types of amplifiers

[import_illusion]

what's the difference between a mono amp and a channel amp?

which one is better?
what is the best brands for each?

[Weapon_R]

A mono amp concentrates all of its power towards one channel. It is best for subs. For example, a 400 watt mono amp will transmit 400 watts to one channel, which you'd wire your sub to.

A channel amp has different channels to which it transmits power to. For example, if you have a car with 4 speakers, you'd want to buy a 4 channel amp so you can direct an equal amount of power to each speaker. For example, a 4 channel 400 watt amp will transmit 100 watts per channel, sending 100 watts to each speaker.

I hope thats clear enough to help you out.

As for the best, it's VERY hard to determine. Everyone has their own opinion. Personally, I think its not worth it to spend dollars on the big name amps like Zapco or Brax, which can cost thousands of dollars.

For 99.9% of the population, any instore brand is going to be sufficient. Differences between amps is so minimal that it's hard to really say that one is better than the other. I have a Kenwood amp and a much more expensive Precision Power amp, but to me, they power my subs exactly the same. People will say that Kenwood is garbage, but it has a lower THD than the PPI

[BumpinTalon]

Mono amps are typically "class D," which means they are generally more efficient then multi-channel amps (they will make more power at the same amperage as an analog amp), at the expensive of sound quality. But, a slight difference in THD is not really obvious through subwoofers so that is not a big deal.

Multi-channel amps are usually analog (not class D, there are a few different classes, A, AB and B I think), which means they are less efficient (they will make less power at the same amperage as a digital amp) but they will sound much, much better on speakers then a class D will. They will sound very crisp and clear (a class D sounds lifeless and in fact probably won't even play anything above midbass).

So, if you want to have as much bass as possible, get a class D or mono amp to get the most power your stock electrical system will support. A 1,000 watt class D draws a lot less power then a 1,000 watt class AB. If you want to have really nice sounding speakers, get a multi-channel amp to get the most sound quality you can have, because the wattage you run to your speakers doesn't really matter so much.

Best brands? Anyone will tell you anything they want. Personally, I like Avionixx amps because you can get them for great prices and they have lots of power and are extremely reliable with great sound quality. You can get the same amps, but with the elemental Designs brand name for $320cdn new for a 400 watt 2 channel and around $650cdn new for a 1,200 watt monoblock (tested at 1,500 watts @ 1 ohm, 1,900 watts @ .5 ohm but it's not stable to .5 ohm so don't do it).
If you want something local, I really like Phoenix Gold amps, but JL Audio amps are probably the nicest sounding ones you will find in Calgary stores, but they cost a lot and if you don't know what you are doing you can make your system sound like garbage. Or you could get my 600 watt Alpine for $220 and it is comparable to a JL 500/1 that costs $1,000 :)