3-Channel Amplifiers

3-Channel amplifiers are perfect for powering a pair of speakers and a subwoofer. Find a large selection of name brand three channel car amps that can deliver clear music.

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Each channel on an amplifier will power one speaker using a positive and negative cable. There are various types of amplifiers, each designed to power a certain number of speakers. Monoblock amplifiers, also known as single channel, are designed to power one or more subwoofers. These amplifiers often have very high power ratings. On the other hand, multi-channel amplifiers power multiple speakers, usually at lower power ratings. 2-Channel and 4-Channel amplifiers can power car speakers or low powered subwoofers. Occasionally you might see a 5 or 6-channel amplifier that can power speakers and subwoofers at the same time. The most common setup is a monoblock amp to run subwoofers and a 4-channel amp to run door speakers. Check out our Knowledge Base for more information.

An amplifier increases the power of the signal being fed to it by taking energy from its power supply and matching the signal but increasing its amplitude. Amplifiers use many different methods for converting these electrical signals and have been categorized into classes.

Class A/B: Greater than 50% of the input signal is amplified while the other percentage is “off”. These amplifiers have a small amount of current flowing through the output transistors all the time which almost eliminates crossover distortion. Class A/B has great sound quality but is not as efficient as class D. These amps are most commonly used to drive speakers.

Class D: Also known as switching amplifiers, class D amps have output transistors that are completely turned “on” or “off”. This means that when the transistors are on, there is almost no voltage across them but when they are off there is significant voltage but no current flowing through it which makes these amplifiers very efficient at the cost of sound quality. These amps are most commonly used to drive subwoofers.

Other Classes: You may see classes such as GH, bD, X, FD, etc. by some manufactures. These amplifiers tend to be either class A/B, D or a hybrid of the two but with improvements to their designs that can make them more efficient or offer better sound quality.

Total RMS power is measured by multiplying RMS power per channel by the number of channels, and is calculated at the lowest level of operating impedance.

RMS power is the amount of continuous power, measured in watts, that an amplifier produces is called RMS power. The higher the RMS figure, the louder and cleaner your music sounds.

The RMS output figure is much more accurate than the peak rating when comparing products.

The total peak power output is measured as the wattage per channel multiplied by the number of channels, and is calculated at the lowest level of operating impedance.

It is measured during a brief musical burst, such as a sudden drum accent. Some manufacturers display peak power ratings on the face of their products to increase the appeal.

The RMS power rating is more accurate, and we recommend using it for product comparison.

The lowest impedance the amplifier will handle when it is not bridged.
The lowest impedance the amplifier will handle when it is bridged.
If the amp comes with a bass/gain remote you will be able to control the level of your bass from your dashboard. Typically bass remotes also include a 16-20 ft. wire for installation.
Sonic Certified amplifiers have been tested by the experts at Sonic Electronix to meet or exceed the wattage ratings provided by the manufacturer. If this is marked as Yes, then you can trust the wattage ratings. If marked as No, then we have tested the amplifier and it did not meet the advertised wattage ratings. If marked as Not Tested, then the Sonic Electronix experts have not yet been able to test the amp.
Many amplifiers are equipped with RCA preamp outputs which pass the original music signal from the source to additional amplifiers. This is known as daisy chaining because the source connects to the first amp, and the first amp connects to the second amp, etc. The advantage to daisy chaining is you only need one 2-channel RCA cable to transfer the signal from the head-unit to the amplifier, and then one additional cable for each amp being daisy chained.

A crossover is a type of filtering system that permits only certain frequencies to play. A Low-Pass (LP) crossover allows only frequencies below its setting to get through which is good in the case of some subwoofers. A High-Pass(HP) filter allows frequencies above its setting to pass through, this is normally used on speakers.

When a crossover is set to FULL it means no filtering is added and the full frequency spectrum is allowed through the amplifier. Filtering is important because feeding a speaker frequencies it cannot reproduce effectively creates distortion.

Speaker level inputs are commonly referred to as high-level inputs and vice versa. This input type allows you to get your audio signal directly from the speaker wire in your vehicle, instead of using RCA cables. The advantage of this is factory integration, as most stock radios do not have RCA outputs to run amplifiers.
Amplifiers that have been tested to meet specific standards. When a car amplifier meets these standards, you can be sure that it will be able to produce the amount of power specified by the official CEA-2006 rating. Usually, these rating consist of the following items:
  • RMS Power
  • Signal-to-Noise Ratio

This rating applies to both external car amplifiers, as well as the amplifiers inside of in-dash stereos.

This is the largest gauge wire that will fit into the power and ground terminals of this device. The lower the gauge number, the thicker the wire is. For example, a 4 gauge wire is thicker than an 8 gauge wire and thus has higher current carrying capacity. Always do your best to get this size wire to reduce the risk of damage to your components.
This feature will tell you if the amplifier has the capability to connect to a Bluetooth device.
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JL Audio XDM500/3

500W RMS XDM Series Class-D 3-Channel Marine Amplifier

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500W RMS XDM Series Class-D 3-Channel Marine Amplifier

• 75 watts x 2 channel @ 4 ohms
• 100 watts x 2 channel @ 2 ohms
• Bridged: 200 watts x 1 channel @ 4 ohms
• Total RMS Power: 500 watts
• Class D 2 ohms Stable 3-Channel Amplifier

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$584.99

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• 75 watts x 2 channel @ 4 ohms
• 100 watts x 2 channel @ 2 ohms
• Bridged: 200 watts x 1 channel @ 4 ohms
• Total RMS Power: 500 watts
• Class D 2 ohms Stable 3-Channel Amplifier

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Price: $584.99

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    3 Channel Amplifier Information

    An amplifier is a component that has been wired between the head unit and the speakers. These are technically a power modulator for the energy that comes from the car battery into the stereo system.

    3 Channel amplifiers are the first step into an updated aftermarket system. The three channels allow for a subwoofer to be paired with a subwoofer. This type of setup is ideal for smaller cars without rear speakers.

    Sonic Electronix Learning Center – How to Bridge an Amplifier

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