Best 5 Channel Amplifier

If you want to get the best sound in your car, then the best way to get there is with the best 5 channel amplifier. 

It will power up to four speakers and one subwoofer, meaning you won’t need to have a separate 4 channel amplifier and a monoblock amplifier for your subwoofer.

You save space, and more importantly, a ton of money.

Most cars that go to professional car audio shops, leave with a 5 channel amp on them.

There are plenty of brands and models, but today we are going to be focusing on the top 3 models available in the market, aswell as the two main challengers.

Top 5 Channel Amplifiers

1. Planet Audio AC 1800.5

It’s time to drive up your music vibes with the Planet Audio AC 1800.5 Channel Car Amplifier, a powerful full-range amplifier designed to give a clean and strong sound output. Upgrade your door speakers and subwoofer with the Planet Audio amplifier, which comes with unique features and high sound quality.

Specifications

• Amp Class: A/B Topology
• 300watts max x 4 @2-Ohms plus 5th channel 600watts max x @2-Ohms
• 150watts max x [email protected] plus 5th channel 300watts max x 1 @40Ohms
• 600watts max x 2 bridged @4 Ohms
• Bridgeable: yes

This 19.7″ x 10″ x 2.4″ amplifier has low and high-level inputs. They both conveniently carry signals from the receiver to your car speakers.

The Planet Audio AC 1800.5 Channel Car amplifier features a Mosfet power supply that allows the flow of electrical current and controls the output voltage and current. A variable bass boost also makes determining the exact amount of bass output easier.

Pros

• Full range amplifier
• Both low and high-level inputs are available
• Variable bass boost
• Bridgeable

Cons

• The unit tends to cut out when set to the lowest gain values

2. Rockford Fosgate R600X5

This is another high-quality brand in the car audio industry, and it’s easy to see why many people love the Rockford Fosgate difference.

You get durable components, clean sound, and high output levels which can make your whole sound system better than ever before.

What sets Rockford apart from the pack is that they use proprietary technology to ensure cleaner sound and higher efficiency of its internal components.

With the R600X5 model, you get the best of all three classes to deliver the best sound quality possible.

Specifications

• Amp Class: AB/D
• RMS: 4 ohms:50 watts RMS x 4 + 200 watts RMS x 1
• 2 ohms: 75 watts RMS x 4 + 300 watts RMS x 1
• Bridged, 4 ohms:150 watts RMS x 2
• Bridged, 1 ohms:300 watts RMS x 1
• Max Power Output: 600 Watts
• Bridgeable: Yes
• Features: accepts high level and RCA level input, 12 dB/octave crossover, 4 gauge power/ground connectors, top mount control panel, aluminum heatsink, overcurrent and short circuit protection

While most amplifiers are class D or class A/B, this particular unit uses all three classes to make your listening experience unique and unmatched.

The class A section is designed to give you a high-quality preamp that helps deliver better sound quality, while the class B components minimize the power output so that it doesn’t overheat.

On top of all of that, it also has a class D level of efficiency so that you can manage a whole surround sound system without sacrificing quality or worrying about overheating.

In addition to the multiple class systems utilized in this amplifier, it also comes with a series of internal protections to keep everything running smoothly at all times.

A cast-aluminum heatsink is perfect for drawing heat away from the components, while a short circuit protector also ensures that the system doesn’t go haywire from too much power.

Overall, this is one of the best five-channel amps you can find.

Pros

• Compact design
• Durable construction
• Easy to use controls
• Automatic thermal sensing
• Muted turn on
• Front, rear, and sub gain control
• Onboard punch EQ control
• Utilizes class A preamp and class B output
• Digital design is more efficient
• One-year limited warranty

Cons

• May produce engine noise
• In rare cases, the unit may still overheat at times
• Fuses are not replaceable

3. Rockford P1000X5

We’ve already seen what a Rockford Fosgate Amplifier can do, but if you want something more powerful that can handle your high-performance speakers, then you will need the P1000X5 model.

This is a close relative of the R600X5, with the primary difference being that this unit can handle much more power without overheating or breaking down.

Also, the design is much sleeker, and the installation process is much easier.

Specifications

• Amp Class: AB/D
• RMS: 4 ohms:75 watts RMS x 4 + 150 watts RMS x 1
• 2 ohms: 125 watts RMS x 4 + 300 watts RMS x 1
• Bridged, 4 ohms:250 watts RMS x 2
• Bridged, 1 ohms:500 watts RMS x 1
• Max Power Output: 1000 Watts
• Bridgeable: Yes
• Features: accepts high level and RCA input, top mounted controls, aluminum heatsink, 12 dB/octave crossover, 4 gauge power/ground connectors, auto turn-on circuit, muted turn on, short circuit and overcurrent protection, balanced differential inputs, C.L.E.A.N. setup with LED-lit connections

To help make sure that this system can handle whatever you throw at it, it comes with extra technologies inside to keep everything running smoothly.

In addition to the standard high and low pass filters, this amp also comes with balanced differential inputs to reduce noise and a Dynamic Thermal Management system to keep everything cool.

It also has the technology to make the whole thing more efficient as well as monitor for peaks and overcurrents so that you can avoid unexpected shutoffs.

Finally, the icing on this amplifier cake is that it uses a simplified installation process that makes it even easier to hook it up to both your speakers and your car.

If you want the ultimate amp, this is it.

Pros

• Compact design
• Durable construction
• Easy to use
• High power output
• Clean and crisp sound
• High-efficiency rating
• Internal protections from overheating
• Controls your entire speaker setup
• One-year limited warranty

Cons

• In rare cases, the unit may cut off unexpectedly
• In rare instances, it may still overheat
• Installation process can be tricky for some users

4. Alpine PDX-V9

If you want an amplifier that is easy to install and can also manage your whole surround sound system, then this unit from Alpine might be for you.

While other amps focus more on technical aspects and customization of the controls, the Alpine PDX-V9 is designed to be as user-friendly as possible while still maintaining a high level of quality and performance.

Specifications

• Amp Class: D
• RMS: 4 ohms:100 watts RMS x 4 + 500 watts RMS x1
• 2 ohms: 100 watts RMS x 4 + 500 watts RMS x1
• Bridged, 4 ohms:200 watts RMS x 2
• Bridged, 1 ohms:500 watts RMS x 1
• Max Power Output: 1600 watts
• Bridgeable: Yes
• Features: stackable installation design, front mounted controls, quick-connect speaker connections, ultra-wide frequency response, top-rated for S/N ratio to deliver clean sound, ultra-low impedance, internal thermal protection

To help make sure that this system can handle whatever you throw at it, it comes with extra technologies inside to keep everything running smoothly.

In addition to the standard high and low pass filters, this amp also comes with balanced differential inputs to reduce noise and a Dynamic Thermal Management system to keep everything cool.

It also has the technology to make the whole thing more efficient as well as monitor for peaks and overcurrents so that you can avoid unexpected shutoffs.

Finally, the icing on this amplifier cake is that it uses a simplified installation process that makes it even easier to hook it up to both your speakers and your car.

If you want the ultimate amp, this is it.

Pros

• Compact design
• Easy to install
• Will not overheat
• Clean and crisp sound
• Control panel is easy to access
• Connects to speakers quickly
• High power output without overheating
• Customizable colors

Cons

• Tuning may be difficult
• In rare cases, the amp may cut out unexpectedly

5. Kenwood Kac-M8005

The Kenwood Kac-M8005 is a quality amplifier designed to match efficiency with performance. If you’re having trouble with your car system’s sound quality, this 5-channel power amplifier is needed.

Specifications

• Amp Class: D
• RMS Power Rating: 4 Ohms
• 50watts x 4 chan. + 300watts x 1 chan. 2 Ohms
• 75watts x 4 chan. + 500watts x 1 chan. Bridged, 4 ohms
• 150watts x 2 chan.
• Bridged: yes

The Kenwood Kac-M8005 5-Channel power amplifier is a conformal coated bridgeable marine power amplifier with a total power output of 1600watts. The CEA-2006 compliant amplifier is easy to install and conveniently fits almost all cars.

This class D amplifier uses digital switching powers that make it run more effectively. It has different connections: line-in, power/ground/remote turn-on, and speaker output.

Pros

• CEA-2006 compliant
• Digital switching power supplies
• Easy to install
• Durable construction
• Compact design

Cons

• The unit heats up at very high listening volumes

What is a Five Channel Amplifier?

For the most part, car amplifiers are broken down into various categories, one of which is the number of channels that it has.

This classification has to do with how many speakers the device can connect to at once, which means that the more channels you have, the more options you have regarding connects.

For example, if you have a two-channel amplifier you can connect it to two different speakers (and two tweeters too)

Best of all, with multi-channel amplifiers, you can usually also bridge them to connect to fewer speakers if necessary.

Thus, if you have a four-channel amplifier but only have two speakers, then you can bridge the extra two channels so that they are not connecting to nothing.

It’s usually better to trade up to more channels as you can always reduce the number after the fact, but you can never increase it.

For that reason, five channel amplifiers are perfectly designed for a surround sound system that uses four speakers and a subwoofer.

This way you can get the ultimate music experience if you have the right setup, or you can bridge your channels and still get high-quality results.

Final Verdict

When it comes to this kind of amplifiers, I guess you could call me lazy. For me, the Planet Audio AC1800.5 is just So good that, if it fits the budget, there’s no argument it’s the best 5 channel amplifier in the market. Yes, I don’t live under a rock and I know about the Audison Voice 5.1K, but the price difference between both is just ridiculous. If you need that much power, you should get a monoblock amp honestly.

I hope this article has been helpful! If you have any questions, leave them on the comments below!