# OLD SChool set up PPI A600 art series and jl 12w3-d4 (pics)



## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

HEllo guys my first post here....great forum......Im going to put a little bump in the trunk of my B5 passat.....I had a couple of questions.....I just picked up an old school PPI A600 art series (Black) in mint shape....if I told you how much I paid (you guys would probably passout) 









I plan on hooking it up to my (2) JL audio 12W3-D4.......Id like to do it right....the box was built to JL audios specs, Im not to sure If I had the speakers wired right inside for this application so I figure Id check with you guys. 

Also some info on wiring that PPI a600 would be great as well.....Im not exactly sure of all the specs on this stuff so If somone could chime in with info I could save that would be wicked Pissah heres a pic of my subs in my trunk with another old school amp California A600XL.....man I love that amp too....well thanks in advance for any help


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## starboy869 (Dec 16, 2006)

PPI A600 & .2 versions

150w rms x 2 @ 4 ohms
300w rms x 2 @ 2 ohms
600w rms x 1 @ 4 ohms

all at 12v


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

Thanks for the info.....one more question.....How would you hook up the above woofers with that Amp.....sorry for being such a newb......Just wanted to do it right....I was in high school when this amp came out in 1992.....god I feel old LOL


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## WRX/Z28 (Feb 21, 2008)

Simple. Wire each sub in parallel. + to + and - to -. Then wire the two subs together in series. + to - from one sub to the other. Then hook the remaining terminals + and - to the box/amp. Let me know if that makes sense. Remember that the Art series does not have a low pass crossover, so you'll need one for your subs if you don't already have it. Should be a good match up though.


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## Hispls (Mar 12, 2008)

Pretty amp, and nice!

Do either each coil in series, then parallel the pair of subs. (They are dual 4 ohm right?). 

Or you can do each sub with coils wired in parallel and run the amp stereo, one side per woofer. The amp won't know the difference, though the TS parameters of the woofers may vary slightly between series and parallel.


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## jonnyanalog (Nov 14, 2007)

I love the black arts... i really miss my a404...


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## WRX/Z28 (Feb 21, 2008)

I might have one i'd give up for the right $.


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

WRX/Z28----- I think I got what your saying.... 
Hispls------ thanks for the complements
jonnyanalog----- I liked all the art series but black was my favorite and seemed less common.....

Im thinking this should sound pretty good......OH ya Believe it or not I bought that amp at a Pawn shop for $20. and yes it works LOL....I walked in with intention of buying an amp and seen this GEM sitting in a corner.....man that guy had no idea what he had


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

Thanks for the input guys....WRX thanks for laying that out for me.....I think I understand now Yes they are dual 4ohm... I like all the art series amps, but black was my favorite......Now I think I will get you guys worked up.....I went to a pawn shop looking for an amp.....and this GEM was sitting in a corner....yup $20 later it was mine and yes it works LOL I dont think he knew what he had..........


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

Please dont laugh at my crude diagram LOL....so what your saying should look like this?


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## WRX/Z28 (Feb 21, 2008)

Nope. I don't know what that is, but the amp won't like it i'm sure.  

Check out "2 DVC drivers with Voice Coils in Series / Parallel"

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/support_pages.php?page_id=161

BTW, Hate you on that amp. I got half as good a deal. I got a PPI 2150m, old schooler for $20 on ebay, went and picked it up from some trading post place in north jersey on my way to work.


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

Alright Now I understand the speaker wiring part , now when the wires go to the amp, one goes Left channel + And Right channel - (bridged)....If thats a yes then Im mint LOL......NOw the hard part is when I get to the Crossover......dont know jack squat about that LOL...dont know what kind or how to hook up blah blah blah..The more simple the better.....Oh ya thanks a alot for helping me out this is greatly appreciated


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

Im thinking the F-MODS crossovers would be simple?
http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Prod...&i=069900063&search=low+pass+crossover&tp=117


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## WRX/Z28 (Feb 21, 2008)

You should be able to bridge the amp this way. What deck are you using? Some have a built in low pass on the subwoofer out.


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## WRX/Z28 (Feb 21, 2008)

F-mods work like poop. Find someone with an audiocontrol piece, or use a deck with the crossover in it already. One of your 8000 should have one.


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

Im using my factory Monsoon deck (passat)...with a line out converter....I didnt want to swap my factory deck out because I have a Phatnoise music system....with about 1800 songs on it.... but if a had to I guess I could pick up a new deck LOL


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## Infinity (Jun 28, 2005)

No secret I like those subs.


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

..............


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## vetvetter (Dec 10, 2007)

All I am going to say is please for the love of old school semi clean arts, please do not just throw that thing in the middle of your trunk like that profile amp is. At least mount it on the top of the box so it doesn't get a scratched up or anything. Last thing I want to see is that thing on ebay with a 2 inch gouge in what was once a semi clean black art. All my PPI's go in nice amp racks usually with plexi over them so they stay minty....


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

vetvetter said:


> All I am going to say is please for the love of old school semi clean arts, please do not just throw that thing in the middle of your trunk like that profile amp is. At least mount it on the top of the box so it doesn't get a scratched up or anything.


....LOL that profile amp isnt just thrown in the middle of the trunk ....underneath is actually a custom piece of wood I cut to fit over the spare tire well. with all the holes pre drilled for my wiring... its then bolted to the car itself, then the amp is bolted down to that...with the carpet in between 

Ive never mounted an amp to a box for two reasons, #1 I think the Vibration over time would be harmful. #2 if somone gets in my trunk they can take it all one shot, my way they have a little work ahead of them.......

Dont worry I understand the importance of these amps....Im 31, these were the amps of my youth....and I appreciate the way they were built.....Oh just for the record when I do put alot of stuff in my trunk, I have a little preforated gray fiberglass "HOOD" that goes over my amps....but I rarley have stuff in it, its usually like in the pic....so you wont see my amp on ebay with a big gouge in it.....even though I only paid $20 bucks for the Black Art....Ill keep it mint........Thanks for the input


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## vetvetter (Dec 10, 2007)

redsoxvw said:


> ....LOL that profile amp isnt just thrown in the middle of the trunk ....underneath is actually a custom piece of wood I cut to fit over the spare tire well. with all the holes pre drilled for my wiring... its then bolted to the car itself, then the amp is bolted down to that...with the carpet in between
> 
> Ive never mounted an amp to a box for two reasons, #1 I think the Vibration over time would be harmful. #2 if somone gets in my trunk they can take it all one shot, my way they have a little work ahead of them.......
> 
> Dont worry I understand the importance of these amps....Im 31, these were the amps of my youth....and I appreciate the way they were built.....Oh just for the record when I do put alot of stuff in my trunk, I have a little preforated gray fiberglass "HOOD" that goes over my amps....but I rarley have stuff in it, its usually like in the pic....so you wont see my amp on ebay with a big gouge in it.....even though I only paid $20 bucks for the Black Art....Ill keep it mint........Thanks for the input


I didn't think it was just there in the middle of the trunk sitting. Just where you have it makes it easy to scratch up. You stole that if you paid $20!!! I get a little protective of any arts I see out there. I own more then my fair share of them. Most of them NIB, mint, or very close to mint. Glad to hear you take care of your stuff. Build yourself a nice little amp rack to enclose it. Good luck on your install!


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## WRX/Z28 (Feb 21, 2008)

Highly agreed with the reason not to mount to the box. 3 biggest killers of amps: Vibration, Heat, Undervoltage.


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

I understand getting protective over these relics....alot of people dont understand how good these are....( Im sure thats why I got this for $20)....thanks for the input.....Oh ya WRX thanks for taking the time to go over that wiring with me.....I appreciate the help....now that I understand that part I have to do some research on the whole crossover thing....


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## lust4sound (Apr 9, 2008)

redsoxvw said:


> HEllo guys my first post here....great forum......Im going to put a little bump in the trunk of my B5 passat.....I had a couple of questions.....I just picked up an old school PPI A600 art series (Black) in mint shape....if I told you how much I paid (you guys would probably passout)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Dejavu!! If the box is sealed then I just had that exact setup (temporarily) in my Jeep (sold the JL's) Actually, I experimented with different enclosures, both sealed and bandpass. The sealed enclosure I had was too small, the subs didn't hit that nicely. Sounded a bit sloppy at higher volumes. I put them in a bandpass box then it took off. 

Also, it sounded best bridged. I wired the subs series to parallel ( I think thats what it's called). Step each of the 2 subs up to 8 ohms (positive of 1 voice coil to the negative of the other, then wire both together as a single sub back down to 4 ohms (positive of 1 sub to positive of the other and same with negatives) Run the amp bridged and hold on to your wig!! 

If your box is built to JL's specs then it should sound quite nice. Does you HU have an XO built in or are you running an active XO? You'll definitely need it. I had it crossed over at between 80 and 125 HZ. Pioneer HU has built in XO, 60 80 125 for low pass. I would Jog between 80 and 125 HZ depending on the music I was listening to. 

Good luck!!

The sound was big, had weight, tight and ballsy, pretty well detailed


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## lust4sound (Apr 9, 2008)

WRX/Z28 said:


> Simple. Wire each sub in parallel. + to + and - to -. Then wire the two subs together in series. + to - from one sub to the other. Then hook the remaining terminals + and - to the box/amp. Let me know if that makes sense. Remember that the Art series does not have a low pass crossover, so you'll need one for your subs if you don't already have it. Should be a good match up though.


Oh snap!! I just told him to step each sub up to 8 ohms by wiring the voice coils on each sub in series, then wire both subs together in parallel to drop them both down to a single 4 ohm load.. Does it make a difference? I hope not, this is how I've been doing it for years.


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## lust4sound (Apr 9, 2008)

redsoxvw said:


> Thanks for the input guys....WRX thanks for laying that out for me.....I think I understand now Yes they are dual 4ohm... I like all the art series amps, but black was my favorite......Now I think I will get you guys worked up.....I went to a pawn shop looking for an amp.....and this GEM was sitting in a corner....yup $20 later it was mine and yes it works LOL I dont think he knew what he had..........



SCORE!! Last month, I grabbed a mint, I'm talking mint A404.2 for $60! (now a part of my personal collection) Pawn shops rock!! 
Check this one out. A friend had a perfect JBL BPX 2200.1. One of my Ebay auctions ended with a customer not winning. The losing Ebayer emailed me, asking if I had any other amps for sale. I told him about the JBL, he was interested. Sent him pics, he sent money, I put $300 in my pocket without ever coming out of pocket.. I love it when a plan comes together!!

One thing I pride myself on is making sure that the items I sell are in perfect condition or I will not list them..

BTW, PPI amps are awesome. I have a bunch of the old school PPI amps in Art series, Promos, and M series. Tomorrow, I am picking up another A404.2, the Par 225 EQ, the Mos 4050 AND a Promos 2050, all in mint condition, all for $400.. I'm always finding deals, it's what I do.. 

I plan on using 2 or 3 of the PPI art series amps for my front stage. I am going to do a 3 way active up front, my choices are between 2) A404.2's and 2) A600.2's I would like to keep them down to a minumum (current draw, space limitations etc) so I'm hoping just 2 will get me where I need to go.. 

Just sold a few Art series A600's A404's A200 A100, a Promos 450, 4200 am, and a few others, thinking about selling my other Promos, and 2) 2150 Ms that I have.. 

Anyone have any A1200.2's? Need a pair. Have cash will deal!!


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

Lust4sound.....what size was your bandpass???? Id like to pick one up or have it built....so I can pick what ever one fits my taste...also as far as a crossover...I dont have anything yet....I have a Stock HU(passat)...with line out converter to run RCA back to amp. Only reason is I have a phatnoise music box ( like a music keg)...its all intergrated with my stock HU....but I think im going to change that...and sell the phatnoise


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## lust4sound (Apr 9, 2008)

redsoxvw said:


> Lust4sound.....what size was your bandpass???? Id like to pick one up or have it built....so I can pick what ever one fits my taste...also as far as a crossover...I dont have anything yet....I have a Stock HU(passat)...with line out converter to run RCA back to amp. Only reason is I have a phatnoise music box ( like a music keg)...its all intergrated with my stock HU....but I think im going to change that...and sell the phatnoise


I will take measurements on the bandpass. I D K anything about it, it's a generic bandpass of some nondescript nature. Sounded great with the subs though.. I'll let you know.


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## WRX/Z28 (Feb 21, 2008)

Lust4Sound, I PM'd you and emailed you multiple times since last night. Can you please reply to them?


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## CHH777 (Apr 20, 2006)

Nice, nice amp and what damn pawn shop do *you* go to?!?

Don't mean to threadjack but I have a black a404 and I'm looking for a MINT a white a404.2.

Personally, I think PPI Art Series are some of the best SQ amps out there, period (esp. considering price). You my friend may have just landed the sweetest amp deal I have ever heard of.


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

redsoxvw said:


> .....even though I only paid $20 bucks for the Black Art.


DAMN....you got that for $20? 

Was it one of those 3 AM auctions? I would have jumped on that if I had seen it.


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

CHH777 said:


> You my friend may have just landed the sweetest amp deal I have ever heard of.


Well not as good as THIS amp for $8. But close. 

http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa89/GlasSman702/Amps/?action=view&current=DSC02567.jpg


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

Nope no auction....( I would hate to see the battle between you guys for an auction LOL)....just a local pawn shop, the owner didnt know what he had i guess LOL Thanks for the compliments on the amp....cant wait to get everything installed and wired up correctly


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## starboy869 (Dec 16, 2006)

The cheapest amp My local pawn shop has an old POS Coustic (before the onboard protection) for $100. The thing is in sad shape also.


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

WEll guys due to a financial situation I have to get rid of my old school setup.....any one intrested shoot me a pm....Im sure anyone looking knows what im selling.....I will be posting in the for sale section for a couple of days, then ebay it goes....Id rather see somone who appreciates it get it.catch ya later


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## A8AWD (Mar 6, 2008)

YGPM.


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## WRX/Z28 (Feb 21, 2008)

Yeah, I sent a pm a lil bit ago too...


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

WRX you were the first PM.....sent you a reply....


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## WRX/Z28 (Feb 21, 2008)

PM'd yah redsoxvw


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## WRX/Z28 (Feb 21, 2008)

Ok, so everyone ready for this? This is the amp I got. 









Note the cardboard that was sandwiched between the back plate and the output devices. Yes that's a cardboard box! Also note the mismatched output devices and the ceramic resistor's where standards should be. 




























Note the screws that held the back plate on, and the additional pieces to keep the resistors from shorting to the backplate. 










I've been scammed. The seller stated the amp was 100% operational. It looks like it's been through a war, and if it works, which I doubt, it won't for long. I've asked him for a refund, minus the shipping, and i'd return the amp, or at least a partial refund to cover partial repairs. He refuses, stating the amp worked when it left, and he never opened it. I paid $200 willingly for an amp he paid $20 for, with the understanding that it was said to be "100%". It's obviously very very damaged. I want everyone to be aware that this is how redsoxvw does business.


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## WRX/Z28 (Feb 21, 2008)

I also want to add that I gave him every opportunity to make this situation right before I posted this.


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

as I stated in the other post where I was refered to as a scamnmer.........
Before I start getting trashed, Let me also state that Im a newbie on here and didnt know all that much about car audio, I came here looking for info and found it with the help of this site. I ran into financial trouble and had to sell, my $20 pawn shop PPI amp....I made this sale to somone who is very knowlegable in this field, I gave as much info as I could. I dont know squat about amps, Ive never opened this amp up as I didnt need to, because it works. Now if the insides arnet what you wanted or expected why wasnt I asked to take you some pics of this stuff before the purchase if it was such a concern. I would have opened it up for you, to take pics. The item was also in your hands for a week before I was questioned about it? then I was shown pics of the amp I sold opened up......not sure about anyone else, but Im not cool with electronic equipment being opened up and then sent back.....Im not saying you did something to it but you could have, I wouldnt know. Just for the record Ive also stated that I would honor what ever paypal desides....If i was a "scammer" I wouldnt be defending myself either.....So if a newbie with a working amp is a scammer because he didnt know what was inside. Then I guess thats me.....


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## WRX/Z28 (Feb 21, 2008)

So I got beat. Paypal says that as long as something was shipped, that they're not responsible. They won't do anything about it. I guess I can kiss my $200 goodbye and use this thing to hold my door open. Either that or i'll mount it to my wall as a reminder that I have to be extra cautious with sellers and purchases. This is what the REDSOXVW wrote in our dispute. 

"I made this sale not knowing much about car audio amplifiers. I supplyed all information to the best of my ability. After the item was sold, the buyer waited one week after he recieved the item to notify me he didnt want the item and wanted a refund. because the insides of the amplifier were not up to his standard, as he stated in his email (which is saved)he never hooked it up to see if it worked, he just took the covers off to see inside and didnt like what he saw. Buyer was also informed the item did come from a pawn shop. The only other thing I can add Is it was working when it was shipped, and would work If he bothered to hook it up. Now after admitting he opened up an electronic device a week after he recieved it, he wants a refund? How do I know the insides were not switched as buyer has been involved with car audio equipment for 15 years. I wouldnt know the diffrence, I gave the best decription of the item I could.....If the insides were such a concern, why wouldnt some one with 15 years expeience request that info if it was so important. I sold a working item, and dont feel I should refund somone who has taken the covers off of an electronics item and admitted it."

So enjoy my $200 REDSOXVW, I hope whatever you buy with my money fails on you. Karma dictates that it should...


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## redsoxvw (Apr 10, 2008)

WRX check your paypal.....you also have a PM.


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## jjbeenken (Feb 12, 2010)

Climbing around in my attic last nite looking for some audio cables. I found my old 1992 PPI A404 white art series. This thing is spotless. I thought I had sold it but apparently only sold one of the 2. Also found an amptech alternator and a bunch of 2 gauge wire (gonna reuse that in this next install.)Selling the A 404 if anyone is interested. I'll try to post some pics later.


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