The Punch 45 — Small Numbers, Big Attitude A review of Rockford Fosgate's 25th Anniversary special edition amp

Ken Nail — Jul 19, 2005

Article contents
Page 1.   Celebrating 25 years
Page 2.   Putting the Punch 45 to the test
Page 3.   Putting the Punch 45 to the test

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An American original

Like apple pie, baseball, and fireworks on the 4th of July, Rockford Fosgate amps are true American originals. Rockford Fosgate has epitomized the loud and proud American attitude for 25 years with high-performance car audio equipment that's stood the test of time.

To celebrate, Rockford Fosgate has produced a special limited-edition "25 to Life" series of amplifiers. The new Punch 45 "25 to Life" amp is a throwback to the Punch 45 HD Mosfet amp they produced in the early 1990s. The original Punch 45 was famous for its bullet-proof construction and its ability to blow away similarly-rated amps in sound-off competitions. So how's the new model shape up?

The "25 to Life" Punch 45 borrows the utilitarian styling and flat-black finish of the original Punch 45, as well as a modest power rating of 22.5 watts RMS to two channels (more on that later). When you get underneath the surface, it's firmly rooted in the 21st century, packed with all of RF's latest amp technology. Let's take a look at the amp's external features, and then dive inside for a look at the technology and construction.