Hifonics Atlas

TEST
REPORT
Hifonics
Atlas
Amplifier Review
4 OHM POWER VS. THD+N 100 HZ - 14.4 V BATTERY
4 Ohm Power
10
5
2
1
0.5
%
In Greek mythology, one of the titans was
Atlas, who, as one story goes, was condemned to bear the heavens upon his shoulders, causing
the globe to revolve. Now that’s power. Only slightly less
powerful is the Hifonics amplifier of the same name, and
with power ratings of 1,200, 2,100 and 3,000 watts into
four, two, and one ohm respectively, the top-of-the-line in
the Mt. Olympus Series is the kind of amp that demands
the same respect and admiration as its namesake.
BY GARRY SPRINGGAY
0.2
0.1
0.05
0.02
FEATURES
0.01
0.005
0.002
0.001
600m
1
2
5
10
20
50
100
200
500
1.183k
2k
5k
W
2 OHM POWER VS. THD+N 100 HZ - 14.4 V BATTERY
2 Ohm Power
10
5
2
1
0.5
MEASURED PERFORMANCE
SPECIFICATIONS
%
The Atlas amplifier is built on an impressively-sized
extruded aluminum heatsink, measuring approximately
22x9x2.75 inches and weighing just under 20 pounds.
Thick, heavy duty injection molded caps trim out the ends
of the amp and provide secure mounting points.
Controls and connections are found on opposing ends
of the amplifier, complete with RCA inputs, outputs and
connections for attaching two of these beasts together.
Available adjustments include gain, variable phase, an
extensive set of EQ controls with separate controls for
level, frequency and filter bandwidth (also known as “Q”),
a variable 15 to 35 Hz subsonic filter, and a variable 35
to 250 Hz low-pass filter. Power and speaker connections are made via set-screw terminals that accept 1/0
AWG cables for power, and eight AWG speaker cables. For
convenience, when connecting multiple woofers (and with
this much power available, you’ll need multiples) there
are internally paralleled speaker connections with a pair
of positive and negative terminals.
Inside the amp you’ll find a robust design with dual power supply
toroids and 16 1,200 µF capacitors
in parallel to minimize equivalent
series resistance.
The secondary stage energy
is stored via eight 1,500 µF high
voltage, high-temperature rated
caps. Most of the small components are traditional through-hole
parts, secured to the double sided
PCB. A daughterboard dedicated
to the Class D control circuits is
populated with surface mount
parts and securely soldered into
the motherboard. A remote level
control and cable are included,
which interestingly eschews the
commonly found RJ-45 connector
for a non-locking DIN style plug,
similar to an S-video connector.
0.2
0.1
0.05
0.02
Signal-to-noise ratio referenced to 2 V output
(CEA-2006A) (1 W @ 4 Ω)
-73.5 dBA
Signal-to-noise ratio referenced to full output
-104.2 dBA
0.01
0.005
0.002
0.001
600m
1
2
5
10
20
50
100
200
500
1k
W
2.037k
THD+N at 1 Ω rated power
0.67%
Maximum efficiency at full 2 Ω power per
channel
80.4%
5k
Idle current
Input sensitivity
Maximum current @ full power, lowest rated
impedance
Manufacturer Rated Power
TECHNICAL
DATA
Actual Measured Power
@ 1.0% THD+N // @ 12.6 V Battery
Actual Measured Power
@ 1.0% THD+N // @ 14.4 V Battery
PASMAG
High-pass crossover (subsonic filter)
1,200 W x 1 @ 4 Ω
892 W x 1 @ 4 Ω
1,183 W x 1 @ 4 Ω
2,100 W x 1 @ 2 Ω
1,542 W x 1 @ 2 Ω
2,037 W x 1 @ 2 Ω
Low-pass crossover
3,000 W x 1 @ 1 Ω
2,391 W x 1 @ 1 Ω
3,142 W x 1 @ 1 Ω
Bass EQ boost
The following power measurements were obtained using industry standard methods. (100 HZ @ 1.0% THD+N - Battery voltages shown +/- 0.2 V)
98
Frequency response (-3 dB)
TUNING ESSENTIALS // 2014 MOBILE ELECTRONICS EDITION
Phase adjustment (degrees of shift @ 100 Hz)
2.2 A
218 mV- 10.0 V
304.6 A
16 Hz – 236 Hz
16 Hz – 35 Hz
-24 dB/oct
32 Hz – 236 Hz
-24 dB/oct
+12 dB @
34 Hz- 95 Hz
218°
TEST
REPORT
SUBSONIC RESPONSE - FREQUENCY RESPONSE
1 OHM POWER VS. THD+N 100 HZ 14.4 V BATTERY
Hifonics
Atlas
Subsonic Filter Response
4
5
2
0
-2
2
-4
1
-6
-8
0.5
-10
dBr
%
Amplifier Review
1 ohm Power
10
0.2
0.1
-22
-24
-26
-28
0.01
-30
-32
0.005
-34
-36
0.002
-38
0.001
600m
1
2
5
10
20
50
100
200
500
2.037k
1k
-40
5k
20
50
MAX FLAT - FREQUENCY RESPONSE
6
500
1k
Variable Frequency Bass Boost
14
4
13
2
12
0
-2
11
-4
10
-6
9
-8
-10
8
-12
7
dBr
-14
-16
-18
-20
-22
6
5
4
3
-24
2
-26
1
-28
-30
0
-32
-1
-34
-36
-2
-38
-3
-40
-4
-42
-5
-44
10
20
50
100
200
500
-6
1k
10
20
50
Hz
100
200
1k
500
1k
BASS EQ VARIABLE BANDWIDTH
- FREQUENCY RESPONSE
Crossover Adjustment Range
Variable Q Bass Boost
6
4
4
2
2
0
0
-2
-2
-4
-4
-6
-6
-8
-8
-10
-10
-12
dBr
dBr
500
Hz
CROSSOVER RANGE - FREQUENCY RESPONSE
-12
-14
-16
-14
-16
-18
-20
-22
-20
-24
-22
-26
-24
-28
-26
-30
-28
-32
-34
-30
-36
-32
-38
-34
-40
-36
-42
-38
-40
200
BASS EQ VARIABLE FREQUENCY - FREQUENCY
RESPONSE
Max Flat
-46
100
Hz
-18
There really aren’t any big surprises
here. For a big amp, overall efficiency
is pretty good at better than 80%,
signal-to-noise is fine, and the
variable phase control provides
a wide range of adjustment. The input
signal level adjustment range is also
very wide from nearly 0.2 volts to 10
volts. Four ohm and two ohm power
measurements are a hair under the
published numbers, but close enough
to make no difference.
At one ohm, the amp actually
exceeds the published number by over
100 watts, and draws just over 300
amps of current. If you’re considering an ultra high-power amp like this,
make sure your electrical system is up
to the task.
10
W
dBr
On the Bench
PASMAG
-16
-20
0.02
I hook the Atlas up in my reference
system to drive a pair of four ohm,
15-inch subwoofers. After setting
the levels and adjusting the low pass
crossover to about 80Hz, I begin with
some heavy rock from Primus, Metallica and Motorhead. The bass is strong,
with an authority that just makes me
turn it up even more. To see how it
handles more intricate bass passages,
there’s nothing better than the late
great Jaco Pastorius on bass. The
Atlas does a great job of producing his
musical brilliance in high detail, and
because I like to hear his stuff loud,
I’m happy the big amp has more than
enough power, even driving my modest
two ohm load. I mean, a couple-thousand watts on a pair of 15’s should get
pretty much anyone’s car rockin’!
The amp has great musicality and
effortless power delivery. Because
I check for these things, I can tell you
the amp has zero turn-on or turn-off
noise, and even though I beat on it
pretty good for a couple of hours, it’s
barely warm to the touch.
100
-14
-18
0.05
LISTENING
-12
-44
10
20
50
100
200
500
1k
-46
10
20
50
Hz
Conclusion
The Hifonics Atlas amplifier is exactly what
the designers intended: an affordable, quality
product capable of very high power levels
and built to withstand daily abuse in the typical automotive environment. It looks good,
sounds good, and isn’t likely to break. What
the heck else do you want?
For an expanded version of this test report go to
pasmag.com/testreports/HifonicsAtlasAmp
TUNING ESSENTIALS // 2014 MOBILE ELECTRONICS EDITION
100
200
Hz
For more test reports, download the
PASMAG+ tablet app for free from the
App Store.
hifonics.com
HifonicsUSA
@HifonicsUSA
MaxxsonicsUSAInc