If you really want to get superior quality sound from your car audio stereo after investing in a good amplifier. It is quite hard to achieve the sound you greatly desire if you don’t know how to tune a car amp for mids and highs. Therefore, if you are a newbie, tuning an amplifier can be challenging for you.
You need to set the audio stereo correctly for excellent performance. Therefore, it is wise to acquire an amplifier because it has several settings. For instance, the crossover ensures that your speakers get the correct frequencies.
Take a look at our summary table of 3 Best Amp for Mids and Highs to get the ideal Amp for your vehicle.
Image | Features | Further information |
|---|---|---|
Kenwood KAC-M3004 | - Brand: Kenwood - Item Dimensions: 6.69 x 3.15 x 5.91 inches - Item Weight: 2.2 pounds - 4-channel amplifier will power up the music in your vehicle with 50 watts RMS per channel - Can bridge this amp to 2-channel mode and send 150 watts to each subwoofer - Delivers 50 watts RMS x 4 channels at 4 ohms - 75 watts RMS x 4 at 2 ohms - 150 watts RMS x 2 channels at 4 ohms bridged - Power control connections are 0.35" wide screw terminals - A Phillips-head or flat blade screw driver (not supplied) to tighten/loosen the terminals | |
Rockford Fosgate P400X4 | - Brand: Rockford Fosgate - Item Dimensions: 5.8 x 12 x 17 inches - Item Weight: 6.93 pounds - 400 watt 4-channel amplifier (2.38” x 7.76” x 11.03”) for a 4 or a 3-way system having a front stage with subwoofers - RMS Power Output: 50 Watts x 4 @ 4-Ohm - 100 Watts x 4 @ 2-Ohm - 200 Watts x 2 @ 4-Ohm Bridged - RCA inputs can accept both Hi and Low level - Featuring Class A/B topology, RCA pass-thru outputs - On-board Punch EQ with +18dB boost @ 45Hz - Variable 12 dB/Oct Butterworth crossovers, and C.L.E.A.N. Set-up | |
MTX Audio THUNDER75.4 | - Brand: MTX - Item Dimensions: 14.43 x 7.5 x 4 inches - Item Weight: 4.5 pounds - 1000 Watt RMS Monoblock Amplifier - 500 Watt RMS monoblock Amplifier - 400 Watt RMS 4-Channle Amplifier - Extruded aluminum heat sink maximizes heat transfer away from the circuitry protecting - Selectable 0, 6, or 12dB bass boost centered at 50Hz - 12dB/Oct crossover that allows you to set the frequency your speakers will play down or up to |
Factors You Should Consider to Tune the Car Amp
Before you embark on the task of tuning your amplifier, there are some significant factors you should consider. These aspects enable you to get the quality sound you want your music to produce. They include;
- Setting the Gain Control Accurately: Your audio stereo can be extremely noisy if you set the gain control on the incorrect level. Therefore, to enable your speakers to perform perfectly, ensure that you turn your gain control setting appropriately.
- The Speaker’s power output: You should ensure your car has a compelling audio speaker if you want to tune the amp. It enhances the quality output, thus allowing you to listen and enjoy sweet music.
- Connection Cables: Ensure that you purchase the best connection cables available in the market. Some amplifiers come with these ground and power connection cables. Therefore, it is highly recommended to get these cables if you want to have amp connectivity long-term solution.
- Type and make of the Amplifier: To maximize your speaker’s sound output, you need to invest in a quality amp. Therefore, purchase the best quality product and carefully read the manufacturer’s manual on how to tune a car amp for mids and highs.
Common Terms for Amplifiers
Frequency
The sound pitch emitted by the speakers. It is easy to find the frequency range because they are labeled correctly on the outer casing of the speakers. Frequency numbers are also marked at the back of each one of them.
Therefore, you can adjust the frequency quickly. And you should use a specific number to tune your amp appropriately. However, this means that you cannot fine-tune it if you don’t know where and how the frequencies are labeled.
Gain
This is a setting that is responsible for adjusting the sensitivity of the car amplifier. This means that the gain setting controls the amount of power output from the amp to a particular level that the speaker can handle easily.
Therefore, you can reduce distortion emitted by the speaker by adjusting its settings. Thus you can determine the distortion limits. You can also tell the amount of power that your car speakers can handle.
Low and High Pass Filters
These are in-built frequencies that control the settings. These filters allow either minimum or maximum frequency ranges when you turn them on. For example, if you intend to use small car speakers to manage high-frequency levels such as tweeters, you should power on the high pass filters (HPF) on the output channels.
In contrast, if you intend to use relatively big speakers, you should turn on low pass filters to allow bursting range frequency levels. Therefore, you should invest in a high-quality car speaker to control these frequencies.
How to Tune a Car Amp for Mids and Highs: Step-by-Step?
The detailed steps below can help you understand how to tune a car amp for mids and highs. This allows you to ensure that the settings are correct. Tuning is not easy, but if you go through these comprehensive steps, then you can do it:
Step #1: Adjust the Gain Control and Volume
The car amplifier has gain control which is matched with the RCA voltage. This voltage runs through the connection cables. Therefore, don’t mistake it for a knob that controls the volume. For example, if you set it to highs, the mids and highs tend to sound disoriented, thus clipping at a very high volume.
The oscilloscope is the best tool to adjust the gain control. Nevertheless, if you cannot afford it, you can use your hearing senses. Power off all the devices and disconnect the RCA cables from the amp. Turn on your car’s stereo system. Without playing any music, increase the volume on the head unit and record the numbers displayed on it.
The system’s extreme volume is about 80 percent, so the Equalizer to zero or flat. Then set the bass boost and gain control on your amp to zero too. In addition, set off the filters and connect all RCA cables into car speakers you want to adjust.
Let your desired music play, and gradually increase the gain control setting until you hear some distortion emanating from car speakers. Then, to reduce its volume to eliminate the distortion. Thus you will use the base gain control setting to tune your amp for mids and highs.
Step #2: Turn on the Filters
When you are tuning your vehicle’s speaker, use high-pass filters, check it a total rating, and set the frequency range to the number rated. You can block bass frequencies if you turn on the HPF. However, it’s designed to produce high deep bass.
HPF is adjustable in several amps, thus switching to a wide range of frequencies. So turn the switch to flick and activate the HPF. In most scenarios, you can adjust it between 80 Hz to 250 Hz. And the best setting for HPF is approximately 80 Hz; thus, the audio system can handle anything below it.
Set the LPF (Low Pass Filter) on your amp below 80 Hz. This allows you to play music with deep bass, and mids and highs can manage those with high frequencies. Set it enables your stereo system to play audio through any frequency range without creating distortion.
Step #3: Bring the Deep Bass
You need to increase the base setting on your amplifier, although it can be quite tricky. Set down the gain control if you want to turn the bass booster up. You tune them simultaneously to achieve deep bass without any disturbance. Although this process takes time, in the end, you achieve to tune your car amplifier for mids and highs.
After setting the bass boost and your speaker, you can do the gain setting once more. Play music through your radio and increase the volume to about 80 percent. Then gradually turn up the gain till you hear some distortions from the speakers. Lastly, reduce the volume until the disturbances disappear.
Step #4: Fine Tune
Connect the amps and set the volume to zero. If you do the correct setting as directed, you will get the 80 percent volume without distortions. If you get disturbances, check which of your speakers is spoilt and then turn the gain control down.
After conducting the proper settings, you will want to tune all the accessories. Turn your audio system to flat and increase the volume to about 80 percent. If you do it perfectly, you will not have any disturbance.
Don’t worry if you hear some distortions; all you need to do is turn down the gain setting to a certain level until it disappears. This is all you should do to tune your amplifier to develop quality sound.
3 Best Amp for Mids and Highs; 2021 Reviews
The experts have highlighted some of the best amplifiers that can boost the mids and highs of your speaker. These amps will allow you to enjoy the music of high-quality sound and clarity. Therefore, purchase the products highlighted below and experience quality music.
1. Kenwood (KAC-M3004) 4 Channel Digital Amplifier
Kenwood is one of the reputable brands known to produce 4-channel digital amps. Their highly rated product is Kenwood (KCA-M3004) and is the best-selling. As a result, you can generate premium quality sound without any distortion.
It has an auto-turn on, which can assist you in wiring the amp very quickly. It can also fit anywhere easily, especially in the storage compartment of your car; therefore, you can install it for excellent sound. This amp is small in size and also extremely powerful.
It has a frequency range of between 20 to 25000 HZ. This range is ideal for improving the sound of your music. It highlights low sounds and then directs them to car speakers; thus, it boosts the bass for getting quality sound. The prevailing frequency ranges enable you to play and enjoy your music.
This amplifier is of outstanding performance because it can enable you to experience excellent sound from your playlist. This product is a powerful performance system, and it also charges your vehicle’s stereo system, thus producing great sound without any distortion.
It is designed to enhance the clarity and output of your vehicle’s stereo. In addition, its circuit board has a conformal coating that provides the necessary protection against moisture. Therefore, you can use it in any automobile at your disposal.
Moreover, it delivers RMS of about 50 watts at 4-ohms in all 4 digital channels. In addition, you can either get an RMS of 150W or 2channels at 4-ohms, and it’s bridged. Thus, it is a compact amp and the best one to install in your car. Moreover, you can use it in various kinds of speakers due to its compact feature; thus, it can fit in easily in small spaces due to its flexibility.
It has inputs of high level that are relatively easy to install. This is because it accepts signals from any source, either from RCA cables or speaker wires. If you intend to use speaker-level inputs, it senses the signals and turns on automatically. So you don’t need a remote for that particular purpose.
2. Rockford (P400X4) Fosgate
Rockford Fosgate is one of the best brands that manufacture 4-channel amps. As a result, Rockford Fosgate P400X4 is the best product available in the market. And it is the most sophisticated version of standard audio (A/B) technology.
This company used the exclusive Trans-ANA integrated circuit technology to reduce and curb noise, thus enhancing sound quality produced by your audio stereo. The engineering and build quality used to design it is impressive. It is also designed to handle unstable power conditions with a lot of ease.
P400X4 is different from other products because it has an in-built gain installation system known as the CLEAN. With this installation system, mounting is straightforward, and the head unit gives you what you desire. If you are working with the test track MP3, the amp indicates and controls all levels of input signals.
You will get enough power to produce loud and clear music from your audio stereo mids and highs. It delivers about 100 watts RMS from 4-channel speakers with 2-ohms, 50 watts RMS from four-channel at 4-ohms, or 200 watts RMS from 2-channel at 4-ohms.
Apart from that, it has excellent crossover properties. For instance, it has adjustable low and high pass frequency ranges of between 50 to 300 Hz. It also has flexible Punch EQ of about 18dB that can boost the frequency. Lastly, it has input control levels that enhance the speaker inputs.
This is a powerful amp of outstanding performance that enables you to get quality sound from your music. In addition, it has the capability of charging your audio system to refine any distortions. You will be surprised by the kind of sound you receive if you purchase this amp.
P400X4 has an incredible cooling system that prevents wear and tear due to excessive heat generated from your stereos. Therefore, it keeps your audio system very superb and also protects your circuit.
You can tune the gain control to get maximum power output. This is a good advantage because you don’t have to purchase extra test music equipment. In addition, it is a versatile product because you can install it in any of the vehicles that you have. It is relatively heavy, but it has numerous excellent features, making it the best amp for your car’s audio system.
3. MTX Audio Thunder Car Amplifier
The series of the MTX brand has been operational for over 20 years, which describes the quality of products it produces. In the current amp manufacture, MTX Thunder series 75.4 is the most miniature product amongst them all. Therefore, if you install this amp, you will get some fantastic musical experiences in your car.
MTX Thunder has everything you need for your rear and front speakers to produce quality sound with minimal noise. It’s incredibly reliable and extremely powerful too. Although it’s relatively expensive, you can afford it.
It guarantees you great power that can sustain your speaker’s mids and highs with an incredible 100 watts RMS, 75W RMS, or 200 watts RMS. In addition, it enhances the detailed musical power. It is better than other amps due to these excellent features, including RCA level inputs, adjustable gain control, and incredible frequency range.
MTX manufactures Thunder 75.4 using surface mount technology (SMT) components that will give you better performance and quality input signals. Thus, it is an excellent value for your money. It is also easy to install due to its compact size.
You will also get great vibration resistance and reduced noise from both rear and front speakers. In addition, it has an in-built direct current (DC) offset, short-circuit, and thermal protection. MTX designed Thunder 75.4 to minimize noise using classic A/B stereo technology, reducing both input and output signal and superior audio paths.
The crossover high/low filters will enable you to control the quality of sound of your music. For instance, the front channel speakers leverage high-pass filters to keep away the bass sound from full-range audio stereos.
It has an aluminium heat sink that manages excess heat and prevents overheating; thus, you can lay music for quite a long time. Furthermore, you don’t need to purchase any mounting components because it comes with a complete set of screw connectors for the system connection wires. Check more details about MTX Thunder 75.4 on Amazon.
Recap: How to Tune a Car Amp for Mids and Highs
The detailed steps for how to tune a car amp for mids and highs in this article will enable you to get the sound you desire from your music. So be very attentive, and you will get it right tune. But, be very careful not to exceed above 80 percent when setting the volume in your car audio system. Take caution to avoid 6 common problems with the car audio system. Moreover, you can purchase one of the best amplifiers reviewed above to understand how to tune an amp.
For instance, Kenwood (KAC-M3004) is the best digital 4 channel amp, Rockford Fosgate (P400X4) gives you excellent sound because of its in-built prominent installation features, and MTX Thunder 75.4 is powerful, compact, and quite affordable. Make a perfect choice to listen to great music.
