Rockford Fosgate question

[RoadRacer]

Back in the day.... late 80's - early 90's Rockford was well known for under-rating their amps but at the same time making them incredibly stable at low ohm levels. My question is do they still make quality amps... specifically the 25 to life Punch 75?

thanks,

[GradeA_TireFryer]

no - no one make amps like they did back then

[jriggs]

dam i remember one of my old rockford amps it was a monster said it was only 200 watts but i've never heard 200 watts that clear and loud, but shit the amp had cross over cards, put it in one way for high pass one way for low pass and on edge for full. dam i should have never gotten rid of that one

[hondachris1994]

the older US amps were real good also

[RoadRacer]

the older US amps were real good also

for sure, US Amps and Rockford were two of the best competition amps available. I believe 2 guys from north florida started us amps. I saw a web page a few months back detailing their how they started, but I can't find it now.

[TJElite]

for sure, US Amps and Rockford were two of the best competition amps available. I believe 2 guys from north florida started us amps. I saw a web page a few months back detailing their how they started, but I can't find it now.

They were from Gainsville...I met them back about 1989. One of them was involved with inventing the MRI. US was the 'house brand' for one of the shops up there. The little KA50 was nearly unstoppable. One of the coolest things was that no two amps looked alike in the beginning...they used whatever surplus heatsink material they could find.

I don't think the old punch amps were all that underrated...I think it more had to do with their unregulated power supplies, the speakers of the time, the lack of other quality brands, and perception. Back then, if you had two rockford 12's on a punch 150 (whopping 180 watts mono) you were the shit. You also have to remember that 140 db was loud, and guys like Virgil Williams were hitting 147...with 16 15's !!! There were so many shitty brands, that rockford stood out. Good subs would hold like 250w rms...but they didn't have the stiff suspensions and huge motors that today's woofers have, so they didn't need as much power.

As sub amps, the old punch series wouldn't hold their own nowadays, I'm afraid, especially on today's speakers. What's really sad is what we had to pay for these things back in the day. I just have to chuckle when people tell me how expensive stereo stuff is today.

Toby

[hondachris1994]

I remember back in like 97 phoenix gold had good amps, they were small but they put out, nowadays they got so called 2000 watt amps that are bs they cant even push 200 much less 2,000 its unreal

[P057]

What's really sad is what we had to pay for these things back in the day. I just have to chuckle when people tell me how expensive stereo stuff is today.

Toby

Yeh i agree, i remember when my bro got his first car stereo way back when.. he had to pay an arm and a leg....it cost him more than the car itself.

[RoadRacer]

They were from Gainsville...I met them back about 1989. One of them was involved with inventing the MRI. US was the 'house brand' for one of the shops up there. The little KA50 was nearly unstoppable. One of the coolest things was that no two amps looked alike in the beginning...they used whatever surplus heatsink material they could find.

I don't think the old punch amps were all that underrated...I think it more had to do with their unregulated power supplies, the speakers of the time, the lack of other quality brands, and perception. Back then, if you had two rockford 12's on a punch 150 (whopping 180 watts mono) you were the shit. You also have to remember that 140 db was loud, and guys like Virgil Williams were hitting 147...with 16 15's !!! There were so many shitty brands, that rockford stood out. Good subs would hold like 250w rms...but they didn't have the stiff suspensions and huge motors that today's woofers have, so they didn't need as much power.

As sub amps, the old punch series wouldn't hold their own nowadays, I'm afraid, especially on today's speakers. What's really sad is what we had to pay for these things back in the day. I just have to chuckle when people tell me how expensive stereo stuff is today.

Toby

yes, that's right they were from g'ville.
My first, of many, sub amps was a 200w pyle and it was 399.00... that was in 89 or 90. I wince when I think back to paying that much for that amp.

I don't know much about today's stereo equipment as i sold all of my stereo stuff back in 93 and started dumping money into engines. It sounds like speakers, subs and amps have come a long way.