Lightning Audio LA-8004 Specifications

T E S
Lightning Audio
LA-8004
fter almost disappearing from the mainstream car audio marketplace for about a year, the lightning Audio brand
A
has re-invented itself and is back stronger than ever with a series of competitive high performance amplifiers
and speakers. A subsidiary brand of rockford corporation, the lightning Audio colors are again flying high and
proud at specialty independent car audio retailers all over the country. To show us what they've been working on, a top of
the line lA-8004 amplifier showed up here at the lab. We put it through the paces, and here is what we found.
FEATURES
The Lightning Audio LA-8004 is a conventional
Class AB four channel amplifier. But while the
internal topology may be conventional, there are
quite a few details that aren't. First, at just 9.9" x
7.5" x 2.7", the LA-8004 is a fairly compact unit,
especially when you consider that it is rated for
80x4 into 4 ohms, and 110 x 4 into 2 ohms per
channel. It has a sort of industrial look to it, with
smooth surfaces and rounded corners, finished in
a matte gray powdercoated top plate, with con-
trasting gloss black sides. The result is a purpose-
ful looking amplifier, especially when it's turned
on and the Lightning Audio badging is illuminated
from the backside in white light.
Unlike many of its competitors, the LA-8004
manages to place all of the wiring and signal
connections on one long edge of the amplifier,
which simplifies a tidy installation. The signal
controls are mounted under a clear removable
acrylic cover on the top of the unit. Top-mounted
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Amplifier
controls like this are pretty handy when tuning,
allowing easy access to crossover and EQ tuning
controls without having to do a lipstand on the
floormat. Adjustments include 10Hz to 150Hz
high pass crossovers, and 30 to 150Hz low pass
crossovers. There are also separate bass EQ pots
for the front and rear channels, and a 2ch/4ch
input selector switch.
Power cable and speaker connections are han-
dled by nicely finished, angled set screw terminals,
which will handle 8 and 12 gauge wire respectively,
but I'll never understand why you need three
different sizes of hex wrenches to do the wiring
on an amp like this. Sure, they are supplied, but
a liberal application of the old KISS principle (Keep
It Simple, Stupid!) would be welcomed. Also on the
business side of the amplifier is a pair of 25A ATC
style fuses, 2 pairs of RCA inputs, as well as a pair
of pass through type RCA outputs.
Inside the LA-8004 I found a very nicely de-
signed PCB with zero tolerance surface mount
GArry SpriNGGAy
mANUfAcTUrer
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