Rockford Fosgate 2 Channel Car Audio Amplifiers

How to Select a Rockford Fosgate 2-channel Amplifier for Your Car Audio System

Vehicle owners add external amplifiers for many reasons like improving the sound quality from their factory-installed stereo, to support premium audio components, or to build a custom sound system. Rockford Fosgate two-channel car amplifiers are additions you can make no matter what you are trying to achieve for your vehicle's sound system.

Without a car audio amplifier, your car stereo might not deliver enough signal power even with the volume turned up. These devices amplify audio signals and drive them through your speakers. How loud and how much distortion you get depends on the power specification.

• Power a subwoofer: Add a Rockford Fosgate two-channel to power a subwoofer that plays lower bass frequencies than can be achieved with regular speakers
• Reduce distortion: They help to lower the amount of distortion you hear when playing your stereo at higher volume. In addition to power considerations, you need to be mindful of the impedance, or ohms, to minimize distortion.

Rockford Fosgate two-channel amps can play frequencies between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. They are stereo components with a left output and right output. They can power speakers and subwoofers. The channels can be bridged, or combined, to output more power to a dedicated component. They have Class A/B circuitry, but many include Class D circuitry.

Rockford Fosgate two-channel amplifiers are designed to power two speakers or one pair of speakers in your vehicle. You can connect multiple speakers to a two-channel amp. Doing so will change the impedance level and power distribution between the speakers.

• Preamp outputs: Whether or not the dead unit in your factory-installed vehicle stereo has preamp outputs will determine what type of inputs you need. Preamp outputs allow you to bypass your car speakers and connect directly to an external amp. If your car doesn’t have them, choose a Rockford Fosgate two-channel amp with speaker-level inputs.
• Power: Choose the two-channel amp that matches the power requirements of your vehicle audio system. Power is expressed in watts RMS. To get more wattage, look for a lower impedance level, which is expressed in number of ohms. A higher number of ohms corresponds to a lower number of watts.
• Space requirements: While two-channel is the minimum number among the channel configurations, the size dimensions of the unit are a design issue. Measure the area where you will install your speaker. If you have a compact car or limited space, consider a mini amp. Keep in mind that the high power output can produce heat. Place the Rockford Fosgate two-channel in a location that is well ventilated. Also, consider protecting surrounding components from the heat it produces.