6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Don't forget your main speakers
Date of Review: Jul 10, 2002
The Bottom Line: This is one of the best amplifiers to use to run a set of 4 speakers. It's performance is much better than that of a typical deck's amplifier.
So you?ve replaced the factory radio by a nice aftermarket head unit, and you?ve installed high-quality speakers also. Throw in a subwoofer and amplifier, and now the bass in completely drowning the rest of the music. When you get to this point, and it seems that the power your deck is producing is completely inadequate, it?s time to start looking at separate amplification for your main cabin speakers.
While it?s possible to use two separate 2-channel amplifiers, many people find that using a single 4-channel amplifier is more convenient, reducing the number of power and grounding wires that need to be used. I chose a 4-channel amplifier because I already had a rather complex sound installation, and I needed to keep cable clutter to a minimum.
I chose MTX because of their history of making excellent amplifiers that perform well above their rated specifications. Again, with the Thunder 4244, I have not been disappointed. Granted, the 4xxx series of MTX amplifiers is at the lower end of their product, with the 6xxx being top-of-the-line is the multi-channel amplifier line. This does not imply by any means that the 4244 is an inferior product. It lacks certain features, but it?s still an MTX amplifier.
For example, the 4244 is rated at 45 RMS watts per channel by MTX. A quick testing with my oscilloscope while I was tuning the amp after installing it showed that it actually puts out around 70 RMS watts per channel. This is typical of MTX; you always get more that you think you?re getting. Just be careful not to buy really low-end speakers to use with it, or the extra, unadvertised power might be the end of them.
The 4244 also features a signal-to-noise ration of 100 dB(A-weighted), which is typically better than the signal pout out by most CD players. This specification is measured with a 1 Volt pre-amp signal at the input of the amplifier. With most of today?s head units using 2 Volt pre-amps, your effective SNR should be even better. It?s good to know that the amplifier is not the limiting noise factor in the signal chain.
The 4244 has front and rear crossovers, but they are fixed at 85 Hz. You will need to purchase a 6xxx series amplifier to get variable crossover points. The front crossover is high-pass only (and ca be turned off completely), while the rear can be a high-pass (good if you have 5 ? inch rear speakers and use a subwoofer), low-pass if you want to bridge the rear channels to drive a subwoofer, or full range for larger speakers such as 6?x9? used in many North-American vehicles.
The amplifier has both front and rear speaker-level inputs, but for optimum results, I really recommend using low-level inputs to the amp, if only to reduce noise. If your head unit does not provide at lease one low-level output, you should strongly consider changing the head unit before considering any external amplifier. You can however use one single preamp feed to run all four speakers. You will however lose ability to use your fader control if you do so.
For those of you who have multiple amplifiers, the 4244 has a full range low-level output that is the sum of both front and rear channels, hence making it into a non-fading output. This is especially useful to connect other amplifiers dedicated to powering subwoofers.
While there are many other great 4-channel amplifiers available from a host of reputable manufacturers, I?m going to be sticking to MTX, because they consistently produce equipment that exceeds specifications and expectations. And the newest line of MTX amps, including this one, look really good with the polished chrome top plate. If it had variable crossover points, I would have given it 5 stars for sure.
