The Pioneer GM-X364 : Only For The Meek
Written: Nov 28 '02
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Pros: Cheap, small, looks good, adjustable
Cons: Lacks any real power
The Bottom Line: A good little amp, but only suitable for the mildest of systems.
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| AVaddict's Full Review: Pioneer GM-X3 Car Amp |
A Little Background
This unit was installed in a 1999 Mitsubishi Galant to power the primary speakers along with Pioneer GM-X562 to power the Lightning Audio P1.12.4 (low end) sub. The amp was fed by an 8g lead coming from a distribution block fed by a 4g power line. This amp ran a pair of JBL GTO605c components in the front and a pair of JBL 935s in the rear deck. The signal came through Rockford Fosgate CPST-500 RCAs originating from a Sony CDX-M730 that was replacing a Sony XR-M550 tape deck. There was no sound damping in this vehicle, but ride noise is pretty good for stock.
Install
The install of this amp into the trunk of the Galant was relatively easy, most of the lines short of the power leads were already in place. Running the power line from the engine bay just meant routing the wire to the firewall where I simply drilled a half-inch hole and fed it through. I ran the power line down the right side of the car. Just pulling off the sill caps and pulling back the carpet reveals more than enough room to run a variety of lines.
The amp is mounted on the truck floor located right next to the rear seat pass through, just under the CD changer that is staying with the system. I normally space amps off the mounting surface for cooling and vibration concerns, but didn't in this situation. The only difference I have noticed from my normal installs being the unit stays hotter longer, but not excessively more than most amps.
Performance
In the cast majority of situations this amplifier will supply 35w x 4 into a 4ohm load. It is 2/3/4 way capable, but in my opinion 4-way is the intended path. Just FYI, when bridged, this amp will produce 65w x 2 into 4 ohms. This seems very close to what most head units offer for RMS power, usually about 22-27 watts, but this unit will play louder in general as well as provide much better bass at low levels. This is not just because the power output is a little higher, but because there is more room for larger and more effective circuitry. Said circuitry includes very small (but vastly efficient) capacitors, better resistors, better boards, and a higher quality build simply because space is not such an issue.
I don't mean to suggest this amp will blow you away, it probably won't unless your only previous experience with car stereo the stock offering that came with the car. Versus stock, it does play louder and clearer, but compared to an average aftermarket head unit, it is only a minor step up. You will notice increased thump to the bass, an overall increase in quality volume, but it still won't have any real punch until a sub and another amp are added. This is where the features really come in.
Features
As most amps do, this unit features gain control which can be absolutely vital when balancing front vs rear outputs when using a pair of 2-ways. This amplifier, being a four channel unit doesn't suffer from this issue, but still having the control there is nice as you try to match it to a component sub. Though there are no other markings than just the bottom and top of the spectrum on the gain adjustment, it is relatively easy to come to a good equilibrium.
This particular amplifier does not feature speaker level inputs, but that's really only useful when not replacing the head unit. It's not the way to go, replace that stereo, they're cheap and widely available. The speaker terminals will accommodate very good sized rings or spades as will the power and ground terminals. This is convenient when upgrading wiring and/or connections. Bigger isn't always better, but why be limited by poor terminal technology?
This amp features a replaceable 35-amp fuse as well as internal thermal protection, i.e., it will shut itself down when temperatures get out of control. It also features a high and low pass switch to help tune your system to its best. The high / low pass filter kicks in at 80hz allowing you to cut any frequencies below or above. There is a neutral position to the switches, so if you are looking for the full signal you can always get it. An adjustable filter is more useful, but this is a lower priced unit.
Likes
This amp is nice to look at. It has a little red light on the top that glows red when active and the between the silver of the heat sinks and the bluish purple of the side plates it is bound to match most trunks. It provides slightly higher quality sound and volume for a very affordable price. It is very easy to hook up and all of the terminals are well marked and easy to understand. In the future if you add another identical to this or more powerful, it is bridgeable for a dramatic bump in power output, as well as the ability to drop even more into a 2ohm load.
Dislikes
Even for the power output, this unit just doesn’t have the oomph you might expect, distorting well before one would expect, again, even with the output considered. This unit gets very hot very quickly when pushed hard for more than about 10 minutes straight and take a significant amount of time to cool off. In this respect it’s clear that the “heat sink” is more form than function. I don’t see this as a danger, but heat will take its toll on the electronics eventually.
Final Thoughts
Well , it is clear that if one requires heavy thump from the primary speakers, look for something along the lines of 60 watts per channel or better, whether from Pioneer or elsewhere, assuming a sub of at least ten inches is also used. I don’t want to bash this amp, it’s a capable little thing and surprised me at first listen, but it does have limits. If volume levels are a concern, steer clear of this amp. I you are looking for a mild boost in power and overall performance and may or may not plan to add a sub, this may be a good option for as little $139, possibly less in the coming months. Feel free to leave questions or comments!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 139 + s/h
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