Best 4 Channel Amp for Car Reviews and Guide

Introduction

To create the best audio experience in your automobile, you’ll need to combine a few fundamental aspects required for optimum music reproduction. One of these components is a separate amplifier, which will assist your speakers in delivering the best sound possible. The best four-channel amp for car provides the most variety, power, and floor-rattling bass capabilities.

One of the essential advantages of a four-channel amplifier is its ability to bridge channels. If you attach two speakers to each channel, you can have up to eight speakers. You can also improve the power of your subwoofers by linking two channels.

Finding the proper amp to realize your ambitions of shattering windows can be difficult. After hearing terminology like “high-pass crossover” and “ohms,” you might want to stick with your standard automobile sound.

We’ve got you covered, so don’t worry about the jargon. To help you choose the best four-channel amplifier for your needs, we’ve compiled a list of the top models currently available on the market. However, before making a purchase, keep the following in mind:

Max Power Output:

If you believe your car’s speakers are unimpressive and muted, an amplifier may quickly increase its volume. This can be accomplished by examining the amplifier’s maximum power output, as the higher the sound quality, the more power the amplifier can create.

Impedance:

Knowing what type of speakers are installed in your vehicle is crucial to guarantee that you get the right amplifier for it. Almost any amplifier can handle the 4 Ohm speakers found in the majority of cars. If you want to use a subwoofer system, make sure the amp also supports a 2 Ohm impedance.

Frequency Response:

Another thing to consider when selecting an amplifier for your car’s audio system is frequency response. If the amplifier covers a greater frequency range, you will get a larger soundstage that clearly encloses both high-end and low-end sounds.

If you want to learn more about 4-channel amplifiers, we’ve already provided a comprehensive purchasing guide on this page. As a result, if you’re buying a 4-channel amp for the first time or haven’t done it in a while, reading the “Buying Guide” could help you choose the best 4-channel amp from the list. Meanwhile, let’s take a look at the list and quickly go over each amp’s features.

Best 4 Channel Amp 2023

Buying Guide for the Best 4 Channel Amp

If you want to update your car’s basic audio system or simply make it sound better, you’ll need an amplifier. A 4-channel amp is the best option for you because it allows you to simply connect all of your car’s speakers, including subwoofers if you have them, as cars often come with two front speakers and two rear speakers.

Having said that, we’ve already included some of the best 4 channel amp options in the list above, so choose whatever you like. However, if you are having difficulty deciding on the best alternative, you must read this section all the way through. In this simple buying guide, we’ll outline the important elements to consider before choosing a brand-new 4-channel amp for your vehicle. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

Class And Efficiency

When looking into 4-channel amplifiers, you’ll come across the term “classes,” but what exactly does that mean?

There are four types of amplifiers: A, B, A/B, and D, and the fundamental difference between them is efficiency. Efficiency is a measure of how much Alternating Current (AC) a device can pass to another while using the least amount of Direct Current (DC) (DC).

Efficiency varies between amplifier classes due to changes in circuitry:

Class A

Class A amplifiers conduct electricity 100% of the time due to the simplicity of their circuit construction. This has the advantage of allowing Class A amplifiers to give the clearest signal path of all.

This continuous conduction, on the other hand, has two fundamental problems. Only a small portion of this electricity will be used by speakers, resulting in a typical Class A amplifier’s efficiency of 30%. The surplus energy is finally transformed into thermal energy. As a result, many Class A amplifiers overheat when used for an extended period of time.

Class B

When compared to Class A amplifiers, Class B amplifiers only conduct electricity half the time. This dramatically reduces the percentage of electricity lost, increasing efficiency to 70%. However, there is one significant disadvantage to the way Class B amplifier circuits are designed: you will have to deal with a little amount of distortion.

Class A/B

Class A/B circuits combine Class A and Class B amplifier components. Despite having a Class B chain in their circuits, Class A/B amplifiers have no distortion concerns. This is because biassing diodes are present and help to cancel it out. Class A/B amplifiers combine the signal purity of Class A with the power efficiency of Class B to provide the best of both worlds.

Class D

The highest efficiency (95%) is found in Class D amplifiers. This is mostly due to the fact that their output transistors do not retain any power when the unit is turned off. As a result, there is no excess electricity to be converted to heat. Class D amplifiers, on the other hand, have the lowest signal purity of all the aforementioned classes.

Power Output

Amplifiers enhance signals and make things louder by providing more power to speakers. If you’re like me and enjoy listening to music loudly on a regular basis, the more power the better. However, the amount of power that your speaker can handle is limited. If you exceed this limit, you risk damaging the speaker’s internal components due to heat.

Maximum RMS and Peak Power are the two key measurements that tell you about a speaker’s power handling. The former specifies how much continuous power (in watts) a speaker can safely receive. The latter informs you of the speaker’s absolute limit in terms of power handling. Peak Power is practically the end of the road. If you exceed this limit, you will almost certainly cause irreversible harm to your speakers.

Similarly, amplifiers have RMS and peak power ratings, but they only represent power output. As a result, when purchasing an amplifier, ensure that the RMS of the speaker is equal to or greater than that of the amplifier. The same is true for peak power.

Speaker Sensitivity

Speaker sensitivity is the amount of volume (in dB) produced by a speaker when driven with one watt of electricity. Assume your speaker has a sensitivity of roughly 85 dB. This basically indicates that if you give the speaker one watt of power, it will produce sound at a relatively loud volume. The volume increases by 3dB for every additional watt supplied.

The sensitivity of your speakers helps you decide how much power output your amplifier will require. If your speaker is highly sensitive (i.e. has a rating of more than 90dB), you won’t need a powerful amplifier because it can go loud without a lot of power. If you have a speaker with a low sensitivity rating, you’ll need to give it more power to get the same volume level.

Form Factor

To begin with, take in mind that cars have very limited space when selecting an amplifier to place in your vehicle. It should be a tiny amplifier so that you can easily fit it into your vehicle.

The best location is usually below the seat or behind the dash, where the amplifier is practically unnoticeable and even the wiring can be carefully hidden. If you opt to get larger models, make sure your vehicle has enough space for them. Otherwise, if your amplifier is not properly fitted in your vehicle, it may be destroyed.

Impedance

When acquiring a new amplifier, verify the impedance along with the power output. The majority of amplifiers offer changing power output depending on the impedance of the speakers you’re using. For example, if you utilize 2 Ohm speakers instead of 4 Ohm speakers, the amplifier will be able to extract more power.

Before purchasing an amplifier to support your speaker system, make sure you compare these statistics. Because you’ll need to wire it in parallel, a 4 Ohm amp won’t be the greatest answer if you’re using an 8 Ohm speaker. It will be difficult to use your 8 Ohm speaker to its full ability if you do not have the proper amplifier since it will eventually become a 4 Ohm speaker.

Frequency Response

Another factor that may be used to evaluate the quality of an amplifier is its frequency response. Factory radio systems usually have poor frequency response, which contributes to their flat sound.

The majority of amplifier systems, on the other hand, can generate a far wider range of frequencies, allowing the speakers to bring out more details in the music. This suggests that an amplifier can assist you in resolving the issue. As a result, you should look at the frequency response since the wider the frequency range that your amplifier covers, the better the sound quality.

Installation

Is this amplifier installation easy or difficult? Inspect it before purchasing. It is recommended that the installation of the 4-channel car amp be evaluated by an expert to rule out any faults that could affect the car or the radio.

If the installation is not done correctly, your car amplifier may overheat or cause your vehicle’s electrical system to become severely unstable.

Bridging

Is it possible to bridge it? Investigate the bridging method. The signal is connected to the amplifier through the bridging. This ensures that the speakers are connected to the electronic devices.

Crossovers

It is critical to test your crossovers with a 4-channel vehicle amplifier to guarantee correct signal flow. Otherwise, you risk damaging your speakers and other devices.

A crossover is a filter that splits the frequencies of a sound. Using this, you can specify which frequencies are delivered to which channels. A crossover is required for a Multi-Channel Amplifier.

Warranty

Finally, we always advise our readers to only purchase from reputable organizations because they give outstanding after-sales services. We don’t want you to be repeatedly put on hold by customer service staff.

It is critical that you only buy products from firms that offer respectable warranties and care about their customers. It is preferable to purchase a 4-channel amp from our list than any other source because the majority of the options have at least a one-year guarantee.

FAQs about 4 Channel Amps

What Is A 4-Channel Amp?

The amplifier boosts the standard 12V voltage so that the speakers, tweeters, and subwoofers may function to their full potential. The 4-channel amplifier, as the name implies, has four amplification channels. One amplifier, for example, can power two front speakers and two rear speakers.

In addition to powering four speakers, many firms provide bridging options, allowing you to include a subwoofer in the mix. Everything is determined by the system you employ. In either case, the 4-channel amplifier is the best option for powering several speakers.

The main advantage of selecting these over alternatives is that you will obtain a wide range of sounds. With the right four-channel amp, you can reveal the optimal mids and highs in your favorite songs, which is exactly what you want to happen.

The best aspect is that your speakers produce superb sound while remaining reasonably priced.

Which car amplifier is best?

When it comes to automobile amplifiers, a mono amplifier is usually the best option. A mono amplifier can power a subwoofer, two speakers, or both at the same time.
The Crunch PX1000.4, with a peak power of 1000 watts, is the most powerful four-channel car amplifier. To guarantee that your speakers are always performing at their optimum, it includes a feature that allows you to adjust the gain based on the volume of your music.

4 Channel Amp vs 2-Channel Amp what’s the difference?

The 4-channel amplifier is the 2-channel amplifier’s bigger brother. The 4-channel amp features four amplification channels as opposed to the 2-channel amp’s two.

What is better? Depending on the operating system. If you have more than two speakers, a four-channel amp is your best bet. If you just have two channels and want to upgrade soon, the 4-channel option is the best option because bridgeable amplifiers offer a variety of connection options.

In general, 4 Channel amplifiers are significantly smaller than 2 Channel amplifiers. Two more channels must be squeezed in. They didn’t just slap two control boards together, in case you were wondering; instead, they went above and beyond and had it totally redesigned.

With the correct selections, you may even power anything from 2 to 6 speakers. See what I mean by “saving money”?

Why should I choose a four-channel amp?

Four-channel amplifiers have distinct advantages. For starters, if you plan to upgrade in the future, they have a lot of potential. Furthermore, they are small enough to fit in almost any space. We’ll go over this further later.

How many watts of amplifiers do I need?

You can establish the recommended amplifier power for your vehicle by using the conversion table. Watts are a standard unit of measurement for the power rating of an amplifier. It measures how much power the amplifier can produce.
The power of an amplifier is determined by the user’s audio needs. For tiny setups, the amplifier power is around 360 watts. For large installations, the output can reach above 3200 watts.

How many speakers can we connect to a 4-channel amp?

A four-channel amp is a suitable option for connecting up to eight speakers because a single channel can support more than one speaker. If you want to get the most power out of your amp for your speakers, it’s usually recommended to use only one speaker per channel to obtain the best sounding experience. It is always preferable not to use more than four speakers with a four-channel amp because adding more than one speaker requires you to connect them in parallel, which will eventually damage the amp’s power output.

How to find an amp suitable for a subwoofer?

Yes, depending on the subwoofer you’re using. Because speakers and subwoofers have varying impedances, they can be linked to amplifiers. When employing single-voice coil subwoofers, you must be more precise. Only a 2-ohm amplifier channel can be used with a 2-ohm SVC subwoofer. A 4-ohm SVC subwoofer, for example, operates best when linked to a 4-ohm channel. So. It is always best to get professional guidance before acquiring such equipment.

Conclusion

In this post, we discussed nearly all of the best available 4-channel amplifiers that have the ability to be placed in your automobile and significantly improve the sound system. That being stated, we hope you’ve already gone through all of your alternatives and decided on one for your vehicle. If you are unsure, you can consult the buying guide for assistance in selecting the finest 4-channel amp for your vehicle. However, if you are still unable to decide, we have a few personal recommendations for you to consider:

• To begin with, if you are on a tight budget, one of the greatest possibilities for you to consider is the Pyle Hydra Marine Amplifier Upgraded Elite Series 400, which is reasonably priced while not sacrificing functionality. It’s ideal for both boats and cars, and it even has an IP01 waterproof rating. Furthermore, this amp’s maximum power output is 400 Watts, which is incredible, and it comes with a 1-year warranty.
• If money is not a concern, you should choose the Rockford Fosgate R2-500X4 500-Watt 4-Channel Amplifier due to its high power output and excellent build quality. Aside from the excellent power output, it also has 12 dB/octave high and low pass Butterworth crossovers, a bass equalization, and other adjustments. Furthermore, the 1-year warranty makes it a very advantageous purchase for you.