Kenwood 1177524 Compact Automotive/Marine Amplifier Class D Kac-M1824BT, 180W RMS, 400W PMPO, 4 Channel

I chose this amplifier for three main reasons: to have a high-quality Bluetooth connection (especially compared to the cassette adapters and fm transmitters I've been using), to be able to keep using my cassettes and CD's in the car, and to retain clarity at louder sound levels.I looked through a lot of aftermarket radios, and none had Bluetooth and a cassette player. Besides that, my speakers would start to sound very harsh when turned up, and I don't listen to music that loud in the car (about 80 dB-SPL at the loudest points).Installing the unit was a little complicated, but mostly by nature of installing an amplifier in a car/not by any fault of the manufacturer. Installing this will require a bit of soldering, so if you wish to leave your car's wiring harness interact, you can buy a little extension for cheap. One for my car is on Amazon for $5. It should also be noted that the inputs for the amplifier are RCA jacks, so if you don't have an aftermarket radio, you may need to buy something to solder to the bare wire. I had RCA male-to-male cord lying around, and cut it half to use that. It's worth mentioning that I was concerned that this would drain the car's battery while turned off with how they wanted it wired, but it actually senses an input from the car's radio, and when the radio is powered off, this powers off.I read a lot of criticism towards the remote, but it seemed pretty well made to me; the cord was thick and tough, and the remote itself was hard plastic with thick rubber buttons. The Bluetooth works well, and the remote is simple and straightforward.In fact, I can't think of anything about the amp that seemed like it was cheap or corners were cut, Kenwood delivers a quality product here.The improvement the amp made to the sound quality of my car amazed me! I left the stock speakers in my car, so I didn't have too high of expectations, but after a little EQing on my phone, the amp put some life in my crappy speakers.In conclusion, this amp is a quality product that does it's job exceedingly well. If you don't need the Bluetooth, there might be better options, but for very specific needs like mine, this is perfect.

I purchased this amp for mounting under the passenger seat of my 1955 Pontiac Chieftain. I did not want to cut a hole in the dashboard for a head unit or have anything in the trunk. Also, as you would imagine, interior space for audio is limited in old vehicles.I paired this with four Infinity Kappa 6.5" 150W speakers.First off, for those with limited space, this thing is fantastic. It is so small it can be mounted almost anywhere. Second, the Bluetooth connectivity is great. My phone syncs to it as soon as I turn the car on and not once in over a year have I had the connection drop while I am using it (I use Amazon Prime Music). Initial pairing with your mobile device is also flawless (I use an iPhone 8).Wiring could not be simpler as you are not wiring a head unit to the system since you are relying on your mobile device to send the audio signal to the amp.It comes with a wired remote for pairing, volume, and skipping songs. It is easy to use and intuitive and comes with a housing to mount it if desired. I simply drilled a hole in the back of my glove compartment and leave it in there. The remote is not necessarily required because you can control all of the functionality from your mobile device.The amp powers the four Infinity speakers very well, providing excellent power for great mid and high range sound. Obviously, this is not a mono amp for powering a sub so it is not providing a pile of power for massive bass response.I can't say enough how happy I am with this amp's performance, size, functionality, and value. I would highly recommend and am planning on purchasing another one for a different vehicle.

I could not be more satisfied with our recent audio upgrade. It has been more than 20 years since I last upgraded a mobile audio system and yes, the rules have changed. Then, I'd visit 5-10 audio shops, sit in their sound rooms, flip on/off their 10 receivers before I'd ever pull a $100 bill out of my pocket. Now? Read 100 reviews, make a decision, hook up your system and the first time you ever hear it is when you press the ACC switch. This time, thank you, reviewers, for getting it right. My new 400W/180 RMS Kenwood Kac-M-1824BT Bluetooth amp paired with four Polk DB 522 5.25" speakers was the perfect update for my 22’ pontoon boat.Sound is clear, mid-range is crisp, bass is impressive for speaker size, and it all fit without cutting anything except a small notch for the new control cable. Didn't have to replace the old Clarion Marine M235 receiver, and now that it is running through the Kenwood, it's an old dog with a new shoe to chew on. Pairs easily with any Bluetooth device we’ve tried.Setup couldn’t be easier. Convert the 4-channel speaker leads from the old receiver into RCA inputs for the Kenwood and connect to a power source. The amp will sense the incoming speakers and power up.Will it blow out the kids on the lake with wakeboard audio? Nope, but it does provide loud, clear, pleasing music at full open throttle. Total upgrade, around $350! That dog will hunt! Highly recommended combination if this is your need.