MTX or Polk ?

SamSagaZ

my country is amazing for the same amount of money i can buy an MTX T801D or an Polk C500.1

wich you will choice?

AustinKP

their quality will be similar. If the price is the same, pick the amp on power, looks, size, or whatever you deem to be the most important.

SamSagaZ

well in cardomain.com

MTX is $254.95
Polk is $399.95

but mtx is more powerful

MacLeod

That MTX is a tank! All MTX amps, especially the Thunder line are virtually indestructible. They make tons and tons of power, far exceeding their rated output and will last forever. They do tend to run a little warm tho but if you have proper cooling and space around the amp, that will be no problem.

I love Polk but there aint too much out there that Id take over MTX amps.

SamSagaZ

so the best choice is to buy the MTX.

the only problem is the cooling ill put the amps under the back seats

SamSagaZ

well, i have like the 70% of my system in my mind... the only stuff that i need to solve is the 4Channel Amps to biam the MMCs...


the Polk Audio MOMO Carbon C400.4 will sound better than any other amps? i mean using the Xover that come with the Amp with the mmcs?

or if buy for example the MTX Thunder564 ill get the same SQ?

neomagus00

if you can get them for the same price, i would choose the polk amp... it's made specifically to biamp momo speakers, whereas the mtx would probably require the use of the crossover on 1 channel.

SamSagaZ

ok.

exalted512

polk amps> mtx amps
ive never been a fan of the sound quality of MTX amps...
-Cody

SamSagaZ

Thanks Cody...

so i think that the best choice is use an MTX Thunder810D to move my Subwoofers and C400.4 to biamp my MMC6500

MacLeod

The only benefit to using the Polk amp is the crossover. But its meant to bi-amp the MM6 and is a little more power than the MMC6500 is rated for. The Polk puts out over 90 watts per channel!

The MTX is built more solid and would probably be more reliable. It will also make a ton of power.

As far as SQ goes, theyll both sound virtually the same. The MTX will likely have a little more headroom in power but other than that there will be no difference.

A watt is a watt. The only differences in amps are build quality, features and power.

SamSagaZ

i dont think that 1watt is an watt in both amps.... i mean, i tested a lot of home audio stuff for example, i tested an pioneer amp vs an yamaha amp, both with same features.. and the Yamaha sounds a lot better..... after that i sold me pionner amp and im unsing just the yamaha for my Home Theater

i think that the quality of Caps/and pasive items have influence in the THD and SQ......

btw, i think that for Subwoofers would be the same SQ the MTX or the Polk.. but the mtx will give me more power! so ill choice the MTX....

and in the 4 channels amps.. the polk amp have the xover and maybe will sound better than the MTX... i read some pages and i see that the polk have less THD.....

thanks guys.... i learn a lot with your comments

MacLeod

Dont pay attention to the THD too much. All that is a measure of is how hard the amp was being pushed to make that power.

For example an amp that makes 100 watts at 1% THD will still be as clean as an amp that makes 50 watts at .004% THD.

The latter simply means the amp was making 50 watts without being pushed very hard at all.

Also, home audio receivers have a lot of processors and EQ's that affect SQ so youre right that the Pioneer would sound different than the Yammie.

However, if you listen to one amp against another amp of equal power, with all EQ's and processors turned off, you wouldnt hear a difference.

There are differences between amp and a more powerful amp will sound better and different than a weaker one. An amp with better built power supplies will sound better due to more power. But no one amp will have "tighter bass" or "crisper highs" when compared to another.

exalted512

ive heard a mtx amp and a JL amp and the JL sounded much better. they were on **** midbasses.
you are right though, it is harder to hear differences in amps below 80 Hz. I couldnt hear a difference in my momos when i changed from class D to AB but i could hear a difference on a friends diamond m6s when he changed from a class d to ab.
the next amp im getting for my subs will be AB modified to do its rated power at 2 ohms...all 2400 watts of its rated power:D
-Cody

SamSagaZ

2440 watts??? damn


let me think.....


Amps*Vols = Watts

2400Watts / 12v = I
I = 200 AMPs?!?!?!!

damn you will need 3-4 Batteries?!?!? right?
you don need an capacitor with too much watts?

exalted512

yea, thats an underrated 2400 watts. itll probably be closer to 3000 watts, plus another 400 watts for the front components.

ill have an aftermarket alternator and 4 batteries, that should cut it
-Cody

SamSagaZ

is easy to change the alternator? i need to do it and change the battery of my car too......

i just have an 65amp battery and the original alternator....

exalted512

on my truck its like 3 bolts and a couple plugs. but on my friends focus he has to take half the engine apart to get to it...so it all depends
-Cody

MacLeod

Originally posted by exalted512
ive heard a mtx amp and a JL amp and the JL sounded much better. they were on **** midbasses.
you are right though, it is harder to hear differences in amps below 80 Hz. I couldnt hear a difference in my momos when i changed from class D to AB but i could hear a difference on a friends diamond m6s when he changed from a class d to ab.

Well you can hear a difference at any frequency if you switch to a more powerful amp. But tonally they will be the same.

I ran my old Alpine amps on my Polk 6x9s for over a year and when I switched to my Crossfire amps they sounded exactly like my Alpines. The differece was in more power. Things were more detailed and percussion especially was more detailed due to the Crossfires making much more power. But guitars sounded the same, vocals sounded the same and so on.

I personally prefer a Class D if youre going to be needing big power. It can do it with a much smaller footprint and less heat. Other than that there isnt much difference for subs.

Although, AB's are cheaper when compared to a D of the same power so I guess its a trade off.

exalted512

the JL amp was smaller...
-Cody

MacLeod

Right, thats why it sounded different. If it were putting out the same amount of power that the MTX was, you wouldnt have heard a difference!

Im not saying all amps sound the same, but rather assuming equal power and no EQ's or processors the sonic differences will not be audible.

denim

this is a tough one for me, for the most part I have seen and heard MTX's in SPL installs, adn the Polks in SQ and show installs,

if money is not that big of a deal I would step up for the polk, if power per dollar I vote MTX

SamSagaZ

ok, no more replyes to this thread

ill use MTX for the subwoofers and Polk for my components

exalted512

Originally posted by MacLeod
Right, thats why it sounded different. If it were putting out the same amount of power that the MTX was, you wouldnt have heard a difference!

Im not saying all amps sound the same, but rather assuming equal power and no EQ's or processors the sonic differences will not be audible.

so despite the amp being smaller with less head room, it still sounded better...not just different...better

assuming equal power and no eq or processors, thats great and all, but for those of us who live in the real world and actully have them there is a noticeable difference:D

its really simple, some amps sound better than others...even without help from external devices like EQs and processing equipment;)
-Cody

MacLeod

Originally posted by exalted512

assuming equal power and no eq or processors, thats great and all, but for those of us who live in the real world and actully have them there is a noticeable difference

Im talking about the EQ's and such that are part of the amps. Like the Polks Pre-EQ switch which affects the frequency response. Turn that off and it wont sound any different than a comparable amp that doesnt have that feature. Also amps have different bass boost and x-over settings.

its really simple, some amps sound better than others...even without help from external devices like EQs and processing equipment
-Cody

Right, some amps sound better than others. I have never said that all amps are the same. An MTX amp that makes tons and tons of power cleanly will sound much different than a Kraco amp busting a nut trying to make power.

And amps with EQ's and other sound processors like Xtants ARC control, will have an effect as well as they change the frequency response.

All I am saying is to buy an amp based on build quality, power output and for the features you want. But dont be sucked into this Brand X amps are too bright or Brand Y amps have tighter bass cause they dont. An MTX amp is an ideal SQ amp because it makes tons and tons of power cleanly which is all an amp is supposed to do. You want "tighter bass" or "crisper highs" then you tweak your EQ's and pick the speakers accordingly.

SamSagaZ

if noone say something wrong ill buy the c400.4 (550 U$S in my country) and MTX T810D 570 U$S.


a little expensive the MTX but is the best price that i can found here...

MacLeod

The Polk will be an excellent amp.

It makes plenty of power, is built very solid and has one of the best crossovers available. Excellent choice.

audiobliss

This is a very confusing topic, and I definitely don't have all the answers or understand everything abou it. However, I agree with Cody on this one. Different amps sound different - even if there is no difference in the EQ, processors, cables, alignment of the planets, moon phase, etc. Some amps do indeed have 'tighter bass' and some do indeed have more 'precise highs'.

Mac, you said that no amp will have more 'precise highs'. Then you said that when you moved up to the Crossfire amps, "Things were more detailed and percussion especially was more detailed." Is that not the same thing as the highs being 'more precise'?

Anyhoo, great set-up you've decided on for your amps, SamSagaZ.


P.S. As you can see in sig, I, too, use a Yamaha receiver.

MacLeod

Right. The Crossfires were more detailed because they made much more power than the previous Alpines which brought out little tiny details out of the speakers. There was no tighter bass or brighter highs or fuller midrange.

An amps frequency response is virtually ruler flat. Thats ideal. An amp is supposed to be transparant, not coloring the music in any way. So if an amps frequency response is ruler flat, with no increase or decrease at say 80 Hz or 15K Hz then how can one amp sound "brighter"? It cant. Thats like saying a 7 band EQ with with all settings at 0 db can still sound bright! If its flat, its flat! With no emphasis on any of the spectrum.

There have been double blind test on this subject done for eons with the Richard Clark test the most recent and to date, NOBODY has passed.

Youre thinking about home audio receivers. In those cases there are differences because each receiver has different soundfields, processors and EQ's that distinctly color the sound. But a seperate amplifier will not sound any different than an equally powerful seperate of another brand.

The power is the key here. Most people go to Circuit City and fire up a MTX 200 watt amp thru a set of speakers and then A/B it with a 40 watt Alpine. If you stick a 40 watt amp on a set of speakers followed by a 200 watt amp there will be a different sound due to the difference in power. A less powerful amp will not operated the speaker as well as the more powerul amp so youll be missing out on some bass and detail and such. But you stick an Xtant 100 watt amp and a MTX 100 watt amp and you wont be able to tell the difference.

SamSagaZ

audiobliss, my yamaha is a little older.....

RX-V595a


but sounds great.

audiobliss

Originally posted by SamSagaZ
but sounds great.

That's what matters!!