Car Audio Amplifier Overview

Executive Summary by Professor Apex

It is preferable to use separate amps for high and low frequencies but it is not necessary. The problem with using one amp for all frequencies is that you cannot adjust the levels among different frequency ranges as easily as you can adjust outputs of separate amps.  Many people begin their system with an amplifier for the low frequencies (bass) and use their head units built-in power to drive the higher frequency speakers.

Things to look for:

RMS Power: The power output of an amplifier should be roughly matched to what the amp will be used for and what speakers it will be driving. Oddly enough, the most regular problem with matching speakers and amps is using an amp that is too weak to power the speaker. When an underpowered amp is used to power a speaker, the listener tends to turn the volume up higher in order to get more output of the amplifier. Many affordable priced amps can drive loads as low as 2 ohms or less, with 4 ohms being the typical load of a single speaker.
 
Power Supply Regulation: The power supply in an amplifier converts the 12volt DC that is available in your car’s electrical system to something the amp can use to produce greater power. An unregulated supply’s power output depends directly on the input voltage. This causes changes in the maximum output power with changes in the car’s electrical system. I recommend getting an amp with a regulated power supply so power output will be constant regardless of input voltage changes. Some cheap amps use unregulated supplies to save money but provide none of the benefits of a regular unregulated supply.

Tri-Mode: The subwoofer receives power from both channels.

Other Specs: THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) is a specification that often shows up with the power output spec. At times manufacturers will quote the power spec at a THD of 1%.

Built-in Crossovers: These allow you to use the amp to only amplify certain frequencies and dedicate the amp to a subwoofer or some other specialized speaker.

 

All About Car Audio Amplifiers

Executive Summary by Victor Epand

The purpose of a car audio amplifier is to convert a low level signal from the source unit to a high level signal for driving the loudspeakers. Amplifiers can range in power from 20 watts to over a thousand watts per channel.

If needed, you can even add extra built-in features to car audio amplifiers whenever required. The true measurement for an amplifier power is the RMS rating or the continuous power ratings.

Quality of the car audio amplifier is very important to take into account when buying the amplifier. The good indicator of a quality amplifier will be determined by the weight and the size of the amplifier. The heavier the amplifier the better the quality it will produce.

To sum out in brief, the key features you need to look into before purchasing a car audio amplifier includes, bridgeable, channels, connectors, class, crossovers, distortion, filters, power output, efficiency, speaker level input, stability, separate gain controls, tube amplifier, tri-mode out put, power supply, pre-amp inputs and outputs.

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