When it comes to car amplifiers, there are a ton of different options on the market and it can be hard to figure out where to begin. But there are a few brands that are more well-known and deliver top-notch performance every time. If you’re in the market for a new monoblock amplifier for your system, it’s good to know what you’re getting for your money.
BOSS Audio is a popular brand with a history of delivering quality sound and consistent power to car audio systems. As it’s one of the best-selling amplifiers that’s easy to install and provides high quality audio, I picked up a BOSS Audio R1100M Class A/B monoblock amplifier. In this article, I’m going to go through both an unboxing and a review of this best-selling amplifier.
Boss R1100M
I want to give you my first impressions of the amp as I unbox it so you can get an idea of what you’re getting when you purchase this amplifier. I’ll include its appearance, specifications, as well as some pros and cons I see when it comes to this amplifier.
Appearance
My very first impressions of this amp are that it comes in nice packaging and I like its minimalist appearance. The amplifier itself is compact and the casing on it is dark, brushed metal with the BOSS Audio logo on top in silver. It looks stylish and I noticed that the logo is backlit in blue when it has power, which is a nice touch.
The BOSS Audio R110M amplifier’s compact design is advantageous for a number of reasons. You can mount it in a variety of locations, as its dimensions are a low-profile 9.1 x 10.4 x 2.2 inches and it weighs in at about 4.4 lbs. This is great for anyone trying to build a car audio system in a smaller car or who’s running out of room in their current build.
Design Details
On the back, all of the connectors and switches are clearly labeled and feature a place where you can hook up a remote subwoofer level control. This is extremely convenient for when you want to adjust your bass on the fly or if you want to add more bass control in the future.
One feature of this amplifier’s design that I really like is its MOSFET power supply. MOSFET, which stands for Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors, is a type of power supply that allows for high power efficiency even if you’re switching between amplification signals rapidly. This is because it controls the flow of the electrical current, allowing or preventing the power from flowing through the amp.
Specifications
Here are the technical specifications of the BOSS Audio R1100M:
- Maximum Power at 2 Ohms: 1110 Watts into one channel
- RMS Power at 4 Ohms: 550 Watts into one channel
- High Level (Speaker Level) Inputs
- Low Level (Line Level RCA) Inputs
- Class A/B Monoblock
- MOSFET Power Supply
- Switchable Bass Boost
- Variable Low-Pass Crossover
- 9.1 x 10.4 x 2.2 inches, 4.4 lbs.
- Six-Year Online Dealer Warranty
And here’s what’s in the box:
- R1100M Amplifier
- 4x mounting screws
- Remote subwoofer control
- High input cable with connector
- Owner’s manual and warranty information
About Class A/B Amplifiers
Class A and Class B amplifiers are relatively common on the market. They differentiate between how current flows through the amplifier, allowing you to pick an amp that best suits your needs. There are other classes, though, such as Class D and Class A/B.
A Class A/B amplifier uses two types of transistors, taking the best features of both Class A and Class B amplifiers and putting them together. This results in an overall positive compromise between the two types.
A Class A amplifier allows a large amount of power to flow through its output transistors with no audio signal. A Class B amplifier has no power flowing through its output transistors and no audio signal. A Class A/B amplifier combines these two features, resulting in almost all alternations in the crossover.
What this means for your sound system is that you get a high-efficiency amplifier without the risk of distortion that many Class B amplifiers run. This is further emphasised by the MOSFET power supply, which is great news for car audio as there’s only so much power you’ll have to work with.
Pros & Cons
Every amplifier has its strong points and its weak points as well as specific uses they’re designed for, so let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the BOSS Audio R1100M amp.
Pros
- Great performance for the price point
- Easy to install with a compact profile
- Intuitive and well-labeled controls
- Durable and sleek design
- Remote subwoofer control
- Variable bass boost and low pass crossover
- Automatic shut-off to prevent heat damage
- Can be connected to a wall outlet if necessary
Cons
- Remote subwoofer control only works in low pass mode
- Might need its own mount for stability and to prevent damage
- For single subwoofers
- Some distortion if the gain is too high
- Some users report inconsistency in quality
Most of the cons listed for this amp are specific to situations that can be easily avoided. Because of that, I like this amplifier. It has a lot of great features for a low price point so you can upgrade your system without breaking the bank.
Installation
This amplifier is easy to install and is ideal for both experienced and inexperienced users. There are tons of reviews out there that report even the newest people to the world of car audio have been able to install it with ease. There isn’t a fantastic guide for installation in the user manual, but installation is not difficult.
If you’re low on space or need to install this amp in a slightly different place, this amp is great for it. It’s small, won’t overheat because of its automatic shut-off feature, and is lightweight at only 4.4 pounds. That means you can fit it under a seat or even mount it with industrial strength velcro without worrying about the adhesive breaking down rapidly from heat (though I would always recommend going with a typical installation and mounting whenever possible).
This amp looks great when installed, too, as it has a sleek design with the blue backlight on the BOSS Audio logo.
Takeaway
The BOSS Audio R1100M monoblock amplifier delivers great power at a good price point. You won’t go broke picking this amp up for your car audio system, and it has a few different ways it can be connected to accommodate for various subwoofer types. I like it because of overall quality in design, efficiency, and sound. While it does have a few drawbacks, I think the BOSS R1100M is definitely an amp to consider. I found the best price was on Amazon, click here to read what others thought of the BOSS R1100M.
There are no real tricks to installing it with the way it’s designed, and it looks great wherever you end up mounting it. It doesn’t overheat because it will shut itself down to prevent shorting and damage to the amp, which means the quality and efficiency of the A/B amplifier type will be preserved. I’m definitely satisfied with this amplifier and would recommend it if you’re looking for a good Class A/B monoblock amplifier to pump up your subwoofer sound.
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