1 Ohm amplifiers provide more power than 4 or 2-ohm versions and are a great choice for boosting the volume of your car’s sound system. Not all amps can handle the increased volatility of 1-ohm amplification, however, these stable amplifiers are designed to handle the heat.
This article outlines a selection of the best 1-Ohm stable amps on the market and explains a few related topics.
Keep reading for the full lineup of 1-ohm stable amps!
Alternatively, check our post about the best headphone amp.
Table of Content
- Rockville RVA-M3
- Taramps Bass 8K
- Planet Audio PL3000.1D Class D
- Rockville Krypton-M5
- Audiobank Monoblock
- Taramps 900187 Class D HD 3000
- Kicker 46CXA8001
- Black Diamond DIA-1550.1
- Planet Audio MB1200.1D
- Stetsom Vulcan 5000
What is 1 Ohm Stable Amp?
These types of amps are designed to function in the range of 1-ohm amplification. Stable amps are called stable because they have components designed to mitigate the volatility of 1-ohm amps. These kinds of amps are generally used in cars and vehicles, although they can be used in other situations.
10 Best 1 Ohm Amp
1. Rockville RVA-M3
The Rockville RVA series is a selection of decent affordable amplifiers. This is a monoblock class D amp. It includes an external remote control for the bass setting which is a nice addition.
It has a very low level of harmonic distortion, so it provides a very clean level of amplification.
There is a range of different wattage amps in the series so you will definitely find something that fits with your setup.
This uses a high-speed Mosfet power supply, which ensures consistent and stable powering. These amps can increase the volume of your speakers by a serious amount, they offer a strong level of power.
This particular model includes a few onboard controls which help you fine-tune the response to blend with your other speakers. There are knobs for the overall gain, a low pass filter, a bass boost, and a subsonic crossover. It also features a phase shift switch, so you can get the correct correlation for the cleanest signal.
Product Specification
- Amp Class – Class D
- Peak Power – 4000 watts
- Inputs – Stereo RCA Line Input, Bridge Connector
- Outputs – Two Speaker outputs
- Controls – Remote control, Gain, Bass Boost, LPF, Subsonic, Phase Shift
- Frequency range – 10Hz – 300 Hz
Pros and Cons
- Includes Remote Control
- High-quality sound
- Reliable power source
- Good customization and tuning
- Can burn out if overpowered
Conclusion
This 1-ohm amp is a solid reliable model with a decent level of control. It has a clean, undistorted sound and can be boosted incredibly loud. It is fairly limited in terms of connections, although it has everything you need to install it in a car. I’d recommend this for vehicle use, although it might be too restrictive for a home theater.
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A high-powered, high octane bass mono amp, the Taramp 8k is a premium model and comes at the upper-end pricing. This amp is designed to power a subwoofer rather than a full set of speakers, so bear this in mind.
This amp comes with a great set of features. The maximum power of 1-ohm operation is 8000w, which is super heavy and can power some of the largest speakers with ease.
It features an audio and bass boost control, so you can crank your system even further. This amp has full-range operation and excels across the frequency spectrum.
Unlike many 1ohm amps, the Taramp 8K stays very cool thanks to the advanced heatsink design. A thermal protection circuit prevents the amps from overheating. The versatility of this amp is also a bonus, and it is compatible with many types of vehicle audio systems.
Product Specification
- Amp Class – Class D
- Peak Power – 8000W
- Inputs – Stereo RCA
- Outputs – Mono Speaker
- Controls – Gain, Subsonic, LPF, Bass boost
- Frequency range – 8Hz to 250Hz
Pros and Cons
- Perfect for subwoofer powering
- Very high audio and build quality
- Temperature protection
- Lacks multiple outputs
- Only works as a sub amp
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a fantastic subwoofer amplifier, this is one of the best ones out there. It is more expensive than many, but the price is reflected in the quality. This amp is specifically designed to power subwoofers, so if you need something to power a full setup then you’d need something else.
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3. Planet Audio PL3000.1D Class D
Another highly affordable unit, this class D amplifier from Planet Audio is a decent stereo 1-ohm amp for your car. Being a class D, it’s highly power-efficient, storing excess energy until it is needed. It doesn’t waste any power.
It’s very stable too and can handle continuous power at a 1ohm level without overheating or discharging. This offers enough power to feed even the largest subwoofer speakers. You can power speakers with larger requirements than other lower ohm amps.
It also features a strapping/bridging mode, where you can send the power of both terminals to a single speaker, maximizing its volume. I’d recommend using that feature if you plan on using this with a subwoofer.
It includes all the filters and controls you need to tune the output to sound good in your car. The Subsonic filters and HPF let you trim off the super low frequencies which could damage your speakers if they can’t handle it.
The variable crossover control is useful and lets you change the filtering to match other speakers in your car, enabling you to achieve a more cohesive response.
Product Specification
- Amp Class – Class D
- Peak Power – 3000 Watts
- Inputs – 2 x Stereo RCA
- Inputs – 2 Outputs with Subwoofer
- Controls – Gain, Bridge Mode, Sub Filter, Bass Boost, LPF, Phase Switch
Pros and Cons
- Excellent Filtering
- Affordable
- Bridging mode
- Variable bass boost
- Does get hot
Conclusion
The Planet Audio PL series of amps are a great choice for any user. These come at a very affordable price, making them accessible to everybody. They have a pretty good sound, with very minimal distortion and noise, although they did lack the wow factor of more expensive models. The level of control is good on these amps though, and much better than others at a similar price.
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4. Rockville Krypton-M5
Rockville is one of the more well-known brands in the car audio industry, so you can be assured that this amp has been built with years of knowledge and experience.
The Kryton range is one of the more affordable series of amps they offer. They come in a wide range of channel counts and wattages, so you can find the exact kind of amp you need for your speakers.
This 1-ohm amp packs a lot of punch and has a low and clean level of total harmonic distortion. This amp does run pretty hot and isn’t the most heat-efficient model on this list, so be careful to install this in a sensible place in your car.
It provides a peak wattage of 8000w, which is powerful enough to source large, loudspeakers. It also comes with a power protection circuit and a peak indicator to alert you when the signal is clipping.
It has built-in controls for setting the sub crossover, as well as an LPF and HPF for tuning the response. It also provides a variable Bass EQ, so you can boost specific frequency areas. There are several smart automatic features like soft start and auto-off system. The frequency response goes nice and low, so this is capable of producing those low rumbling frequencies.
This amp is specific for bass, so it only includes a mono output for connecting to a subwoofer. If you did want to use this amp with a larger setup, you’d need to choose a different model from the range, maybe the four or five-channel versions.
Product Specification
- Amp Class -Class D
- Peak Power – 8000-watt
- Inputs – 1 x Stereo RCA
- Outputs – Mono speaker
- Controls – Gain, SubHPF, Phase, Bass EQ, LPF
- Frequency range – 15Hz – 250 Hz
Pros and Cons
- Great for bass
- Good crossover controls
- Mono output
- Hotter than others
Conclusion
The Rockville Krypton series is a fantastic range of affordable car amplifiers. This particular 1ohm model is pretty decent and will be suitable for most users. It has a good set of features, sounds great, and doesn’t cost the earth. There is something on the range for pretty much any type of setup.
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5. Audiobank Monoblock
The AudioBank Monoblock is another high-quality, low-cost 1ohm sub amplifier. This stable amplifier is one of the more affordable models, so don’t expect a huge amount of features or fantastic sound quality. That being said, this is still a decent amp. It comes with a remote bass control which is a useful touch.
It has a full range of tuning controls, including all the standards like a crossover, bass boost, gain, and an LPF. It uses an aluminum chassis with a strong heat sink, so it doesn’t heat up too much, and runs at a surprisingly low temperature for a 1ohm amp.
It uses a single RCA input, so you should be able to easily connect it to most other pieces of audio gear. It features both RCA and speaker terminal outputs, providing you with an extra layer of connectivity to other amps.
The sound of this amp was great and only distorted at the max output. It was a little weak or bland sounding compared to some of the better amps, but it’s good enough for most people.
Product Specification
- Amp Class – Class A/B
- Peak Power – 7000 watts
- Inputs – 1x RCA
- Outputs – RCA and Speakers
- Controls – Gain, LPF, Subsonic, Bass Hz, Bass Boost
- Frequency range – 17Hz ~ 180 Hz
Pros and Cons
- Super affordable
- Great connectivity
- Stable powering
- Mediocre sound quality
- Flimsy controls
Conclusion
Overall, this affordable amp isn’t a bad choice. If you are on a budget and just need something simple but effective to solve your car speaker system, this comes recommended. It doesn’t offer the volume, sound quality, or customisation of more expensive models, but you get a great value for money. You’d be hard pressed to find amps much cheaper than this with a similar level of quality.
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6. Taramps 900187 Class D HD 3000
This is another amp from Taramps, this time featuring more power and a cleaner signal than the previous model.
This amp has seriously well-designed heat management and includes an internal fan for keeping the temperatures low. Not many amps include a fan so this is a good feature.
This amp sounds fantastic, you can expect a clear, crisp sound across the frequency range with plenty of depth in the low end. It provides a max power of 3000w, so it should be suitable for most speakers.
This is a full-range amp, so it operates cleanly no matter which area of the spectrum is being played. It features a decent amount of controls that can boost your audio levels very high. The design makes it versatile enough to be installed in most kinds of cars, and the profile is small and not bulky at all.
This is one of the lower-cost models from Taramps, so if you’re looking for recognizable quality on a budget this is a great pick.
Product Specification
- Amp Class – Class D
- Peak Power – 3000-watt
- Inputs – 1 x Stereo RCA
- Outputs – Mono Speaker
- Controls – Gain, High Pass Filter, Low Pass Filter, Bass Boost Remote C
- Frequency range – ¨Full Range¨
Pros and Cons
- Great for subs
- Internal fan for cooling
- Limited Outputs
Conclusion
This Taramps bass amplifier is a powerhouse for your subwoofer. If you want a high-quality, low-cost amp with boosting technology, this is a solid pick. It has a very clean signal, and the bass can get cranked super high before distorting. I really recommend this amp, it’s a little more expensive than the most basic models, but offers fantastic sound quality and extended features. This stable amp also keeps itself very cool, so you don’t have to worry about burnout.
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7. Kicker 46CXA8001
This is a highly efficient class D amplifier from Kicker. An ideal solution for powering your car stereo, this amp offers a great sound at a reasonable price.
This is in the middle of the budget range, so you can expect some increased sound quality, functionality, and durability. Some of the main points of this are the advanced controls for tuning the amp. It comes with some highly variable crossover controls, a powerful bass boost circuit, and even a remote control to change the levels from anywhere in your car.
The filtering includes everything you need to ensure your amp only supplies your speakers with safe frequencies, and won’t blow them out. Make sure you set the sub crossover and HPF controls as specified by your speakers.
The CX series offer more flexibility and reliability than Kickers previous models. This one ohm stable amp is a great device to increase the sublevels of your soundsystem.
Product Specification
- Amp Class – Class D
- Peak Power – 1600 watt
- Inputs – 1 x Stereo RCA
- Outputs – Stereo Speaker Out
- Controls – Gain, Crossover, Bass Boost, Remote control
Pros and Cons
- Reasonable price for excellent quality
- Can be mounted vertically or horizontally
- Great bass boosting
- Speaker protection.
- Limited connectivity
Conclusion
This is a fantastic 1-ohm stable amp from Kicker. This is suitable for a wide variety of situations and offers a solid set of features that will keep you happy for years to come. This will help you to get some extra thump in your setup, and gives you all the controls you need to ensure it’s safe and effective.
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8. Black Diamond DIA-1550.1
There are several amps in the Black Diamond series. Whilst we are focusing on the 1550 watt, mono channel 1-ohm stable amp version, they also offer 2 and 4 channel amps in a range of wattages.
This is another affordable subwoofer amplifier extension. This only has a single channel, making it suitable only for subwoofer powering, however, it excelled at this task. It has a variable impedance setting, so it can be run at 1, 2, or 4 ohms if you fancy using less power, or need more stability.
It has a bunch of features making it safe for your speakers, including overload protection and a clipping indicator. Besides the onboard crossover and filter controls, this amp boasts an external bass knob control, which you can install anywhere in your car.
Product Specification
- Amp Class – Class A/B
- Peak Power – 1550 watt
- Inputs – 1 x Stereo RCA
- Outputs – Mono Speaker Terminal
- Controls – Bass Boost, Sub Crossover, LPF, Phase, Gain
Pros and Cons
- Affordable
- Switchable Impedance
- Limited outputs
- Hot
Conclusion
This is a strong choice of sub amp if you’re on a tight budget. The main attractions of this amp are the switchable impedance, so you can lower the volatility if needed. It does run a little hotter than most, probably due to the lack of an internal fan or much heat sinking, although it should be safe in most situations.
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9. Planet Audio MB1200.1D
This is another range of amplifiers from Planet Audio. This is a class D amp so it offers more power efficiency, and reduces the chance of overload and distortion. The downside is it is slightly quieter than A/B models. This runs cold, so no fears of overheating either.
It features all the standard settings and controls, and even comes with an external bass knob.
This is slightly cheaper than the other Planet Audio amp but still offers decent quality.
Product Specification
- Amp Class – Class D
- Peak Power – 1200 Watts
- Inputs – Signal Input Connector
- Outputs – Mono Speaker
- Controls – Input, Bass boost, Filter, Subsonic, LPF, remote sub control
Pros and Cons
- Super Affordable
- Low powering
Conclusion
Despite being the most affordable amp on this list it still offers a solid level of quality and features. It’s not as powerful as other amps, but it’s a good choice if you are on a budget.
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10. Stetsom Vulcan 5000
This 1-Ohm stable amp from Stetsom is a high-end, high-cost choice. It is one of the most powerful amps on this list, and has a huge range of features, powering options, and controls.
This uses a highly optimized design and has a fantastic sound quality with very low noise and distortion.
Product Specification
- Amp Class – Class D
- Peak Power – 5000 watts
- Inputs – 1 x RCA
- Outputs – Stereo Speaker Terminal
- Controls – Lever, HPF, LPF, Boost, Frequency
- Frequency range – 30hz +
Pros and Cons
- Super low frequency
- High powering
- Great controls
- High-cost
Conclusion
The Stersom Vulcan is a fantastic, high-quality 1-ohm stable amp for use in cars and other vehicles. If you can afford this, you won’t be disappointed. It is a little hot, but it’s very power efficient, so it can provide a very loud sound without struggle.
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What Should You Look For in a Best 1 Ohm Amp?
It isn’t always easy to find the right amp, particularly one that fits with your current setup. There are a few specifications you need to consider to make sure you get the right model.
This section outlines some of the important factors to consider and explains why the differences are important.
Chanel Count
The right channel count really depends on your speaker setup. The bottom line is that you need an amp that has enough channels to power all the speakers in your setup. For most cars, a 4 channel is good enough and will support a speaker in each door. However, if you wanted to include an extra subwoofer then you’ll need something with 5 channels.
Power Output
Getting the right power specifications is important and makes the difference between disaster and success. The main measurements are RMS and Peak Power.
RMS describes the average amount of power needed to safely power the speakers, whereas Peak Power describes the maximum restrictions.
It’s essential you get an amp that is equal to or below the peak and RMS of your speakers, otherwise, they could break if you turn the volume up.
Class
There are many classes of speakers, with the most common being A/B, A, B, and D. Amps are distributed among these categories based on their power efficiency. Class A/B amps use more power but have a better performance. Class D amps have inferior sound quality but use less power.
Speaker Sensitivity
This indicates the relationship between the speaker’s volume output and energy draw. A speaker with a sensitivity rating of 100 dB would be very loud with one watt of power. Each subsequent watt increases the decibel level by one.
Impedance
This indicates the resistance created by the amp’s circuitry. The higher the impedance rating, the more resistive the amp is, so it will require more power to get louder. Amps with a low impedance rating are capable of offering the strongest currents, but also create more risk of overload.
Frequency response
This determines the upper and lower limits of the amps frequency handling. Amps with a broader frequency response tend to sound much better than ones more limited. The lowest number of the frequency measurement outlines how low the amp can handle, so if you want a system with plenty of sub-bass you need something that goes down to at least 45Hz, but preferably closer to 20 or 10.
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Common Problems of Amplifier
There are several issues that can arise with amps. Some of these occur due to incorrect setup, and others due to damage. This list provides a few quick solutions.
- Distorted audio – turn down, or use a different power.
- Amp not powering on – check power supply, rating match, and wiring.
- Hum and noise in the speakers – check ground connection.
- The amp is overheating – replace the amp, use more heatsink.
- Unbalanced stereo field – adjust pan, check the wiring.
- Missing frequencies – check EQ and wiring, add more speakers.
- Swelling volume – check for loose connection, or replace components.
- No sound – loose connection or broken.
FAQ
Is a 1 Ohm Amp Good?
Is More Ohms Better?
Can You Run a 1 Ohm Amp at 2 Ohms?
You should also avoid using speakers with amps that have different ohm ratings.
Wrapping Up
Thanks for reading. Good luck choosing your new amp and getting it set up. For related guides check out our posts on… best under-seat subwoofers.
Noah is an accomplished audio engineer with several years of experience producing music for major companies and independent artists. He enjoys sharing his vast knowledge of audio engineering topics to help musicians and music producers create great music.