Car amps enhance the sound quality of your car’s audio system. Today’s vehicles are known to have pre-configured amps typically fixed into the head unit and are non-visible from the outside.
Unfortunately, most of these amps lack power and usually leave drivers and passengers with a less-than-satisfying listening experience. If your speakers produce dull, uninspired sounds, there’s a good chance it has an amplifier problem.
External amplifiers can address this internal issue, the best of which can easily do a 180 for your car stereo experience. Also, by getting quality information on 4-channel amplifier, you’ll increase your chances of picking a top-notch audio system amplifier for your vehicle.
So, how do you begin to choose these accessories that bring life to your speakers and subwoofers? Let’s read on to find out.
Why the Need for an Amplifier?
The fact is, not all speakers perform well with an amplifier. In fact, external amps can even lead to a performance downgrade for specific audio systems. However, if your speakers have been half-asleep all this time, an external amp would be just the cup of joe it needs to awaken fully.
Whether a sound system is run wide open or softly to permit conversation, amplifiers give sounds the detail they need to be interesting and exciting. Let’s look at some of the ways you can benefit from an external car stereo amplifier:
- Boosts sound quality
- Delivers defined sounds at almost all volume levels
- Best for upgraded speakers
How To Choose the Ideal Car Amplifier
The market is saturated with car amplifiers of all types, so choosing the right one can be overwhelming. Nevertheless, it is vital to educate yourself on the different amp types available, so you’ll know which one is best for your ride. You can narrow down that list effectively by looking at some factors.
Amplifier Ratings
At the very base level, amplifiers are categorized based on ratings, which are related directly to their features and electronic circuit’s design. In addition, these ratings are also linked to their sound performance, operating temperature, and energy efficiency.
Thus, we have A, B, AB, and D ratings for amplifiers. Car amps have pros and cons independent of their specific class, so don’t forget to do some research. Being on top of the various amplifier ratings is as crucial to correct amp selection as knowing the types of car amps available.
Channels
Now we move on to the channel or electronic circuit that comprises our amplifiers.
Basically, this is what powers an individual speaker in a car audio system. Where there are multiple speaker units, there is a multiple-channeled speaker behind their performance. So, it follows that you’ll need to ask how many channels are suitable for your vehicle’s stereo system.
Amplifier configuration in this regard also varies. Nevertheless, you want to base your decision on the number of speaker units connected to the sound system. In short, there has to be one channel for each speaker.
That said, you can diverge from this one-is-to-one path by bringing a subwoofer into the system. In this case, a single-channel amp could be capable of getting the job done.
Multiple-channeled amps can be modified for specific applications. A D-rating mono amp, for instance, can be configured into a more power- and temperature-efficient unit when juicing up subwoofers.
Power
Power might not be the single most important factor that determines music experience, but it might as well be with how it contributes to the excitement and joy of listening. That’s why you never want to compromise on this element when selecting your amps.
To ensure speakers aren’t underpowered, you want to pick them out first before you do amplifiers. In that way, you can determine the right amplifiers for powering them.
On the other hand, if you’re trying to give your car’s pre-existing factory units a sound boost, make sure to determine first their RMS value. Then, select an amp that delivers at least 150 percent of the said figure.
System Compatibility
Some of you might opt for the DIY route and craft a vehicle stereo system out of nothing. In this case, your sole option would be to purchase a head unit that comes with preamp outputs and an amp with line-level inputs. An unamplified signal installation livens up the amp’s sound.
That said, pre-installed factory units don’t typically have connectors for external amplifiers. In this scenario, going for an amp featuring speaker-level units would be the best decision.
So, Which Amp Should You Go For?
At the end of the day, the success of amp selection is determined by how much you know about your vehicle’s existing sound system. When you have this information down pat, you can then choose an amp whose power, system compatibility, number of channels, and amplifier rating align with the elements you’re already working with.
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