Amplifier Review -Bazooka ELA 500.1
May 14, 2004
MSRP $229.99 USD
By Paul Sonoda
Bazooka is a company that endeavors to be fun, different and innovative. Bazooka’s claim to fame is the first tube enclosure subwoofer. They also introduced a triangle shaped subwoofer and a subwoofer system that looks like a Nitrous tube. One of the latest creations from Bazooka is the ELA500.1. The ELA500.1 is an optional liquid cooled mono subwoofer power amplifier. Its combination of features performance and price deserves a closer look.
First Look
The Bazooka ELA500.1 is a single channel amplifier rated to deliver 500 watts into 2 ohms mono. While most single channel subwoofer amplifiers are Class D designs, the ELA500.1 uses a Class AB configuration. The ELA500.1 accepts up to 4 gauge power and ground wires through its gold plated terminal connections. On the same side as the power connections, a single set of speaker terminals is also gold plated. Four 15 amp fuses completes the power connection side of the amplifier. On the signal side, the ELA500.1 has RCA inputs and a set of full range RCA outputs for connection to your midrange and tweeter amplifiers. It has an “always on” 12dB per octave low-pass crossover from 40 Hz to 130 Hz. The 130 Hz range seems a bit low but should work in most applications. Other features include a 12dB bass boost at 45 Hz, remote bass control and changeable decorative colored covers called “Bikinis. This is a solid set of features for an amplifier at this price range.
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topA Closer Look
Along with the other standard features, the Bazooka ELA500.1 also includes a port for remote gain control. Installing an optional ELA-BCM in the dash will allow you direct access to the amplifiers output level. This is a nice feature for tailoring your listening preference for your particular music or mood. One feature that sets the Bazooka EL500.1 from the rest of the amplifiers in the marketplace is the liquid cooling feature called “C.H.I.L.”. “C.H.I.L.” stands for Custom Heatsink Integrated Liquid. It is an optional device that upgrades the ELA500.1 from air cooled to liquid cooled. This is made possible by two cooling channels that run the length of the heat sink. The addition of liquid cooling drastically increases the thermal capability of the amplifier. In simple terms, the ELA500.1 can be driven harder without fear of thermal overload. The C.H.I.L kit consists of a pump, custom radiator, 15 feet of coolant hose and 4 amplifier fittings. Additional fittings for amplifier and Bazooka woofers are also available.
Installation
The installation of the ELA500.1 is strait forward. All the connections to the amplifier are solid. The crossover, gain and bass boost controls are well marked and easy to adjust. The LED indicator on the amplifier lets you know that the amplifier is working properly. For the optimum performance, the ELA500.1 should be installed by an authorized Bazooka retailer.
Manuals/Web Support
The manual for the ELA500.1 covered several Bazooka amplifiers models. It was easy to understand and provided detailed diagrams for installation. There were also illustrations demonstrating how to connect the amplifiers to different system configurations. The website, http://www.bazooka.com was really cool and zoomy. It was easy to navigate to the product section and locate the ELA500.1. Due to the newness of this amplifier, the owner’s manual was not available for downloading at the time of writing this review. However, the previous version of EL series amplifiers is available. The only problem I have is that the amplifier, owner’s manual and website all report different “Max” power ratings for the ELA500.1.
Sound Q & Performance
For an amplifier in this price range, the power performance of the Bazooka ELA500.1 is impressive. It met is rated power of 350 watts into 4 ohms and 506 watts into 2 ohms with little fuss. The ELA500.1 consumed 33.2 Amps at 4 ohms and 56 Amps at 2 ohms. From the efficiency standpoint, it measured 73% and 63% into 4 ohms and 2 ohms respectively. Both current measurements were well within the safety limits of the four 15Amp fuses. At 1/3 power, the ELA500.1 did not do as well. It measure 41% and 36% efficiency in to 4 ohms and 2 ohms. While this efficiency is lower than you might expect from a Class D amplifier, it is a very good efficiency for an ELA500.1’s Class AB amplifier design.
Summary
The ELA500.1 is an amplifier that offers solid performance regardless of price. It used to be the value benchmark was delivering a watt per dollar. The ELA500.1 delivers twice that. Combine this with the color matching “Bikinis” and the ability to add liquid cooling, the Bazooka ELA500.1 is an amplifier that delivers the goods while being light on your pocketbook.
4
out of 5
3
out of 5
