Rockford Fosgate showed at CES a mini amp that can sit behind car speakers in the door or just about anywhere to deliver power without the need for connecting the amp to the car’s battery.
The PM100X1 is a full-range mono amp that is designed to connect between the radio and the speakers, where the power is actually supplied by the output of the radio.
It uses patent-pending FreeLoad technology that takes in a speaker-level audio signal for amplification and then stores unused voltage from the audio signal to deliver up to 100 watts RMS power at 2 ohms.
As Rockford says, ‘It harvests both the B+ and audio signal from standard head unit speaker outputs.’
There’s no need to run power wires to the car’s battery.
The PM100X1 will be available in the first half at $399.99. It is expected to have a water resistant rating of at least IPX6, so it may be used in marine and powersports applications.
Other features include:
High Level Turn On
Limited Current to Protect Head Unit for Both 4 Ohm and 2 Ohm Configuration
Optional B+ Connection for Non-Standard Speaker Outputs
Selectable 4 and 2 Ohm Play
60, 80 and 100 Hz Selectable 12dB/Oct HP Butterworth Crossover
I saw it and heard it at CES… It most certainly does work. Not sure what the sound quality will be like, but it definitely made it louder in their demo. Interesting/unique product for sure.
Be aware that the amp has OPTIONAL battery and ground connections. In other words, if you want it to output rated power, you need to hook it up to a battery and ground. The demo at CES was hooked up to a battery. And at the price they’re charging…. there’s better options out there. It a cool idea, but it’s not the magic they claim.
That’s a cool concept, now will it work in real life?
I heard it and saw it live in action. It uses dc offset to charge 2 pretty decent sized capacitors, that, in turn, power the amplifier section.