im debating on 2 different amps... im buying one of them by the end of this week or beginning of the next... so i need some quick opinions...

first off im going to be running a set of cdt components and diamond audio sub...

amp #1 - eclipse 32430

used, has 85x4 or 240x2

amp #2 - xtant 403a (pre-mtx)

brand new, has 50x2 and 100x1

ive had experience with both brands... i just sold an eclipse amp i was using... had no probs with it except that it didnt take more than a 5v preout... my bro has had 2 xtants... both seemed very high quality...

im pretty stuck right now... the eclipse will be slightly higher in price...

which would you choose?

 

maybe its just me but im pretty sure that all eclipse amps handle 8 volts but maybe im wrong [img]graemlins/dunno.gif[/img]

 

I know eclipse amps will take an 8 volt input just fine.

 

Any amp should be able to take 8 volt input just fine. I don't think I have heard or known of an issue with over input voltage problems. [img]graemlins/dunno.gif[/img]

 

the old one i had was a 3640 and in the manual, online, and eclipse had said it takes upto 5 volts... it wasnt one from the higher line... those take up to 8 volts...

the one im looking at now takes 8 volts...

but anyways... opinions?

 

I have used 2 of the eclipse premium line amps and loved them. I bet the lower line could handle 8 volts even if the specs don't say that.

I have no personal experience with Xtant, but actually, the name came up at the shop the other day. The guys at the shop had spoken to an xtant rep at one point who had actually dropped the line because they had been very unreliable for him. This was a couple of years ago though I believe, so maybe things have improved.

 

I also agree that i would choose the eclipse over the xtant. From what i've seen and heard xtant is a good all around brand but i seem to remember hearing something about them being a little unreliable at times. I would choose eclipse because i used a lot of their stuff and am yet to be dissapointed especially in the higher end line up. [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

 

ok i just finished talking to the guy selling the eclipse... he has had it for 2 years but last summer it "wasnt working well" (didnt say what the problem was)... he sent it back to eclipse and they repaired it...

knowing this information would you still take the eclipse?

also in regards to the xtant... it is from the series that was made before they were taken over by mtx... which was around 99-2000 i believe? after that i heard their amps went down hill... thats maybe why you guys are hearing about problems with reliability?

anyways thanks for replying and keep the opinions coming!

 

Could very well be that is why weve been hearing that but i would still take the eclipse gear cause when it comes back it goes back under warantee doesn't it if warantee is remaining [img]graemlins/dunno.gif[/img] Its as good as new now isnt it i'd take it [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

 

one of my eclipse amps needed a minor repair(had a leaky cap or something like that). Anyway, it was repaired, and I used it for several more months. My best friend now has the amp, and it has been just fine(he bought it from me over a year ago). I would say if the amp was repaired, it should be fine.