Power, shear power Looks Quality

Could use a built-in crossover

I bought the ZPA 0.5 so that I could use my ZX450 to drive my front and rear mids/tweets. I have a pair of 12 inch Orion DVC NT2 subs that pounded with half of the 4 channel ZX450 bridged to run them. Now the ZPA 0.5 drives the subs in themselves but I really can't use all the power it has. I am running an EQ into the ZX450 and then crossover out to the ZPA 0.5 so it is only seeing about 3.5 volts of input (I do not have a line driver nor a crossover card installed). But I do have a Basecube between the ZX450 and the ZPA 0.5. Anyways, now the ZX450 runs alot cooler and gives me a little cleaner front end musicality after long rides with it cranked (and I mean cranked!). The ZPA is just warm after 2 hours of cranked high impact bass (to the point of those Orions starting to flutter or bust right out of the sealed enclosure). By the way I drive an Audi A4 4cylinder with a stock alternator and no cap (nor would I buy one because a deep cycle battery would be better for the application anyway). The ZPA 0.5 has about 1/3 of a farad in capacitors built right on board, you know... But if I was to add any more subs or change to 4 or 6 or 8 ten inch subs then I would go with one or two deep cycle batteries and maybe a big alternator to feed that high current monster. Final note: The ZX450 cranked my subs to 98 percent of what the the ZPA amp needs to (because the subs can only handle so much power) so the overall difference is negligable for total power gain in my particular circumstance. Would I go back to just the ZX450 running everything? Nope.

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the only b@$&* i have with it is the crossover card. it keeps on falling out with the bass up i fixed it with a little hot glue but it is a manufacturing defect none the less.

this amp puts out!

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POWER! Very clean sound, slick looks, S/N ratio 110db+, 0.5 ohm stable.

Can't be careless installing this thing. To connect cables, the plexi cover comes off. Most of those dead ones on Ebay are a result of someone dropping a cable thread onto the circuit board & frying the amp...

The ZPA0.5 is the best amp I have ever owned. Sure, it requres a TBat or line driver, but the SQ blows me away. These days can be had for $500 over the net. Good deal, even used. This is the perfect amp to drive 4 subs at a 1-ohm mono load. Look out though, to use this thing, required upgrades include big cap, hi-output alternator, minimum 2ga. cable, separate fuse... Can get very expensive.

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Directed 1100D, MTX 225HO, Orion 250HCCA

very well designed and built. Last of Phoenix Golds good amps. Very good sound quality

Must be used with a line driver whitch under any conditions will add atleast a little hiss, has a tough time doing rated power with real world speaker loads.

This series of amps were the last good amps made by pg , they were concieved when the outragous Larry Fredrics still worked for p.g. The results was a unique hi quality product. These amps used what is called a smart power supply to adjust supply voltage to optimize output power at any impedance. The problem was they produced less power a 2 ohms mono(most typical sub system impedance) than at 4. When you combine this with the fact that they had no op amp on input(required line driver) Many people ended up with an amp that powered subs like dog but sound great and totally lacked distortion on highs.

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hifonics zeus, ppi 2350,phoenix gold 2125,2500,m100,zx600 and zx600ti

Endless power, super clean sound

The fact that they don't tell you that you have to have the TBAt balanced line driver for it to be effective

I paid $750 for the amp, but turned around and spent another $200 for a TBAt and a balanced line cable from Phoenix. I bought mine so earliy (it's #133) that the balanced line equipment wasn't even ready for the market. It's about 4 1/2 years old and I just had it upgraded last year to a V2, thank to my friends at Phoenix. I used the amp when I first got it without a line driver, and everyone I talked to couldn't believe I paid that much for an amp that had no power. I told them to wait until I got the parts. I'm now told I have one of the finest sounding systems in the area. I also have a ZX450 in my system. I've thought several times to change my amps around and use the ZPA0.3 on the front stage, but this thing is one awesome sub amp. No matter what people say about high current amps (especially Orion's cheater amps) this thing has more head room and delivers just as much power into small ohm loads. I also enjoyed the fact that this amp has the slot for a ZPAXO crossover which is a fine part as well. I was a little disappointde to find out that Phoenix Gold was discontinuing this amp after 1999. Too bad - I think there were a lot of people out there that really had no idea what this amp was designed for. I would recommed this amp (if you can find one out there) to any one who wants a superior sound quality amp. The only problem I have with it is that I can hear the fans power up when I start the car with the radio on. Oh - one more thing - when I had a fan go out last year the staff at Phoenix were great in getting my amp back to me in perfect working condition. Thanks Phoenix Gold!

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I bought this amp about a year and a half ago. At the time i was so excited to have the best amp money could buy. Now I realize I didn't need it. Sure I abslutely love this amp. But in all honesty I will never hear the difference of this super high quality amp from an amp with a much smaller price tag. If you have a lot of money to spend or you are a TRUE audiophile then I would recomend this amp. For everyone else, stick with the more affordable amps and you'll be just as happy.

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The ZPA .5 came with the used Integra Type R. Appearently, the previous owner was absolutely insane about sound quality, but then again, you have to be in a car that has absolutely no insulation (that'd weigh down a Type R, we couldn't have that, now could we?). His setup, started with a Clarion 9255, (an extreme in sound quality), went through a balanced line driver, off to the Pheonix's top crossover where it splits the signals to send the high/mids over to the ZPA .5 and into a 3 way dynaudio system (with kick panels) and the low frequency went to a ZX500 that put out it's 600 wants into a JL Audio 8.3 Microsub.

This setup his THE highest line of sound quality in it, and I know that because of both my research and the research I'm sure he did before he spent 4 thousand on this system. The quality is unimaginable and my only regret is that I play mp3 quality cd's off of the player. With this setup and a few tweaking, I've been told that it is easily a competition winner in sound quality, and a lot of that is due to the 1000 watt amp. There is absolutely no distortion, and if it is, neither I nor most computers would probably ever find it.

The reason I've told you my entire setup was so that you'd know that the quality I hear is perfect, and if you heard the amp tested in the store, the distortion may come from either the speakers or the player, but certainly not this top of the line product.

PS (I've also heard that there's a holdback pin somewhere on the circuit that, when removed, will unleash the amp's watts from 1000 to 1500. The reason for the pin? The amp would burn out in nothing flat, so only remove it if you plan to compete for a short time.... in a place somewhere cold, like Alaska......)

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I have owned both and honestly unless you are a true audiophile I cant recomend an amplifier of this caliber. It just dosent have the bang for the buck that an orion or even US Amps (love us amps very HQ) would have, But when you hear it you will know where that extra money went I mean just try to find another car audio amp that has <0.0001 total hermonic distortion. There just isnt one period. Looks like a work of art, and sounds better than any amp I have ever heard, crank it up full volume on a blank track and noting not even the slightest hiss or distortion, just dead silence. Tons of head room, 8 volt in ballanced or not, remote dignostic display port, and the ability to add in the an internal crossover. In a word goddamn! This is the best amp I have ever worked with (0.3 or 0.5) and I have worked with alot (workde at a stereo shop)