Many people believe that an amplifier is necessary for high-quality sound, but this belief may not be true. There are many factors that can affect the quality of sound coming from your speakers, and it’s important to understand them before making any decisions about what type of amplifier you should buy.
Really car amplifier improve sound quality?
Of course. If you buy a decent amplifier, your sound will be better than with the internal audio system of your car. When buying an amp (or several amps), you should know that all amplifiers don’t have to drive speakers, some are only for subwoofers and others for full ranges.
So, if you want to use it with full range drivers (tweeters) make sure the amplifier is able to “hear” them (don’t worry about impedance matching stuff).
Does car amplifier make it louder?
Yes, an amplifier makes it possible to use speakers that couldn’t do their full potential before. It will bring out the best of your car audio system and make it sound amazing.
How many watts does my speaker need?
Well, this depends; if you plan very high volume levels i would not go below 100Watt per channel (if using one amp) to keep distortion low enough. For normal and lower volume levels, a 100Watt per channel amp would already be quite loud and clear.
But if you want to use several amps with several channels, go for the least power each channel can handle (example: three 10W RMS channels would be better than one 30W RMS channell).
Is it worth getting an amp for car speakers?
This question is harder to answer. If you have a crappy car audio system already, you definitely need to upgrade! But if your speakers are not so bad and you don’t listen to the radio too loud, an amp isn’t needed usually.
What’s the difference between a mono and stereo amplifier?
A mono amplifier can drive one channel only (1). A stereo amplifier drives two channels at the same time (2) which makes it more expensive than a mono version. If your receiver has two outputs for full-range speakers, you could use a 2×50W to power those instead of getting a “stereo” 100W amp. In this case, both amps will perform as if they driving 100W but it would cost less.
Does the quality of a car amplifier matter?
Yes, if you want your sound to be clean and clear it does. Don’t buy a cheap amplifier, try to get one with good reviews. Don’t be fooled by the power ratings either; an amp can say it drives 500W but that doesn’t mean it performs well at those power levels.
Is a high-current amplifier good for car speakers?
Yes, a high current amplifier has a low impedance output which means you get more power from it. The only downside is the higher price.
Is a car amplifier replaceable?
Yes, you can replace car amplifiers. But why would you want to do that? If it has bad sound quality (distortion), you can fix that with good audio cables and feed it a low-level input (from an RCA or headphone jack).
How much difference does car amplifier make?
If you get decent amplification, there is a huge difference; it’s like night and day. If you use the same amp for your “HiFi-like” sound system as for your subwoofers, you will notice that all low frequencies disappear because of impedance matching issues.
Do capacitors really help car audio?
Not necessarily; it depends on the amplifier design. If you do not have a good grounding and power supply, don’t bother trying to get one (it will make your amp sound worse). But if your car audio system already sounds great, it’s worth getting one for sure.
Does increasing capacitance improve an amplifier?
No, but increasing the value of the capacitors will make your amp sound better (less background noise). Some amplifiers can already be overloaded by hiss (from the power supply) before even reaching their limits. If this is the case for yours, getting better caps might help you fix it easily.
Is car audio difficult to install yourself?
No, if you have an amplifier with standard power/ground/remote connections it’s usually quite easy. Since the components are hidden in the car, nobody will ever see what you did! If it requires cutting into your dashboard or doing things under your steering wheel, get somebody who knows how to do that for you.
Is a mono subwoofer amplifier good enough?
Yes, it’s more than capable of driving one subwoofer! But if you have two subwoofers, get a stereo amp to power them. This way both subwoofers will perform as if they were powered by one high-power single channel amp (assuming their impedances are identical).
Does amplifier drain car battery?
Yes, if you leave your amplifier powered on for a long time it will drain the battery, especially when you’re not around to disconnect it. Make sure there is an indicator that lets you know if power is still going into the amp (not just coming out of it). If not, get one with this feature or always turn off the extra amplification.
Does car amplifier sound better than home stereo?
Yes, it makes the speakers reach their optimum level without adding additional noise or hiss (provided that they are properly connected). A good car audio system will sound amazing!
Can I replace car speakers without amp?
Yes, you can replace car speakers without an amplifier. You won’t be able to get their full potential but they will still sound better than the stock ones. Make sure to get good wiring to feed them a low-level input signal (from an RCA or headphone jack).
Can I install car audio myself?
Yes, if your car amplifiers have standard power/ground/remote connections it’s not too hard to install them yourself. You can look for some tutorials online if you need help; there is always somebody with the same car as yours who knows how to do it easily.
Is a car amp worth it?
It depends on your goals; if you want better sound quality then yes. If you want to get louder bass, you’re better off with an aftermarket subwoofer box (and a mono amp). Some people don’t really notice much difference when using car amplification though.
Conclusion:
With all the different types of car amplifiers on the market, it can be hard to know which one will give you a better sound. The answer depends largely on your vehicle’s make and model since some cars come with their own amplifier as standard equipment.
If you’re going to spend a lot of time listening to your car stereo speakers and want to get the best sound quality possible from them then investing in an amplifier might be worth it. On the other hand, if you don’t listen very often or aren’t too concerned with audio fidelity then there’s not much point in getting one since they can cost anywhere from $200-$1000+. It all comes down to how important good music sounds are for you when driving around town.