Post by Candyman on Oct 8, 2008 1:36:36 GMT -8
Hello Everyone,
Adding an amplifier to your sound system provides two benefits over a basic car stereo setup: more power and better sound.
* More power. If you have a quality aftermarket in-dash receiver, you may think you already have all of the power you need, especially if you're looking at an amp that has the same "spec" for power. Those specs, however, can be misleading-50 watts x 4 usually translates to peak power on the receiver, while it indicates RMS power on the amp. Peak power is wattage output for short bursts of music; RMS power, on the other hand, is what an amplifier can produce over an extended period of time. 50 watts RMS is equivalent to about 100 watts peak power.
* Better sound. Because an amp is bigger than an in-dash receiver and is a dedicated device, engineers can use higher-end components such as better transistors and heat sinks. They can also locate sources of noise, such as the power supply, far from other circuits in the amp. This produces a cleaner, clearer sound so you won't have to crank the stereo up just to hear all the details in your music.
Types and features of amplifiers
* Classes. An amp's circuit design determines its class of operation. Class A amps sound great, but because of power inefficiency and high heat production they're used mostly for home systems, not cars. Class AB amps are commonly used in vehicles, because they provide low distortion, good reliability, and reasonable efficiency. Class D amps produce less heat, require less current, perform more efficiently, and are smaller than Class AB amps, but they tend to have more distortion. For this reason, they make great subwoofer amps since the distortion is almost impossible to detect in the low frequency ranges that subs play.
* Channels. Amps have one or more channels. A 1-channel (or mono) amp drives subwoofers and is usually Class D. A 2-channel amp will drive two speakers, or it can be "bridged" into one channel to drive a subwoofer. A 4-channel amp will drive front and back speakers, or it can be bridged into two or three channels to drive-for example-two speakers and a sub. 3 and 5-channel amps have a dedicated sub output. There are even 6 and 7-channel amps for elaborate mobile theater systems.
* Special Features. Most amps offer some variation of bass boost. This may be a switch (you switch the boost on and off) or a knob (you dial in a variable amount of boost). Most amps also feature a built-in crossover, which is a filter that allows certain frequencies to pass while blocking others. The most common crossover is a low-pass, which filters out all of the high tones and passes the low notes to a sub. If you're adding an amp to a factory receiver, make sure you select an amp with speaker level inputs; you'll need those to accept the speaker level outputs from the receiver (aftermarket receivers use line level outputs which work with all amps).
Thinking of future upgrades?
When you buy an amp, you want to select a model that will serve you well for a long time-you might have it longer than you have the car! For example, you may think that since you don't have a subwoofer, a 2-channel amp should be plenty. But if you want to add a subwoofer later, consider getting a multi-channel amp. A 5-channel amp will give you a dedicated sub output while driving 4 speakers, and a 4-channel amp gives you the option of bridging a pair of channels (or lets you run 4 speakers in the car). As long as you stay within the recommended power range for your speakers, the more powerful the amp, the better your car audio will sound.
Identifying the features:
Take it easy.
Candyman
Adding an amplifier to your sound system provides two benefits over a basic car stereo setup: more power and better sound.
* More power. If you have a quality aftermarket in-dash receiver, you may think you already have all of the power you need, especially if you're looking at an amp that has the same "spec" for power. Those specs, however, can be misleading-50 watts x 4 usually translates to peak power on the receiver, while it indicates RMS power on the amp. Peak power is wattage output for short bursts of music; RMS power, on the other hand, is what an amplifier can produce over an extended period of time. 50 watts RMS is equivalent to about 100 watts peak power.
* Better sound. Because an amp is bigger than an in-dash receiver and is a dedicated device, engineers can use higher-end components such as better transistors and heat sinks. They can also locate sources of noise, such as the power supply, far from other circuits in the amp. This produces a cleaner, clearer sound so you won't have to crank the stereo up just to hear all the details in your music.
Types and features of amplifiers
* Classes. An amp's circuit design determines its class of operation. Class A amps sound great, but because of power inefficiency and high heat production they're used mostly for home systems, not cars. Class AB amps are commonly used in vehicles, because they provide low distortion, good reliability, and reasonable efficiency. Class D amps produce less heat, require less current, perform more efficiently, and are smaller than Class AB amps, but they tend to have more distortion. For this reason, they make great subwoofer amps since the distortion is almost impossible to detect in the low frequency ranges that subs play.
* Channels. Amps have one or more channels. A 1-channel (or mono) amp drives subwoofers and is usually Class D. A 2-channel amp will drive two speakers, or it can be "bridged" into one channel to drive a subwoofer. A 4-channel amp will drive front and back speakers, or it can be bridged into two or three channels to drive-for example-two speakers and a sub. 3 and 5-channel amps have a dedicated sub output. There are even 6 and 7-channel amps for elaborate mobile theater systems.
* Special Features. Most amps offer some variation of bass boost. This may be a switch (you switch the boost on and off) or a knob (you dial in a variable amount of boost). Most amps also feature a built-in crossover, which is a filter that allows certain frequencies to pass while blocking others. The most common crossover is a low-pass, which filters out all of the high tones and passes the low notes to a sub. If you're adding an amp to a factory receiver, make sure you select an amp with speaker level inputs; you'll need those to accept the speaker level outputs from the receiver (aftermarket receivers use line level outputs which work with all amps).
Thinking of future upgrades?
When you buy an amp, you want to select a model that will serve you well for a long time-you might have it longer than you have the car! For example, you may think that since you don't have a subwoofer, a 2-channel amp should be plenty. But if you want to add a subwoofer later, consider getting a multi-channel amp. A 5-channel amp will give you a dedicated sub output while driving 4 speakers, and a 4-channel amp gives you the option of bridging a pair of channels (or lets you run 4 speakers in the car). As long as you stay within the recommended power range for your speakers, the more powerful the amp, the better your car audio will sound.
Identifying the features:
Take it easy.
Candyman
