# Chris B's Linear Power LOVE FEST/Review :)



## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

Paybacks a ***** buddy


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## imjustjason (Jun 26, 2006)

First in line to read these sure to be riveting results.


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## Darth SQ (Sep 17, 2010)

If he doesn't reply by tonight, he aint gonna bite. 


Bret
PPI-ART COLLECTOR


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

C'mon Bret........You know me better then that


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

lol, sorry, I was meeting with clients today and now I have consolidated financials to get done over the weekend...

My love affair first started with Linear Power after the death of my first wife in 2007. I had tried some new fandangled gear, and ended up disappointed. Then I thought back to the fabled gear that I couldn't afford when I was in high school. So began my attempt to seek out Linear Power.

One of the first amplifiers I procured on eBay was a Linear Power 1752 that was modified by TIPS. I tried it on my sub bridged at 8 ohms, and was left wanting MORE POWER. I also had a whole slew of others that I purchased for my mids and highs and even bought into the concept of having them modified since one of the eBay purchased amplifiers was in need of repair too.

When I installed my modified and repaired 1502IQ in the Civic, I was blown away. I was like, "wow, I'm hearing things that I never heard before" and went on to write a nuthuggeriffic review. After about two weeks with it, I noticed a problem. Brain Damage by Pink Floyd did not sound right in my car. I installed the modified LP150, thinking it was the amplifier needing something more done to it. Nope, same crosstalk distortion. 

During this timeframe of falling out of love, I also procured a couple of 5002s off eBay to try on my sub in the Mehstang. IIRC, one was an IQ the other was a regular one. Holy inefficiency from hell Batman. My Mehstang's volt meter worked like a reverse VU meter to the sound of the beat. Keep in mind I had an alternator that cost a small fortune to custom build and wow, I still can't believe the suggestion is to add more batteries. Idle voltage was 14.5 volts and it alleged to do 220 to 240 amps.

Now, going back to the modified LP150... I'm noticing that in addition to increased distortion, it flat out cuts out at high volume. I thought to myself, WTF, this is high voltage ear candy, it's not supposed to do that. My Civic's electrical consisted of a Kinetik battery, a 175 amp alternator, and a custom ECU with ELD programmed out of it to keep the voltage at 13.8 volts.

I reinstall the 1502IQ because I think I am having other problems. Only this time, my recently repaired amplifier blows a cap due to a conductive fleck of paint. Great.

Now we get to the fall from grace. I have amplifiers cutting out on me, they are inefficient, so it's time to change. I replace the 5002 with a Clarion DPX1851 that cost a fraction of what the 5002 went for.... For a new amplifier with a warranty! Holy efficiency Batman! Myth of needing an SQ amplifier on a sub busted!

Next, up is my Civic, where I replace the modified 1502IQ with a pair of Lunar L60x2s, one for each door. Holy headroom and no more cutting out. Now, if I juice the volume, the speakers sound like they are going to catch on fire with a potential 240 watts RMS going to each door versus sounding like they are cutting out due to a combination of high voltage with a weak power supply. 

I sold all my Linear Power amplifiers, some on this forum, others on eBay, and a buyer in Japan overpaid the most for them. I learned that nostalgia is overrated and if it has tits, tires, or transistors, it is going to give me problems!

EDIT: I also learned that I chose the wrong tool for the job. Loud and clear requires power, and a 15% increase from modifications is NOT enough. I usually DO NOT replace or upgrade unless I am doubling my RMS power OR going for maximum channels in a small footprint!

EDIT to the EDIT: I also learned why Linear Power is loved by others. In addition to the unique sonic signature, many of them also produced distortion that was pleasing to the ear. Now tell one of the LP fanbois that their precious amplifiers aren't flat and have higher pleasing harmonic distortion then watch them want to nail you to the cross!


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

And there it is folks! Thanks for playing Chris! Great story/sharing

I am so sorry about your wife....jesus. If I had known that a sentence like that would have graced a thread like this......even gun to head...I would not have started. Sorry man.


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

rexroadj said:


> And there it is folks! Thanks for playing Chris! Great story/sharing


You're welcome!



rexroadj said:


> I am so sorry about your wife....jesus. If I had known that a sentence like that would have graced a thread like this......even gun to head...I would not have started. Sorry man.


Thanks, but don't sweat it. I've accepted what happened in my life and, contrary to popular belief, am remarried and happy once again. 

While I may come across as bitter on the interwebz, that is usually due to the stupidity that I have to put up with in my daily affairs... You know, things like dealing with taxing authorities who made a mistake on their end and don't even know the rules that they are assessing your clients under. The latest is the State of Louisiana sending out franchise tax notices for disregarded entity LLCs in Louisiana. By definition they are not a corporation, nor are they responsible for the franchise tax, but I have to respond to every one of those GD letters.


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

Fair enough man! Yeah.....I have a less then pleasant notoriety as well......oh well. Got to deal with real life first. 

I hope this will be taken in fun as its meant........readers....dont be dicks....discussions are cool.....I was just trying to be funny and Chris bit. Just like the Hertz one


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## Darth SQ (Sep 17, 2010)

ChrisB said:


> lol, sorry, I was meeting with clients today and now I have consolidated financials to get done over the weekend...
> 
> My love affair first started with Linear Power after the death of my first wife in 2007. I had tried some new fandangled gear, and ended up disappointed. Then I thought back to the fabled gear that I couldn't afford when I was in high school. So began my attempt to seek out Linear Power.
> 
> ...


They also look like a bag of Jolly Ranchers. :thumbsup:


Bret
PPI-ART COLLECTOR


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## IDGAF (Dec 27, 2009)

ChrisB said:


> The latest is the State of Louisiana sending out franchise tax notices for disregarded entity LLCs in Louisiana. By definition they are not a corporation, nor are they responsible for the franchise tax, but I have to respond to every one of those GD letters.


Wait... I don't have to pay that BS I got in the mail the other day?

And WTF? You're in La?


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

IDGAF said:


> Wait... I don't have to pay that BS I got in the mail the other day?
> 
> And WTF? You're in La?



From here: Frequently Asked Questions : Louisiana Department of Revenue



DOR said:


> An LLC is treated and taxed in the same manner for Louisiana income tax purposes as it is treated and taxed for federal income tax purposes. If the LLC is taxed as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, the LLC will be taxed as a corporation for Louisiana income tax purposes. If the LLC is considered a partnership for federal income tax purposes, which is the most common situation, the LLC is treated as a partnership for Louisiana income tax purposes.
> 
> An LLC is never considered to be a corporation for franchise tax purposes, and therefore is not subject to Louisiana franchise tax.


Also, I am in Lafayette just down the road from you.


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## Sound Suggestions (Dec 5, 2010)

ChrisB said:


> lol, sorry, I was meeting with clients today and now I have consolidated financials to get done over the weekend...
> 
> My love affair first started with Linear Power after the death of my first wife in 2007. I had tried some new fandangled gear, and ended up disappointed. Then I thought back to the fabled gear that I couldn't afford when I was in high school. So began my attempt to seek out Linear Power.
> 
> ...


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

Sound Suggestions said:


> ....confused :z: I thought all amplifiers sounded the same!? :argue:


Amplifiers that measure the same can be made to sound the same in blind study testing. Unfortunately, in the late 80s and early 90s, many manufacturers built-in a Fletcher-Munson style curve to give their amplifiers a slight advantage. Imagine waltzing into a dealer that sold Soundstream then they switched over to the Rockford Fosgate on the soundboard that had more bass and slightly more sizzle to the highs.

Dirty trick, I know... But it happened.

It's much tougher to make unsubstantiated claims these days as there is the AudioPrecision which can test power and frequency response with a simulated reactive load. There are two sides to the argument... One involves science. The other involves mythology. After seeing how the people are easily swayed by the mainstream media, I now understand why so many believe in the mythology side over science. Ignorance is bliss while living in a state of self-created utopia!


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

A little background: I love amps!!!!! (end of background ) 

First I really wanted to try one of their amps when I read all those posts/infos regarding their new LP line... Was seriously interested, especially if they do release an LP2400. 

Love amp comparison and when I read one post, I simply asked a simple question on their forum: please read and make your own opinion 
Guess the followers did not like it  

They lost me as a customer even though I wanted to try one of their amps... I know it's not Ray that replied but the attitude of some guyz just put me off 

Kelvin


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## Hillbilly SQ (Jan 26, 2007)

Kelvin, I'm not surprized about the answer you got. LP/Blues people take nuthugging to levels that exceed any other car audio brand. I guess if the overpriced gear makes the users happy that's all that matters. I'll run an all fleamarket system before I run LP/Blues. That cableguy dude cracks me up. Isn't he the one that had a hissy when he found out he wasn't gonna be the only one in his class at a comp? He must like bragging about winning by default. If I were to drive several hours to a comp only to win by default I'd be pissed!


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

Hillbilly SQ said:


> Kelvin, I'm not surprized about the answer you got. LP/Blues people take nuthugging to levels that exceed any other car audio brand. I guess if the overpriced gear makes the users happy that's all that matters. I'll run an all fleamarket system before I run LP/Blues. That cableguy dude cracks me up. Isn't he the one that had a hissy when he found out he wasn't gonna be the only one in his class at a comp? He must like bragging about winning by default. If I were to drive several hours to a comp only to win by default I'd be pissed!


Cablguy is the one who bragged about placing first at all the local competitons then finished dead last at finals a couple of years ago. When I called him on it, he refused to answer me.:laugh: Come to think of it, that is a common theme anytime I called him on one of his absolute statements.

I would question their 95% efficiency seeing that the power supply is not microprocessor controlled and these amplifiers are still class ab. Here it is 2013 and they are still using power supply taps to set the internal rail voltage for a specified impedance. Sorry, but if I am going to run a high end amplifier just to show that I have money to burn, it would be something from Brax or the Audison Thesis line. My next tier would more than likely be the Arc Audio SE line or something from Sinfoni/Mosconi.

To me, amplifiers have become commodity items versus the holy grail of ess que. As long as it measures +/- 1dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz and provides me with the power I desire, it will usually meet my needs for car audio use. Besides, I'd rather spend money on speakers built in the EU or go through multiple Chinese clones of famous EU speakers.

I went through enough amplifiers to realize that amplifiers are fairly negligible with regards to sonic impact whereas replacing speakers can make a world of difference! 

Here is the list of all the amplifiers I went through from 2007 to 2012 for all the doubters out there:
Linear Power
2 - 5002
5 - 1502IQ
2 - 652
1 - LP150
1 - 1752
1 - 2.2 HV
1 - DPSQ50
1 - DPS 500

Rockford Fosgate
1 - punch 150
1 - power 1000
1 - Punch 300x
1 - 25 to life Power 1000
1 - 25 to Life Punch 150
1 - Power 351s
1 - Punch 5002

Orion
3 - 280 gx
1 - 250 sx
1 - 275 sx
7 - HCCA 225 Digital Ref
1 - HCCA 225 g5
1 - HCCA 250 G4

Lunar
2 - L60x2
2 - L1500
1 - L2125
1 - L450
1 - L100x2
1 - L2100
1 - L2200

Others

1 - Alpine PDX V9
1 - Alpine PDX-5
1 - Cerwin Vega EXL-400.4
1 - Clarion DPX1851
1 - Crossfire BMF1000d
1 - JL Audio 500/1
1 - JL Audio HD900/5
1 - Memphis 16-PR1.5KD
1 - Memphis 16-PR2.75
1 - Soundstream Reference 700s
1 - Stetsom V 1K5 H 1 Ohm
1 - Zapco Z100s2
1 - Zuki Eleets 4


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

they have a 12 step program for that.


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

chad said:


> they have a 12 step program for that.


Yeah, it's called marriage. I might have purchased 5 amplifiers since 2010, if that. The last one I purchased was that noisy Alpine PDX V9 and I couldn't get rid of it fast enough.:laugh:


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

Hillbilly SQ said:


> Kelvin, I'm not surprized about the answer you got. LP/Blues people take nuthugging to levels that exceed any other car audio brand. I guess if the overpriced gear makes the users happy that's all that matters. I'll run an all fleamarket system before I run LP/Blues. That cableguy dude cracks me up. Isn't he the one that had a hissy when he found out he wasn't gonna be the only one in his class at a comp? He must like bragging about winning by default. If I were to drive several hours to a comp only to win by default I'd be pissed!


One day I'm still gonna ask Ray the same question... One day :worried: 

One thing I know, I seriously want to see this amp tested against other top brands if Jerry (Niebur) does make his amp comparo happen 

Kelvin


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

ChrisB said:


> Cablguy is the one who bragged about placing first at all the local competitons then finished dead last at finals a couple of years ago. When I called him on it, he refused to answer me.:laugh: Come to think of it, that is a common theme anytime I called him on one of his absolute statements.
> 
> I would question their 95% efficiency seeing that the power supply is not microprocessor controlled and these amplifiers are still class ab. Here it is 2013 and they are still using power supply taps to set the internal rail voltage for a specified impedance. Sorry, but if I am going to run a high end amplifier just to show that I have money to burn, it would be something from Brax or the Audison Thesis line. My next tier would more than likely be the Arc Audio SE line or something from Sinfoni/Mosconi.
> 
> ...


That's the thing, the 90% efficiency makes it sounds like it's the best amp in its category and I wanted to try one to see if I could measure any of this... Wonder how efficient it is @ 1/3 of the power coz we all know class A/B are more efficient @ full tilt 

Kelvin


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## Cablguy184 (Oct 7, 2010)

Hillbilly SQ said:


> That cableguy dude cracks me up. Isn't he the one that had a hissy when he found out he wasn't gonna be the only one in his class at a comp? He must like bragging about winning by default. If I were to drive several hours to a comp only to win by default I'd be pissed!


No more complaints out of me brother. I could care less if I win or loose in competition. As long as I can show up and have fun (competition or not) with demos and meeting up with other car audio people, I've already won and accomplished what I drove several hours to do. Ask anybody that has met up with me at a show.
Sorry for all of the confusion ... 



chad said:


> they have a 12 step program for that.


Yes Sir ... Guess I went through it a couple of years ago ...
I was responding to a big system outage at work. During that time I was in a big hurry, and worring about everything ... Kind of the way it seems when your in your late 30s and early 40s and you feel like the entire weight of the world is on your shoulders. Anyway, going down the road with all this on my mind, and a huge deer crosses my path in a curve. Naturally, not really knowing waht it was at the time, I swerved really bad and lost control of my bucket truck. Somewhere in the process of overcorrecting, I lost control of the 2 ton bucket truck and flipped it a couple of times ... I thought it I was dead for a minute there ... and after the accident, I went back to that spot (trees on both sides of the road EXCEPT the area where I flipped the truck) and For some reason, The Lord saved my life.
Then I realised what I would be missing if I left this world ... Worring about everything and argueing over stupid stuff just seemed to cloud my mind at times ... Since then I've slowed down ,thought things over and just to enjoy my life ...
I thank God everyday that I can wake up to my beautiful wife and kids, enjoy my work, and just have fun with the hobbies I love ... like camping, fishing, sport trucks and car audio ...


Thanks guys
Randal


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## Cablguy184 (Oct 7, 2010)

ChrisB said:


> Cablguy is the one who bragged about placing first at all the local competitons then finished dead last at finals a couple of years ago. When I called him on it, he refused to answer me.:laugh: Come to think of it, that is a common theme anytime I called him on one of his absolute statements.


Hey man Sorry about all the confusion and about all that ... Honnestly, my mistake 
Like I said in my las post on this thread ... I just like to have fun at shows and events ... Most of the time now a days, I do not even compete when I go to shows and events ... Demo is alot more fun and WAY less stress ... 

One Day i'd like to meet up with you at a MECA event and talk shop over drinks or something ...

Thanks guys ...
Randal


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

Cablguy184 said:


> Hey man Sorry about all the confusion and about all that ... Honnestly, my mistake
> Like I said in my las post on this thread ... I just like to have fun at shows and events ... Most of the time now a days, I do not even compete when I go to shows and events ... Demo is alot more fun and WAY less stress ...
> 
> One Day i'd like to meet up with you at a MECA event and talk shop over drinks or something ...
> ...


Don't sweat it, I was just talking sh*t.:laugh: It's what I do.

-Chris


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Now we can all get into a big pile and ****......

(name the oldskool member)


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

chad said:


> Now we can all get into a big pile and ****......
> 
> (name the oldskool member)


I don't know why, but that comment brought this song to mind:


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## Cablguy184 (Oct 7, 2010)

Awesome Vid / Song


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