Although you may think that a car amplifier is an addition to your car’s audio output, in reality, every car stereo has a built-in amplifier. Even though the amplifier in your car stereo is probably weak no stereo will work without one. So, how do car amplifiers work? Do you need a different one? Which amplifier is right for your car? That all depends on the audio experience you want.

How Do Car Amplifiers Work?

As suggested by its name, an amplifier simply takes an audio signal and amplifies it by taking a small electric input and turning it into a larger one. The strength of the amplifier determines the loudness and distortion level of the audio output. Regardless of the audio system in your car, whether it is a base model or premium edition, there is at least one amplifier in the system even if you cannot see it. Some cars even have more than one amplifier to improve the sound but you may find that you aren’t happy with the audio output.

Do You Need a Larger Amplifier?

Because your car stereo already has an amplifier built-in, you may be wondering why anyone would want to buy an additional one. The answer comes down to the type of audio experience you desire while you’re in your car. If you like to play your music loud then you may want to consider purchasing an amplifier. Typically with the amplifier that is included with your car’s stereo system the louder you turn up the volume the more distorted the audio is. If you want to enjoy crystal clear audio while blasting your songs then an amplifier is probably the right choice for you. If you are adding a subwoofer to your car’s audio system to crank up the bass you will probably need to add an amplifier. If you are considering upgrading the speakers in your car you may also want to upgrade your amplifier for even clearer sounding audio.

Which Amplifier is Right for My Car?

For starters, you will want to make sure that you have one amp that powers every speaker in your car. To do this you will need to purchase an amplifier that has multiple channels. Because each channel drives one speaker, you’ll need to make sure that you have at least the same amount of channels as you do speakers although more is preferred.

Amplifiers have two power ratings, RMS and peak power. When purchasing an amplifier it is extremely important to make sure that the RMS output per channel is not higher each of your speaker’s highest RMS rating. If the RMS rating on the amp is higher than the rating on your speakers the speaker could overheat or get damaged.

In general, a smaller car or sedan will benefit from an amp that’s 50 watts per channel whereas a larger vehicle such as an SUV or van will benefit from at least 75 watts per channel.

Visit Norton Stereo for all your car stereo needs.