# new rockford PBR 4 channels



## JAX (Jun 2, 2006)

not sure how they can sell them for this but I am thinking about snatching 2 of them

ROCKFORD FOSGATE PBR300X4 300W COMPACT 4 CHAN AMPLIFIER - eBay (item 300578956042 end time Aug-17-11 07:12:23 PDT)


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## ReloadedSS (Aug 26, 2008)

Holy smokes. Even less than Amazon, which I thought was darn low. 

Is there something about these things that make them so inexpensive? 

Because I'm not seeing a downside here: inexpensive, small, efficient, make at least rated power...do they possess your car or something? This price is nearly half list...

I was getting out of the hobby, but this is exactly the kind of thing that would draw me back in...

(scratches hands from addiction)


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## JAX (Jun 2, 2006)

ReloadedSS said:


> Holy smokes. Even less than Amazon, which I thought was darn low.
> 
> Is there something about these things that make them so inexpensive?
> 
> ...


exactly what I asked in the fs thread for the one on here. cant understand why so cheap unless this new tech with no toroids and such makes these things that cheap to make.

if you look at all the other rf lines they are listed way more msrp than these little suckers.

only drawback I have seen is the 4ohm stable only but that is most likely all I need.

and these would make great stealth installs as they go anywhere.

my only issue is nobody has reviewed them


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## nismos14 (Jun 22, 2007)

Bought a 4 ch and a mono, once I get moved in and get my bench setup, I will test them out.


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## ReloadedSS (Aug 26, 2008)

Hmmm...I don't know why the price is so much lower at list, not to mention online. As it's a "punch" line amp, it's not their entry level "prime" but priced in line as such.

And if it's truly "new" technology, at least to RF, why is it priced less? I'd think the R&D costs would offset savings in material. Although...it is far less raw material being used. 

Quite interesting, this one.


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## JAX (Jun 2, 2006)

I caved and bought a 4 channel. I may sell it local, send it to someone to review or keep it in box till car is ready to install. 

If someone would review them installed in car I would get another but so far everyone has said they installed in motor cycle


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## ryan s (Dec 19, 2006)

If you look at Sonix's big pics, you can see the casting marks left on the ends. They probably figured these would be hidden anyway and they don't need a ton of sink area so RF probably skimped a little there. But that makes em cheaper, which is cool, because they'll be under seats, in glove boxes, inside center consoles, etc...


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## RedMed427 (Feb 9, 2007)

Man those are seriously small! I'm impressed. Anyone have a review yet? Although by the specs the distortion seems a bit high @0.5%. Are these bridgeable?


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## nismos14 (Jun 22, 2007)

Not bridgeable.


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## JAX (Jun 2, 2006)

RedMed427 said:


> Man those are seriously small! I'm impressed. Anyone have a review yet? Although by the specs the distortion seems a bit high @0.5%. Are these bridgeable?



0.5% is high? isnt that about normal for RF or even good? 

yeah they have some negatives but look how small they are.


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

Crazy small for the price, wow. Having to use the molex plugs for everything seems like kind of a chore, but I understand why they went that direction for packaging constraints.


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## SoulFly (Mar 15, 2011)

i've been reading about them since the beginning of the year. took em a long time to come out with the 4 chan for some reason, i wonder if they were working out some kind of issues and what other of such "issues" may arise from this.
from my understanding it seems the hardware is being pushed pretty hard. something about riding on the edge of clipping at all times, i dont remember how it was put exactly.
The size is great though, and Arc has a line of similar size i believe, i wonder if their doing it the same way or not. 

But so cheap, so small, so new....common sense tells me somethings wrong, so i'll wait it out.


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## RedMed427 (Feb 9, 2007)

JAX said:


> 0.5% is high? isnt that about normal for RF or even good?
> 
> yeah they have some negatives but look how small they are.


Seriously theyre friggin cute! lol


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## nismos14 (Jun 22, 2007)

These will probably be permanent fixtures on my test bench, but incredible size for the amount of output they are rated for.


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## ryan s (Dec 19, 2006)

SoulFly said:


> i've been reading about them since the beginning of the year. took em a long time to come out with the 4 chan for some reason, i wonder if they were working out some kind of issues and what other of such "issues" may arise from this.
> from my understanding it seems the hardware is being pushed pretty hard. something about riding on the edge of clipping at all times, i dont remember how it was put exactly.
> The size is great though, and Arc has a line of similar size i believe, i wonder if their doing it the same way or not.
> 
> But so cheap, so small, so new....common sense tells me somethings wrong, so i'll wait it out.


I linked to a YouTube video in the other thread (in the Myths section) and the engineer had it hooked up to a scope. It's true it is riding on the edge of clipping, though that's how it's efficient. Imagine if your LCD would dim automatically on bright pages and go brighter on dark pages at night for comfortable viewing...the amps don't waste a ton of energy being either on or off. They're like...kind of on, mostly on, mostly off, all the way on, etc while playing music.

I really want to see the insides up close since there's a couple questions left unanswered...


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## JAX (Jun 2, 2006)

I noticed in the video the big ass caps laying down inside the amp...but you dont get much of a close up in it.

just wonder how well they would hold up.

wonder how many hours they ran them to see


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## DAT (Oct 8, 2006)

You get what you pay for ..... I have a few of these sitting around and was not impressed at all with them. 

I guess we will see a **** ton of these for sale of the classifieds soon.


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## nismos14 (Jun 22, 2007)

DAT said:


> You get what you pay for ..... I have a few of these sitting around and was not impressed at all with them.
> 
> I guess we will see a **** ton of these for sale of the classifieds soon.


I wasn't very impressed with the NX5, but I don't go around bashing it


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## DAT (Oct 8, 2006)

nismos14 said:


> I wasn't very impressed with the NX5, but I don't go around bashing it


Oh I'm not bashing it at all. I'm always honest 

Basically I was just saying you get what you pay for. I sell them also and I get returns on them all the time. Ever since RF skimped on quality parts to save a few $$$ you get lower quality stuff.

Massive is good amps, they work for some and not for others. Same thing can be said for other amps and speakers.

It just seems quite a few guys buy and then resale amps on a regular basis that don't pan out because they bought the bottom of the barrel stuff.


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## JAX (Jun 2, 2006)

DAT said:


> You get what you pay for ..... I have a few of these sitting around and was not impressed at all with them.
> 
> I guess we will see a **** ton of these for sale of the classifieds soon.


Retail was $269. They hit the bay for $200 and just under. I paid less than that .

Not exactly knowing what all was not needed with this design it's hard for anyone to just say things like that because you don't know what reduced the cost. 

Less parts are in it. So why should it cost as much as regular a/b or d-h topology amp? 

I think these have a sole purpose and sq is not it. It's for those who absolutely have no space or absolutely want total stealth or for other aps that don't have room like bikes 


I just think it's early to call them junk when nobody has had them long enough nor have they tested them. 

Personally I will sell the 1 I picked up because I have decided to use another amp. 

For what I plan the other amp will work better. 

Honestly I haunt owned a nx5 but I don't know what's in it that makes massive say it a $600 amp 

Until these came put half people never heard of them. 


I can buy a clarion which is dang near identical to a Arc but the Arc will always cost more. 

Is the difference in the 2 worth it ? Are you really "getting what you paid for" if Its a Arc? 

No 

At the price I paid the rf is fine for quite a few. 

I have just changed my mind or shall I say made up my mind on my plan


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

DAT said:


> Massive is good amps, they work for some and not for others. Same thing can be said for other amps and speakers.


You just described the story of my life as it relates to car audio. Namely, if it works for someone else, chances are it will NOT work for me. Then when I sell off or give away the stuff that didn't work for me, everyone who receives my old gear is extremely happy with it. Go figure...


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## DAT (Oct 8, 2006)

JAX said:


> Retail was $269. They hit the bay for $200 and just under. I paid less than that .
> 
> Not exactly knowing what all was not needed with this design it's hard for anyone to just say things like that because you don't know what reduced the cost.
> 
> ...


Mike, 

Your always buying amps like me.... I truly believe you will never be happy with any amp you buy. 

Here it is... The RF amp is nice... just didn't want to get everyones hope up that it's a a great SQ amp, it's a good amp but don't expect the world with it. So many guys get caught up in the "BIG NAME" audio. I have seen some budget amps built like tanks do really well.

I mean JAX, you have had Xtant, AA, Soundstream, PPI, and many others, We all know if your not happy with those amps WTH would you be happy with these?? unless you wanna stuff these in small area's 

and your right the ARC's are high $$$, was told the Clarion amps you guys were buying were damn good, but was assured it didn't have high tolerance parts the ARCs do. 

Me? Hell yeah I would use the Clarion amps made like the ARC, only real ARc's I liked were the SE




ChrisB said:


> You just described the story of my life as it relates to car audio. Namely, if it works for someone else, chances are it will NOT work for me. Then when I sell off or give away the stuff that didn't work for me, everyone who receives my old gear is extremely happy with it. Go figure...


Too many bandwagon jumpers and always with speakers, Lord guys buy them and then sell after they use them or never get to use they just bought because it's the Forum BONER item .


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## WRX2010 (Jun 11, 2011)

the listing has ended already. these were bought damn quick.


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## JAX (Jun 2, 2006)

DAT said:


> Mike,
> 
> Your always buying amps like me.... I truly believe you will never be happy with any amp you buy.
> 
> ...




yes I have had way too many amps..so many that I cant recall all of them . Did I not like them ? 

as a matter of fact some of them I did and bought them more than once. My problem was not really the amp but the disease of wanting to see , touch , feel and hear them all....lol

its not that I couldnt have been happy with what I had, it was that I had to make up for all the years I didnt have access to them or whatever.

now I have had so many that I could never buy another but I would be able to say I am ok. I have had some nice stuff pass through my hands. 

no regrets. I have owned about 75% of the ones I wanted however brief.


Now about the RF. I got one just because the possibilities of location were endless. SQ never entered my head as I have never considered RF as SQ. 

these have a place for now until others come up with cheap ultra compact amps.

there are small amps all over but none this small. that is the strong point and thats about it.

but since I have the system in mind that I do I would not be able to use this without buying another 4 channel and a mono.

I dont want 3 amps. defeats my entire plan.

so look for mine in the fs section pronto unless I can cancel it.


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