Looks Like Pyramid, Sounds Like McIntosh? Dragster DH-1804 4ch Amplifier

#ampdyno #throwback #willistonaudio
Dragster DH-1804, four channel, 1200W amplifier from the early 2000's
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[@girthquake9655]

I get Pyramid has a bad rap and it's a junk flea market amp, but that is what got me into car audio back in the mid 90's and very thankful I was able to get my hands on one. Thump, pyramid and Jensen will always bring back memories.

[@thebreakbarrelshow]

I am just like you. We had a flea market near me and of course pyramid was the big one. Crazy looking amps , subs . Remember the gooseneck stereos. I think was pyramid. Yep , thump , jensen , crunch , SHERWOOD mtx subs got popular. Kicker comps..earthquake , orion..lol . I was in my teens and all this was heaven back in the day. Good memories

[@jordanlee2936]

Same here. My first amp was a pyramid. Still got it in the store room.

[@markhatcher4325]

I remember my cuz had a Jensen 100 watt 2ch amp would pound a set of Sony 6x9's with the good Ole Pioneer Supertuner 3 Cass. player with seperate bass and Treble controls it was Damn good back in the day

[@user-mt9de5wt5y]

Jensen wasn't always a low end brand.

[@markhatcher4325]

@user-mt9de5wt5y it had glass tube fuses for power and speakers protect inside the amp

[@darrylpioch2055]

That is a WELLLL designed PCB in the amp section. All the resistors grouped together in perfect rows all the predrivers in a perfect row, with zero wasted space… that’s impressive and took some really deliberate care. Also 67% efficiency on 4 ohms is extremely good for a class AB. With those numbers I’d have guessed it was class G or H setup without seeing the internals but I guess it’s just the fact they used hexfets and designed the power supply really well. Spectacular amp

[@550n440]

I love seeing these old-school amps pop up! I remember seeing odd/rare ones in the Car Audio buyers guide and wondering if they were good or not.

[@ghostemane85]

LUV that OLD School beautiful bean footage!!!...... Keep them coming .... Old school Hifonics please???

[@Timsmo0th]

Very cool to see an unknown old school amp do well!

[@Leonard-hk1nf]

Roll that beautiful bean footage! He’s talking about Butter bean for all you young bucks . Bringing back all the old school !

[@sunnyskiesblue]

That Lambo pic. That will always be my favorite Lambo style.

[@jayweb702]

Wow a company I've never heard of, love it!

[@emersonmayeaux2482]

Thats a fine old school amplifier. Definitely a collectors item. Great video Big D

[@adamsinclair6739]

So glad you showed one of these amps. I graduated Mobile Dynamics Toronto in 02 and I had the opportunity to purchase them thru my school at a discounted price. Never bought any but always wondered how they performed.

[@dancingwiththedogsdj]

Young man (Big D), YOU are the hidden gem my good man! Taking time to show us these things and make it extremely enjoyable to watch and learn! You are da best! Now, go crank that puppy up and have a fantastic day! I have one last question for ya, although Joe Elliott says it better than I can...Do you wanna get rocked? 😉🍻🌎❤️🌮🎶

[@albertopompilio1]

Amazing Amp I had one for a while when 1 of my Orions was in for repair. (The Orions had more bottom end, but the dragster was better at sustained output)

[@michaelzernie7092]

Awesome score man. Love seeing these old school amps getting tested. It's crazy how far techs come. Keep the videos goin. Love em all!!

[@SadLifeIndustries]

I remember seeing those amps at the “Super Sale”…. Wow, who knew?!?

[@jaywhy7556]

Long as time ago I had 2 12s pyramids in a truck box for 25 dollhairs on my surround sound at home early 90s and I was proud of my flee market sound. And it did lay the way for my still to this day sound addiction! Love it main!

[@jasx1485]

I didn't know dolls had that many hairs

[@daveme3582]

Lovely amp. Looks immaculate inside as well. Those pots used are a cut WAY above most in quality. Often an area penny pinched even by prestigious makers. Considering the output when run mono single channel I HIGHLY doubt the amp section isnt up to snuff. My $ is on inadequate power supply traces somewhere in the supply section. Real shame the R&D boys didnt catch it before it went into production. Ive seen this happen on several home audio amps. Such a perfect amp all around outside that one oversight.

[@jimbobdobbs1597]

Agreed on the power supply side, especially when either channel tested out alone.

[@dougcastle1785]

I remember having a Rockford Fosgate Type RF Amp that thing was the cleanest most efficient amp I have ever owned.

[@bigserge07]

As always, a great review and dyno test video. Been dying to see a dyno on the old school Visonik V2608 1000watt car stereo amplifier😮

[@SDS-1]

Very good design

[@AshyLarryTM]

Coulda sworn I heard that W7 laughing 🤣

[@Mr.Robert1]

W-7 Real audio equipment. Pyramid and all those 80s 90s goods with the FAKE boxes labels. All Junk. I sold it all I know.

[@HifiVega]

I was always curious about this one seeing it hang on your wall. Turns out it’s a banger

[@gnfnrs1186]

I had one of each. Sounded awesome

[@brandonstock29]

Great attention to detail and giving us all the information we could get. Appreciate it Big D..

[@kgroovemaster]

I used to have a power acoustik lt980 2 channel....what an amp that was...powered some early rockford fosgate 12 inch subs well and also some sony 1200 xplods...

[@ShawnKDooley]

That would have been a heck of an amp back in the day

[@arnoldsalazar5851]

That space age hustle, should continue with that bass line all the way through the song.

[@LuxAudio389]

I had Phoenix Gold amps and then X-Tant back in the day.

[@Guiltless765]

3:42 Had the chrome dome poppin.😂😂

[@HuntJ62]

I have a dragster 1404. 4 channel amp it's a great amp yet no one seems to know about it today my used it and a component set from dragster in his car

[@norbertholl]

This amp made in Italy by : Gt Trading, like Steg, Audioqueest, Eton Pa series, Audiosystem, Ciare, Boston Acoustics Gt series,

[@patrickcoughlin-qj9uk]

During the late 1980 era I had A pyramid pma 270 or a 280 To 3 metal case outputs no numbers on the devices except for a red strip / green stripe 2 dip 16 pin drivers with heat sinks no numbers Board branded. Earth star audio

[@stevencarlson5422]

Such a beautiful amp to look at

[@TheRealAaronWitchey]

Dang, looks like one of the ELAC's took a tumble!

[@wal2]

She took a spill off the table onto the hard concrete 🤦‍♂️

[@christiandshatto7765]

All the transistor clamps remind me of the newer mosconi pro430,(& probably the 830too.)

[@greenreaper8663]

Really cool demo BIG D, thanks for sharing with us.

[@peterplague]

This looks exactly like a Zapco AG / Reference Series from the Mid to Late 1990's. Also was Dragster related or Owned by Twister in Italy?

[@wtfbenny]

I believe so. Mosconi stuff ;)

[@drumsmoker731]

I'm from Italy and even here no one got the plot totally figured out. It's all mix match of engineers, designers, failed and acquired companies, rebranding, etc. Think it all started with AUDIO SYSTEM (TWISTER was a line-up of amps by them in the early 2000s) then AUDIOQUEEST and then STEG, DRAGSTER (their amp guts are very similar to AUDIOSYSTEM's TWISTER and AUDIOQUEEST), MOSCONI. The only Italian brand that never changed for over 30 years is Audison and their spin-off Hertz.

[@todddooley793]

That was a lot of power back in the early 2000's

[@bones40447]

I'd like to see some stuff from PPI the first few years after they went to Korean builds. I had many of the PPI2360 amps and they seemed to be underrated. It was rated 90x2@4 ohms, 180x2@2 ohms, or 360x1@4 ohms. It also has 2x25 amp fuses.

[@Kamakaze04]

The art audio series was nice.

[@jimbobdobbs1597]

Yessir, PPI and rockford both religiously underrated their amp outputs to keep systems in certain power output classes. It was a sort of industry standard at the time, most of those "100" watt amps would do 3 X that or better

[@bassjunkie2020]

My 1st amp was a Pyramid flea market amp But it was the real deal were talking the mid 80's! On 2 10s that were also Pyramid subs

[@markhatcher4325]

Gold series?

[@bassjunkie2020]

@@markhatcher4325 yelp

[@todddooley793]

It didn't have a brick inside? Lol

[@bassjunkie2020]

@@todddooley793 lol

[@hankshobbies]

Great video as always….glad i found the new channel

[@P-J-W-777]

Man I love me some JL Audio. I’ve been a JL Audio customer since I was 15. Wow, that’s been 30 years. I really hope that Garmin doesn’t screw up the quality. Fortunately Garmin is know to produce really high end equipment for boats and airplanes. Maybe JL will benefit from Garmin technology.

[@minus3dbintheteens60]

Appreciate you showing us the transistors big boi 👍

[@adampaffrath4299]

That’s a sexy amp! Had that jl slappin! When are you doing that small sub battle I’ve been dying since you teased it. Also please do some flea market amps I need that back in my Life! Keep bumpin ya big dummy

[@bondovwvw]

That looks almost exactly like a zapco reference amp 360.4

[@n.shiina8798]

the heatsink and transistor clip design reminds me of Zapco reference

[@mitchell4677]

Cool amp big D, can’t wait to see you get your hands on the new D4s minis 👍🏼

[@bobdodge3171]

Dragster is still making amps/speakers

[@fishyfool]

Hey, with that rust, you get crap on the circuit board. pull the board and visually inspect it for rust/oxidization on the traces and the ic's. clean if nessessary.

[@martinez1701a]

I actually have the Dragster DW 84 8"inch subwoofer, pulled it out of my 02 Yukon it was in the stock subwoofer box. I haven't used it for anything yet so I don't know how it sounds.

[@SuperBlah57]

check the prices in the book when he shows you that amp. look at the earthquake price vs wattage.

[@russelllopez4171]

I still have 2 da1402’s but one I think is blown and the other needs some love Also put one of these with the 2402 into a 1986 mustnad hatchback where the dragster subs were inverted and the box kind of mimicked and engine with pistons and a hood scoop at the same time. It actually sounded really good with a lot of bandwidth.

[@HoUsEoFcAtS78]

That's the difference between quality and China. Even the newest amps will only last a few years. Nothing compared to the old Rockford Fosgate, PPI, Kicker, and Phoenix Gold amps of the early/mid 90s to the early 2000s. They have stood the test of time. And a lot of them still can be used daily still to this day. This amp is no exception. Very well thought through and laid out. Beautiful amp.

[@SuperWooba]

I like the new Smokey's Lounge sample. 😎

[@99Duds]

Oh the oddness of old hardware. The test going into protect could be due to age of components or due to resistive loads being much harder on hardware in general or combinations of both. I think its the last one.

[@SoberBassHead]

Old school power house!!!!!!

[@spyko7z]

If i remember right this amp was made by the same engeneers who made the boston gt series :) if you look the board are similar

[@theaudioasyulm]

I wonder if the designers only ever intended for the amp to run in 3 channel mode at 4 ohms and the protection is appropriate for those loads? (I suspect that the 2 channel test may have been unfair. Maybe try 4 ohm stereo/4 ohm mono to see if its stable?) Which would be a practical use for this awesome amplifier! Love your work D.

[@AzBigD]

Great vid Bro!!❤🤟😎👍💯

[@mrbass3]

Great video as usual these were quite common in the UK I had one but blew it😢

[@nukedathlonman]

Wonder if one of the components like a cap is a touch weak, hence the triggering of the protection circut. That may (or may not) explain the difference in the power out put with the right side being weaker (or the left side being stronger).

[@Chris-B-Bassin]

Very cool. The price kept it from selling well but it's legit 👌

[@scuff433]

very cool amp

[@kswis]

Another gem!

[@vicdez]

Reminds me of Sony's "Big Red XM-7557" Mobile ES amps no?

[@romans116notw]

I had that CA&E issue with the mini on the front.

[@bojangles1023]

Good stuff....thank you for the video

[@Mr.Robert1]

The L-7 Doesn't know it's hooked to an amp. It thinks its a head unit or an AM Radio.

[@ronmock1978]

I had a pb gold 200 watts an a bazooka tube though I was bumping

[@s.o.s.exploration2412]

Still have yet to see you, OR ANYONE, with a dyno to test out the up to 6 channel capable Orion XTR 750.4 that I own and love. Hook a brother up! I'm dying to know its max since the birth sheet of mine states 185x4 or so @13.8 volts, 2ohm = 208 watts RMS. Dying to know if it pushes more than 1500watts RMS total with its mono 4ohms bridged (even though I'm running my 4 components off it rite now)... 🤔🤔🤔

[@herus6672]

Probably amp powersupply filter didnt have enough capacity to run 2ch 4ohm test so it went to protect. I think the energy surge was too big

[@KGOO89]

K start with replacing all the thermal interface use idk maybe uh. Dammit I forgot Gotta clean both surfaces 101% first These amps are a lot more efficient than you tested thermal grease wears out with time loses thermal transfer capabilities It likely has thermal ‘tape’ of course

[@travismclendon8961]

I would love to have that amp. It would be hooked up in my truck on the 4 8in mids I have in the doors.

[@wal2]

Hit me up! I posted in on Patreon a couple of weeks ago, but it's still available

[@markgigiel2722]

As a loud rock music enthusiast in his 60's who also liked to KEEP being able to hear all the music and subtle nuances, I have NEVER been able to understand why people need that much power and actually CHOOSE to damage their hearing. Especially in an enclosed space like a vehicle it doesn't take much power to create a lot of sound pressure. People are so insecure, they need to SHOW OFF with a bigger better car or audio system. More power, more power. Like immature Tim Taylors.

[@caseytbss]

Why is this on the extras channel? 🤷‍♂️. I would post it on the main channel also! This is a great amplifier.

[@wal2]

Unfortunately the old school amp videos don’t do well there for the most part. I decided to use this channel for most of the old products moving forward. May change the channel name too 🤔

[@TS_sound]

Same design as Audio System Twister/X-ION series or Zapco old Reference series or Mosconi AS/Gladen one series or most of the Steg amplifiers.....yeah you should figure it out by now where this one goes....nevertheless nice amps, protection circuit is finicky one in these. Dragster is much more known in Russia and Europe than in USA.

[@erkanseker153]

Gerçekten güzel bir ampli eski cadence ampli leri andırıyor

[@calvinevans8305]

It's a beauty.

[@memyselfandi3925]

Big D, try the bridged test again at 12.5 volts. I had an old american bass that didnt like anything over 13 in low ohms. Idk, worth a try.

[@MannyGunzz]

Maybe the the volts were to high, 14.4 ? Maybe lower voltage?

[@commonsense3505]

Got a Phoenix Gold smell to it

[@donmacdonald8880]

I had a smaller version of this amp 2 channel was hard to find anything on it

[@raymo6795]

...I wonder if this amp is from" GT Trading". They are an Italian manufacturer. They make "Steg", and "Audiosystems" amplifiers and speakers. I hear 'Steg" makes excellent amps and speakers, and "Audiosystems" is their more affordable brand.I have dealt with an Italian company called "Audiostatus". They are a distributer of brands that are NOT made in Asia, and deal with several European made audio gear...I often buy "ETON" speakers from them (German made) , they are a great resource if you wish to avoid Chinese products...as I do...but they offer Chinese made products as well...unfortunately, Italy has also been overtaken by cheap Chinese labor...great show Big D

[@wal2]

I believe so!

[@raymo6795]

@@wal2 …I believe they also made some of Boston Acoustics amps in the late 90s, great show Brother D✌️👍

[@Bassotronics]

My friend who got me into bass music said he was going to buy this amplifier but never did. I think that’s when he got the MMATS instead. I personally never knew where he got the money to get these amplifiers since he doesn’t work but then again it’s not my business.

[@wal2]

MMATS was a solid choice!

[@the_gixxer_mike]

Street pharmaceutical engineer probably. Lol 😂

[@oahupc4688]

would be interesting to know which op-amp they use.... that's the small 8pin chip.

[@arnicus208]

FYI: Same or not, I don’t know, but amps and speakers are still being sold under this brand. No idea as to their quality.

[@noelsantiago8613]

Nice!

[@JoshTheCarAudioGuy]

I'd say the problem with the dyno numbers being off has to do with old parts being out of tolerance and out of spec I repair amps and that amp is built beefy enough to do 750 x2 at 4 ohm and 1kx2 at 2 ohm bridged if the amp got freshened up I'm pretty sure those would be ur numbers.

[@wal2]

Happens with freshly repaired and even brand new amps

[@especialistqap]

Maybe Pioneer inside because Pioneer receiver use ELNA capacitor

[@quevicular]

I like that amp. it's got class

[@iceman45ification1]

You made a video years back about a Dragster amp. Is this the same one? I think you did a head to head shootout against a Rockford Power 650, or was it the 1000C? 🤔Anyways, I always wondered how this thing performed. She's definitely a keeper. Love the quality that went into it. Great video BigD!! 💪🔥

[@dancingwiththedogsdj]

I think that was a Harrison Labs amp that was a huge beast... And I am probably wrong, but that's what popped in my head when you said Dragster amp. Have a great day! 🍻🌎❤️🌮🎶

[@iceman45ification1]

@dancingwiththedogsdj Nah, this was like 10 years ago at least. That Harrison Labs amp sure was a weird one though. Lol

[@dancingwiththedogsdj]

@@iceman45ification1 Gotcha! Wasn't trying to lead you down the wrong path or anything but to me, looking up audio stuff, even if it's not what I meant to look for, rarely ends in having a bad time or anything... It's all fun and interesting! You have a great day and thank you for a pleasant response. Take care! 🍻🎶 P.S. - your screen name has forced me to go listen to Ice Ice Matrix (not a typo)... Great video too! Gotta turn it up though.... 😁

[@juanroque4452]

The amp did good numbers not very efficient but good numbers thanks Big D Williston for another great video stay the course my brother 🙏

[@JasonWW2000]

Actually, the efficiency seems right on par for amps of this type (class A/B).

[@SouthernFarmingTV]

I need a repair guy for a PPI art series. Anybody got any leads??

[@fabelgamer7410]

Barevids?

[@jdizzle3740]

what area are you located?

[@JasonWW2000]

​​Barevids only if your in the UK. We really need to know your country. You don't want to ship internationally, only local.

[@Natetron1000]

I’ve never seen this. Italian made amp. But it had some issues I see. But after the years it still plays! Pretty cool!

[@travishoel3755]

You had the Jl moving

[@devanradomiljac2488]

any videos of you actually setting up an amp?tunning it ect ?

[@Guiltless765]

Amp does what it claims and that's all ya gettin..lol

[@LuxorVan]

Almost a red version of a Zapco Reference 750?

[@VisionSoundPDX]

They thought it was competition against the Orion HCCA in 2004. In 2005 they realized the guy who made this claim in 2004 was a fool and they fired him and dissolved the company. lol. This isn’t what happened at least I don’t think so. I just found it funny that they thought it could compare at that price point.

[@bassmansl9596]

Nice amp bro💪💪🔊🔊💯💯🤘

[@bayramoglumurathan925]

Your monitör speakers good.