Rockford Fosgate PBR300x1 "Boosted Rail" Amp

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Old School Orion 222 SX vs. Rockford Fosgate PBR300x1

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As we all know, technology has a way of "shrinking" electronics over time. Have you ever seen an early laptop computer? Or how about a 1st generation iPod? Compared to the latest laptops and iPods, the first generation models are large and clunky.

Transition over to car audio amplifiers. Although this is OldSchoolStereo.com, I still appreciate technology and have been eager to try out one of the new "mini" amps currently on the market. One which grew particular interest is the Rockford Fosgate PBR300x1. This amp measures a tiny 6-3/4"L x 4-1/4"W x 1-1/2"H, small enough to fit in the tightest automotive locations. Here are the full product specifications:

mono subwoofer amplifier

75 watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms (150 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms)

300 watts RMS x 1 at 1 ohm

CEA-2006 compliant

Boosted Rail amp technology

Dynamic Thermal Management cooling system

variable low-pass filter (35-250 Hz, 12 dB/octave)

differential-balanced inputs eliminate noise from your vehicle's electrical system

preamp and speaker-level inputs

optional wired remote bass boost (0-18 dB at 45 Hz)

10-gauge power and ground leads and a 30-amp fuse recommended — wiring and hardware not included with amplifier

no onboard fuses — when installing multiple amps in a system, an additional 30-amp in-line fuse between the distribution block and the amplifier is recommended

6-15/16"W x 1-9/16"H x 4-5/16"D

Something I noticed immediately after opening the box was the inclusion of molex-style connectors for the amp. Am I missing something here or are we going back to the early 1990's? I couldn't help to think of the 1991 Punch 30HD which uses similar connectors. See pictures below for all of the connections, plus a size comparison to the 30 watt Punch 30HD.

PBR300x1 connections including crossover, gain, hi/low input and Remote Punch EQ

PBR300x1 Speaker output and Power connections

2011 PBR300x1 vs 1991 Punch 30HD - 300 watts vs. 30 watts!

Ok, so an amp almost small enough to fit in your pocket can deliver 300 watts? Well, according to the birthsheet included with my PBR300x1, it will actually do 315 watts RMS at 1 ohm (14.4v)! Impressive numbers from such a small amp, but how does it sound powering subwoofers?

Well, you can see (and hear) first hand by watching my video below. I auditioned the PBR300x1 on my test bench with subwoofers including; 8" JL Audio 8W1, 10" Kicker Solobaric S10c and 12" JL Audio 12W6v2 D4. The results were impressive, to say the least. I'm really looking forward to getting the amp in my daily driver for a true test of this little beast and how it performs in the harsh automotive environment.


Stay tuned for an upcoming power output test of this amp. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube Channel to stay notified of my latest video uploads.

See the mystery "unboxing" of these Old School Gems below:

Video in 720p HD

or embedded below:

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