AQ20

[holley2346 6]

Looking at the Audio Que 20 amplifier... and am wondering about the power claims they are making.

I'm going as basic as you can get... the amplifier has 3 sets of 0 gauge power inputs. They claim the amplifier can consume up to 2,000 amps of current and over 1,000 amps of current consistently. Yet 100% ofc 0 gauge wire is rated around 250-350 amps of current up to 10'. Just looking at this, how can the amp be provided with the proper amperage at the correct voltage with enough inputs to only accept 750-1050 amps of current?

Just wondering.

Thanks for the help.

[onebadmonte 235]

I guess if the voltage is high enough it'll make the 20k watts off limited amperage.

[Duran 387]

That amp only does 20K at 18 volts, half that at 12 volts

[holley2346 6]

That amp only does 20K at 18 volts, half that at 12 volts

10,000 / 12.0 = 833 amps so I guess it may be feasible to transfer enough current through the wire. I'm not so sure why they cut it so close though?

[Duran 387]

It's a fine line, I have hands on experience with the SounDigital 16KD, it has two pairs of 1/0 inputs, and I've clamped it doing more than rated.

[holley2346 6]

It's a fine line, I have hands on experience with the SounDigital 16KD, it has two pairs of 1/0 inputs, and I've clamped it doing more than rated.

Thanks for the info

[corrie3232 8]

actually, it's rated at 8,000w @ 1ohm rms

[oldsboomer 1]

I've seen results on **** that rising to .9ohms and at 12.6 volts IIRC it did 12k+

And also you said that OFC can handel 250-300 amps at 10ft... WTF are you doing to have runs that are 10ft to your amps? No one should use runs that long. i would say 5 ft tops. the shorter the wire the less resistence and more current carrying possibilites. Its rated at 8k because their load couldn't handel more power.

[holley2346 6]

I've seen results on **** that rising to .9ohms and at 12.6 volts IIRC it did 12k+

And also you said that OFC can handel 250-300 amps at 10ft... WTF are you doing to have runs that are 10ft to your amps? No one should use runs that long. i would say 5 ft tops. the shorter the wire the less resistence and more current carrying possibilites. Its rated at 8k because their load couldn't handel more power.

It is rated at that from 0 to 10 feet... therefore a one foot run would have the same rating. Note that I never described my runs or runs to the amp as being 10 feet long.

[emh9009 199]

I've seen results on **** that rising to .9ohms and at 12.6 volts IIRC it did 12k+

And also you said that OFC can handel 250-300 amps at 10ft... WTF are you doing to have runs that are 10ft to your amps? No one should use runs that long. i would say 5 ft tops. the shorter the wire the less resistence and more current carrying possibilites. Its rated at 8k because their load couldn't handel more power.

So you're saying no run of 0 gauge, from the battery to the amp should be longer than 5 ft? i dont see that happening in very many installs at all.

[ssh 924]

I've seen results on **** that rising to .9ohms and at 12.6 volts IIRC it did 12k+

And also you said that OFC can handel 250-300 amps at 10ft... WTF are you doing to have runs that are 10ft to your amps? No one should use runs that long. i would say 5 ft tops. the shorter the wire the less resistence and more current carrying possibilites. Its rated at 8k because their load couldn't handel more power.

So you're saying no run of 0 gauge, from the battery to the amp should be longer than 5 ft? i dont see that happening in very many installs at all.

Perhaps if we all drove mini-coopers or smart cars.

Or if you add a battery in the rear then it breaks up the average run length and therefore the run is under 5ft tops to the amp?

^Not saying there is anything wrong with this, cause there isn't. but the idea that a power cable to an amp has to be under 5 feet is completely stupid. How do you manage to get power from your alt to your batteries and then to your amps in under 5ft?

[emh9009 199]

I've seen results on **** that rising to .9ohms and at 12.6 volts IIRC it did 12k+

And also you said that OFC can handel 250-300 amps at 10ft... WTF are you doing to have runs that are 10ft to your amps? No one should use runs that long. i would say 5 ft tops. the shorter the wire the less resistence and more current carrying possibilites. Its rated at 8k because their load couldn't handel more power.

So you're saying no run of 0 gauge, from the battery to the amp should be longer than 5 ft? i dont see that happening in very many installs at all.

Perhaps if we all drove mini-coopers or smart cars.

Or if you add a battery in the rear then it breaks up the average run length and therefore the run is under 5ft tops to the amp?

^Not saying there is anything wrong with this, cause there isn't. but the idea that a power cable to an amp has to be under 5 feet is completely stupid. How do you manage to get power from your alt to your batteries and then to your amps in under 5ft?

I have a CRX and i couldn't do it lol

[ulrisa 26]

I don't think this amp is intended for daily use anyway. You could put well over the rated current for a short period of time with any given wire size. It's not going to instantly melt or anything, over time it will. That being said, music is dynamic and it is not going to be pulling 1000 amps continuously unless you love sine waves. So even if you did use it daily, 3 runs of 0 awg is fine. They could have gone overkill by adding another set of inputs, but that would cost more and add more variables to the system.

[Ohjay 116]

My runs from battery to amp will be 6-8" probably, maybe up to 1ft tops.

[S.DeYoung 967]

I've seen results on **** that rising to .9ohms and at 12.6 volts IIRC it did 12k+

And also you said that OFC can handel 250-300 amps at 10ft... WTF are you doing to have runs that are 10ft to your amps? No one should use runs that long. i would say 5 ft tops. the shorter the wire the less resistence and more current carrying possibilites. Its rated at 8k because their load couldn't handel more power.

So you're saying no run of 0 gauge, from the battery to the amp should be longer than 5 ft? i dont see that happening in very many installs at all.

Perhaps if we all drove mini-coopers or smart cars.

Or if you add a battery in the rear then it breaks up the average run length and therefore the run is under 5ft tops to the amp?

^Not saying there is anything wrong with this, cause there isn't. but the idea that a power cable to an amp has to be under 5 feet is completely stupid. How do you manage to get power from your alt to your batteries and then to your amps in under 5ft?

I install my amplifiers under my hood. Don't you?

[bassahaulic 155]

Friend of mine had 7 NSB 90's and a 240amp alt powering one of these at 1ohm. STILL had voltage drop into the low 12's.

Very stout amp, makes real power at .5ohm daily.

[holley2346 6]

Friend of mine had 7 NSB 90's and a 240amp alt powering one of these at 1ohm. STILL had voltage drop into the low 12's.

Very stout amp, makes real power at .5ohm daily.

If they were cheaper I'd consider investing in one..... my 250 sp's need a challenge.

[bassahaulic 155]

Friend of mine had 7 NSB 90's and a 240amp alt powering one of these at 1ohm. STILL had voltage drop into the low 12's.

Very stout amp, makes real power at .5ohm daily.

If they were cheaper I'd consider investing in one..... my 250 sp's need a challenge.

The Warhorse is the only practical choice. lol

[holley2346 6]

Friend of mine had 7 NSB 90's and a 240amp alt powering one of these at 1ohm. STILL had voltage drop into the low 12's.

Very stout amp, makes real power at .5ohm daily.

If they were cheaper I'd consider investing in one..... my 250 sp's need a challenge.

The Warhorse is the only practical choice. lol

Which is exactly what I'm going to if I have one more problem from my sundown amps.

[bassahaulic 155]

Friend of mine had 7 NSB 90's and a 240amp alt powering one of these at 1ohm. STILL had voltage drop into the low 12's.

Very stout amp, makes real power at .5ohm daily.

If they were cheaper I'd consider investing in one..... my 250 sp's need a challenge.

The Warhorse is the only practical choice. lol

Which is exactly what I'm going to if I have one more problem from my sundown amps.

What issues are you having?

[holley2346 6]

Friend of mine had 7 NSB 90's and a 240amp alt powering one of these at 1ohm. STILL had voltage drop into the low 12's.

Very stout amp, makes real power at .5ohm daily.

If they were cheaper I'd consider investing in one..... my 250 sp's need a challenge.

The Warhorse is the only practical choice. lol

Which is exactly what I'm going to if I have one more problem from my sundown amps.

What issues are you having?

Just general bad luck... but the main reason for the switch is I'm out of warranty and a warhorse is much cheaper per watt that sundown.

[bassahaulic 155]

That is VERY true, much cheaper per watt.

Have you thought about 2 AQ3,500's?

[RAM_Designs 25]

Friend of mine had 7 NSB 90's and a 240amp alt powering one of these at 1ohm. STILL had voltage drop into the low 12's.

Of course it did. With a 240 amp alt the amp is easily going to burn past the alt voltage and go directly to batt voltage.

[holley2346 6]

That is VERY true, much cheaper per watt.

Have you thought about 2 AQ3,500's?

Not quite sure how confident I am in AQ's amplifiers.

edit: Didn't specify their main stream amps... the AQ20 would seem to be a much sturdier and overbuilt amp after doing a lot of reading... that would likely be the only amp I'd be willing to purchase from AQ.

Edited February 11, 2011 by holley2346

[bassahaulic 155]

Friend of mine had 7 NSB 90's and a 240amp alt powering one of these at 1ohm. STILL had voltage drop into the low 12's.

Of course it did. With a 240 amp alt the amp is easily going to burn past the alt voltage and go directly to batt voltage.

Well with 4 DD M3's he only dropped to low 13's.....