A few years ago, car audio was listed as an expensive and rare component. Over time, every car is now equipped with a built-in car audio system.
If you want a perfect car audio system, the amplifier has to be the best one. In fact, most car contains a built-in amplifier in their audio system. Unfortunately, they are not good in quality.
So, if you are thinking about how do car amplifiers work, you are in the right place.
Through this article, I will let you know about the working process and the types and benefits of car amplifiers.
Let’s jump right in.
Working Mechanism of Car Amplifiers
Firstly, you will need to understand what a car amplifier is. A car amplifier is a type of device that amplifies the audio signal transmitted from the CD / MP3 player to the speaker.
A car amplifier is a necessary device because the built-in audio signal provides too weak sound. And the speaker’s sound quality is not much good as well as it will be unclear too.
But when you use a car amplifier, the signal will be much stronger than before, clearer, and more persuasive, which is the requirement of maximum car owners.
In a nutshell, a car amplifier is a very common device, and its channels determine the type of amplifier. The channels have 2 terminals: positive and negative. The speaker gets power through the channels. Generally, one speaker receives power from one channel. If you have more channels, you can provide power to more speakers, and the amplifier is better.
If you require merging 1 or 2 channels into 1 in order to get a more powerful outcome, you can do this too. It is known as bridging and is mostly suitable for subwoofers that need more power.
The truth is 1 amplifier channel is insufficient to power a subwoofer. That is why bridging is required to get sound from it.
Types of Car Amplifiers
Car amplifiers are 6 types and 4 classes. Construction and usage play some vital factors in-car amplifiers. The classes of amps are an indicator of the circuits inside an amplifier. The number of transistors and constructions used.
Find the most common type of car amplifiers below.
1. MONO Channel Amplifier
The mono-channel amplifier comes with one channel option, and being one channel, it is more powerful than multi-channel amplifiers. Since the mono-channel amplifier can’t be used in a wide range of sound systems, it is highly suitable for subwoofers, requiring only one channel.
The main characteristic of this type of amplifier is – its power. Also, they don’t get overheated when transforming signals to the speaker.
2. Two-Channel Amplifier
The 2-channel amplifier obviously has 2 separate channels, and basically, they can make 2 speakers or be bridged to produce more power for a single speaker.
Two-channel amplifiers are of 2 types: class A and class AB circuitry. A class A channel uses a single transistor to send sound impulses.
The class AB amplifier is much more efficient and powerful because it is made of 2 transistors.
3. Three-Channel Amplifier
A 3-channel amplifier is a combination of 2 amplifiers. Generally, class AB and D circuitry are combined to build a 3-channel amplifier. Since it has 3 channels, 2 channels are used for the speaker, and another channel is for a subwoofer.
4. Four-Channel Amplifier
It is a widely used amplifier that comes with 4 outputs. It can power up 4 or 2 speakers. Also, one subwoofer can be powered up by combining 2-channels. Most of the cars use a 4-channel amplifier that powers 2 front speakers and 2 back speakers. As a result, inside the car, a nice sound effect gets created.
5. Five-Channel Amplifier
The setup of a 5-channel amplifier is quite similar to a 3-channel amplifier. To deliver power to 4 regular speakers and 1 subwoofer, this amplifier is a combination of a 4-channel unit with a one-channel amplifier.
6. Six-Channel Amplifier
The most popular car amplifier is used for specific reasons. It can power 6 separate speakers of 4 speakers and 1 large subwoofer due to the bridging of 2 channels. It will be an excellent solution for those who want to create a hi-spec audio system for their car.
Benefits of a Car Audio Amplifier
Because of many reasons, a separate car audio amplifier is needed for a car. If you will need a car audio amplifier if you, require
Loud sound and less distortion: One of the best features of a good amplifier is, you will receive loud sound without high distortion. If you ever face distortion when you increase the volume of your car sound system, be sure the amplifier requires replacement.
To provide power to the subwoofer: Adding an amplifier is mandatory when installing a subwoofer in your car audio system. Without an amplifier, you will not get your desired sound from the audio system.
Improves sound quality: If you want to improve a factory audio system, adding a speaker is the right solution for sure. But you will get the best output if you add a new head unit along with a separate amplifier. This sound quality will become far better than before.
Sum Up
It is the responsibility of a car amplifier to provide you with “slamming” bass. You can pick any car amplifier for your car as per your preference. Different companies are out there that have a reputation in the market for manufacturing car amplifiers and other car audio apparatus. Kenwood, Pioneer, Alpine, Rockford Fosgate, and many more are renowned manufacturers in the car industry.
Moreover, from the above discussion, by now, you have understood “how do car amplifiers work.” While purchasing a car amplifier, it is also essential to know the type of car amplifier you are looking for. The answer will assist you in picking the right car amplifier.