In this article, we are going to talk about the compact Sundown Audio SFB series amplifiers. The SFB series is a fairly newer amplifier lineup in the Sundown arsenal and there are still some questions out there that car audio lovers have about them. I am going to attempt to answer some of the most asked questions and give you some technical specs of these amplifiers to shed more light on their construction and performance.
What are Sundown Audio SFB Amplifiers?
The SFB in the Sundown SFB series amplifiers stands for, quite simply, Sundown Full-Bridge. In order to understand what the term “full-bridge” means, we need to discuss both a typical half-bridge amplifier, a full-bridge amplifier and how they work. I will try to keep this as simple as I can so that it is easy for most individuals to understand.
- Half-Bridge Topology
In a half-bridge amplifier, the positive speaker terminals provide the output signal, while the negative speaker terminal is tied to the ground. When the output voltage on the positive terminal fluctuates from high to low, it creates an overall voltage difference, causing the speaker to react accordingly.
- Full-Bridge Topology
In a full-bridge amplifier, the typical positive and negative terminals are done away with. In layman’s terms, both the positive and negative terminals are active. This means that when there is a positive output voltage on the positive terminal, there will be a negative voltage produced on the negative terminal creating the voltage difference needed to get the speaker to react. By utilizing the full-bridge topology, the SFB amplifier can produce high power with less voltage across the rails.
SFB Facts and Benefits
Most of the full-bridge amplifiers in the car audio market today are Brazilian-made amplifiers, this is not the case when it comes to the SFB series. The SFB series amplifiers from Sundown Audio are produced in China. The SFB series amps are produced in China to keep the amplifiers at a very competitive price point for their power ratings. This does not mean they are cheaply made. If you are familiar with the Sundown Audio brand, you know all of their products are designed and built to perform exceedingly well.
Because these amplifiers utilize the full-bridge topology, they offer high power ratings in a much smaller package than similarly rated half-bridge amplifiers. This is because the internals of the SFB amplifier is similar to having two half-bridge amplifiers strapped on a single board. This allows the amplifiers to be produced with fewer components keeping their dimensions smaller.
In all amp dyno tests that were performed on this series of Sundown amplifiers, the result was the SFB amplifiers outperforming their power ratings by substantial amounts. You can find some of the amp dyno results of the SFB-1000D in a YouTube video from Williston Audio Labs by clicking HERE.
The Cons
There aren’t many negative points to go over in regard to the SFB line, but there are a few things to consider when purchasing these amplifiers. The SFB line cannot be run with an impedance lower than 1 ohm. For most users, this should not be an issue, but keep that in mind when it comes to your subwoofer’s voice coil configuration because any impedance lower than 1 ohm will damage the amplifier.
In addition, because the SFB line utilizes the full-bridge topology, these amplifiers cannot be strapped. You can, however, use a (gain-matched) two-amplifier setup to power a dual-voice coil subwoofer as long as the impedance of the coils is not below 1 ohm.
SFB Full Line-Up
The SFB series amplifiers are available in a wide range of RMS ratings. So no matter how big or small your build is, there is an SFB amplifier for you. Here are the SFB amplifiers available at the time of this writing.
SFB Amplifiers |
|
MODEL |
POWER RATINGS @ 14.4V |
600 WRMS @ 1 ohm 350 WRMS @ 2 ohms 250 WRMS @ 4 ohms |
|
1000 WRMS @ 1 ohm 850 WRMS @ 2 ohms 500 WRMS @ 4 ohms |
|
1500 WRMS @ 1 ohm 1200 WRMS @ 2 ohms 650 WRMS @ 4 ohms |
|
2000 WRMS @ 1 ohm 1500 WRMS @ 2 ohms 950 WRMS @ 4 ohms |
|
3000 WRMS @ 1 ohm 2000 WRMS @ 2 ohms 1100 WRMS @ 4 ohms |
|
5000 WRMS @ 1 ohm 3200 WRMS @ 2 ohms 2200 WRMS @ 4 ohms |
|
8000 WRMS @ 1 ohm 5000 WRMS @ 2 ohms 3250 WRMS @ 4 ohms |
|
13500 WRMS @ 1 ohm 8100 WRMS @ 2 ohms 5500 WRMS @ 4 ohms |
|
200 WRMS/CH @ 1 ohm 125 WRMS/CH @ 2 ohms 75 WRMS/CH @ 4 ohms |
|
500 WRMS/CH @ 1 ohm 300 WRMS/CH @ 2 ohms 200 WRMS/CH @ 4 ohms |
|
1050 WRMS/CH @ 1 ohm 590 WRMS/CH @ 2 ohms 350 WRMS/CH @ 4 ohms |
|
CH #5 1000 WRMS @ 1ohm (CH 1 – 4) Not supported 300 WRMS/CH + 500 WRMS @ 2 ohms 200 WRMS/CH + 250 WRMS @ 4 ohms |
Conclusion
If you are looking to get a cost-effective Sundown Audio amplifier that produces big power in a small footprint, I highly recommend the SFB line for you. As described previously in this post, there are plenty of benefits to installing an SFB amplifier in your vehicle. Also, being Sundown Audio, you know these amplifiers will provide the power you need to give your system the power it needs to be loud.
The SFB amplifiers are available on the DOWN4SOUND SHOP website. The amplifiers and the technical specs and can be found by clicking HERE.
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