# Cadence TXA-750d and 1500w amp wiring kit review - BUYER BEWARE!!!



## Knobby Digital (Aug 17, 2008)

First off, I know you get what you pay for. But anyone considering buying one of these should know exactly what they're getting, and I'm personally not aware of any retailers who carry these amps (excuse my ignorance). I decided try one out since it was only $99 and I could probably turn around and sell it for $50 if it wasn't up to par. I figured $50 wasn't a bad gamble, and I do love a bargain. Not only that, but I'd read all over the internet about Cadence's incredible customer service.


I actually liked the look of the amp, but the plastic chrome plating on the logo was poorly done and the LED's were misaligned. Also I couldn't get the red clipping LED to come on no matter what I did, and I can guarantee I was giving it more than 170mv. As for the sound, I have no way of testing the actual output, but comparing the amp @ 1-ohm (supposedly 600w @ 13.8v) to a MTX-TC3001 @ 4-ohm (birth sheet showing 150w @ 14.4v) it sounded less full and round. The sub sounded less flat and kind of 'peaky' like the amp would give a shot of power for and then fall off. By the way, the MTX can also be had for $99 and is tiny, so this is a beyond fair comparison.

With amp wiring kit, I was basically expecting something like a budget kit from Circuit City and the like, but it was of even lower quality. The speaker wire is 18g or less, which is insufficient for 1500w over any considerable length and thus unusable. The RCA's looked cheap with red and black stickers wrapped around the ends that would peel off in any car not kept in an air-conditioned garage. While installing, one connector pulled off while tugging with only light pressure. I re-soldered the connection (the existing solder was dull and nearly non-existent), hooked them up, and still no signal. Since they were run to a mono amp that means that even the cable that didn't break was dead also. The power/ground cables and fuse holder were fine.

As for the customer service, it started out great. I emailed rep Jacob Lock about the RCA's and I got an immediate response. However they'd already been replaced, so I didn't need a new set. I decided to upgrade my wiring, and he offered a 3000w kit, to which I offered to pay the difference over the cost replacing my busted RCA's, but they were out of stock, so he offered a coupon for a future purchase.

Now, initially I held my criticism of the amp, and during this time I'd decided to not run the amp in my system, so I asked for a refund. I let him know that I didn't read the return policy before buying, so I understand if I'm not entitled to one. I was expecting at the very least a no answer, or the suggestion that perhaps I had a defective unit, but nothing. No contact. The other day I emailed him saying that I expect some kind of response, and still no reply.

YMMV...


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## BLACKonBLACK98 (Apr 5, 2008)

not so encouraging. this is the second report of the txa series amps being weak i've heard in the last couple days. :crosses fingers:


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## snaimpally (Mar 5, 2008)

PM JasonPaul. I've dealt with him and not had any problems.


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## matt62485 (Jun 7, 2008)

eh i got 2 txa600.4s and no problem here


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## J0ne (Aug 7, 2007)

icehole said:


> The sub sounded less flat and kind of 'peaky' like the amp would give a shot of power for and then fall off.


This is interesting. I am about to install my second TXA 750 next week and will be gaining/tuning the first on Sunday. I can report back then.


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## Knobby Digital (Aug 17, 2008)

matt62485 said:


> eh i got 2 txa600.4s and no problem here


I remember reading a thread about a TXA-6004 where someone said something to the effect of "I've never tested it, but nothing leads me to believe it's doing less than rated power". I'll try to find it this evening.


Take a look at the second post in this thread

http://www.cadencestore.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=377&forum_id=2

"Also I couldnt get over 330rms x2 @4ohms when testing with an ammeter and dmm at subwoofer frequencies"


Also, from the hot deals section

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43044

"This amp has been benched and the number are very good. "
-Then why not post the numbers?

"Both numbers a little shy of what they can put out at 14.4v."
-But their numbers are @ 13.8, and supposedly the amps are regulated at 13.8.


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## matt62485 (Jun 7, 2008)

icehole said:


> I remember reading a thread about a TXA-6004 where someone said something to the effect of "I've never tested it, but nothing leads me to believe it's doing less than rated power". I'll try to find it this evening.
> 
> 
> Take a look at the second post in this thread
> ...



hey man, i feel ya, but until mine dont do their job, im holding onto em


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## ccrobbins (Aug 19, 2006)

Did you pm Jason? Betcha he will take care of you.


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## lyttleviet (Sep 11, 2008)

Man this isn't the first time I've seen this >.<


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## ccrobbins (Aug 19, 2006)

Seen what?


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## Knobby Digital (Aug 17, 2008)

matt62485 said:


> hey man, i feel ya, but until mine dont do their job, im holding onto em


If they're working for you and you're satisfied, then great.

I never said it didn't make noise, but based on experience, you can do better for the price in terms of SQ and size. The amp looks worse in person than in photos, too.

Also, the winning customer service you may have read about may not be realized. At least it wasn't in my case.




ccrobbins said:


> Did you pm Jason? Betcha he will take care of you.


If Jason is on this forum, then I'm sure he's already read this. It's not my responsibility to track him down.

Magically, I got a response the day after I posted this thread from another rep named Jason:

"Jake forwarded me your message since he went out of town for the next week. We can not return the amp you ordered since it was installed. The auctions are finished on ebay so you can resell it if you wish to.."

-Thanks, Jake.

Honestly, I wouldn't have expected a more than $50 net refund, since shipping that huge POS 2-ways would have been about $50 alone. But I do think I was owed something for those defective RCAs.

I just had to put these fools on blast, because I'm sure they know their power ratings are bogus. Anyone notice the "ihf-202 rated" on the box? 

High Performance Audio Power Amplifiers: For Music Performance and ... - Google Books Result

That means that their RMS rating is a burst rating, and to my ear 150 cea rated watts sounds better than 600 ihf-202 rated watts since it's actually continuous power that delivers flat response.


So, if anyone wants to buy this from me...


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## matt62485 (Jun 7, 2008)

hey to each their own, but jason helped me out bc i got one of the crap amps with the short heatsink off ebay... jason hooked me up with a deal. mine look perfectly fine, exactly like they did in pictures. as far as SQ is concerned, they sound no different then any other amp ive owned, jl, eD, alpine, etc. goodluck with getting it straight


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## snaimpally (Mar 5, 2008)

icehole said:


> If If Jason is on this forum, then I'm sure he's already read this. It's not my responsibility to track him down.


His id is JasonPaul. He is not psychic or telepathic. And yes, it is your responsibility to track him down. How hard can it be anyway to track him down? He has posted several Cadence deals on the Hot Deals section. Whining about your problem won't get it fixed. PM him and he will help you as best he can. I have had good dealings with him and Cadence in general.


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## Knobby Digital (Aug 17, 2008)

First off, I don't expect the man to be psychic or telepathic. If you were/are the representative of a car audio company that relies on the internet and diy community for business, wouldn't you check the review section of a car audio forum that you frequent?

Secondly, no. It's not my responsibility to track Jason down. I've emailed the rep I had dealings with. I shouldn't have to go over his head to get a timely response. Not only that, but according to the posts above, by now I've already gotten a response.

Thirdly, if you call a product and customer service review that you don't agree with whining, then I don't know what to say to you. It's not a personal attack on anybody, especially you. This is an honest review of my experience and a comparison to a product at a similar price point, one that someone may be able to listen to at a local electronics store, and one that they may not. It's great that you and others have had positive experiences.

Beyond that, I don't see any Cadence gear in your sig. I also have a DD S4. Did it come with a birth sheet? -No. Is it CEA rated? -No. Does it sound at least comparable to an amp with a similar power rating? -Yes. Which doesn't lead me to be skeptical about its actual output. Such was not the case with the Cadence amp.


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## Knobby Digital (Aug 17, 2008)

Bump to add this info from another thread on the board.



RYNOMOTO said:


> by the way, just to inform those who don't know...
> 
> there is a reason why Torroid coils should always be glued at some point..... they vibrate and move around when not glued, and this will eventually wear away the enamel insulation and cause the wires to touch together and cause noise... also, just having the wires arranged-wound wrong on a torroid coil can be the main reason for noisy music output.....
> 
> ...


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