Help me decide: PE HPSA500 -vs- O Audio 500W Bash

[mattfaske]

I'm in the market for a sub amp to go with my Dayton RSS315HF-4.

Anyone have any thoughts, experience or opinions when comparing these two amps? They're both about the same price, and same power. The Bash has a couple of more features: Variable phase control as well as the selectable low-freq extension. Do I need or will I use either? I don't know... but they might be nice to have. I like that transformer on the HPSA, although I've read about some Hummm problems.

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=300-806&ctab=2#Tabs

http://www.oaudio.com/500W_SUBAMP.html

OR - can I justify saving up another $200 for the HPSA1000?

Any help in making this decision is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

Thanks all!

[philiparcario]

did you port your sub? is your sub sealed? is your sub for music? do you have a 2.1 system or a 5.1 /7.1? if you are running a 2.1 system for music with the sub sealed i would say buy this.


http://www.creativesound.ca/details.php?model=A402



http://cgi.ebay.com/Reckhorn-A-402-Subwoofer-Amplifier_W0QQitemZ260370486830QQcmdZViewItemQQptZ Speakers_Subwoofers?hash=item3c9f4a562e#ht_1542wt_ 896

I purchased my reckhorn from the ebay seller. If you don't want that as a rackmount the O audio worked well with a rss390hf I helped to design

[philiparcario]

I helped design this build.

http://techtalk.parts-express.com/showthread.php?t=209622



http://techtalk.parts-express.com/showthread.php?t=207859

he used the o-audio

[rickcraig]

I've used the O Audio amp in several subwoofers, including one with the same Dayton woofer. I like the separate EQ's because it gives you much more flexibility. Todd and Eric are also great to do business with.

[Zero the Hero]

Oaudio is a nice amp, but it's boost is non-defeatable. Ok for sealed, but limits your porting options.

[mattfaske]

I haven't built the sub yet, I just bought the 12" RSS-4 this morning from Steven on the Free Classifieds. I'm thinking a small sealed enclosure, 1.5 to 2 cuft. My system is 7.1, so this sub will be used for HT.

Right now I have a Peerless 10" XLS with a 10"PR and Keiga (5230 i think) amp. The problem is that the Peerless bottoms-out occasionally during those high-impact HT moments, and quite often throughtout PS3 games. I really don't know what to do with it, other than use it for a music system somewhere else. It's fine for modest listening levels.

I do like the idea of a rack-mount Reckhorn amp. I haven't seen those before.

[LoveDoctor]

I have an HPSA500 and its a fine amp, but not without its issues. If I had to do it over again, I'd get the Oaudio. More adjustablility. Also, the "auto-on" on my Dayton is not the greatest. At moderately low volume, it isn't sensitive enough to keep itself on. Others have had the same issue on this forum. I don't know if the O is better in this respect, but it probably isn't worse.

[stangbat]

Here's why I went with the Oaudio:
-Low frequency extension/subsonic filter*
-Fully adjustable phase, not just a 0/180 switch. I found this to be very helpful since I have a receiver and not a HT setup where I can alter phase via distance settings.

If you don't need/want these two things, the HPSA would be a fine choice too.

*The subsonic filter is kind of misleading. As Zero the Hero mentioned, there is some boost no matter what setting. Look at page 12, Chart 1 of the owner's manual (http://www.oaudio.com/docs/manual_v1_6.pdf). From the graph you'll see that any setting gives you a small boost before the cut off frequency, and you get only boost at the 12 Hz setting. So if you use the Oaudio with a vented sub, be careful.

[Jeff B.]

I am using the Oaudio and highly recommend it. It is very quiet, has no turn-on thump, and so far has been very reliable. I also love the option in setting it up in-room.

However, as others have already mentioned, unless you are going to use the 25Hz or possibly the 20Hz setting, this is an amp for a sealed subwoofer. For a sealed design I am not aware of a better amp out there. For a vented or passive radiator design an amp with a more discrete infrasonic filter would be a little kinder to your woofer (unless you use one of the higher settings like the 25 or 20Hz). You need to take this into consideration as you choose an amp. Some of the amps with a 24Hz or 30 Hz boost with a highpass filter may work perfectly for a vented design.

Jeff B.

[rickcraig]

I haven't built the sub yet, I just bought the 12" RSS-4 this morning from Steven on the Free Classifieds. I'm thinking a small sealed enclosure, 1.5 to 2 cuft. My system is 7.1, so this sub will be used for HT.

Right now I have a Peerless 10" XLS with a 10"PR and Keiga (5230 i think) amp. The problem is that the Peerless bottoms-out occasionally during those high-impact HT moments, and quite often throughtout PS3 games. I really don't know what to do with it, other than use it for a music system somewhere else. It's fine for modest listening levels.

I do like the idea of a rack-mount Reckhorn amp. I haven't seen those before.

The 315HF has too high of a "Q" for a 6th order alignment so a sealed box is better. I know of one commercial sub using it 6th order and it has problems bottoming out from excessive excursion.

[rogoll]

I've got about four Dayton plate amps and am very pleased with them. In the global economy I guess it's a less and less important issue, but I think the Bash is built outside of the US (Canada?). However, the Dayton could easily be made in China...wait a minute...I just checked...the Dayton is "Made in China".:rolleyes:

[fbov]

It's incremental features for me; I have the Oaudio amp driving a Tempest X in a 3 cu ft sealed box. In my stand-alone application, the external EQ adjustment and PEQ of the Oaudio amp made the deal. It was very easy to set up so it works very well for me.

If you already have external EQ optimization for LFE, these advantages disappear, and this note is nothing more than a "+1" on Jeff B and stangbat - it works well.

HAve fun,
Frank

[djarchow]

Over on the AVS forum DIY speakers forum they tested the O-Audio amp and it came very close to meeting it's 4 ohm specs (most amps don't). For example, hey also tested the PE 1000 watt amp and it didn't even come close to meeitng it's published specs. Now this may or may not reflect the 500 watt PE amp performance but it does give some confidence about the O-Audio amp.

Regards,

Dennis

[spankdizz]

just a quick question is the o audio amp 2 ohm stable i need an amp that is 2 ohm stable any suggestions

[Zero the Hero]

there is no 2 ohm stable plate amp, period. Have to go to a pro rack amp like the EP4000

[emilime75]

I have no personal experience with either of these 2 models, but I do have experience with the Klipsch plate amps which were made by BASH. The Klipsch models in particular are the Synergy Sub 10 and Sub 12, they have both the Klipsch and BASH brand name on the plates, so I know for a fact that they are made by BASH. These particular amps are the biggest pieces of "you know what". Their build quality is very poor and they had a very high failure rate. I believe the Sub 10 was worse than the Sub 12, but they both blew up often and suffered from poor solder contacts that came loose over time. I've had several of them, 2 were bought brand new, sealed from the manufacturer, and 2 were bought as used plate amps, and they all had problems. Hopefully the current BASH line is better, I assume it must be because I doubt it would have the following that it does if all of their products were as poorly made as the Klipsch models.

[djarchow]

I have no personal experience with either of these 2 models, but I do have experience with the Klipsch plate amps which were made by BASH. The Klipsch models in particular are the Synergy Sub 10 and Sub 12, they have both the Klipsch and BASH brand name on the plates, so I know for a fact that they are made by BASH. These particular amps are the biggest pieces of "you know what". Their build quality is very poor and they had a very high failure rate. I believe the Sub 10 was worse than the Sub 12, but they both blew up often and suffered from poor solder contacts that came loose over time. I've had several of them, 2 were bought brand new, sealed from the manufacturer, and 2 were bought as used plate amps, and they all had problems. Hopefully the current BASH line is better, I assume it must be because I doubt it would have the following that it does if all of their products were as poorly made as the Klipsch models.


Just to be clear, BASH amps are used in a number of subs from good companies, for example SVS Epik etc. It is hard to find better quality or reliability than SVS. Any amp company can build an amp as cheaply or as robustly as the buyer wants it. So that even though the technology is the same, the amp that goes into a Klipsch sub my be of a far different quality level than what goes into an SVS sub or the O-audio product.

Regards,

Dennis

[fbov]

I have no personal experience with either of these 2 models, but I do have experience with the Klipsch plate amps which were made by BASH....

BASH is an acronym for the amp circuit design, not a manufacturer.

"BASH® is a patented High Efficiency Power Amplifier circuit topology that has taken the best of Class D and Class AB and created a new class of its own."
http://www.st.com/stonline/products/families/audio/analogaudio/bashtech.htm

Frank

[mattfaske]

Thank you Frank for that information. I didn't know that! I too thought that "Bash" was the manufacturer brand.

[emilime75]

Just to be clear, BASH amps are used in a number of subs from good companies, for example SVS Epik etc. It is hard to find better quality or reliability than SVS. Any amp company can build an amp as cheaply or as robustly as the buyer wants it. So that even though the technology is the same, the amp that goes into a Klipsch sub my be of a far different quality level than what goes into an SVS sub or the O-audio product.

Regards,

Dennis

This is what I was hoping to be the reason for such poor performance, but poor solder connections are, to me, more of a quality control issue. Either way, I was not attempting to "bash" BASH amplifiers or the company itself, just pointing out that some of their products are not very good.

[emilime75]

BASH is an acronym for the amp circuit design, not a manufacturer.

"BASH® is a patented High Efficiency Power Amplifier circuit topology that has taken the best of Class D and Class AB and created a new class of its own."
http://www.st.com/stonline/products/families/audio/analogaudio/bashtech.htm

Frank

That may be true, but the amps in question used by the Klipsch models mentioned along with their "Promedia" line are indeed made by BASH, the company. I also believe that the BASH amps used in the Sub 10 and Sub 12 are class D.

[fbov]

If they are "Class D" then, by definition, they are NOT "BASH."

If you insist that BASH is a manufacturer, provide some documentation, a link to their web site perhaps....

[stangbat]

The PCBs on my Oaudio amp have "Indigo Manufacturing" all over them. So they obviously make them for Oaudio. As for who assembles everything into its final point as an amplifier and where, I don't know.

[fbov]

From the link I posted...
"BASH® technology is Indigo's flagship technology, ..."

(stangbat, we're agreeing)

[stangbat]

From the link I posted...
"BASH® technology is Indigo's flagship technology, ..."
Edit: I misinterpreted your above response. I was just stating that Indigo is the manufacturer for the components of Oaudio's amps. Maybe that was already clear to everyone. I'm not saying BASH is a manufacturer.

[jbruner]

I have a BASH300 that has worked flawlessly for several years. Which is why I bought a Klipsch BASH amp. The Klipsch only lasted a month. A friend had two of them that didn't last a whole day. I have two of the Klipsch amps sitting right here. They are constructed differently, but both say "INDIGO CANADA" on the pcb and "indigo" on the transformer. One of them is labeled "Made in China SUB10". These are total junk, but that doesn't mean that the BASH offerings from PE or O Audio have the same problems. YMMV

[Face]

How does Keiga compare?

[johnnyrichards]

How does Keiga compare?

I have never been impressed with their cost/performance ratio but then again, maybe you get what you pay for so buy one and let us know :)

[Mayhem13]

This is what I was hoping to be the reason for such poor performance, but poor solder connections are, to me, more of a quality control issue. Either way, I was not attempting to "bash" BASH amplifiers or the company itself, just pointing out that some of their products are not very good.

I'm not sure you understood the previous posts but "BASH" is an amplifier circuit type and NOT a company name or manufacturer so your choice of possesive pronoun is inaccurate.

As to the OP's question.......The OAudio amp is an excellent product for sealed subwoofer applications and others have pointed out. The Auto On feature is flawless and the 16hz setting is great for small sealed subs like the RSS315HF. The Variable PeQ is invaluable for attentuating that inevitable first room mode as well. I have two in service for over 2 years now without a problem.