The Best Mono Amplifiers

Now that you’ve settled on the perfect subwoofer, you need an amp worthy of powering it. Of course, with so many options to choose from, it isn’t always easy to know which hardware setup will let you create the sound system of your wildest dreams. These pointers can help you make a smart decision and enjoy your audio investment.

Match Your Amp to Your Speakers

Audio manufacturers rate speakers according to the electrical impedances of their voice coils. You’ll usually see these figures listed in ohms, or Ω. Individual mono amplifiers can drive specific ohm loads. As you may have guessed, it’s vital that the two components match.

The Risks of Bad Amp Choices

Are you curious about what might happen if you neglect to pair your speakers with an appropriate mono amplifier? You probably don't want to test it out.

If the speaker load is too low, then the amp will deliver too much power, which may result in nasty distortion sounds when you’d prefer crisp, clean audio. Such a setup could also cause your expensive speakers to overheat due to all of the extra juice that they receive and prematurely fail.
On the other end of the spectrum, not providing sufficient power can result in weak sound. All mismatches have the potential to damage your system components and produce audio that sounds subpar.

Understanding Amplifiers With Multiple Ratings

Some amps include outputs for multiple speaker impedances. For example, the Lanzar HTG157 3000-Watt 2-Ohm Monoblock Mosfet Amplifier has separate ports for 4 Ω and 2 Ω speakers. It’s important to remember that this apparent adaptability doesn’t mean that the amp will perform equally well with any system. Usually, amplifiers that work with different speaker impedances have distinct power ratings for each, so investigate your choice carefully.

Get to Know Power Ratings

Mono amplifier manufacturers typically advertise their products’ capabilities with flashy power ratings. It’s important to know how to decipher these figures.

For instance, the Boss AR1500M ARMOR Mono Mosfet Amplifier has a rating of 1,500 W for a 2-ohm speaker, but this is just its peak performance. If you imagine a sound wave going up and down, the 1,500 W figure represents the very highest value. The amplifier probably can’t sustain this level of output for very long without becoming uncomfortably hot.
For a more useful figure, you should consult the RMS power rating. Without getting into the math used to calculate this value or the technical nuances, you can assume that RMS power refers to the typical average power that the amp can output over time. For instance, the Boss AR1500M’s rating of 1,125 W RMS at 2 ohms is significantly lower than its maximum. Other amps, like the Rockford Fosgate Prime 1,200-Watt Class-D 1-Channel model, reveal their RMS power rating right out of the gate.

Choose Amps That Fit Your Vehicle

It’s a hard pill to swallow, but your vintage muscle car may not be compatible with your favorite audio components. Although there’s no universal guide to whether or not your battery and power block can keep your amp bumping, it’s worth investigating your vehicle model and the kinds of problems that other people encountered before you start trying to wire things together. You may need to make additional modifications to secure your amp or even add an extra battery to the system.

Pick Control Features That You Can Live With

Many modern mono amps, like the BOSS Audio AR4000D Armor model, come with remote subwoofer controls. These devices let you turn up the bass amplification level with a dedicated knob that you can mount in some convenient location near the front of your vehicle. As opposed to using the equalizer on your stereo’s head unit, you gain a finer degree of control over the just the bass, which you may prefer.

Understand Amplifier Classes

When you search for amplifiers, you’re likely to encounter different classes, such as D and A/B. These terms designate how the electrical circuits inside the amplifiers operate.

The class that you favor is largely a matter of personal preference. For instance, class D amplifiers typically use less electricity, and they may be less expensive because they don’t include quite as many internal components. Although class A/B amps are more power hungry, some people claim to like the way they replicate sounds with less distortion and noise.
Whether you pick a class A/B option, like the Planet Audio AC2600.2 ANARCHY, or a class D amp, like Pioneer’s GM-D8601, you’re likely to experience similar output given the same power capacity. In the end, the particular class may not be as important as whether you install the system and match impedances correctly.

Pick Functional Extras

How will you integrate your mono amplifier with other components? Do you prefer your bass extra punchy? Different amp designs incorporate a range of analog RCA, digital audio and other connectors. Some circuits feature safety shutoffs that prevent them from getting too heated when your sound is truly bumping. Many also include various filters that only allow the frequencies that you want to hear to pass through the speaker output, and your preferred amp may let you tweak these settings.
Remember that having flashier features isn’t necessarily the best thing. For instance, the AudioPipe APC15001D’s interesting design doesn’t make it any stronger than a comparable 1,500 W amp with plainer exterior profiles. If you always go with audio functionality over visual appeal, you can create a well-tuned sound system that works flawlessly for years to come.

How will you put your new mono amplifier expertise to good use? Are you planning on purchasing a complete system or just upgrading individual audio components? Join the discussion in the comments, and follow us on social media for more great buying guides.

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This page about Mono Amplifier was composed by V. Tobies and published by Alternative.me.
It was last updated on 2023-01-28 08:21:47 and has been viewed 1935 times.