difference of having a 4 channel amp?
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=108250
Printed Date: May 13, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Topic: difference of having a 4 channel amp?
Posted By: samsizzle
Subject: difference of having a 4 channel amp?
Date Posted: October 19, 2008 at 3:44 PM
specs:
2001 Honda Accord
Kenwood 22RMS head unit
4 polk db651's powered by head unit
12"Alpine type x wired in parallel --> 2OHM load
Alpine MRD-M1000, 1000RMS @ 2OHM
My polks are being powered by a 22watt RMS headunit, so if i get say....
pioneer GM-6300F 60W x 4 Continuous Power (4 ohm) for my 4 ohm polk, what can I expect as a difference in clarity? Right now when the bass is hitting realy hard, the highs seem to be drowned out, will this amp fix it?
my headlights dim with the system thats already in, so would adding 4 channel amp be detrimental to the alternator or car? If so would the 'big 3' fix this?
last question, how in the world would I wire the 4 channel amp to my current system? does the 4 channel connect to the sub I have via rca cables or something, do I use a different metra? harness so that I can utilize the factory wiring to the polks, so I dont have to run wire through all the doors? Basically is there a tutorial somewhere on install a 4 channel amp, I couldnt find one.
sorry for inundating you guys with questions, I just want to make sure if buying a 4 channel amp will be worth it, considering I have 1000 watts to the sub, but merely 22 watts to the speakers.
thanks in advance! you guys are amazing
Replies:
Posted By: forbidden
Date Posted: October 19, 2008 at 5:23 PM
Add a 4 channel amp to this for sure. It will bring the speakers to life. You will need to add 2 more rca cables from the cd player to the new amp (provided your cd player has 3 preouts, front/rear/subwoofer). You ideally should be rewiring each speaker in the vehicle to the new amp. A 4 channel amp is not going to draw a boatload of current , the only way for you to know how it will affect the electrical system is to hook it up and find out. Given that though, the big 3 is always a good idea and I recommend that you do it.
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Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.
Posted By: samsizzle
Date Posted: October 19, 2008 at 5:59 PM
 this is the back of my headunit, do i have to split the RCA's for the amp sub and the 4 channel sub? The only thing I have on the headunit is 1 pair of RCA out so uhhhh what do i do?
Posted By: samsizzle
Date Posted: October 19, 2008 at 6:01 PM
i dont have the kdc-mp238, therefore i do not have the front preout, only the rear preout, so do i have to split those, for the two amps?
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: October 19, 2008 at 6:37 PM
What is the make/model of your head unit? ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: samsizzle
Date Posted: October 19, 2008 at 6:57 PM
kenwood kdc-138
user manual: https://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/Manuals/113/113KDC138.PDF
I got the image from there, if you have time please check it out :)
Posted By: samsizzle
Date Posted: October 19, 2008 at 7:04 PM
for clarification, this is the amp i want to purchase which will be supplying 60 watts x 4 @4ohm, which is a perfect match for my polks running at 4 ohms https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-GM-6300F-4-Channel-600-Watt-Amplifier/dp/B000LYAZ5Athanks again, if you need any more info just ask.
Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: October 19, 2008 at 7:34 PM
If the amp has a 2Channel/4Channel switch on the end of it, which I do think it has, this will allow you to feed all 4 channels with a single RCA cable. This amp has 3 sets of RCA jacks on the end of it which means it has 2 sets for input and one to send signal to the sub amp. So if you can confirm that there is a 2/4 channel switch on it, you simply connect the single RCA cable to the Front Input of the amp and connect a patch cord from the output of the 4 channel amp to the input of your sub amp.
Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: October 19, 2008 at 7:44 PM
It does have the 2/4 Channel selector on the amp. You can use the single output of your deck to send signal to all 4 of these channels and the amp will in turn send signal to your sub amp.
Posted By: 04nata
Date Posted: October 19, 2008 at 9:29 PM
this is almost exactly what I did yesterday except for I used a 2 channel amp, my highs sound ALOT better, I am only running 500 watts to the back and 100 to the front but I think I may need to do the big 3 and a new alternator next
Posted By: samsizzle
Date Posted: October 19, 2008 at 9:30 PM
THANKS!! just the info i was looking for :) just one more quick question..
so I am presuming I will run new speaker wire from the amp to the 4 speakers in the doors? So should i go along the door trim and go through the rubber grommet to get to the inside of the door panel, or is there some other way to get into the door?
Also what do I do with the harness in the back of the headunit? Would I just disconnect it or what, since its not going to be controlling the speakers anymore..
ooo and the remote lead.. do I need a separate one for the new amp, or can I splice the sub amp one and run it to the 4 channel amp?
and I am presuming I need a distribution block right? I am running 2 gauge to the trunk, so I should distribute that into 2 gauge for the sub amp and like 8 gauge for the 4 channel, correct?
so the tl;dr version:
1. use door trim and existing door grommet to get wire to speaker?
2. leave or unplug wiring harness to head unit?
3. splice remote lead to run to new 4 channel amp?
4. use a distribution block to power new amp with preexisting 2 gauge?
I'll shut up after this I promise, thanks :)
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