How to choose the right Amplifier for your Car

A significantly large number of cars these days come with built-in amplifiers. These amplifiers are often found in the head units. However, most of these amplifiers aren’t usually powerful because of a lot of sound distortion. This is because they are normally underpowered and this is something that they’ve been known for over time.

You might at first think that it is your speakers that are having issues. But what if you decide to fit in new speakers into your car but the same poor-quality sound is still there? What then are you supposed to do?

In such a case, it is the amplifier that could be the problem and the only solution is to bring in one that can bring the best out of your speakers. Given that you’ve had a bad experience with your built-in amplifiers, and you don’t want to repeat the same mistake, do you know how to choose the right amplifier for your car? Well, we have all the information you need to know concerning this.

Factors to consider when choosing the right amplifier for your car

The ever-increasing demand for car amplifiers has seen a huge growth in the number of these systems in the market. Some are of great quality while others are just pieces of junk. This has made it quite difficult for one to get the best quality amplifiers. But you can also check out this video to learn more regarding how to choose the right amplifier for your car.

Here are some factors, however, that will help you out of this scenario:

#1- Speaker Power

How much power can your speakers draw? One of the main reasons for poor quality sounds in cars is underpowered speakers. This is a mistake that anybody who wants the best out of their cars’ sound system should really pay close attention to.

The amplifier you are about to buy should have the capacity to power up your speakers. In this regard, it is, therefore, advisable that you first settle on your preferred speakers before you decide on an amplifier that has the capability to power them up.

Again, if you decide to work with the speakers that you bought your car with, then you need to find the Root Square Mean (RSM) value of the same speakers after which you go for an amplifier that can provide between 75% and 150% of that value.

There are also instances where you might want to include additional sub-woofers into your car’s sound system. It’s only a powerful amplifier that can manage this. Better still, you can bridge 2 channels if the amplifier is a multi-channel type to get the required power. But this is usually not recommended.

#2- Number of Channels

The number of channels that your amplifier should have depends on the number of speakers that your sound system has. The higher the number of channels; the more the number of channels your amplifier should have.

You will not be able to power the speakers if by any chance the number of amplifier channels does not correspond to the number of speakers. Every speaker will need to be powered from their own channel. Mono-block amplifiers are okay if sub-woofers are to be introduced into the system.

Multi-channel amplifiers are versatile and can be used to power a wide range of gadgets. Therefore, instead of buying many single-channel amplifiers for powering different components, just one multi-channel amplifier will help you get the job done.

#3- Ease of Installation

Installation of an amplifier isn’t difficult but you still need to go for one product that won’t take most of your time to install. While still in the market for an amplifier, try to imagine the possible location of your amplifier and how you need to get the wires run to the speakers from it.

For cars that do not come with amplifiers, you are going to choose a new location for your newly-bought amplifier. This means that you also need to have measurements of the place you are going to fit the amplifier with you in mind so that you don’t end up with something that won’t even fit in its allocated space.

Taking the measurements in advance will save you from a lot of struggle when it comes to installation of the amplifier or even speakers and sub-woofers that were initially not part of your car’s design.

#4- Amplifier and Head Unit Compatibility

There is a need to have the head unit and amplifier completely compatible for the best quality sounds. In any case you want to build your car’s sound system from scratch, go for a head unit that has pre-amp outputs as well as an amplifier with line-level inputs.

If these two components of your sound system are compatible, you’ll only do direct connections which often result in high-quality sounds. Head units with no pre-amps cannot, however, be connected directly to the receiver. In such a case, an amp designed with speakers-level inputs will be of great help.

#5- Price and Warranty

How much should a good amplifier cost? You could be asking yourself this question. Well, there is no fixed amount for better quality amplifiers but you should be prepared to spend extra amounts of money to land the very best. This shouldn’t, however, be taken to mean that a good amplifier must be costly.

There are relatively affordable amps out there that are really good. The choice is yours to make depending on your budget. Another thing that you need to look out for in an amplifier is the warranty. The longer the warranty period; the higher the possibility that the product is durable and is of great quality.

Wrapping Up

Nothing really beats a well-maintained car with a high-quality sound system. The quality of the music you listen to while in the car is just enough to take away all your worries. But if all you have been listening to in your car is some flat, stodgy music then know that you have been missing a lot.

To help you out of this mess, a good amplifier for your car is all you need to look for. We’ve provided you with a comprehensive guide so that you can know how to choose the right amplifier for your car. We hope that it has been a great read.