The Apex "Senior" Subwoofer Amp

[Mikey]

Any comments on this plate amp?

http://www.apexjr.com/Apexsenior.htm

[Sydney]

No hands on...
from examination of schematic and internal photos it appears to be a very basic amp.
Generic parts and implementation
Like a bologna sandwich - nothing fancy; it fills a void
( the reported issues do not encourage )

Syd

[Mikey]

No hands on...
from examination of schematic and internal photos it appears to be a very basic amp.
Generic parts and implementation
Like a bologna sandwich - nothing fancy; it fills a void

Compared to a PE plate amp (non-BASH), would you say this one is pretty much similar? Is there something about this one that makes it somewhat inferior or is it just "stadard fare - it is what it is"?

( the reported issues do not encourage )

Reported issues? I just searched and didn't find any "common issues" that stand out. What did you find?

[Sydney]

PE plate amp (non-BASH),

I have not seen pics of the "innards" of that amp to compare the 2.
The Apex was designed in 99 so it has a little history.
Mostly in the power supply...
You will notice the mention of an upgrade of the 6800mfd caps from 80 to 100V.
The PS on that amp is underdesigned. The caps are too small and no room to go larger.
It uses a simple bridge rectifier ( no reg ).

The circuit board appears to be the cheapest phenolic, and it uses the cheapest of parts.

Perhaps I expect too much - realistically what can be expected for something at that price point, it may after-all be no better or worse than other amps in that range.

Syd

[Mikey]

Sorry for the late reply. Been REAL busy. Thanks much for the very thorough explaination, Syd!

Hmmm ... I guess my conclusion, then, is that although plate amps are inexpensive, they're generally not a good value.