Anyone have any experience with Profile amps? Crutchfield has a 60x4 for $130. I was planning on the Alpine 40x4 for $70 more. So, the Profile is 20w more at $70 less. Any reason to think the Alpine would be that much better? This will be for the four full range Polk db speakers, not a sub. It will be run from an Alpine HU (23w RMS). I have a seperate amp for the sub.

 

I know people that run Profile amps with no problems. On speakers you will not be drawing large amounts of power like a sub would need. I say go for it. Just make sure it has the ajustments you will need. Crossovers, gain and such.

 

Im going to say exactley opposite of Dupuis. I have heard nothing but cr@p about Profile. Personnaly I would stay away from them if I were you. That saying'You get what you pay for' comes to mind

If you are set on the Alpine or Profile i would definatley(sp) go with the Alpine. Its worth the extra money

 

linetest, I've been on the search for a 4-ch amp for a little while now.
You can get an alpine on ebay for about 130 new.

You can also get a power acoustik pretty cheap on sounddomain (around $80), do a pricematch with ecost.com.

If you're interested, I can post more details.

 

Thanks all. Guess I'll go with the Alpine. I have seen them for $130 on eBay, but as usual, you get screwed with shipping. I'm getting speakers at the same time from Crutchfield, so I get 10% off the Alpine, with free shipping. eBay only saves me a few $$ and Alpine will not warranty units sold by anyone other than authorized dealers (in other words, just about everyone on eBay).
So in this case, Crutchfield has the smarter deal.

I hope 40 watts is enough for what I want. I run 23w rms per channel now, so it's not a large increase. The speakers (Polk db) are rated at 100w max, so I hope the 40w is enough to feed them well.

 

I would suggest checking this site, if you haven't already.

www.onlinecarstereo.com

Most amps sold there will not carry manufacturer's warranty. However, the supplier itself warranties all products for one year. You should be able to find a mid-to-high quality four channel amplifier in your power range for the same price as a Crutchfield Alpine/Profile amp. Plus, all shipping is free.

I've bought from this company on three occasions and all products shipped the same day, arrived earlier than quoted, and I haven't had a single problem with any of them.

 

I stand by what I said, it's based on experiance and not here say or reputation. Not saying thats why other people don't like them. As I stated, on speakers, not subs (which is where must people have problems with them due to running 15s' and such with a 120 watt amp), I would not have a problem running Profile. I was given a very "cheap'' amp which I have on my 4 Infinity Kappas and it makes them sing. I have found through the years that yes you do get what you pay for, but using it wrong or abusing it does not make it the products fault. How many people do you see with their 1st setup running inexpensive products (nothing wrong with that) trying to blow windows off and pushing those products way past their design limitations and it sounds like crap and then they blame the same inexpensive products for not living up to higher end ones that they end up with in the long run anyway. This goes for amps and subs. If used right under their designed limits (not advertised, thats a whole nother subject) most amps and subs will be up to the task. Just don't ask a $30 15'' sub and a $75 1000watt amp to blow windows out, and when they don't, bad mouth the product.
This is not directed to anyone, just wanted to add my 2 cents about inexpensive products.

 

Dupuis, sorry if I said anything offesive, by no means did I mean to do that or attack you. I was just stating what Ive heard about them, which is some are fine but some are not. So again-sorry if I said anything offensive

 

None taken, I knew you were not attacking me. I just wanted to inform those that have not had any experiance with the "cheaper" lines and car audio in general. What to expect and what not to out of the inexpensive lines. I know with any line there will be units that break down under normal use, some more than others and by all means if a line is bad for that, stay away from it. 3000 watt amps for $100 should throw up red flags, just use a little common sense.
If your budget is tight don't be to worried about using the lower lines, just use it within it's designed limits and when your ready or can afford it, up grade to products that can handle what your looking to get out of your new setup.
I used to compete back in the 80's, and I have used alot of products through the years and I just know what I have experianced with all types of lines from really crap to high end.
Bartak1, I respect your input and love talking about car audio.
Great place to learn.

 

K, I wanted to make sure you knew that because I also respect what you are saying-you know your stuff and are one heck of an informative man.

 

Remember, hobbies have no age limits.

 

I'm not scared to say it. Profile SUCKS!

But on a serious note. I would partially agree with Dupius. I ran a shop that sold Profile as an entry level amp for those on a budget and when installed properly they did not have too many problems with breakage. However, they really hated incorrect installs and would cook themselves in the blink of an eye if you did something stupid. On a power output scale they are terribly over-rated and will not put out the power they like to claim they will. Compare Profile to Pyle, Pyramid, Lanzar's entry line and what you find is an amp built in Korea using cheaper parts. It does not make it a terrible product but it is a far cry from your better products.

My thought on the whole situation is that if you have $100 to spend then at least spend it on a quality piece. In other words compare the 6,000 watt profile for $100 to the 100 watt amp of better quality and I am sure you will find that the two put out almost identical amounts of power. However, you will also notice that the better quality amp will sound better.

 

I understand what Dupuis is saying. And what he says is true, IF there is no user abuse, which is rarely the case. However, from another angle, I believe that if $70 is keeping a person from buying Alpine over Profile, something is dreadfully wrong. Like mentioned, throw out the ratings on the Profile, in terms of comparing it to the Alpine. Also, as far as comparing the HU's 23 watts RMS to the Alpine's 40, that's not a valid comparison either. Power supply limitations of a HU make it incapable of being compared to a dedicated amp of reasonable quality, as far as performance goes. They are NOT the same, especially when it comes to high volume use over long periods of listening. If your Polks are 100 watts max, then they are about 50 RMS, which is a decent match to the Alpine. I think the Profile is NOT a bargain at any price. It is maybe not even an "upgrade" from stock when you factor in long term problems, etc. For all the trouble you will go to to install aftermarket equipment, it should be worth the effort and give you a trouble free system. The Alpine is much more worth the risk at $130 with no warranty, than the Profile is at any price. There are reasons the Alpine costs more than the Profile, and it has to do with QUALITY. If they were made with comparable quality parts with comparable build quality, there would be very little cost difference. Just my opinion. But having said all that, the final choice is yours. If one piece of gear better fits what YOU want and need, then that's what you should buy.