This month’s top amp is the Vibe Slick Channel 5 Amp
VIBE have been building some of the finest car audio gear, right here in the UK, for about as long as we care to remember. That said, they’ve just launched their very first five-channel amp and, talk about a baptism of fire, it’s freakin’ awesome!
Now, five-channellers have many benefits, not least that you can run two sets of speakers and a sub from a single unit – perfect if you’re looking for something stealthy or want to build a full range system on a budget. Much more importantly though, you’ll have more channels than any other bugger, so that means you have our express permission to strut around like you own the gaff!
And here’s what you need to know…
THE LOOK
VIBE amps have always had a heavy-duty, high-quality look and the new Channel 5s (along with the rest of the updated SLICK range) are no exception. They are considerably smaller than previous models but the use of top Class D technology means there’s been no sacrifice on power output. This technological marvel in particular smashes out a plentiful 4x90Watts, with 300Watts for the woofer – those figures are proper bona fi de RMS outputs too. When you consider all that’s from a relatively tiny 16.5×6.4-inch chassis, that’s nothing short of miraculous!
FILTERS
As you’d expect from such legends of the audio scene this new amp isn’t shy on tweakabilty. VIBE have made sure they’ve crammed it full of high-pass, low-pass and subsonic filters designed to limit unwanted signals and ensure each channel gets the cleanest possible signal. They’ve also included a top-drawer bass remote so you can fine-tune the sound from the comfort of the driver seat. This provides added flexibility over the more typical headunit controls, always a winner!
CLASS D
The innards are designed around VIBE’s all-new Class D circuitboards which provide a more efficient package with improved dynamics and a much greater transient response. There’s the added bonus of improved thermal performance too, which gives an average of a 40 percent increase in optimum runtime. The whole SLICK range also benefits from new ‘overwound’ power supply transformers which kick out 20 percent more juice than in the previous models. A bit technical, but mighty impressive!
Price £250
For more info see Vibe Audio
