We all want the best experience in multimedia that is why we need to buy the best equipment around.

Even if we have the best LCD or Plasma television, or the top of the line DVD players, these modern gadgets can not be enjoyed if we do not have the best sound quality.

If is a fact that you can understand a story but simply listening to a reader but you can never understand it if you do hear a sound if you see the images.

If you want to buy an amplifier, if would greatly help if you understand the science behind sound.  Sound is really just vibrations in the atmosphere moving the air particles which are then picked up by our ears and then sent to the brains for processing and interpretation.

Electronic equipment like amplifiers work the same way by recording the vibrations as electrical signals and then recreating them and giving amplification, hence amplifiers, before resending back to the air to be received by the ear.

So if you are buying an amplifier, here are some guides to make you get the best of your money's worth and best quality of sound you can enjoy.

Power Rating
You will want to choose how powerful the amplification is going to be.  Power rating is indicated in terms of watts root mean square (RMS).  In general, it is advised that you choose an amplifier that is capable of delivering power that is twice the continuous IEC power rating of the speaker.  As an example, if your speakers have an impedance of 8 ohms and IEC power of 350 watts, then you will want to buy an amplifier that can deliver 700 watts.

Preamplifier
As the name suggests, preamplifiers first processes low level audio signal before the final amplification with the amplifier.  This can enhance final quality of audio output.

Channels
If you are tight on budget, you will want to buy a single amplifier to power all your speakers in your sound system.  A single channel can power one speaker so you need to plan ahead especially if you already have an existing set of speakers.

One or Two Amp
A two-channel stereo amplifier which is built on one chassis can be a real space saver.  A monoblock (single-channel) on the other hand are purchased as single units to be used in multi-channel systems.

Crossover
An amplifier with crossovers allows you to control the music frequencies such that you can split the highs and lows to obtain certain effects in your listening.  For instance, in a car, the high frequencies may be assigned to the front speakers while the low frequencies go to the rear speakers.

Connection
Five way binding posts on the back of the amplifier are better than spring loaded speaker connections which are found in others.

Equalizer
An equalizer can be a circuit or a program that controls the frequency of a signal.  A good equalizer allows you to do mixing of channels until you get your desired quality of sound output.

Distortion
Look for amplifiers that has the least distortion from the original signal

Gain
Amplifier gain refers to the output power to input power ratio.  This is measured in decibels. 

Efficiency
This can be determined by computing how much of the power input is actually used efficiently for amplifier output. 

First let us understand the meaning of the term "amplifier". An amplifier is a unit or device dedicatedly made for amplifying the audio or sound effects. There are different types of amplifiers. Keyboard amplifiers, guitar amplifiers, power amplifiers and stereo amplifiers are the distinct types of amplifiers. Amplifiers dedicatedly designed and used for cars are called as car amplifiers. These car amplifiers are sold in almost all the leading shops in the UK.

The need for amplifiers in a car arises when the wattage does not match between your car audio system and its supporting accessories like car speakers, tweeter and speakers. The main task of the car amplifiers is to convert low powered signals into high power signals by enhancing the quality as well as the volume of sound. Car amplifiers are the only solution for enhancing the audio output of car audio system. Different models of car amplifiers are marketed with distinct sizes, features and audio compatibilities.

DISTINCT KINDS OF CAR AMPLIFIER

• Mono Amplifiers - Amplifiers which amplifies audio through only one channel or speaker. These types of car amplifiers are known by another name as "monaural amps". It is apt to use these amps only for low frequency applications like playing soft music.

• Stereo Amplifiers - While you use 2 speakers and a subwoofer, it is better to use stereo or two channel amplifiers.

• 4 channel Amplifiers - These 4 channels amplifiers are needed while you need 3 or more speakers and more than a subwoofer. In this kind of amps, 2 channels are powered at the front and the rest of the channels are powered at the rear.

BUYING CONSIDERATIONS / FEATURES OF CAR AMPS

To buy a right car amplifier, it is suggested to confirm weather the following features are available in your car amp.

• Bass setting

Bass sound can be improved with the help of 'low pass filter' option. When you want to have a hearty bass line, it is essential to use a car amp with this feature. All low frequency notes will be sent by a low pass filter to your subwoofer for reproducing high powered notes. If you use subwoofer, you are recommended to buy a car amp with this filter for the prevention of high notes duplication.

• Ability to bridge

Certain car amplifiers do not allow bridging another amp for achieving high power audio output. This bridging becomes essential when you buy a 4 channel car amp which has to be bridged safely.

• Built-in High pass filters

It is a useful feature usually embedded within a car amp for prevention of reproducing low frequency sound. This inbuilt feature has the capability to offer high frequency sound continuously.

• Speaker-level

An amp with speaker-level input is useful for processing already amplified audio notes.

• Extra Amplification

It is simple to achieve extra amplification by connecting one car amp with other. If you want to enjoy multi-amplifier system in your amp, never forget to check whether the amp has featured with "preamp output". This facility permits you to send signals to secondary car amp. You can enjoy even sound distribution with the help of this feature. When your car amp is featured with preamp output, the combined power utilization can be eliminated to some extent.

SUPPLEMENT ACCESSORIES

It is impossible to achieve impressive audio while you drive through your car only with the support of amplifiers. You have to make use of other elements together for having an ideal car audio system. Essential accessories of a car amplifier are listed as:

• Remote controls
• Control centre
•  Car wiring kits
• Line output converter
• Custom covers
• Car amplifier bridges
• Voltage monitors

INSTALLATION TIPS

Choosing a right place for installing a car amplifier is an essential step. Adequate ventilation is required for your car amp as it gets hot quickly. High end models of car amplifiers have come with built-in fans to cool the air circulation. It is not advisable to keep your amp near your radio receiver which may cause interference. Try to keep 2 feet away from the radio receiver. You can prefer any on the following location to install your new amp in your car:

• Under the seat
• Trunk of the car

After choosing an appropriate place, take out your installation kit. Never forget to buy from the shop while you buy car amp. Check whether all the needy tools are put inside the installation kit to reduce your strain in the installation process. It is well and good to read instructions about the installation given in the product manual, so that you can avoid certain silly mistakes during installation. The method of installation will not be same for all brands.

OFTENLY USED TERMINOLOGIES

• Bi-amplification

When an amp uses separate circuits for audio amplification, it is known as "Bi-amplification".

• Channel separation

It refers the total amount of sound passing between 2 audio channels.

•  Distortion

A measurement used to find the difference between reproduced signals from its original signals.

• Preamp Output

It is nothing but a jack used for sending audio signals to an external amp before internal amplification of signal is accomplished.

• Sensitivity

A term refers 'efficiency' of a speaker in converting electrical power from a car amplifier. If sensitivity is high, you will get more volume of sound.

• Subwoofer

A device which produces extremely low powered signals is a subwoofer.

These are some of the technical terms often used while discussing about car amplifiers.

Now you may have got an overall idea about the need of car amplifiers for your car audio system, its type, buying tips, supporting units of amps, installation suggestions and some tough technical terms by reading this simple guide.