Rockford Fosgate: Power T1000.4 Amplifier - PAGE 2



LISTENING

I installed the T1000.4 in my labs reference system, and as expected, the amplifier performed admirably. If you like your music on the loud side, but you still need low noise, low distortion, and great dynamics, the T1000.4 is sure to please. With the rear channels bridged into my 4 ohm woofer system, and the internal -24dB/Oct crossover set at about 80Hz low pass, I set the front channels to about 50Hz High Pass, and connected to my reference bookshelf speakers. A quick tweak of the gains balanced the system nicely, and a couple of dozen tracks later, it was easily apparent that the amplifier could easily generate all the oomph I could ask for and then some!

T1000-4_side_opt

The sound quality was excellent as well, with a clean, articulate, and detailed top end from the front channels, even when the other half of the amp was pounding out the bass notes on my woofer system. During my listening, I did note that the amplifiers heatsink got quite warm, which simply means it was doing it’s job, of dissipating the heat generated by all those devices. I also found that the onboard Punch EQ system is almost a throwback to the previously patented Punch EQ, which was at least partly responsible for building the brands legendary sound way back in the ‘80’s. What’s different about Punch EQ? Well, for starters, it’s not just a bass EQ. While the Punch EQ does provide up to +18dB of boost at 45Hz, it also provides a bump in response at about 14kHz, which can help to overcome road noise and improve the intelligibility of the top end as well. After doing some careful listening, I came away with a very favorable opinion of the sound of the amp, although it didn’t sound quite as flat as my reference amplifier. I was later to discover during my bench testing that there are deliberate “bumps” in the T1000.4’s sonic signature that Rockford Fosgate believe make it a better sounding product when installed in any vehicle. And I would not disagree, anyone who has taken a look at the frequency spectrum of road noise in a modern car would notice that some judiciously placed and properly applied EQ could easily result in superior sonics.

On the Bench

After the listening portion of the test was over, I moved the amplifier to the test bench to see just what kind of numbers I’d get out of it. I expected the T1000.4 to exceed its power specifications based on my listening experience, but I had no idea they were to be not merely exceeded, but annihilated them! Actual measured power tests showed the big four channel amplifier produces over 230 watts per channel into 4 ohms, and an astonishing 380 watts into 2 ohms! Maybe you’d expect with all this power crammed into a smallish chassis, that you’d have to give up some signal to noise performance, but that is not the case. In fact, the big four channel Power Series amp measured better than many two channel amps, at an excellent -92dBA referenced to 1 watt of output, or over -116dBA referenced to full power. Stereo separation also measured very good at better than -50dB.

THE CONCLUSION

As is usually the case with the majority of four channel Class AB amplifiers, the only spec that may leave you wanting a little is the efficiency, and the big Rockford four channel is no different, coming in at a bit over 65% at full 2 ohm power. But with this kind of power on tap, it’s kind of like driving a ‘60’s musclecar with a big block motor… gas mileage (or current demands) aren’t really foremost on your mind.

 

www.rockfordfosgate.com

« Prev 2/2 More

Related Articles

Project R32: Proper Exedy Racing Clutch Selection Project R32: Proper Exedy Racing Clutch Selection
One of the most important systems in your car, yet often overlooked is the clutch and flywheel system. These components are a vital part of any manual...
Getting Hyphy: Calvin Wan's 1993 Mazda RX-7 Getting Hyphy: Calvin Wan's 1993 Mazda RX-7
Written by Dave Pankew |Photos by Chris Manacop (Cipher Media Group) Ever noticed how a message can get totally lost in translation? Often it&...
BIG BALLIN' BIG BALLIN'
When Dan Quibell bought this full-size Denali in the summer of ‘04, and his original vision for it was not to transform it into the show-stopping,...
Rugrat: Sean Driscoll's 2004 Scion xB Rugrat: Sean Driscoll's 2004 Scion xB
Written by Dave Pankew | Photos by Edwin Villanueva  There isn’t much you can tell me about kids that I haven’t heard already....
Project R32: Adjustable Suspension Links Project R32: Adjustable Suspension Links
When ya wanna go fast, you have to look at every nut and bolt on your car. Because when you are piloting a chunk of steel and composites at unreal...
Serge Leger's Team ETC 2009 Cadillac CTS Serge Leger's Team ETC 2009 Cadillac CTS
Let’s face reality. The economy is headed into the toilet. For how long, no one knows but the fact is that all of these financial giants going under...