Best Bluetooth Car Amplifiers

If you want your music to be loud, amplifiers are definitely part of the picture. A powerful external amplifier will breathe life into your music, bringing out all of its excitement and detail.

Some modern car amplifiers are featured with Bluetooth connectivity – a great feature if you don’t have room to install a receiver (or for any other reason).

It goes without saying that nowadays anything with Bluetooth connectivity is bound to be more convenient and car amps are no exception.

Bluetooth car amplifiers are designed to let you bypass your car’s radio and play your favorite tunes directly from your smartphone, or any other Bluetooth enabled devices without the need for a receiver or the hassle of cables and plugs, and that’s basically the only difference between them and regular car amplifiers.

So, without any further ado, let’s take a look some of the best Bluetooth car amplifiers in the market…

Best Bluetooth Car Amplifiers — Reviews

1. Kenwood KAC-M1824BT

Kenwood KAC-M1824BT

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Kenwood is one of the most prolific car audio component manufacturers in the world. The company was founded in 1946 and offers a wide range of car audio components. Their products seem to be well-liked, for good reason.

The KAC-M1824BT is one of the best Bluetooth car amplifiers that Kenwood have to offer. This 4 channel amp can pump up your car’s audio system with 45 watts RMS per channel at 4 or 2 ohms — which is about three times the power of most car stereos. This amp can also deliver up to 90 watts RMS x 2 in bridge mode at 4 ohms. Thanks to its compact design, It’ll fit in a lot of places when space is tight.

This Kenwood amp is certified for marine use. So, it’ll be a good fit for almost any kind of vehicle on land or water. It comes with plastic plugs that protect its power and speaker connections, and is fitted with a conformal coated circuit board that withstands harsh outdoor elements such as moisture, salt, humidity…etc, so the party won’t stop just because of a little wetness.

The Kenwood KAC-M1824BT is featured with Bluetooth connectivity for wireless audio streaming. It also comes with a wired remote control to adjust the volume and to change tracks on the fly. There’s also a USB port on the amp to let you recharge your device, so you won’t miss a beat of the fun.

The KAC- M1824BT comes with RCA connections so you can hook it up to an aftermarket headunit. It can handle speaker-level signals as well, so you can pair it up to any factory headunit without RCA outputs. The amp comes equipped with signal-sensing turn-on on speaker-level inputs which eliminates the need to install a separate remote turn-on wire.

2. Sony XM-GS6DSP 

Sony XM-GS6DSP

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If any company has been able to get its hands into nearly every space of consumer/entertainment tech successfully, its Sony. From the myriad of Tvs to the wide selection of camcorders, Sony has been churning out products that can be used in every aspect of daily life. And the same quality is found in Sony’s selection of car audio components.

The XM-GS6DSP is one of Sony’s best Bluetooth car amplifiers. It uses Class D amp technology to ensure a high power output from a compact chassis that can fit almost anywhere in your vehicle.

This 6 channel amplifier can send up to 45 watts RMS to each of the front and rear speakers, while feeding up to 600 watts RMS to a subwoofer. It’s featured with digital signal processing to let you fine-tune and dial in the sound to perfection.

This amplifier is also equipped with highly customizable high- and low-pass filters and bandpass filters to power an active 3-way system, driving a pair of tweeters with 45 watts each, two midrange drivers with 45 watts each, plus a couple of low-frequency woofers with 90 watts each.

The amp’s built-in Bluetooth connectivity lets you play music from any Bluetooth enabled device, plus make adjustments to your sound system via the free Sony Music Center app. The latter allows you to take charge of the sound on the fly. It lets you dial in the perfect sound by adjusting your system’s time alignment, 10-band EQ, balance, speaker levels, and fader.

3. JBL GTR-102

JBL GTR-102

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I’ve mentioned before that I have something of a soft spot for JBL products, partly because the company has a long tradition of making of top notch products.

JBL is a legacy speaker maker. Its success is well-earned with decades of experience to show for it, and you could say they know a thing or two about sound.

The JBL GTR-102 is a very-well built 2 channel car amplifier with a futuristic design. It can deliver up to 100 watts RMS per channel to a set of speakers, and up to 240 watts RMS in bridge mode.

This stylish amp is featured with Bluetooth connectivity, so you can stream music directly from a Bluetooth device to this amp. It uses Clari-Fi sound restoration technology that analyzes compressed digital music files and improves them in real time, restoring the excitement in your music that data compression removes. The results is crisper highs, increased dynamics, clearer vocals, and fuller music.

To ensure compatibility with all factory radios and aftermarket headunits, this amplifier has both speaker-level inputs and line level inputs. It also has a second pair of RCA jacks to output the audio signal to a second amplifier, if desired.

To ensure long lasting performance, this amp is fitted with protection circuitry for thermal overload, over- and under-voltage.

This JBL amp comes with a cabin-mounted control panel which gives you amplifier control at your fingertips.

4. Infinity K4

Infinity K4

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Infinity is another well-reputed name in the audio industry. It’s been around for q quite a long time and has a solid reputation for providing quality products. Since 1983, the brand’s been owned by Harman International, currently parent company of JBL and a bunch of professional audio brands. Hence, it only makes sense to know that both JBL and Infinity share a lot of similarities. Their amps are no exception.

Infinity Kappa K4 and the JBL GTR-102 (mentioned above) are basically identical except for the fact that the former is a 4 channel amp whilst the latter is a 2 channel amp.

Infinity Kappa K4 can drive a couple of sets of high-performance aftermarket speakers with 100 watts RMS each. You can also switch this amp into bridged mode and drive two subwoofers with 250 watts RMS each.

Thanks to its built-in Bluetooth, you can stream music from your any Bluetooth device directly to the this amp, for convenient, wireless play that bypasses your car’s radio.

Just like the JBL amp (we linked to above), this amp uses Clari-Fi technology to improve the sound of compressed digital files. It also features protection circuitry for thermal overload, over- or under-voltage, and short circuits

This amp accepts both low- or speaker-level inputs so it’ll work in almost any system. It also has preamp outputs so you can add a subwoofer amp for better-sounding bass in your music.

Infinity K4 comes with a cabin-mounted control panel to give you handy controls for Bluetooth streaming, hands-free calling, Clari-Fi™ signal processing, and Party Mode at your fingertips.

Party mode is a feature that allows up to three different sources to stream, so more people can join in the fun.

5. Rockville RXM8BTW

Rockville RXM8BTW

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Rockville is a brand we haven’t come across very much on our site. It isn’t as well-known as some brands but they know how to build solid decent amplifiers.

If you’re all about driving your entire audio system from one convenient and compact package, Rockville RXM8BTB will definitely get the party started.

Rockville RXM8BTW is an 8 channel marine amplifier. It can deliver 65 watts per channel at 4 ohm load. It offers greater flexibility, therefore it can be used in a wide range of configurations.

This amp is housed in a non-corrosive brushed aluminum casing, and it’s fitted with a marine grade conformal coated board that resists harsh marine elements, and heavy-duty aluminum alloy heat-sink to shunt heat away from the component and allow for consistent performance. Additionally, there’s a 4-way system protection circuitry (dc, short, thermal, overload).

The only downside to this amp that we can reasonably think of is that it only has RCA line output, which means you can only pair it up to aftermarket headunits with preamp outputs.

Why Add an Amplifier?

Generally speaking, an amplifier is a device that takes a weak audio signal and amplifies it. Unlike the tiny amp built into your headunit, external amps are quite powerful. They can literally make your speakers sing with ease.

There are a number of reasons to consider adding an amplifier to your car audio system, and you definitely need one if you want:

• Better sound quality & Volume — Adding an amplifier gives you a clean power source that can drive your speakers without straining. Unlike an amplifier built into a car stereo, an external power amp is fitted with beefy components and isn’t limited by the space available, therefore it’s capable of making your music sound cleaner and more defined at all volume levels without distortion.
• To power upgraded speakers — A factory receiver may not do justice to your upgraded aftermarket speakers. The latter tend to require more power for peak performance than your existing in-dash receiver can provide.
• To drive a subwoofer — Obviously, subs require a ton of power. More than what any in-dash receiver can provide. Therefore, an external subwoofer amp is a necessity.

How to Choose the Right Car Amplifier

If you’re looking to upgrade an existing amplifier or install a new one, there are many things you need to take into consideration including:

• The Number of Channels
• Power
• System compatibility

Power Ratings

RMS 

RMS stands for “Root Mean Square”. It measures the amount of power, measured in watts, an amplifier can deliver on continuous basis. When you’re looking for an amplifier, make sure the amp’s power output doesn’t exceed the power handling of your speakers or sub(s). The higher the RMS figure, the louder and cleaner your music sounds. Bear in mind that if the RMS power of your amplifier is too powerful it can damage your speakers.

Peak 

Peak power is always higher than RMS power. It indicates the maximum wattage an amplifier can deliver as a sudden short burst during a musical peak, like a dramatic drum accent.

Number of channels

Car amplifiers are available in multiple configurations, from mono to six channels, each of which is best suited to different speaker setups.

Each “channel” of an amplifier is a discrete source of power, intended to power one speaker. The number of channels you need depends on your plans for your audio system now and in the future.

Mono channel

Mono-channel or a single channel amps are designed for subwoofers. They’ll work with a wide range of impedances, and feature built-in bass boost and low-pass filters.

Because low frequencies (also known as bass) are much harder to amplify than the rest of the spectrum of sound, a class D mono amplifier is a good choice. Class D amps are known for being efficient, produce less heat, and draw less current.

Although many 2- and 4-channel amps can be bridged (combining two channels into one) to maximize their power enough to run a sub, they often can’t handle the sub’s low impedance, and tend to overheat or go into protect mode.

Two channel

Many people like their music with a strong front stage and don’t even use rear speakers. A 2 channel amplifier is the most practical solution in such situations. But if you like rear-fill sound in your car and want to retain front-to-rear fade control, you’re better off with a 4-channel amp — one channel for each speaker.

Multi channel

Multi-channel amplifiers offer ample system-building flexibility. A 4-channel amp for example can be used to run two pairs of speakers, or a pair of speakers and a subwoofer, with two channels to drive the speakers and the other two bridged to power the subwoofer.

You may also want to consider a 5-channel amplifier that can drive an entire car audio system from one convenient and compact package. Its four channels for your speakers, plus a higher-powered fifth channel for your subwoofer.

6- and 8-channel amps take that all-in-one design and add even more system-building flexibility.

Want to add some oomph to a factory system?

If you’re building your car audio system from the ground up, consider buying a head unit with preamp outputs and an amplifier that has line-level inputs. By sending an un-amplified signal to the amp, you’ll end up with the clearest sound possible.

If you’re adding an amplifier to a factory system with a stock headunit, look for a model with “speaker-level inputs”. These amps can handle the high-level signal from your vehicle’s factory speaker wiring without having to mess around with additional wiring or adapters such as line out converters.

Bottom Line

There’s denying that having an amplifier on board can make a night and day difference in terms of sound quality you experience in your vehicle. A powerful amp will give you a clean power source that can drive your speakers without straining.

A Bluetooth car amplifier comes into play when you decide to bypass your car’s radio for any reason. This type of amps lets you stream music directly from any Bluetooth device for convenient, wireless play.