Hey all, I just set my car up with 4 brand new infinity speakers and still using the stock non-bose head unit. Naturally the head unit can not power the speakers sufficiently, so I either should change the head unit or get an amp.

I decided on not getting a head unit, because I really favor the look of the interior using the stock head unit, and hate making it look aftermarket (with the black bay thing used when installing a single din HU). So I am going to have to go with an amp. Now, I just need to know what to look out for in an amp, I want everything to be pretty clear, and hope the amp is 4 channel. I was looking around, and at crutchfield I found a Profile amp, that does 80 watt x 4, my speakers RMS at 75watt. Should I go for this amp? I'm not to sure because of the brand, and also do not know what else to look at when purchasing an amp, is there more to watts when looking for a 4 channel amp?

Edit - I found two amps, both made by Profile (not to sure about brand quality...), and in one of them, the RMS is 80 watts RMS x 4 at 4 ohms (160W x 4 at 4 ohms) and another one is 80W x 4 at 4 ohms (Peak 160W x 4 at 4 ohms). I can get them for under $100, so would that be a good buy? I want to power 4 Infinity Kappa speakers RMS 75watt at 4ohms and peaks at 225W. What do you all think?

 

no dont go with profile, do you have to buy the amp online, or there is no audiostore around where you live?

 

online is much cheaper. For under 100, thats not gonna get you something decent unless you buy used.

 

@snair2...

I have a couple of Profile California amps and have had no problems with them whatsoever. I bought them online as well from eBay, the I was surprised by them, honestly. I have a 4-Channel amp and a 2-Channel amp I use for my subs. If you're not planning to spend a whole bunch of money right now, they'll suffice, but if you want something that's going to keep it's value over the long haul, go for another brand. Hi-Fonics are among my favorites because they're quality amps and not all that popular for whatever reason, so you can find them at a reasonable price. Audiobahn amps are pretty popular, but are also pretty reasonable. I guess it all depends on what you plan to do with your system. Do you plan to expand on it? Are you going to eventually add a sub to the system?

If all you plan to do is to have something to power the 4 speakers you have now, all you need is a good quality 4-channel amp with x-overs so that you can filter out the lows that your speakers will likely turn into distortion, and give you a bit more control over what hits the speakers. The Profile amps have x-overs built in, so you're getting what you need. I'd honestly reconsider getting a head-unit if I were you. A really good head unit sets a sorry sounding system and a great system apart. Your choice in speaker wires and RCA cables is also very important. Always get the best head unit you can afford with all of the features you plan to use, and you'll be happier with your sounds overall.

Good luck

 

if ur gonna keep the stock stereo, i dont believe they have rca outputs to plug into the amp, you have to get a thing called a line level converter to connect it to the amp
i know it isn't as good quality and im not sure if you'll be able to use the Xover effectivley, i could be wrong there, plus if u want to add a sub amp later u could run into trouble
what you are looking for in an amp is somthing that produces good clean sound, and it will have at least 4 channels to push all the speakers
don't look merely at wattage, companies like sony jack up wattage ratings and it means nothing, most of their audio stuff sounds like crap (im talking about the Xplod stuff) but yet they'll rate amps at like 500 watts and sell them for 200 dollars, generally speaking you should be paying close to 1 dollar per watt
make sure the amp you get isn't too powerful for the speakers, check their RMS and stay below that number
if you buy online you will likley be forfeiting a warranty, so be careful because amps do break

a couple good brands are JL Audio and XTANT

 

Hey all. I just read the replies, and they are really useful, thanks once again.

Alright, well first off, I have 4 new infinity speakers in the vehicle right now, and each of them comes with external infinity crossovers. As for the head unit, I really do not think I will be changing them, mainly because I really love the look of the factory HU's design. I simply just want to get clear sound out of the speakers, and less distortion, so I was thinking this amp would be enough to do that much. As for brand, I have no idea. Thanks again, and if anyone can recommend any "good" amplifiers, just so I can power the speakers and get clear sound, i'd appreciate it, currently, I'm not looking for show-car audio status, just want to play my music as clear as possible.

My Infinity's RMS at 75W (peak at 225W) at 4 ohms.

 

When considering an amplifier, you should look at its size, cooling efficiency (fans are a plus, but not necessary), crossover configuration, remote bass control, outputs, warranty, etc. If you can get yourself a new Profile for under $100 and it does what you need it to do, I'd go for it. Whatever you do, don't let anyone talk you into a more expensive amp because it sounds better. That should be your last consideration...leave that attribute to your speakers and quality of installation.

Tony

 

crutchfield is a magazine that writes articles on reviewing mid to high end audio equipment including car audio

check them out online, and pick up any brand you see in that magazine

 

damping, thd, efficiency and reputation.

 

crutchfield is low to mid. definitely not high.