# Budget amp recodmendation that accepts balanced inputs?



## bboudreau (Sep 7, 2008)

I'm putting together a simple system for my 2000 M5. I will be using the factory radio which has 5v balanced output. What's nice 4 chan amp under $200? Thanks in advance!


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## supersuk (Apr 17, 2010)

The JL Audio 300/4 can be found for around that price. It accepts balanced input and does 75 watts x 4.

I got mines for about $200.


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## Cruzer (Jul 16, 2010)

u dont say how much power u need

ive heard mb quart discuss series are great for the money

[email protected] $90
MB Quart DSC 450

need more power, soundstream
[email protected] $175 ($130-150 ebay)
Soundstream RUB4.500 (rub4500) - 4 Channel Amplifier | Four Channel Amp - Sonic Electronix


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## bboudreau (Sep 7, 2008)

I probably need 50x4 or so. More is better. It will power 6.5 comp set and either singe 10" or 2 8" IB. Do those amps accept balanced inputs?


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

supersuk said:


> The JL Audio 300/4 can be found for around that price. It accepts balanced input and does 75 watts x 4.
> 
> I got mines for about $200.





> Description: Class A/B Four-Channel Full-Range Amplifier
> Patented Technology: Absolute Symmetry™ Class A/B Circuit (U.S. Patent #6,294,959)
> *Inputs: 2 pair of inputs*
> On-board Crossover: Fully-variable (50 Hz - 5 kHz), selectable-slope / mode (12 or 24 dB / octave, LP or HP) for each pair of channels
> ...


I believe they are just rcas for the fr 2 an rr 2 channels


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## Cruzer (Jul 16, 2010)

oh sorry didnt pay any attention, no idea =/


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## supersuk (Apr 17, 2010)

hmmm, thought I read somewhere that the JL amps accept balanced inputs... I guess I dreamt it up. I'm sorry for the misinformation.


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## TREETOP (Feb 11, 2009)

supersuk said:


> hmmm, thought I read somewhere that the JL amps accept balanced inputs... I guess I dreamt it up. I'm sorry for the misinformation.


They do. The Slash amps at least. You can just run your balanced outputs straight into their RCA inputs.
The 300/4 or 300/4v2 would be a great choice.


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## supersuk (Apr 17, 2010)

Haha, great! I knew I wasn't dreaming it up, but just second guessed myself. Yeah, I love my 300/4 V2. Nice amp that puts out good power and sounds pretty clean to me.


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## gt6334a (Sep 9, 2010)

I'm not sure if you would consider old school amps. The Adcom 4000 and 5000 series use balanced inputs...

I was looking at the 4304 myself and that is about within your budget...


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## bboudreau (Sep 7, 2008)

Thanks for the suggestions. I open to any amp old school new school what ever. Just want the best bang for buck. I'm probably gonna you the 6.5 Phoenix gold RSD comps. Unless you guys think there is something in the same range that better. I plan to run passive.


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## kvndoom (Nov 13, 2009)

You can't go wrong with the JL 300/4. Find one on Craig List... I see them for sale cheap all the time.


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## T-Ro (Aug 1, 2005)

I've been wondering about this automotive balanced wiring thing for a while now. Is "differential balanced" different than what is normally considered balanced in pro sound? Obviously it must be, but what is the difference and how do you interface between the two?

How is a balanced connection made to an RCA input? A standard Pro sound balanced cable has 3 conductors: Signal, Inverted Signal and Signal Ground.

With a 2 conductor "balanced" RCA connector (such as the JL Slash amps), how are the 3 balanced conductors attached?

I have a factory headunit (mazda3) with balanced outputs and from the pinout I've seen it only has 2 conductors per channel. How is this a balanced signal and how would I connect this to, for example, a 12V converted Behringer DCX2496 with 3-pin xlr inputs?


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

You can go balanced to RCA as long as you know what you are doing!

Edit: For your reading pleasure - http://www.rane.com/note110.html


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## T-Ro (Aug 1, 2005)

Yes... the Rane wiring diagram. I love that thing for building cables.

However, how can an RCA connector ever pass a balanced signal? The rane diagram shows how to connected a balanced output to an unbalanced input (RCA). Either skip the inverted signal or ground it and as such pass an unbalanced signal. But, these differential balanced inputs used in the car only have 2 conductors and are still balanced? How is that possible?

How does this "balanced" 2 conductor signal interface with a standard 3 conductor balanced signal?


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## capea4 (Sep 2, 2010)

ESX too much $$?
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/classifieds/90497-esx-quantum-q120-4-a.html


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## bboudreau (Sep 7, 2008)

The JL looks pretty decent. Is there anything else in my budget I should consider? I think read some MTX amps accept balanced inputs. Those adcom's are few and far between.


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## HK_M3 (Sep 12, 2009)

See if you can spring for a JL XD amp. It's an M5


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## bboudreau (Sep 7, 2008)

XD series is way out of my price range. What other amps beside JL take balanced inputs? I know zapco. But what else???


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## supersuk (Apr 17, 2010)

Isn't the XD a lower line then the slash? Its just made to be smaller.


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## bboudreau (Sep 7, 2008)

Your right I'm confusing XD with the HD line.


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

T-Ro,

Even though it can be connected, the whole premise of balanced is defeated at the input.


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## azngotskills (Feb 24, 2006)

Coustic DR, Zapco, and Adcom....now budget amp, dont know what you mean


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## niko084 (Dec 16, 2009)

If you want a cheap but decent amp the PPI Sedona series does have balanced differential inputs. I am personally going to be using one in my E46 BMW using the differential outputs of my factory source and out to my DLS components and CDT subs, I also have a 32 band eq in there mainly because I found my source has a built in bias for mid-bass, eq perfected the system.



cajunner said:


> the common ground, or earth, of the car might be your third path...


Very close, on differential outputs one side of the shield is attached to ground, at either the source or the amp.


Mobile amplifiers are not balanced connections, they accept "differential connections" *well some do*

I'm uncertain on your BMW, my E46 '02 330 with the HK system has differential connections from the head unit, cables still suck.
You take the 2 signal wires, +v to pin and -v to ring, then ground the shield at one side *either source or amp* look into this as there are various reasons to do one or the other.

I do plan on replacing my signal wires going to my headunit with a decent microphone cable, as they are designed for differential in high noise situations, offering greater noise shielding.


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## Frijoles24 (Apr 19, 2010)

hmm trying to figure out this balanced out, and an amp that has balanced in. 

from what i see, all these "balanced in amps", has an DIN input for 'balanced in.' but that DIN connects to an external unit (?) (which accepts the balanced input and brings it into the amp)?

Would that be similar to how eclipse 37601 balanced line adapter is used?

my understanding of the balanced out from eclipse 8053 to bla 37601, is that the balanced signal is clean until it reaches the bla and becomes unbalanced. however, since the bla is close to the amp, the area of picking up noise through rca is reduced than if i were run the rcas throughout the car.

am i close?


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