Choosing an amplifier for your audio system
Content
At first glance, it may seem that the process of choosing an amplifier in a car for speakers or a subwoofer is not so simple. But having a brief instruction “How to choose an amplifier” will not cause problems. The purpose of an amplifier for an audio system is to take a low level signal and convert it to a high level signal to drive the speaker.
They may differ in the number of amplification channels, power and cost. Two and four-channel amplifiers are in the greatest demand among motorists. And now let's answer the question of how to choose an amplifier in a car in more detail.
Car Amplifier Classes
First of all, I would like to talk about amplifier classes, at the moment there are a large number of them, but we will consider two main ones that are very common in car audio systems. If you are interested in this topic in more detail, at the end of the article there is a video that talks about all the classes of auto amplifiers that are now found.
- Class AB amplifier. These amplifiers have a very good sound quality, with the right connection they are reliable and durable. If an AB class amplifier has high power, then it has very overall dimensions, these amplifiers have a low efficiency of about 50-60%, i.e. if 100 watts are fed into them. energy, then a current of 50-60 watts will reach the speakers. The rest of the energy is simply converted into heat. It is impossible to install class AB amplifiers in a closed space, otherwise, in hot weather, it can go into protection.
- Class D amplifier (digital amplifier). Basically, the D class is found in monoblocks (single-channel amplifiers), but there are also four and two-channel ones for connecting acoustics. This amplifier has many advantages. Compared to the AB class, with the same power, it has very compact dimensions. The efficiency of these amplifiers can reach 90%, it practically does not heat up. D class can work stably under low ohmic load. Everything would be fine, but the sound quality of these amplifiers is inferior to the AB class.
We conclude this section with a conclusion. If you are chasing sound quality (SQ), then it would be more correct to use class AB amplifiers. If you want to build a very loud system, then it is better to opt for Class D amplifiers.
The number of amplifier channels.
The next important point is the number of amplifier channels, it depends on what you can connect to it. Everything is simple here, but let's take a closer look:
- Single-channel amplifiers, they are also called monoblocks, they are designed to connect subwoofers, most often they have class D and the ability to operate at low resistance. The settings (filter) are intended for the subwoofer, i.e. if you connect a simple speaker to the monoblock, it will reproduce the current bass.
- Two-channel amplifiers, as you might guess, you can connect a couple of speakers to it. But also most two-channel amplifiers can work in bridged mode. This is when a subwoofer is connected to two channels. These amplifiers have universal (filter) settings, i.e. they have an HPF switch, this mode reproduces high current frequencies, and when switching to the LPF filter, the amplifier will output low frequencies (this setting is necessary for a subwoofer).
- If you understand what a two-channel amplifier is, then everything is simple with four-channel, these are two two-channel amplifiers, i.e. you can connect four speakers to it, or 2 speakers and a subwoofer, in rare cases two subwoofers are connected, but we do not recommend doing this. The amplifier will get very hot and in the future it may become unusable.
Three and five channel amplifiers are extremely rare. Everything is simple here, you can connect two speakers and a subwoofer to a three-channel amplifier, 4 speakers and a subwoofer to a five-channel amplifier. They have all the filters for tuning the components connected to them, but as a rule, the power of these amplifiers is small.
In closing, I would like to say the following. If you are new to car audio and want to get high-quality, balanced sound, we advise you to choose a four-channel amplifier. With it, you can connect front speakers and a passive subwoofer. This will give you a quality powerful front, backed up by a subwoofer link.
Amplifier power.
Power is one of the most important parameters. First, let's figure out what is the difference between rated and maximum power. The latter, as a rule, is indicated on the body of the amplifier, it does not correspond to reality and is used as a promo pass. When buying, pay attention to the rated power (RMS). You can view this information in the instructions, if the speaker model is known, you can find the characteristics on the Internet.
Now a few words on how to select the power of the amplifier and speakers. Want to learn more about speaker selection? Read the article "how to choose car acoustics". Car speakers also have a rated power, in the instructions it is referred to as RMS. That is, if the acoustics has a rated power of 70 watts. Then the nominal power of the amplifier should be about the same, from 55 to 85 watts. Example two, what kind of amplifier is needed for a subwoofer? If we have a subwoofer with a rated power (RMS) of 300 watts. The power of the amplifier should be 250-350 watts.
Section conclusion. A lot of power is certainly good, but you should not chase after it, because there are amplifiers with less power, and they play much better and louder than not expensive ones but with some exorbitant performance.
Producer name.
When buying an amplifier, it is extremely important to pay attention to which manufacturer made it. If you buy a handicraft product, you can hardly count on good sound quality. It is best to turn to crazy brands that have been on the market for a long time and have already gained respect and value their reputation. For example, companies such as Hertz, Alpine, DLS, Focal. From the more budgetary ones, you can turn your attention to such brands as; Alphard, Blaupunkt, JBL, Ural, Swat, etc.
Have you decided on the choice of amplifier? The next article that will be useful to you is "how to connect a car amplifier."
How to choose an amplifier in a car (video)
Of course, these are not all indicators that you should pay attention to when choosing an amplifier, but they are the main ones. Following the recommendations outlined in the article, you can choose a decent amplifier for your audio system. We really hope that we answered your question on how to choose an amplifier for speakers or a subwoofer, but if you still have unclear points or wishes, we will be happy to answer it in the comments below!
