Buying guide

Car Amplifiers

Our pick

Rockford Fosgate T1000X5ad

For a buyer who wants one amplifier to run the whole system, the Rockford Fosgate T1000X5ad is the default choice.¹

Why this one

Its five channels cover the main speakers and a subwoofer; the 1,000 W rating is the amplifier's combined output.¹²
Signal-sensing turn-on provides an alternative to a separate remote turn-on wire.¹
Dual fans cool the amplifier, and thermal rollback reduces output when it gets hot.¹

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The alternatives

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Rockford Fosgate R2-300X4
Choose the Rockford Fosgate R2-300X4 for a matched four-speaker setup: it is rated at 50 W per channel into 4 ohms and has adjustable crossovers.²¹⁸
Rockford Fosgate R2-500X1
For a subwoofer system that matches 500 W at 2 ohms, choose the R2-500X1 with adjustable crossover and remote level control. Its rating at 4 ohms is 300 W.¹⁹
Rockford Fosgate R2-500X4
Choose the R2-500X4 when your four-speaker setup calls for its 75 W per channel rating into 4 ohms. Match the final wired load and speaker power requirements before choosing it.²²⁰
Rockford Fosgate R2-750X1
Choose the R2-750X1 when the subwoofer system is wired to 1 ohm and calls for its 750 W rating. It is rated at 500 W into 2 ohms and 250 W into 4 ohms.²¹

For powering a subwoofer only

Powering a sub and nothing else calls for a mono amplifier with a single channel.²²² Choose the Rockford Fosgate R2-1200X1 if its 1,200 W rating at a net load of 1 ohm matches your subwoofer setup. Check the final wired impedance and the subwoofer’s power rating before choosing it.²¹⁵

For upgrading without losing your factory stereo

Speaker-level inputs let an amplifier take a suitable speaker-output signal from an existing stereo. Check the head unit’s output and the amplifier’s connection requirements before choosing it.¹⁸²⁰ Choose the R2-300X4 for a matched four-speaker setup when its speaker-level inputs suit your head unit. Its four channels are rated at 50 W each into 4 ohms.²¹⁸

For running a full speaker set and a sub from one amp

Running a full speaker set and a sub off one amplifier takes five or six channels.¹²²³ The Rockford Fosgate T1000X5ad fits the job best, with five channels and a signal-sensing turn-on that eases a factory stereo install.¹

For a tight install with little airflow

A Class D amplifier can be a useful starting point for a tight installation; check its dimensions and ventilation clearance before choosing it.^34591415 The AudioControl EPICSIX is the pick, with six channels and 1,200 W to run the whole system from one Class D chassis.⁵²³

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Rockford Fosgate T1000X5ad

Power: 1,000 W²

Specification	Rockford Fosgate T1000X5ad	Alpine HDA-M80	Alpine S2-A60M	AudioControl EPICSIX	Rockford Fosgate P300X1	Rockford Fosgate P300X2	Rockford Fosgate P400X4	Rockford Fosgate PBR400X4D	Rockford Fosgate R2-300X4	Rockford Fosgate R2-500X1	Rockford Fosgate R2-500X4	Rockford Fosgate R2-750X1	Rockford Fosgate R2-750X5	Rockford Fosgate R2-1200X1	Rockford Fosgate T400-4	Rockford Fosgate T600-4	Rockford Fosgate T1000-1bdCP	Rockford Fosgate T1500-1bdCP	Rockford Fosgate T2500-1bdCP
Power	1,000 W²	800 W²²	600 W⁴	1,200 W²³	300 W⁶	300 W⁷	400 W⁸	400 W²	300 W¹⁸	500 W¹⁹	500 W²⁰	750 W²¹	750 W¹⁴	1,200 W¹⁵	400 W¹⁶	600 W¹⁷	1,000 W²⁴	1,500 W²⁵	2,500 W²⁶
Channels	5¹	1²²	1²²	6²³	1²	2²	4²	4⁹	4²	1²	4²	1²	5²	1²	4²	4²	Not published	Not published	Not published
Amplifier class	Class ad²	Class d³	Class d⁴	Class d⁵	Class a b⁶	Class a b⁷	Class a b⁸	Class d⁹	Class d¹⁰	Class d¹¹	Class d¹²	Class d¹³	Class d¹⁴	Class d¹⁵	Class a b¹⁶	Class a b¹⁷	Class bd²	Class bd²	Class bd²
Cooling	Fan¹	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Speaker-level inputs	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Yes¹⁸	Yes¹⁹	Yes²⁰	Yes²¹	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Signal-sensing turn-on	Yes¹	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Adjustable crossover	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Yes¹⁸	Yes¹⁹	Yes²⁰	Yes²¹	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Remote level control	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Yes¹⁹	Not published	Yes²¹	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Pass-through output	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Yes¹⁸	Yes¹⁹	Yes²⁰	Yes²¹	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Weight	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Frequency response	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	20–250 Hz¹⁹	Not published	20–250 Hz²¹	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published

The alternatives

Other contenders

For powering a subwoofer only

For upgrading without losing your factory stereo

For running a full speaker set and a sub from one amp

For a tight install with little airflow

Key differences

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