Are amplifiers smaller than they used to be?
 

I haven't bought an amplifier in 15 years and I'm looking to add some to the boat. What I'm finding is that a modern 50x4 appears to be much smaller and cheaper than it's old counterpart. Right now, I have an old Kenwood 50x2 that's slightly larger than the modern 50x4 and the 4 channel version of my old amp was nearly 2x the size of the 2 channel.

I'm concerned because the size and price seem to have both reduced so I'm concerned that a modern 50x4 won't put out the same power as my old amp that I'm replacing.

Thanks

Yes, there has been more and more use of Class D amplification in recent years in new amp designs.

That makes sense... Especially in a marine amplifier where the reduced heat (higher efficiency) of a Class D amplifier would be a huge benefit in confined spaces.

Thanks.

Yes, the Class D amplifiers are smaller, generate less heat, and put out just as much. I replaced three Class A's that resulted in less power draw while providing the same wattage output. Because of the smaller size, I was able to reclaim some shelf space for other toys like the cell phone amp.

Stuff like this really concerns me.... I have this Pyle marine amplifier lying around that's 4"x3" and claims 100x2 RMS at 4ohms. I know it's a piece of crap amp which is why it's been sitting in my toolbox unused for a year but claims like this are just crazy. I'm planning either Kenwood or JL to go into the boat so at least I'll feel somewhat confident in the numbers.

I installed this amp with a pair of JL 8.8s and it has been rocking for about 3 months now with no issues what so ever. For the price and wattage output its hard to beat and has great reviews.

At 600 watts RMS for the 4-ch version the price is definitely right.... I was looking to spend about the same on a 50x4 so to get 175x4 it's probably worth looking into and even if the power output is exaggerated by 50% it's still going to be plenty of power for the 6.5 speakers I'm pushing, even when I add 4 more and drive it at 2ohm.