Most people feel that the system they have got, either pre-installed or as an upgrade, produces enough power. After all, the stereo puts out 200 watts, right? And that’s plenty of power for a car system, isn’t it? Well, to be frank, no. There can be a huge difference between the 50 watts peak power per channel that your car stereo produces, and the 50 watts that a good amp can produce.
A good seperate amp can and will give a much better sound quality than the one made from your in-dash stereo. Whatever you like to listen to, an amp is a worthwhile investment in any car stereo system.
Once, you have that nice shiny new amp, make sure you fiddle with it to gat the best quality it can provide. Many amps include filters that will enhance the sound, so make sure you adjust them so that what you’re hearing is as it should be. Many amps, for example, will include subsonice filter that can remove the super low bass that is below human hearing’s range, so go ahead and turn it on and you’re amp and sub will be cleaner without that extra non-noise. This filter can also remove low frequency sounds that can occur due to the compression used in ripping sound files.
Also make sure you have the gain control set properly. An easy way to do this is to set your stereo’s volume up to about 75% and then bring up the amp gain until you can detect distortion. Once this point is reached, simply bring the gain back a little and this should be the optimul setting.
Lastly, make sure you read the owner’s manual for the amp, since each manufacturer will have their own specific suggestions on the best way to set the levels.