Amplifiers

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More About Car Amplifiers

An amplifier is the best way to ensure great sound quality. For the most part, sound quality and power are directly related. The more power going to the speakers, the better they are going to sound. For your classic car, we recommend adding an external amplifier as it allows you to truly enjoy listening to your music while you are out enjoying your vehicle. Chances are you have invested significant time and money into restoring, purchasing, or paying someone to restore your classic car. Why not enjoy driving it even more while listening to your favorite songs with clean, crisp, and clear sound? Adding an amplifier will allow you to do just that. Most new cars come with optional, premium stereo systems and adding an amplifier and good aftermarket speakers will sound even better than that. We carry amplifiers from top brands in the industry including Kicker, Rockford Fosgate, JL Audio, JBL and more. If you really want to round out your stereos sound, add a subwoofer along with an amplifier to fill out the bottom end of your music.

Subwoofer (Mono) Amplifiers

Mono amplifiers are single-channel car audio amplifiers that are usually designed to power subwoofers. Monoblock, or mono amplifiers range in power from 250 watts up to 2500 watts, pushing all of that power out to a single channel. It is important to check the power ratings and the impedance of the amplifier to ensure that it will match up with the subwoofer that you are powering. If you have too much power, the subwoofer will overheat and you will blow the speaker. If you don't have enough power, you won't be happy with the output. Also, make sure that the subwoofer can be wired to the correct impedance. For instance, if you have a 2 ohm, dual voice coil subwoofer and you wire it in parallel, the mono amplifier will see a 1 ohm load. Make sure that the amplifier you are selecting is 1 ohm stable. If not, you risk burning up the amplifier, or you will have to run the subwoofer at 4 ohms. The power rating at 4 ohms is usually have of that at 2, and a quarter of the power at 1. Important details to make sure you ahve correct when selecting the right mono amplifier.

4 Channel Amplifiers

4 channel amplifiers are typically used to power four speakers as it's name implies. A 4 chanenl amp can also be used to power 1 pair of speakers, and the other channel may be bridged to power a subwoofer. We offer four channel amps ranging from 100 watts up to 1000 watts of RMS power. Most 4 channel amplifiers will be considered "full range" amplifiers, meaning that the on-board signal processing will play the entire spectrum of audio frequencies. Many will have high, low, and all pass filters so that you can filter out the frequencies that your speakers may not be able to reproduce. Most 4 channel amplifiers are 2 ohm stable, but if you plan on wiring more than 1 speaker per channel, ensure that the amplifier is 2 ohm stable because some such as the Kicker KEY, can only play in 4 ohm stereo( Front/Rear, Left/Right).

5 Channel Amplifiers

5 channel amplifiers give you the power of a 4 channel, full range amplifier and the power of a mono amplifier for a subwoofer, in a single chassis. 5 channel amplifiers allow for easy install if you are looking for a complete system. If you want to amplifier your speakers for crisp, clean highs and mids, and you want to have a subwoofer for proper bass response, a 5 channel amplifier gets the job done, without having to mess with multiple amps, distribution block, multiple wire runs, etc. We offer 5 channel amplifiers from the best in the business including Rockford Fosgate, JL Audio, and Kicker. If you are looking to install a standard stereo system with a pair of speakers up front (not including tweeters), a pair of speakers in the rear, and a subwoofer, a 5 channel amplifier just makes it too easy and make too much sense. With them ranging from 600 watts RMS up to 1000 watts RMS, there is plenty of power for both your speakers and a sub.

2 Channel Amplifiers

2 channel amplifiers are probably the least common of the amplifier configurations on the market today. The circuit design, efficiency, and power output of most amplifiers has come so far that the need to bridge a 2 channel for a subwoofer, or run two, 2 channel amps to power your speakers is just not needed. Now, if you have a classic car, or a truck that just has two speakers, or you want to run more than 4 speakers and you already have a 4 channel amplifier, a 2 channel amplifier will solve your problem perfectly. 2 channel amplifiers are also popular for marine applications where you may have 4 speakers in the hull, but two wake tower speakers that will require serious power. Our two channel amps rane from 100 watts RMS, all the way up to 1200 watts RMS. Be sure to remember to get the proper amplifier wiring kit when purchasing your 2 channel amplifier.

Amplifier Accessories

It is important to remember all of the accessories needed for amplifier installation. We offer a nice selection of amplifier wiring kits, offering both power only, and complete kits for 0AWG up to 10AWG power wire. We recommend using 100% oxygen free copper (OFC) as it will ensure that the amplifier gets the current it needs to ensure you get the power output you want! We offer wiring kits from Rockford Fosgate, Kicker, JL Audio, Stinger, Scosche, and more. In addition to amp wiring kits, we also offer RCA cables, bass knobs, distribution blocks, and adapter cables. Be sure to pick up the accessories you will need so that you don't get hung up when doing your installation.

3 Channel Amplifiers

3 channel car amplifiers have limited applications but they are popular when used in conjunction with the OE Replica radios from Antique Automobile radio. A 3 channel amplifier is ideal if you are only using 2 speakers and you want to make sure those speakers sound great, and you want to pair a subwoofer with them. If you aren't going to ever use 4 speakers, there's no sense in paying for the extra channel on the amplifier. We offer two models of 3 channel amplifiers and they are both made by JL Audio. The MX600/3 is a compact chassis, class-D amp that is ideal for applications where you are tight on space. The other model comes form the XD line and it puts out 500 watts of RMS power. Even though the MX is rated at 600 watts, the full-size, 500 watts XD amp sound significantly better.

6 Channel Amplifiers

6 channel amplifiers are ideal for powering 6 speakers, or you can use them to power 4 speakers and a subwoofer, but a 5 channel amplifier is usually a better choice for that type of application. If you are using a DSP, a 6 channel amplifier can be used to power a pair of 3 way component speakers where the DSP actively crosses over each channel and the amplifier is powering each component individually. The 6 channel amplifiers we offer are all made from JL Audio and use their efficient, NexD switching technology.

8 Channel Amplifiers

8 channel amplifiers are typically used if you are powering 4 pair of speakers, if you have components with a DSP and active crossovers, or if you have 4 speakers that can handle a ton of power. 8 channel amplifiers are very popular for marine applications because boats tend to have more speakers than cars. Also, if your speakers can handle 150 watts RMS, bridging an 8 channel amplifier to deliver 150-200 watts can be easier than high power 2 channel and high power 4 channel amplifiers. We offer 8 channel car amplifiers from JL Audio and Audison and 8 channel marine amplifiers from both Kicker and JL. If you have some high ened, 3 way components up front, you have a DSP, and you want to put some coaxial speakers in the rear, you can easily do it with a single, 8 channel car amplifier.

DSP Amplifiers

A DSP amplifier is a car audio amplifier that has a built-in digital signal processor, or DSP. A DSP gives you complete control over each input and output signal. The idea behind the DSP is the flatten the input signal and then customize the output EQ curve, crossover points, and time delay for the utlimate sound stage. Think of a DSP as the sound board at a concert hall. You have that type of control over each input and output channel on your amplifier. It used to be that the DSP was a separate, standalone device. However, now the DSPs are being integrated into the amplifier for an all-in-one solution. We primarily focus our DSP products with Audison and the JL Audio VXi lines. Audison is probably the most well known name is car audio DSPs and JL Audio has their own repuation for sound quality. If you are an audiophile, or if you like the tinker, a DSP amplifier is perfect. You can completely customize the audio experience in your vehicle so that each speaker produces the right frequencies, at the right level, and it all hits you at the perfect time because you have dialed in your time delays.

JL Audio Amplifiers

JL Audio amps are known for sound quality, efficiency and reliability. The entire JL Audio amp line uses class D circuitry and regulated power supplies. What does this mean to you? The Class D circuitry uses micro-controllers to control the power output and the amplifiers are super efficient. The regulated power supply ensures that you get the rated power across all voltages, regardless of what the actual voltage output is of your vehicle. This means that at 13.6 volts, you get the same output as you do at 14 volts, and the same output at 14.2 volts. There has long been a debate as to whether the regulated power supply of a JL Audio amplifier is better than an un-regulated power supply in say, a Rockford Fosgate amplifier. There is no right or wrong answer, but with JL Audio amplifiers, you get crisp, clean, super-clear power and superior signal processing. The MX series JL Audio amplifiers feature small form factors and will withstand the elements while delivering the power you expect from a JL product. The JD, RD, and XD series amplifiers all use NeXD switching technology and deliver clean power in full-size form factors that sound better than the MX. The XD has the best thermal management and sounds better than the RD, which sounds better than the JD, even though they are all rated the same. We did a full break down of the JL Audio XD vs. RD vs. JD amplifiers that you can read. The JL Audio HD and Slash amplifiers use JL's RIPS power supply to for constant power across all impedances and deliver clarity and sound quality that is unrivaled. Finally, the JL Audio VXi amplifiers have a DSP built-in to give you complete control over your audio experience with a simple, easy-to-install solution.

Kicker Amplifiers

Kicker amplifiers deliver both on both and value and peformance. The Kicker CX amps use class-D circuitry and deliver unbeatable power for the money. The CX series mono amplifiers are among the most popular subwoofer amplifiers in the world. The KX series Kicker amplifiers use class D circuitry to deliver clean power with LED clipping indicators, great thermal management, and the monoblocks and 5 channel amplifiers come with a wireless bass knob that allows you to control both the subwoofer level, boost, and phase. The newest addition to the Kicker amplifier lineup is their KEY amplifiers which have a built-in DSP, and uses a microphone and the latest technology to give you the perfect sound stage. The the KEY amplifiers, you plug in the microphone, place it about head-high on the driver's seat, and let the amplifier do it's thing while playing the pink noise track. The amplifier will play the test tones to determine the cross over points, time-delays, and levels for each speaker in order to create a perfect sound stage without having to tinker with a laptop or phone app.

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