When I see a high-powered amp in a small chassis, I always wonder if there will be thermal problems when an enthusiastic user drives the amp hard. I'm all about the physics of these things, and I can guarantee you, there's no free lunch in the world of physics. Everything is a compromise. So to determine how any mobile amplifier will fare in the real world, many years ago I developed a special test, allowing me to predict with good certainty whether or not an amp will give the user any heat-related problems. When I thermalled the T600-2, I found more evidence of new thinking from the guys at Rockford. In the new Power series amps, Rockford has taken a page out of the thermal management schemes used by a few other brands and built an amp that will reduce its power a little before shutting off altogether. So there's the compromise that the law of physics insists on. The good news is that this practice significantly extends the amount of playing time the amp delivers under high-heat, high-output conditions. The amount of the power reduction is less than 1dB, and in most cases it will go completely unnoticed. This is one way the engineers at Rockford have been able to reduce the size of the amp, without reducing the power.
Conclusion
The Rockford Fosgate T600-2 is really a new animal from a company that has recently showed a lot of fresh thinking and a willingness to break from tradition when necessary, while still retaining the performance-oriented traditions that made them their name.
Just a few years ago, the idea of building an amp with a less than flat response or one that made less than max power until it shut off wouldn't have made it through the first product meeting. But the competition is fierce and a lot of great products are out there at very reasonable prices. They say competition improves the breed, and if this amp is any indication, Rockford has definitely thrown their hat in the ring. Drop in to see your local dealer, give it a listen, and see if you don't agree.
| PERFORMANCE DATA |
| Output power @ 1%THD, 1kHz, 14.4Volts |
| Stereo @ 4 ohms | 242 watts x 2 |
| Stereo @ 2 ohms | 389 watts x 2 |
| Bridged @ 4 ohms | 783 watts x 1 |
| Output power @ 1%THD, 1kHz, 12.5Volts |
| Stereo @ 4 ohms | 190 watts x 2 |
| Stereo @ 2 ohms | 309 watts x 2 |
| Bridged @ 4 ohms | 602 watts x 1 |
| Distortion at rated power, 1kHz, 14.4volts | 0.05% @ 4 ohms |
| Input sensitivity | 200mV to 8.0V |
| Frequency response | ( + 1dB) <10Hz - 31kHz |
| S/N Ratio (A weighted, full 4-ohm power, min gain) | > -113.3dB |
| Output Impedance @ 100Hz, 4-ohm load | 0.02 ohms |
| Idle current | 2.7A |
| Maximum current consumption, unclipped | 83 amps @ 389 watts x 2 |
| Efficiency at 11/43 power, lowest impedance | 32.5% |
| Efficiency at full power, 1%THD, lowest impedance | 65% |
| Crossover slope | -24dB/octave |
| Crossover range, highpass | 50Hz - 500Hz |
| Crossover range, lowpass | 50Hz - 500Hz |
| Dimensions | 13.66"L x 8.14"W x 2.14"H |