What do i need to know about amplifiers that are important?

Question

some of the basics.

Answer 1

IMO the amp is the heart of your sound. It pumps the power you'll need with the radio being the brain. Most people skimp here because it can be the most expensive part. If you do, you will suffer.

I always like to focus on the RMS power of an amplifier. Not the MAX power. This applies to speakers/woofers as well. I always go by these numbers.

Plan your entire system as much as possible before purchasing anything. That way you can make sure you're buying an amp that will power the speakers you want, and operate at the correct ohm load.

If you're going big, keep in mind the size of your alternator. You wouldn't want and amp that requires more amps than your alt can produce, but this is usually not an issue for most consumers.

Proper installation is key. One loose/inadequate wire can cause catastrophic damage to an entire system. All car audio amps will need a wiring kit for installation as well, so expect to buy one.

Name brands are nice, but not always golden. You don't have to run out and buy JL Audio because someone said it's the best. Don't necessarily be afraid of something you haven't heard of before. If you're not sure, ask your salesperson if they can demonstrate the quality of there amp. But a deal too good to be true usually is. Expect to pay $150 or more for something depending on what you're looking for, and always ask lots of questions.

A warranty can be your best friend. Parts and labor. I've heard a million "as is" stories.

Your local stereo shop will take better care of you than a large commercial electronics store.

Yada Yada... That's all I have for now

Answer 2

Always buy from CEA-compliant companies

If you send too much power to your sub, you risk damaging it. The cone of the speaker and the mechanical parts that make it move may break under the stress. Surprisingly, too little power can also damage your subwoofer — in fact, it's actually more common than damage caused by overpowering.

When the volume is turned up and the amp doesn't have enough power, the signal becomes distorted, or "clipped." This distorted signal can cause parts of the speaker to overheat, warp and melt. Not good!

You don't have to match speaker and amp wattages exactly. An amp with a higher output than the speaker's rating won't necessarily damage the speaker — just turn the amp down a bit if you hear distortion from the sub and don't run the speaker at extremely loud volumes for lengthy periods. Likewise, you'll be OK with a lower powered amp if you keep the volume down and don't feed a distorted signal to the sub.

thats why its important to know the real wattage

CEA-complaint means that the amp has been tested and produces or exceeds tha advertised RMS wattage with minimum distortion and distortion is the main cause of speaker damage

here are the CEA-compliant brands

Alpine

Bazooka

Blaupunkt

Clarion

Eclipse

Infinity

JBL

JL Audio

JVC

Kenwood

Kicker

Memphis

MTX

Orion

Pioneer

Polk Audio

PPI

Rockford Fosgate

Sony

with non CEA-compliant amps you are lucky to get half of the advertised RMS wattage and its more than likely distorted

also be careful with your gain setting

the gain is your "input sensitivity setting" its not power or volume, its used to maximize clean signal strength from your amp to your speakers so that you dont send them a distorted signal (becasue distortion is the main cause of speaker damage)--- it NEEDS to be set correctly so that you dont damage your speakers and/or your amp

get the correct gauge (size) power wire so that your amp is properly powered and not trying to draw more current than the wire can supply

for subs its best to stick with mono block (1-channel) amps that are class D (run cooler than regular mono amps)-- mono amps are made just for subs, low notes, so they run cooler than 2-channel amps {4-channel amp are not to be used with subs}

amps that are stable below 2ohms are best for low (1ohm and lower) impedance setups--- the lower the final impedance at the amp the lower the sound quality but the easier/cheaper it is to power your subs

REGARDLESS IF NEW, USED, OR REFURBISHED DRIVEWAY OR SHOP INSTALLED GET A WARRENTY