What you need to know when buying a car or audio amplifier

Amplifiers are all about power. An audio amplifier's sole purpoase is to take low level electrical signals and boost them without distortion so so they can power loudspeakers. Plain and simple. The more power your amp puts out, the stronger the signal. The stronger the signal, the better.

Basically, skimp on the audio amplifier and your system will suffer. The good news when shopping for car amplifiers or audio amps is that they're all pretty much the same in terms of quality and features. Performance runs pretty consistent between brands. So you're looking at two main factors: power and cost.

Audio amplifier power is measured in watts. The higher the number, the more power the amp has. How much power you need depends on what you want out of your system. If you're just piping background music around the house, you won't need much power. If you're powering towering main speakers and a big block subwoofer, for example, get a kickin' audio amplifier that puts out a few hundred watts.

When it comes to cost, if the amplifier design has a name, you're paying extra for it. Since they're all pretty much wired the same, choose one that gives you the most watts for the least amount of cash. However, if you're out to impress your friends with a particular "named" audio amplifier, then by all means shell out the extra dough.

With some systems the audio amplifier is integrated with the receiver and is generally more affordable than getting separate components. If you get one of those systems be sure to look for one with pre-out jacks. That will give you an upgrade path if you decide to improve your audio equipment in the future.