That doesn't sit well with me. My advice: Scrape together a few more pennies and get something from a trusted quality brand like Polk, Alpine, Kicker, Pioneer, JL Audio, Sony, MB Quart, Hifonics, and the list goes on.If Amazon wants to make this right somehow they can credit my account to help compensate for the second bad item in a row

Wow more high bass

I use to be all about the big boom in the trunk. Now I like the music to sound clear with the hit of the bass. Works perfectly, makes driving to and from work not so boring anymore.

I have owned this amplifier for 3 years now (the 5000.1 Evo version) and let me tell you, it works amazing! I seriously encourage you to stray away from the negative reviews. Most are probably coming from people who are not experienced enough to handle and manage car audio.This is not "cheap components" or "bad quality" in any way. The amplifier itself is actually pretty big and very heavy and sturdy. I used it to power two Rockford Fosgate 12" P2's with absolute ease. In addition to that, it was able to power a single Rockford Fosgate 12" T0 with no problem ( a very high end sub). If this bad boy can power these higher end subwoofers, it will be able to run anything of a lesser RMS (which in addition, I have used this to power Sony Xplodes, and various other 2-3 subwoofers setups). I have never had a single issue with this sub in all the time I have had it.People who rate bad, most likely do not know how to take care of their audio equipment.

I've owned this amp for four years. Does it still work yes. Does it constantly overheat yes. Will it run longer than two hours without overheating no. Will it always turn back on after cooling down yes.I've got it running at 2ohms on a 250watt RMS sub so no I'm not pushing it beyond it's limits. It just simply runs hot and takes A LOT of power so be sure your charging system can handle it. I've watched it dim my headlights and switched it out with a Rockville at one point with no issues. Overall I'd choose a Rockville, much cooler and smaller as well.

It's enormous.

If this amp was what it says it is then I'd be happy. It moves my sub but it just doesn't slam hard like it used to. Running an old XW series Clarion 15". I used to push the 15 with an old 2400 watt peak MTX amp and it slammed hard. This amp pushes about half as hard, maybe 3/4. It just sounds underpowered. I rated it at 3 because it does work and it's cheap. I don't think I could find a better amp for cheaper, even used.

I recommend this

It pushes very very loud nice crisp bass without any issues for more than a year..still works flawlessly. If you know how to handle the gain and the crossovers of course

Pushes my Sony xplod very well, impressed so far.