Jl Audio 500/5 Car Amp

Pros: Can power an entire system Great punch and power
Cons: Ambient feature (when on) takes away from overall sound

First things first - I never realized how technical and complicated a decent car sound system can be. Matching components is a daunting task, and even though I relied on a salesman at first, I went back to the shop three times - first replacing a...

Pros: 5 channels. Lots of adjustment for crossover frequency and output level to fine-tune the sound.
Cons: Poor reliability under light use. Expensive.

I had this amplifier professionally installed at a chain audio store (Tweeter). Correct wire sizes were used, correct fuses, polarity of the wiring etc. The amplifier itself was mounted to the steel bulkhead behind the rear seat of an extended cab ...

Pros: Powerful, clean sound. Great sound quality. Strong fronts for all-in-one.
Cons: Rear channels slightly too light on power, not enough mounting points

I am on my second G35 Coupe. On my first coupe, I had an Alpine 1000.1 monoblock amp running two Crossfire 10s, plus a Crossfire 100x4 running the highs, and an old Alpine EQ. For my second go-around, I decided to try and simplify the system a bit ...

Pros: Sounded great when it worked
Cons: Very short life span

Not cheap, but did not sound cheap. I rarely pushed the amp (I listen to an AM radio about 50% of the time) but mine crapped out after 1 year and 3 months. When I went back to Tweeter Home Entertainment Group my salesman took one listen to it an said that it is fried, he owned one and it did the same, and since my warranty was up I could spend a minimum of $150 to get repaired or $599.00 for a new one. It as if the amp knew when to die.

Pros: Well constructed, good clean power, and nice compact size
Cons: nothing

I tried out several different amps on my car, and I have been really impressed with the JL Audio 500/5 amp. It is very well constructed and has all the options you need for a full system in your car. The power is about all you need for a clear loud SQ system. I was actually thinking of adding another amp on for my subwoofers, but after installing this amp, I decided that is really all I need for a good Sound Quality system. I also like the fact that it is a smaller footprint than if you were to buy 2 seperate amps (4 ch amp and a Sub amp), which was a concern for me. I have a Mercedes Benz C230, and I am tight on space. It fits perfect with a Capacitor, Equalizer, on a board behind my rear seat.

This is a highly recommended amp.