Just when you thought you had learned everything you needed to know about car amplifiers on this website, you find out there are other types of amplifiers you need to consider. These come in the varieties of two channel, three/four channel, five channel and mono-bridge channel.

Two Channel

The two-channel car stereo system amplifier is a very basic design that is common in most conventional car stereo systems. In this type of amplifier setup, two speakers are connected to the amplifier only. These are usually in a left/right configuration and are most often setup on the doors of the car to provide the best listening experience for those in the front seat. However, this amplifier setup is quite limited in that the sound quality is not the best, and it results in a lower listening experience, especially for those in the back seat.

Three/Four Channel

In the three/four channel amplifier setup, there are three or four speakers hooked up to the amplifier. Obviously, this means that the amplifier needs to have a higher wattage because it has to go out to more speakers and magnify the signal to accommodate all three or four, so it will have to be placed in the rear of the car for space reasons. This is a very common setup for many custom car stereo systems because it allows there to be two speakers in the front of the car at the doors, and either one speaker in the kick-panel, or two in the kick-panel. There can also be two in the backseat doors if that works better for the setup of the car.

Five Channel

This is what many car audio enthusiasts want because it provides the total car audio experience. With five channels, there is a huge wattage increase to get the signal out to all the speakers, five in total, and to ensure the highest of quality for the sound. Typically, there will be a wide variety of combinations for this type of setup including two speakers in the side doors, two speakers in the rear doors, and one in the kick-panel, or two speakers in the side doors, two speakers in the dash and one in the kick-panel.
This is a very expensive amplifier but one well worth the price if you want to ensure the best quality with your car stereo system.

Mono/Bridge

The mono or bridge amplifier is a separate amplifier that is used for low-frequency sounds that the human ear cannot hear, but which come across as extreme bass. Many custom car stereo systems will have a two channel audio system, bridged with a mono amplifier at the very least. This gives the audio of the two-channel, with the strong base of the mono-channel amplifier. For those with the money, they will have a five-channel amplifier setup with a mono/bridge amplifier to get the bass. There really is no better way to have your car audio system than that, and it is essentially the perfect storm of sound.