Car Stereo » Audio Reviews » Systems | Equipment » Amplifiers

How Do I Tune My Car Stereo Amplifier

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 02:41:43 +0000

How Do I Tune My Car Stereo Amplifier? This is a great video that gives beginners to the car stereo industry some tips on how to tune a car’s amplifier. I have seen way to many people turn gains all the way up and not be able to turn the car’s stereo to half way. This video explains the correct way to set the amp up.

How Do I Tune My Car Stereo Amplifier originally came from Mike who writes about car audio reviews.

New JL Audio XD Amplifiers

admin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:43:51 +0000

JL Audio has released their new car audio amplifiers for 2010. The new series is called XD Amplifiers. They will be available in 3 different sizes. XD600/1 a single channel mono subwoofer amp. XD400/4, a full range, class D, 2/3/4 channel amp. XD600/6, this is the all in one amp, full range, class D, 3/4/5/6. The main idea behind these amps is more power, less space and lower cost. This will make the new XD series much more desirable than last years HD models. They started to be available in march 2010 and all will be available by mid-year.

XD600/1
Class D Monoblock Subwoofer Amplifier
A huge 600W wallop from an amazingly tiny amplifier:
8.52 x 7.09 x 2.05 in. (217 x 180 x 52 mm)
33% Smaller than the HD750/1 (see photo above) and 61% smaller than a 500/1v2!

1 x 600W @ 2 ohms
1 x 500W @ 3 ohms
1 x 400W @ 4 ohms

XD400/4
Full-Range, Class D 2/3/4 Channel Amplifier
Ridiculously flexible and fits nearly anywhere:
8.52 x 7.09 x 2.05 in. (217 x 180 x 52 mm)
33% Smaller than the HD600/4 and 61% smaller than a 300/4v2!

4 x 100W @ 2 ohms per ch., 4 x 75W @ 4 ohms per ch.
(2 x 200W @ 4 ohms bridged, 2 x 150W @ 8 ohms bridged)

XD600/6
Full-Range, Class D 3/4/5/6 Channel Amplifier
This one has more uses than duct tape! Deploy as a six-channel, staggered four-channel, five-channel or even as a three-channel amp:
10.23 x 7.09 x 2.05 in. (260 x 180 x 52 mm)
65% smaller than a G6600 (and just as powerful)!

6 x 100W @ 2 ohms per ch., 6 x 75W @ 4 ohms per ch.
(3 x 200W @ 4 ohms bridged, 3 x 150W @ 8 ohms bridged)

All Power Ratings @ 14.4V with less than 1% THD+N

New JL Audio XD Amplifiers originally came from Mike who writes about car audio reviews.

Alpine MRP-M2000 Amplifier Review

admin — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 05:09:06 +0000

The Alpine MRP M2000 is the most powerful Alpine amp ever made and boy is it nice. If the M500 and M1000 are not good enough for you then this is a serious amp that you need to look at. The MRP M2000 has the same style as the other Alpine MRP amps but it is much larger, so if space is a issue this might be something to keep in mind. The MRP M2000 has a MSRP of $750.00. Now we do have 2 wiring options to look at depending how much power you need and how our subwoofers are set up, at 4 ohms you have 1500W and at 2 ohms you have 2000W. The M2000 is a class D subwoofer amplifier, but I think you would have guessed by the way the out put is.

SPECIFICATIONS

CEA-2006 Power Ratings

CEA-2006 Power Rating: (2 I? @14.4V Ƈ% THD+N), S/N: 75dBA, ref:1W into 4 I?) 2000Wx1

RMS Power Ratings

Per channel into 4 Ohms: (@ 14.4V Ƈ%THD+N, 20Hz – 200Hz) 1500Wx1
Per channel into 2 Ohms: (@ 14.4V Ƈ%THD+N, 20Hz – 200Hz) 2000Wx1

Sound Tuning

Crossover: 50-200Hz
EQ (Equalizer): Center Frequency Adjustment 30-80Hz, Gain 0-12dB
Subsonic Filter: 0, 15, 30Hz

Dimensions

Foot Print (WxHxD) mm: 514mm x 242mm x 60mm
Foot Print (WxHxD) in: 20-1/4” x 9-7/32” x 2-23/64”
Heat Sink (WxHxD) mm: 451mm x 242mm x 60mm
Heat Sink (WxHxD) in: 17-3/4” x 9-7/32” x 2-23/64”

General

Power Requirements: 14.4V DC (11V to 16V)
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 200Hz
Speaker Impedance: 2 – 4 I?
Signal to Noise: 75dBA

FEATURES

Install

Terminal Layout: Two Sided
Screw Mount / Wire Cover: Integrated Wire and Mounting Screw Terminals

General

Amplifier Type: Class-D
Channel Design: Mono Amplifier
Thermal Control: Thermal Management Control
Power Supply: DC-DC PWM Power Supply
Power Supply Design: MOSFET
Board Circuitry: Globally Modulated Design
Current Protection: Automatic Over-Current Protection Circuitry
Power Indicator: Top Mounted Blue LED Power Indicator
RCA Output: Gold Plated RCA Input Connector
Speaker-Level Inputs: Speaker Level Inputs
Crossover: Adjustable Low-Pass
Connector Plating: Gold Plated Input, Output, Power and Speaker Terminals
Board Design: Dual Sided Glass Epoxy PC Board
Gain Control: 2-Position Gain Setting

Alpine MRP-M2000 Amplifier Review originally came from Mike who writes about car audio reviews.

Alpine MRP-M1000 Amplifier Review

admin — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:38:43 +0000

The Alpine MRP-M1000 is the big brother of the MRP-M500. So if you like it but thought you needed more power the MRP-M1000 might be perfect for you. This car amp offers the large heat sinks for great cooling and power delivery like the other MRP amps by Alpine. The MRP-M1000 has a couple of wiring options. We can go 4 ohm and get 600W or if you need the full 1000W you have the 2 ohm option. With a MSRP of only $450.00 this could be a great deal for someone who’s subwoofers need some real power.

Features and Specification

SPECIFICATIONS

CEA-2006 Power Ratings

CEA-2006 Power Rating: (4 I? @14.4V Ƈ% THD+N, S/N: 75dBA, ref:1W into 4 I?) 600W x 1

RMS Power Ratings

Per channel into 4 Ohms: (@ 14.4V Ƈ%THD+N, 20Hz – 200Hz) 600W x 1
Per channel into 2 Ohms: (@ 14.4V Ƈ%THD+N, 20Hz – 200Hz) 1000W x 1

Sound Tuning

Crossover: 50Hz-200Hz, -24dB/oct. (Low-Pass)
EQ (Equalizer): Bass EQ (Fixed Frequency): 50Hz 0 to +12dB
Subsonic Filter: 15Hz (Fixed), -24dB/oct.

Dimensions

Foot Print (WxHxD) mm: 380mm x 60mm x 242mm
Foot Print (WxHxD) in: 14-31/32” x 2-23/64” x 9-33/64”
Heat Sink (WxHxD) mm: 320mm x 60mm x 242mm
Heat Sink (WxHxD) in: 12-19/32” x 2-23/64” x 9-33/64”

General

Power Requirements: 14.4V DC (11V to 16V)
Input Sensitivity: 0.2 – 4.0V
Frequency Response: 20 -200Hz (200Hz/-3dB)
Speaker Impedance: 4 or 2 I?
Signal to Noise: 100dBA

FEATURES

Install

Terminal Layout: Two-Sided
Screw Mount / Wire Cover: Integrated Wire and Mounting Screw Terminals

General

Amplifier Type: Class-D (Digital)
Channel Design: 1 Channel (Mono)
Thermal Control: Thermal Management Control
Power Supply: DC-DC PWM Power Supply
Power Supply Design: MOSFET Power
Board Circuitry: STAR Circuitry
Current Protection: Over-Current, Over-Voltage and Thermal Protection
Power Indicator: Top Mounted Blue LED Power Indicator
RCA Output: Gold Plated RCA Input Connectors
Speaker-Level Inputs: Speaker Level Inputs
Crossover: Adjustable Low-Pass
Connector Plating: Gold Plated Input, Output, Power and Speaker Terminals
Board Design: Dual Sided Glass Epoxy PC Board
Gain Control: Continuously Adjustable Gain Control

Alpine MRP-M1000 Amplifier Review originally came from Mike who writes about car audio reviews.

Alpine MRP-F300 Amplifier Review

admin — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 04:19:54 +0000

After look at the Alpine MRP-M500 yesterday I decided to talk a look at the Alpine MRP-F300. This is also a class D mono amplifier designed for powering our subwoofers but it is set up a little bit different. The Alpine MRP-F300 offers a few different wiring options. You have the 50W x 4 at 4 ohms, 75W x 4 at 2 ohms and bridged 4 ohms to delivered 150W x 2. The MRP-F300 has a MSRP of $230.00. As with all the MRP amps from Alpine you have the heat sinks and other cooling technology to keep this amp running cool and giver your subwoofers great clean power.

Features and Specification

SPECIFICATIONS

CEA-2006 Power Ratings

CEA-2006 Power Rating: (4 I? @14.4V Ƈ% THD+N, S/N: 80dBA, ref:1W into 4 I?) 50W x 4

RMS Power Ratings

Per channel into 4 Ohms: (@ 14.4V Ƈ%THD+N, 20Hz – 20kHz) 50W x 4
Per channel into 2 Ohms: (@ 14.4V Ƈ%THD+N, 20Hz – 20kHz) 75W x 4
Bridged 4 Ohms: (@ 14.4V Ƈ%THD+N, 20Hz – 20kHz) 150W x 2

Sound Tuning

Crossover: 50Hz-400Hz, -12dB/oct. (Low-Pass/High-Pass)
EQ (Equalizer): Bass EQ (Fixed Frequency): 50Hz +12dB
Subsonic Filter: 15Hz (Fixed), -18dB/oct.

Dimensions

Foot Print (WxHxD) mm: 270mm x 60mm x 242mm
Foot Print (WxHxD) in: 10-15/16” x 2-23/64” x 9-27/32”
Heat Sink (WxHxD) mm: 210mm x 60mm x 242mm
Heat Sink (WxHxD) in: 8-17/64” x 2-23/64” x 9-33/64”

General

Power Requirements: 14.4V DC (11V to 16V)
Input Sensitivity: 0.2 – 4.0V
Frequency Response: 20 -20kHz (0, -1dB)
Speaker Impedance: 4 or 2 I?
Signal to Noise: 100dBA

FEATURES

Install

Terminal Layout: Two-Sided
Screw Mount / Wire Cover: Integrated Wire and Mounting Screw Terminals

General

Amplifier Type: Class-A/B
Channel Design: 4/3/2 Channel
Thermal Control: Thermal Management Control
Power Supply: DC-DC PWM Power Supply
Power Supply Design: MOSFET Power
Board Circuitry: STAR Circuitry
Current Protection: Over-Current, Over-Voltage and Thermal Protection
Power Indicator: Top Mounted Blue LED Power Indicator
RCA Output: Gold Plated RCA Input Connectors
Speaker-Level Inputs: Speaker Level Inputs
Crossover: Adjustable Low-Pass/High-Pass
Connector Plating: Gold Plated Input, Output, Power and Speaker Terminals
Pre-Amp Stage: Discrete
Final Outputs: Non-Fading Pre-Amp Output
Board Design: Dual Sided Glass Epoxy PC Board
Gain Control: Continuously Adjustable Gain Control

Alpine MRP-F300 Amplifier Review originally came from Mike who writes about car audio reviews.

Alpine MRP-M500 Amplifier Review

admin — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 03:36:26 +0000

The Alpine MRP-M500 is a class d mono amplifier designed to deliver great sound and bass to your subwoofer with out draining your battery. The MRP-M500 has a rugged heat sinks and other heat management systems to keep the amp running cool and stable. This amp has a MSRP of $230.00, and a value per watt. This amp offers 300W x 1 at 4 ohms and 500W at 2 ohms. I think this is a really great buy for the price.

Features and Specification

SPECIFICATIONS

CEA-2006 Power Ratings

CEA-2006 Power Rating: (4 I? @14.4V Ƈ% THD+N, S/N: 75dBA, ref:1W into 4 I?) 300W x 1

RMS Power Ratings

Per channel into 4 Ohms: (@ 14.4V Ƈ%THD+N, 20Hz – 200Hz) 300W x 1
Per channel into 2 Ohms: (@ 14.4V Ƈ%THD+N, 20Hz – 200Hz) 500W x 1

Sound Tuning

Crossover: 50Hz-200Hz, -24dB/oct. (Low-Pass)
EQ (Equalizer): Bass EQ (Fixed Frequency): 50Hz 0 to +12dB
Subsonic Filter: 15Hz (Fixed), -24dB/oct.

Dimensions

Foot Print (WxHxD) mm: 270mm x 60mm x 242mm
Foot Print (WxHxD) in: 10-5/8” x 2-23/64” x 9-33/64”
Heat Sink (WxHxD) mm: 210mm x 60mm x 242mm
Heat Sink (WxHxD) in: 8-17/64” x 2-23/64” x 9-33/64”

General

Power Requirements: 14.4V DC (11V to 16V)
Input Sensitivity: 0.2 – 4.0V
Frequency Response: 20 -200Hz (200Hz/-3dB)
Speaker Impedance: 4 or 2 I?
Signal to Noise: 100dBA

FEATURES

Install

Terminal Layout: Two-Sided
Screw Mount / Wire Cover: Integrated Wire and Mounting Screw Terminals

General

Amplifier Type: Class-D (Digital)
Channel Design: 1 Channel (Mono)
Thermal Control: Thermal Management Control
Power Supply: DC-DC PWM Power Supply
Power Supply Design: MOSFET Power
Board Circuitry: STAR Circuitry
Current Protection: Over-Current, Over-Voltage and Thermal Protection
Power Indicator: Top Mounted Blue LED Power Indicator
RCA Output: Gold Plated RCA Input Connectors
Speaker-Level Inputs: Speaker Level Inputs
Crossover: Adjustable Low-Pass
Connector Plating: Gold Plated Input, Output, Power and Speaker Terminals
Board Design: Dual Sided Glass Epoxy PC Board
Gain Control: Continuously Adjustable Gain Control

Alpine MRP-M500 Amplifier Review originally came from Mike who writes about car audio reviews.

Alpine PDX 5 Amplifier Review

admin — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 19:54:27 +0000

The Alpine PDX 5 is a great choice if you are only looking to buy only one car amp. This is a 5 channel that offers 75 watts 4 ways to your car speakers and 300 watts of power your subwoofer. Now this is not the choice for you if you are looking for a very load car stereo system, but its perfect for the average person. With a MSRP of only $650.00 this is a cheap way to power 4 mid range speakers and or highs and a subwoofer. Depending on your systems wiring this amp may also give your more wiring options with its ability to put out the same power at both 2 and 4 ohms. The Alpine PDX-5 has to be one of my favorite amps of all times. The PDX-5 also has the stackable design of the PDX series. This amplifier is also very easy to setup with all the terminals on one side. I have installed the PDX-5 more than a few times and have always been happy with the results. Let me know what you thing of the amp.

Alpine PDX 5 Features and Specs

Install

Terminal Layout: One-Side
Screw Mount / Wire Cover: Insert Screw Terminals and Plug-in Speaker Terminals
Mounting Design: Stacking Install

General

Amplifier Type: Class-D
Channel Design: 4 Channel + 1 Channel (Mono)
Thermal Control: Thermal Management Control
Power Supply: DC-DC PWM Power Supply
Power Supply Design: Direct FET Power
Board Circuitry: STAR Circuitry
Current Protection: Over-Current, Over-Voltage and Thermal Protection
Power Indicator: Top/Side Mounted LED Power/Status Indicator
RCA Output: Gold Plated RCA Input Connectors
Crossover: Adjustable Low-Pass/High-Pass
Connector Plating: Gold Plated Input, Output, Power and Speaker Terminals
Pre-Amp Stage: Discrete
Board Design: Dual Sided Glass Epoxy PC Board
Gain Control: Continuously Adjustable Gain Control

CEA-2006 Power Ratings

CEA-2006 Power Rating: (4 I? @14.4V Ƈ% THD+N, S/N: 77dBA, ref:1W into 4 I? and 2I? for mono ch.) 75W x 4 + 300W x 1

RMS Power Ratings

Per channel into 4 Ohms: (@ 14.4V Ƈ%THD+N, 20Hz – 20kHz @ 4I? for 4ch.) 75W x 4
Per channel into 2 Ohms: (@ 14.4V Ƈ%THD+N, 20Hz – 200Hz @ 2I? for Mono ch.) 300W x 1

Sound Tuning

Crossover: 30Hz-400Hz, -12dB/oct. (Low-Pass/High-Pass for 4CH), 20Hz-200Hz, -24dB/oct. (Low-Pass for Mono)
Subsonic Filter: 15Hz (Fixed), -24dB/oct. for Mono

Dimensions

Foot Print (WxHxD) mm: 257mm x 62mm x 192mm
Foot Print (WxHxD) in: 10-1/8” x 2-13/32” x 7-35/64”
Heat Sink (WxHxD) mm: 257mm x 62mm x 192mm
Heat Sink (WxHxD) in: 10-1/8” x 2-13/32” x 7-35/64”

Alpine PDX 5 Amplifier Review originally came from Mike who writes about car audio reviews.

Alpine PDX 1.1000 Mono Amplifier Review

admin — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 00:44:06 +0000

The Alpine PDX 1.1000 is a mono digital amplifier. Alpine has the MSRP list at $850.00 . This mp is a class-d amp and has the stackable installation design, which it perfect if you are going to be adding many amp to your car audio system. The design of the PDX’s damping factor makes it 350% better than class a or b amplifiers. Also another important fact about this amp is that it offers the same power at 4 and 2 ohms.

Alpine PDX 1.1000 FEATURES

Install

Connectors: Quick Disconnect Terminals
Terminal Layout: One-Sided
Screw Mount / Wire Cover: Integrated Wire and Mounting Screw Terminals
Mounting Design: Easy Stacking

General

Amplifier Type: Class-D (Digital)
Channel Design: 1 Channel (Mono)
Thermal Control: Thermal Management Control
Power Supply: Resonant Mode Power Supply
Power Supply Design: DC-DC PWM Power Supply
Board Circuitry: STAR Ciruit
Current Protection: Auto Over-Current Protection
Power Indicator: Top Mounted Blue LED Power/Status Indicator
RCA Output: Non-Fading Pre-Amp Output
Crossover: Adjustable Low-Pass
Connector Plating: Gold Plated Input, Output, Power and Speaker Terminals
Pre-Amp Stage: Discrete
Final Outputs: MOSFET
Board Design: 4-Layer Glass Epoxy PC Board
Gain Control: Adjustable

Alpine PDX 1.1000 SPECIFICATIONS

CEA-2006 Power Ratings

CEA-2006 Power Rating: (4/2 I? @14.4V Ƈ%THD+N), S/N 80dBA, ref:1W into 4 I?) 1000W x 1

RMS Power Ratings

Per channel into 4 Ohms: (@14.4V Ƈ%THD+N, 20Hz – 200Hz) 1000W x 1
Per channel into 2 Ohms: (@14.4V Ƈ%THD+N, 20Hz – 200Hz) 1000W x 1

Sound Tuning

Crossover: Variable, 50Hz – 200Hz (-24dB / oct), Low-Pass

Dimensions

Heat Sink (WxHxD) mm: 257mm x 192mm x 62mm
Heat Sink (WxHxD) in: 10-1/8” x 7-9/16” x 2-7/16”

Alpine PDX 1.1000 Mono Amplifier Review originally came from Mike who writes about car audio reviews.

Amplifiers Information For Beginners

admin — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 18:34:03 +0000

Car amplifiers, or amps, and another big piece of the car audio puzzle. If you going to be using the amp to power midrange speakers and tweeters, you will want to look for a AB amplifier that is multi channel. If you are planning on powering subwoofers, you will probably want to look for a class D mono amp. You also have to look at the RMS and peak rating on your speakers. If the amplifier going to be use to power subwoofers, you have to know how you are going to wirer the subs. Positive to positive, negative to negative, parallel and series and how this affects ohms and how a drop in ohms affects to output of the amplifiers. You also have to make sure the ohm load matches the ohm of the subwoofer as well. Don’t worry, i will soon having wiring diagrams for you to use. Car amplifier reviews will be available in the car audio blog.

Car Amplifier Features and Information, Lets Review

Class: This refers to the way the amplifier operates and is very important to look at. The 2 most popular are going to be class D and class A/B. A/B amplifiers will usually be used on tweeters, coaxials and components. Class D amplifiers are usually for subwoofer amplifiers and can reach efficiencies in the 80%+ range. So this design can be smaller, uses less current and not get as hot as class A/B amplifier

Crossover: A filter is a crossover that only affects one channel, just reducing a range of them.

Separate Gain Controls: This allows the gain of each channel of the amplifier to be set independent.

Stability: The measure of how low of an ohm load an amplifier will be stable at. Any decent amplifier will be 2 ohm stable. The amplifier will normally double its power each time the load is cut in half. This is most useful when running multiple speakers off of a single amplifier.

Distortion: This is often given as T.H.D. Distortion is the measure of how much an amplifier will change its signal from the input signal it receives . The figure can be in the 3% range without being heard, but almost all high quality amplifiers will have a T.H.D. below 0.1%.

Bridgeable: This feature allows a 2 channels to be connected into one channel for more power. This is normally used for powering a subwoofer.
Channels: The more channels an amplifier has, the more options you will for installing speakers.

Efficiency: The ratio of power input (battery) to power the speakers. Lets say you have a 50 watt amplifier with an efficiency of 50% would take in 100 watts of power (battery) and output 50 watts of power to the speakers. The other 50 watts of power is wasted as heat. The higher the efficiency, the better the amplifier. Amplifiers with low efficiency will have a better chance of overheating.

Power Output: The power output of an amplifier will almost always be given in a four ohm load, all channels driven from 20Hz-20kHz. Keep in mind that while the low end amplifiers are exaggerated in their power output, many high end amplifiers are under-rated in their power output.

Pre-amp Inputs: This is a set of RCA jacks that will accept a low level pre-amp signal from the amplifier.

Pre-amp Outputs: This is a set of RCA jacks that pass on a low level pre-amp signal to another amplifier.

Tube Amplifiers: These are not very common and also the very expensive. They are said to produce a a lot better sound in midrange speakers.

Amplifiers Information For Beginners originally came from Mike who writes about car audio reviews.

JBL CS300.1 Amplifier Review

admin — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 22:45:10 +0000

JBL car amplifer reviews. JBL has aways manufactured great car audio equipment and the CS300.1 is going to be no exception. The JBL CS300.1 is of the highest quality in the 300 watts category. One of my favorite things about this amplifier, that is looked over by a lot of other companies, is the gold-plated speaker and power connectors. This is important for great connectability and low interference.

Other than having gold-plated connectors there are a lot of other great things about this amp. The JBL CS300.1 has a variable low-pass crossover at 32-320hz. also has preamp outputs which are always great to have, and of course it is fully CEA-2006 compliant power ratings. This is always something to look at when buying any amp. One important thing to keep in mind with the CS300.1 is that it is only 200 watts at 4 ohms. So if you are planning to run one subwoofer off this amp you will probably want it to be a 2 ohm subwoofer. Now the JBL CS300.1 is not a beast of a amp, but if you are looking for a great mono subwoofer amplifier around 300 watts i would have to recommend this one.

JBL CS300 1 Features and Specs

Amplifier Type: Mono
RMS Power: 200W x 1 @ 4 Ohms
THD at 4-Ohm RMS Power: <1%
Bridged RMS Power: 300W x 1 @ 2 Ohms
Speaker Level Inputs: no
Preamp Outputs: yes
Built-In Crossovers: LP
Bass Boost: 0 – 6 dB
Frequency Response: 10-302 Hz
Signal to Noise Ratio: 100 dB
Fuse Rating: 2 x 20 amps

High Output PWM MOSFET Power Supply
Paralleled Dual Speaker Outputs
Gold-Plated Speaker & Power Connectors
Variable Low-Pass Crossover (32-320 Hz)
12 dB/Octave Crossover Slope
Variable 6 dB Bass Boost
RCA Line-Level Inputs
Preamp Outputs 7.5V
Fully CEA-2006 Compliant Power Ratings

JBL CS300.1 Amplifier Review originally came from Mike who writes about car audio reviews.