byuh20

iTrader: (1)

when a amp is a mono type amp what does that mean

Archangelite

iTrader: (32)

it is made to drive subwoofers only. not meant for component speakers. one channel

wiretap

iTrader: (2)

A mono amp is a D-class amp. It is made for subwoofers like archangelite said. When you get a 400 watt mono amp, it is really 400 watts RMS when hooked up properly. I have a 350watt mono amp and it is sweet. I have 2 12'' polk momo subs and they hit HARD.

ozmaster

iTrader: (3)

I was also wondering this too...good thread. So to continue the logic, does this mean that a 2 channel amp powers subs & speakers? If so, then what does multi-channel amp do?...tv?

KevinD

iTrader: (56)

mono ampilifers are typically class D amps just like wiretap said. a class D amp means that the signal is not very clean (high distortion), but they are very efficient. Different circuit design allows the amplifier to run at 2 ohms stable (and in some cases 1ohm). a Class AB amp which are in your typical 4 channel amplifier, uses a different circuit desgn which is a cleaner signal, but at a cost to power efficiency. typically with your mid and high range speakers you want them to be clean sounding because we are more sensitive to those frequencies. so using a AB amplifier will keep a good signal to noise ratio (S/N), but your amp gets hot, and doesn't have as much power output relative to the power input.
the power rating on an amp is only what the manufacturer rates the amps as. this is done with their own bench testing and will vary wildly from brand to brand. for instance, some sony products claim to be 1000 watts but only cost 150 dollars. the reason being is it was tested at 18V at max gain reading the peak power output. there are other tricks as well to inflate power output numbers. these are unrealistic values that you cannot see in a normal automotive application. when looking for the power output of am amp, make sure it was tested at 12.8 or 14.4 volts, and look for the %THD which is the distortion level it was tested at. some amps will test at 1%THD (cheap amps) and others will test at .3% and below (better amps). THD means total harmonic distortion. the less the better and cleaner the amp is.

the type of amp you have can vary because a 4 channel amp could be composed of 4 class D amp circuits (not likely though). they will usually list this on the box, or in the manual. usually 4 channel amps are A-B as well as 2 channel. monos are almost always class D (and i can't think of one that isn't. well maybe Mcintosh amps because they are vacuum tube amps). there are 5 channel amps that have 4 class AB amps and a class D amp all in one casing. remember that if you have a massive class AB amp you can easily run a subwoofer off of it. the type of amp doesn't limit what kind of speaker you can run on it. but obviously there are reasons for the way everyone does it. such as running tweeters on a class D amp is not a good idea. high frequencys are not tranmitted well (they will have a lot of distortion), and that is way to much power for a tweeter. additionally you wouldn't want to run a subwoofer off of a 25 watt AB amp to get a clean sound, because your sub isn't even going to respond to the 25 watts.

i didn't even scratch the surface on this stuff, and if you want to know more just do a search for amplifier classifications. you can get in depth about circuit design, design logic, and applications for each amp type.

hopefully what i wrote was a little bit helpful and if i made anymistakes someone correct me.

wiretap

iTrader: (2)

Awesome writeup KevinD.. very good. *clap clap*

Lance Dogg

i don't think anybody ever mentioned that fact that mono means 1, lol. a mono amp has only one channel, meaning that there is no separated Left & Right signal. a 2 channel amp has 2 separate signals... which produce different sounds. that's why when you listen to music, you hear different notes from the left and the right, because of the separate channels. a 4-channel amp has 4 separate channels, each producing different sounds. that's how the surround sound is reproduced; through separate sounds/signals going through each individual channel.

BillAce

iTrader: (2)

Your amp doesn't determine the type of recording, the source does. A 4 channel amp isn't 4 different channels and therefore surround sound. 99.99% of any music played in a car is recorded in stereo meaning 2 channels or 2 microphones were used in the recording process. A 4 channel amp can't take the radio station or CD and create 2 extra channels from the original stereo recording. Surround sound is recorded in multiple channels and would need a source capable of reading the info and a decoder to divide it according to the method used, Dolby Surround, ProLogic, THX, Logic7 etc. You Are right, Mono is 1 channel, but it can be Left only, Right only or summed

Lance Dogg

thanks for the clarification BillAce. i try to act like i know stuff, but have no problem accepting mistakes, lol.