Bunk Beats: Watch Out For Phonies!

"Man.. Check out the price on that Alpine amp!!"

"My local dealer sells that amp for $150 more!"

Chances are if you find a deal that's too good to be true, it probably is. This age-old axiom is one that is repeated over and over again in this industry, but it really truly is one that you should take seriously. Counterfeit and gray market products are too common, and if you're buying product from an unauthorized dealer or flee market, there really is no way to guarantee what you're buying is legit, not to mention you're not going to have a manufacturer's warranty. Take the "Alpine" amp pictured above. Looks pretty good, eh? Sure, at first glance. But what you see here is a counterfeit, and a pretty good one at that. One thing to point out is that it looks nothing like an actual MRP-M450, but it does resemble an older style Alpine amp from a few years ago.

Alpine and other manufacturers are aware of these products, but it is very difficult to eliminate them all. “Alpine Electronics takes the issue of counterfeit products very seriously, and continuously works to limit such products in the marketplace. Based on the photographs and preliminary research, we know these amplifiers are counterfeit and were not manufactured by Alpine Electronics. Consumers can ensure they are purchasing high-quality Alpine products by only buying from an authorized Alpine dealer.”

A quick email to my friends at Alpine, and a brief discussion with a few other industry experts, revealed just how fake this amplifier actually is. Crack it open, and the truth really comes out. I won't bore you will all the tech-speak, but I will point out things to look out for. Follow the jump for the pics and details!

Unless you look at Alpine amps all the time, you might not notice the cosmetic differences. Let's take another look:

Fake Alpine MRP-M450:

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Real Alpine MRP-M450:

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Our counterfeit example looks more like this older MRP-M350. Let's compare:

Fake MRP-M450:

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Real Alpine MRP-M350:

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Pretty convincing, eh?

Here are two key difference that tell us this is a fake:

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Another key tell-tale sign that this is fake becomes obvious when you open up the amplifier. The counterfeiter actually added heavy lead or iron the sides of the amp to make it feel beefier when you pick it up.The deceptive practice of adding weight to amps is not something you'd expect to find in something like an Alpine amplifier. They don't need to do this... You already know their amps are top-notch. It's an old misconception that heavier equipment usually means higher quality (this is not true, by the way). As technology develops, components get smaller and more efficient, and things like extrememly beefy heatsinks may not be as necessary. A prime example of this would be something like JL's new HD amplifiers and Alpine's PDX series of amps.

Here's a shot of the fake-MRP-M450:

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Alpine is not the only brand out there hurt by counterfeit equipment in the mobile electronics industry. Many top brands have to deal with this daily, which is why it's so important to purchase from authorized dealers. Imagine how disappointed the owner of this fake amp was when he found out his hard-earned cash was wasted as soon as this amp needed a repair and nobody would help him. Not only does he have a defective amp, it's very possible this amp could damage whatever is connected to it, or worse, damage his car! So let this be a lesson to you kiddies.... Buy from trusted, authorized dealers only.

To find your local authorized dealer, visit www.alpine-usa.com.

in the forums!

Thanks to Lukas at AudioJunkies for the photos.