Haven't owned, tested or even seen any PowerBass in a good minute so I was stoked to see this one. I used to run the old ASA1500 back in the day and I really liked it so I was curious to see if PB had fallen off or if they were still doing their thing.
PowerBass ASA3 1500.1d
[email protected]
1k @ 2
1.5k @ 1
(14.4v)
Price - $294 shipped (Amazon)
Good looking amp. Decent footprint. Not much heft. I worry that it doesn't have enough heatsink, but I see it has a fan so that's good. That logo lights up for those that dig that kind of stuff. You can also turn it on or off. Never seen that before.
Plastic pots. Meh. Strappable with RJ45. Bass boost fancied up and called bass "EQ". It's fixed at 45hz. Useless. Angled power and ground don't even bother me anymore. One set of speaker terminals is fine for this power level even though two sets is way more convenient. On board fusing is appropriate for the draws we hope to see. Power/Ground, speaker and remote are all different wrenches. Kill yourself, PB.
Guts.
Unloaded. Good rail for a 1.5k.
5 ohms resistive.
435w @ 5 ohms and 14v.
2.5 ohms resistive.
715w @ 2.5 ohms and 13.7v
1 ohm resistive.
1,600w @ 1 ohm and 14.2v
For good measure...
I apologize for the inconsistent voltage. I wasn't charging until the 1 ohm test, but it's pretty easy to see it's doing rated.
I didn't list efficiency numbers because they're a little hard to believe. The amp stayed > 80% efficient for all three loads. That would make it the most efficient amp I've tested other than the Taramps HD8000. It's difficult to argue with the meter, but PowerBass doesn't list the rated efficiency so I have no reference. For now... let's just say it's a crazy efficient little amp.
Always liked PB and this test confirms why. This obviously isn't a longevity test, but 1 ohm resistive the way I do it is pretty tough and the amp did great even when I drove it into a hard clip. The price makes it a very attractive option for those shopping with that extremely common $300 budget.
Overall... cool little amp. PB is still doing their thing. T-Fade approved.
My test: PowerBass ASA3 1500.1d
Linear Mode
