For audiophiles, it’s hard to imagine any situation that isn’t made better by great sound quality. Whether you’re hosting a cookout in your backyard or building the ultimate home theatre, a great sound system can change everything. Of course, one of the best places to crank the tunes is when you’re out on the open road, maybe even in a vintage car that you refurbished yourself. Car lovers and music lovers alike can share an appreciation for a Bluetooth car amplifier, and this article will share some of the more attractive models on the market today.
FAQs about Bluetooth Car Amplifiers
What is a Bluetooth car amplifier?
Put simply, a Bluetooth car amplifier wirelessly boosts the signals coming from your car’s radio to deliver more power to your speakers. In addition to producing more power, the amp also improves the clarity of the sound and can make it possible to connect more speakers.
Why have a Bluetooth amplifier in your car?
A Bluetooth car amplifier is a modern solution to the limitations faced by many vehicles with outdated sound systems. Compact, powerful, and easy to store, these car amps make it possible for users to wirelessly connect their smartphone to play audio from streaming platforms and take hands-free phone calls through their car speakers. If you’re a vintage car collector or are just driving an older model vehicle, a modern car amp can dramatically change your in-driving entertainment experience.
Our Top 5 Bluetooth Car Amplifiers
Kenwood KAC-M1824BT
The Kenwood KAC-M1824BT is a compact, 4-channel digital amplifier. It’s highly portable, durable (yes, it’s marine-capable) and integrates with your smartphone to simplify the user experience. It also has traditional RCA ports so that you can connect your existing car radio, after-market receiver or essentially any other line-level device as well. And if you want to bypass the RCA outputs, it can also handle speak-level signals.
The amp is small enough that it can easily be kept under the seats and/or behind the dash but, if you want to keep the cabin clear, the 10-foot cable allows you to store it in the trunk.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 8-5/8″W x 1-13/16″H x 3-15/16″
- Class D amp technology
- 45 watts RMS x 4 at 2 to 4 ohms
- 90 watts RMS x 2 bridged at 4 ohms
- variable high- and low-pass filters (50-200 Hz, 12 dB/octave)
JBL GTR-102
The JBLs are the first Bluetooth car amplifiers built with Clari-FI Music Restoration Technology, which actually improves the dynamics of digital music by analyzing the data and then reconstructing the parts that were removed during the compression process. Another great feature of this modern car amp is Party Mode, which allows three separate devices to connect to the amp at a time, giving everyone in your car a chance to take their turn playing DJ.
Specifications
- Dimensions 8-7/8″W x 2-3/16″H x 7-1/16″D
- 100 watts RMS x 2 at 4 ohms (120 watts RMS x 2 at 2 ohms)
- 240 watts RMS x 1 in bridged mode (4-ohm stable in bridged mode)
- Variable high- and low-pass filters (32-320 Hz, 12 dB/octave)
- Clari-Fi™ sound restoration technology
Infinity K5
A 5-channel Bluetooth car amplifier that supplies four full-range speakers with 75 Watts RMS while driving a sub with as much as 350 watts. Extremely stylish and versatile, the Party Mode feature allows up to three users to control the output at a time. The real strength of this piece of equipment, however, is its performance: Infinity’s Dynamic Bass Optimizer (DBO™) circuitry utilizes a subsonic filter and a bass boost optimizes your sub and enclosure combo.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 13-1/8″W x 1-3/4″H x 6-15/16″D
- 75 watts RMS x 4 + 200 Watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms
- 100 watts RMS x 4 + 350 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms
- 200 watts RMS x 2 bridged at 4 ohms + 350 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms
- Separate variable high-pass filters (32-320 Hz, 12 dB/octave) on front and rear channels
Sony XM-GS6DSP
Sending 45 watts RMS to each of the front and rear speakers while delivering up to 600 watts RMS to a sub, Sony’s XM-GS6DSP 6-channel amplifier can give your car the audio upgrade it needs. Class D amp technology ensures high power output from a small chassis that is portable enough to be stored virtually anywhere in your car.
Among the more unique features is the Sony Music Center app, which you can use to adjust your system’s EQ, speaker levels and faders to perfection. Though it’s one of the more expensive amps on our list, the performance and 3-year warranty merit the price tag.
Specifications
- https://amzn.to/3uV5tf4Dimensions: 11-5/8″W x 2-3/16″H x 7-7/8″D
- 6-channel car amplifier with digital signal processing.
- 45 watts RMS x 4 at 4 ohms on the tweeter/front and mid/rear channels
- 90 watts RMS x 2 at 4 ohms (175 watts RMS x 2 at 2 ohms) on the woofer/subwoofer channel
BOSS Audio MC900B
We’re going off-script for our final car amp of today’s entry. The BOSS Audio MC900B is a bargain in a small box. Part of BOSS’s All-Terrain series, this 4-channel, full-range Class A/B amplifier is a durable, weather-resistant device that can be used anywhere. While most attractive for its Bluetooth capabilities, the MC900B is also compatible with older audio input methods, including Auxiliary and USB. It might not be your first choice for a car system, but the value of this tiny car amp can’t be ignored.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 7.8″ L x 3.8″ W x 1.75″ H
- 5-channel all-terrain amplifier, Class A/B
- Up to 94 W X 4 RMS @ 4 ohm
Conclusion
This article has covered a range of Bluetooth amplifiers with various use cases in mind. While the amps from Kenwood and Bose are more affordable and versatile, the performance profile of the offerings from Sony and Infinity are superior for cars. Some other things worth considering with devices such as these is the installation procedure, storage requirements and warranty. For all of these reasons, and for its uncompromising quality, our recommendation is the Sony XM-GS6DSP.