Legacy Amplifiers

[mlrtime]

This may sound like a bit tacky, however anyone know the quality of Legacy brand amplifiers? I can get a very good deal on legacy and pyramid brands. I know they are not top of the line but I don't need the best. If they are cheap enough are they worth buying?

 

let the jokes commence...

[PGT]

Legacy for home audio is some of the best out there. The fact that you mention Legacy and Pyramid in the same sentence tells me that's not the same company. Pyramid is junk....Legacy probably is as well.

 

What's your budget? Looking for a four channel? There are other good amps out there for the money.

[mwiener2]

you mean American Legacy. Both are junk. I wouldn't use them except for a sub.....maybe

[Boulderguy]

They'd make good hand-warmers on a cold day, that's about it. You really get what you pay for with amps.

[John M]

Pure snobbery. While it's true they aren't the greatest out there, they won't kill you either. Most of the results you get from a stereo system are from the design and execution (install), not the equipment chosen. Like I always told customers: do you listen to the music or do you look at the hardware?

 

Install it properly, use crossovers, set the gains at a reasonable level, etc. You'll be plenty happy with the results when compared to the cost.

 

I didn't know they were calling it "American Legacy" these days. The last Legacy stuff I owned was in ~ 1990. I've rocked all the low-end equipment at one time: Radio Shack subs, Pyramid "Gold" amps, etc. I even had a RoadMaster EQ/booster pushing my Pyramid (titanium dome tweets, 4in sealed mids) and RoadMaster 3-ways. Ahh, the good ol' days of high school. Back then you did what you had to for music in your car, all on a minimum wage part-time income

[PGT]

Pure snobbery.

 

Sorry......tis true, but some of us won't spend a dime on the stuff that claims 1000W, yet have a 10A fuse.

 

After having installed everything from Profile (more heatsink than amp), to tube amps in a car, I know what works and what doesn't. Amps don't 'sound' like anything if they do their job properly - take the input signal and make it louder. As long as the amp can do that with no distortion and have dynamic reserves, it will do fine. My experience has been that you get what you pay for....doesn't mean you need to spend $500 on an amp, but a $50 Rat Shack special ain't gonna cut it either.

[John M]

I didn't say I'd buy it today; I just said you could live with it. I have a GMC extended cab truck in addition to the LGT and both vehicles are packed with JBL amps & speakers.

[Boulderguy]

Pure snobbery. While it's true they aren't the greatest out there, they won't kill you either. Most of the results you get from a stereo system are from the design and execution (install), not the equipment chosen.

 

Call it snobbery if you want, but in the long run the cheap stuff not only performs poorly, but it simply doesn't last. The failure rate after 6 mos (assuming setup correctly) for those REALLY cheap brands is astronomical. So maybe it takes 3 of them to last 5 years (avg car ownership period), at that point you could have paid for the good stuff AND had great sound for all 5 yrs. Why not do it right? I have components that have followed me thru 3 vehicles over 10 years, still running strong & sounding great.

 

You're correct about the value of setup & design, it'll make or break the system. But cheap gear set up right will never sound like more than it is.

 

I remember a 4 hour road trip in a jeep gr cherokee I had, great system in there even tho it was minimal. Jammed to the tunes the whole way just fascinated with how it sounded. Got in the driveway but had to stay in the car another 20 min to hear the end of the album, totally immersed with this woman's voice singing, breathing into the mike, picking her bass guitar. That's what a good system does. It's always worth it.