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AMPLIFIERS
Is there such a thing as too many features on an amplifier? I’m sure the argument could be made, but the latest member of Kicker’s amp family, the SX series, adds just enough bells and whistles that it’s likely to start a new trend in the 12-volt arena.
What’s so different about an SX amp, say, versus a conventional amp by any manufacturer? The ease of use with the features. There’s no more need for guesswork on the analog controls — with the digital interface, a user knows exactly where everything is set. There’s no more asking "did I get that crossover set to just the right frequency" or "are my amps line-level matched?"
I tested an SX1250.1 class-D monoblock and a pair of SX400.2 class A/B amps for the front stage over a month-long period. Set up was a piece of cake. My advice with everything these days when you’re starting out — RTM (Read The Manual). Even if you don’t (you’ll learn about more features if you do), the interface is so simple you can fumble your way to the features you’re after.
According to Dan Jobin, Kicker Applications Manager, and Charlie Fox, electronic engineer, the digital interface allows Kicker to offer customers more for their money. Priced close to similar analog amps, some features (equalization, for example) would normally need to be externally controlled, often with another piece of equipment. Thanks to the SX series’ all-in-one digital design, it’s a cost-savings to the consumer.
Why Digital?
"The reason for, and the beauty of, the Digital Signal Processing used in the Kicker SX amplifiers is the lack of extraneous noises," states Jobin. "When dealing with analog filters, there is a source of noise in every stage used. No matter how good the parts are that make up each stage, the noise and consequent distortion is accumulative. If we were to only have a crossover, the noise and distortion could be kept at a minimum. Since we wanted to have parametric equalization, high and low pass crossovers, multi-stage gain, and compression, it became obvious that going into the digital domain was the only way to do this and maintain high performance."
Having been plagued with noise issues for a while in my vehicle no matter what amp set up I was running, I was looking forward to removing the external crossover and putting these amps into the mix. Once everything was installed, the noise vanished. Kicker’s not blowing smoke about the noise reduction.
So, what else besides the digital interface makes the SX’s different than others?
"I would say, at this point, they are a ‘more cost efficient design,’ but use specific components that have been tried and true in previous product lineups," explains Fox. "We are very particular about the components that we use for a given design. We make sure that components meet our criteria for reliability and performance before we allow them to be used in our products."
Features
The question is, where to begin with the features? To quote the manual, "there are more than you can shake a stick at." They’re not kidding. One warning, Kicker is big on acronyms.
Let’s start by looking at the ISIS (Indicate Status & Input Settings) interface, consisting of a keypad and display. The keypad navigation is pretty self explanatory, labeled clearly (albeit tiny). This interface makes it easy to scroll through the digital read outs that indicate impedance operation, SORT (Short circuit, Over voltage, Reverse polarity, Thermal) protection circuitry, PAST (Pre Amp Signal Transfer), SAMS (Stereo And Mono Simultaneously), fully adjustable low and high pass filters, KickEQ (fully adjustable single-band parametric EQ with variable bandwith, center frequency and boost/cut), Adjustable Phase, UltraMatch Gain Structure, Kompressor (four-setting user-selectable bass compressor with a +/-24 dB range for adjustment), BLAST (Bass Level And Signal Transfer — control for bass level and signal transfer between multiple amps), and, the most interesting of innovations, a SickBay with on-board diagnostics. How many times has something wigged out your amp and you trying to figure out exactly what (in the string of things that it might be) is causing the problem? SickBay tells you.
"Since we entered the digital domain with the Kicker SX amplifiers, it gave us the ability to add a lot of convenience features not practical in the analog amps," explains Jobin. "These include the diagnostic center (Sick Bay) that keeps track of the last five protection faults and when they occurred. This will assist technicians and installers alike when it comes time to analyze complaints. The Security feature allows the dealer to lock a consumer out of certain settings to avoid clipping and other undesirable situations. Onboard volt meters keep track of high and low voltage situations to warn of charging system problems. The built-in thermometer keeps track of the current temperature and the highest temperature reached."
Cosmetics
Who am I to kid, the SX series has nice clean lines cosmetically, and the easily removable (and customizable EndKaps) aid in keeping your installation nice and neat, covering the input and outputs so that the average Joe will only see the amp mounted. The end pieces lengthen the amp by approximately 5 to 6 inches, so if you’re conserving space, you can always leave them off. And, you also get to customize your amp and rename it.
Critical Review
There are only two things that I have issue with in regards to the SX line.
First, not having a single amp with higher output in the subwoofer range may impact consumer perception of the line. While the average 1250.1 benches higher (the birth sheet on the one tested read 1450 watts), many consumers today are starting at 1500 to 2000-watt amps for their subs. Down the road, this is an improvement on the lineup I’d like to see Kicker make.
Second, while the buttons on the ISIS are self-explanatory, the print size makes it difficult to read and they’re close enough together that users could slip and hit the wrong preset and not know it. Interface design was one of the trickiest parts of getting the SX amps ready, according to Jobin. The interface is indeed easy to use, but it does require a little concentration.
The SX series offers two-channel, four channel, and class D monoblock designs. The amps range in power from 200 watts x 2 (the 400.2) through 1250 watts x 1 (1250.1). MSRPs range from $599 to $1499. See www.kicker.com or your local authorized Kicker dealer for more details.
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