4-channel Amps at Crutchfield Canada (2024)

FAQs

Why would you need a 4 channel amp? ›

A four-channel amp works to power: Four speakers; Two speakers and a subwoofer—you can use a four-channel amp to power a subwoofer and two rear full-range speakers by bridging two of the channels to power the sub.

You can connect eight 4 ohm speakers (two per channel) to an amp rated at 2 ohms per channel. You can connect eight 8 ohm speakers (two per channel) to an amp rated at 4 ohms per channel.

For example: a 4-channel amp could drive two speakers and a subwoofer wired to a bridged channel, combining two channels for a single more powerful channel. If you're thinking of pairing with four speakers and one or two subwoofers, a 5-channel amp would be ideal.

You should select an amplifier that can provide enough power to meet your speaker's nominal impedance rating. As mentioned earlier, it's recommended that you choose an amplifier that offers about twice the RMS or continuous power rating of your speaker.

Adding a 4-channel amp to your car stereo system — two channels to run the front speakers and two channels to run the rear speakers — not only raises the sound level, but also greatly increases the sound quality of your music.

If the interior has 4 or more speakers with a subwoofer, a 4 channel car amplifier will be the better choice for clear and high-quality sound. A 4 channel amplifier is just like a 2 channel amp but is an expanded version of it.

Double-check the specifications of both the amplifier and speakers to confirm that the wiring configuration meets their requirements. By following these steps and understanding the impedance relationships, you can successfully wire 8 speakers to a 4-channel amplifier for an optimal audio experience.

You can connect 6 speakers to 4 channel amp either in series or parallel. Both have their advantages as well as disadvantages. The choice will be yours.

Can you bridge 4 channels amp into 1 Subwoofer? This is technically possible, but not recommended. Bridging 4 channel amplifier into 1 will result in a significant loss of power and could damage your amplifier or speakers.

If you drive a compact coupe or hatchback, a sports car, or a small-cab pickup, then an amp that's 50-watts RMS per channel or smaller will probably do fine, overcoming road noises and adding clarity to your music. If you still have the factory speakers, 45 or 50 watts is about as much power as you should use.

How to match an amplifier with speakers? ›

Matching Strategy: A general rule of thumb is to choose an amplifier whose RMS power output per channel is between 75% and 150% of the speakers' RMS power rating.

Find the Sub's RMS Rating

For multiple subs, multiply the number of subs by their RMS ratings for a total RMS rating. The amp you choose will have to be capable of powering 75% to 150% of the total RMS rating for the entire subwoofer system.

Simple answer is yes, an amp with insufficient power capability for the sound level wanted most definitely can damage speakers - and that happening is more likely than using an amp capable of far higher power than the speakers can handle. It does depend on the amp, and the speakers, but that is the general position.

E.g. if you have a 6Ω speaker with a power handling range between 100 to 150 Watts, you will need a receiver or amplifier with a rated power of at least a 100W (RMS) going up to 150 Watts.

A speaker's peak power handling is typically 4 times its continuous power handling. So the speaker can probably handle 1000 watts peak. That means you can use a 1000 watt amplifier to drive that speaker -- as long as you use that power for peaks, and do not drive the speaker continuously with 1000 watts.

With four decks at your disposal, you can seamlessly mix between multiple songs, create complex layering effects, and even incorporate live sampling into your sets.

Usually, you'll be installing a 4-channel amplifier with speaker-level inputs. The best way to connect it to a factory system is to tap into the stereo's speaker outputs for the amp's input signal. Then send the amp's outputs back to the stereo's harness, and on to the speakers through the factory wiring.

Using the negative signal of one channel with the positive signal of the other channel effectively doubles what each channel alone could put out through a 2-ohm load. Usually, this is the maximum wattage the amp can put out. So, when you bridge your amplifier, you're also optimizing your system's power potential.