Reddit reviews Kenwood 2156568 KAC-M1804 Compact 4-Channel Amplifier

I've got a 3D printed mount for my phone so it goes flush where the 1.5 din stereo used to go. Would I be able to use this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JEC0YFQ/ref=pd_aw_sbs_107_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=HM6KBN8VTJMBG9Z2BVQ1

With an RCA-3.5mm adapter? The Pyle 2 channel you showed me is a little bit weak, but I'm kinda understanding what I need now

This project for my 2006 TJ may have been easy for someone who had a lot of experience with it, but I hadn't wired an Amp since high school so it was certainly interesting and at times challenging.

I wanted to keep the OEM Head Unit because it looks cool and it doesn't advertise the fact that there's now $450 of aftermarket audio parts in the soft top TJ. Plus I think it looks cool.

Problem 1 - There's no Aux Audio In, so we fixed that with a kit designed to use the port for a multi-CD changer (I bet a lot of kids don't even know what the heck that is but it would have been a fun addition back before MP3 players):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007CK30I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007TXP6A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I stashed the input into one of the two cigarette lights - the little bulb actually sort of fit as if it was designed for it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071R4H85Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Problem 2 - I hated the look of the sound bar so I'd ripped it out, leaving only the 2 OEM speakers in the dash. I wanted a lot more power and a lot better sound, but I was worried about space, moisture/water, and getting speakers in without a sound bar.

The solution:

1 - Jam 2 4x4 inch Rockford Fosgates into the rear corners, zipping them down and then zipping their covers over them. This turned out to look really cool (they're not pictured) but I will need to figure out a solution to cover them up in case it rains.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BF6HWF4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2 - Replace the OEM Dash 4x6 inch speakers with some great 4x6's from Rockford Fosgate that can really handle a lot of power:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002G9DO8S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These went in pretty clean with zip ties because they ship with this cool perforated plastic oval thing that you can chop bits and pieces out until you get a good shape. This was helpful because the OEM drilled holes were in a funny spot and definitely didn't line up (every other speaker I've ever installed lined up so it's good that RF thought of this).

3 - Now the tricky part - Kenwood makes this killer little 4x100 Amp that's designed for motorcycles, boats and 4-wheelers... I thought it would be perfect for the TJ and I was definitely right. It fit perfectly into the back of the Glove Compartment with absolutely no drama.

What was dramatic was the whole wiring job. Obviously everything had to be cut and spliced because the OEM Head Unit on the 2006 TJ does not come with Audio Red/White Outputs. That meant cutting/stripping each output wire from the TJ and cutting the Red/White inputs for the Amp and splicing those, then stripping the wires outbound to the speakers and patching them into the output of the Amp.

Hopefully it won't be too much of a problem that I jammed the power into the fuse for the Radio - that's a 10 amp mini-fuse so actually I think it will be perfect to complement the 15 amp mini-fuse that's already in the Amp wiring harness.

I have a bit of an issue with grounding - I grounded off on the same location that the Head Unit does, on the right hand side of the dash. At peak power, this is causing the Amp to come un-grounded and turn off. What I did was throttle the fader off the rear speakers by 30% and this seemed to resolve the problem with the downside being I'm getting 30% less sound from the 4x4's, but... luckily the 4x6's sound amazing so this isn't really a big deal.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JEC0YFQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The best part about this setup is that really you cannot tell when looking at the Dashboard that all this audio horsepower is in the TJ, and even the rear speakers remain pretty hidden behind the rollcage.

I realize I should have taken pictures throughout the install but oh well.

I'm working with pretty limited space, but what if I installed something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JEC0YFQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A5ZRC4DPYV13E&psc=1

Along with this for the front speakers:

https://www.amazon.com/Crutchfield-150Hz-Bass-Blocker-pair/dp/B0761TYTVR/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1520125840&sr=1-1&keywords=150+hz+bass+blocker&dpID=51PSof3jEuL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch



--------

On a side note, I do have two of these sitting around that I could swap out in the front, if it'd be any better....

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001P86SQG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also just looked for a better amp for the speakers, will [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-KAC-M1804-Compact-4-channel-Amplifier/dp/B00JEC0YFQ) work?

I wouldn't bother doing speakers without an amp. Buying nice speakers and not amping them would be like buying excellent football boots, but playing with a ball of tape.

That first amp looks rather large. Size doesn't indicate power, so I would go smaller if you can. The thing I'd look for when amp shopping would be the CEA rating for power. The CEA-2006 rating is important. If we look at an excellent amp like the Focal FPS 4160, the power on the marketing sheet is 4x160W, but CEA power is only 4x120W. If we look at a cheaper amp like the Pioneer GM-A5602, it's marketed power is 2x450W, but the CEA numbers are half, sitting at 2x225W.

Sonic Electronix has a good video on the benefits of CEA rating.

If you could stretch the budget, or find a good deal on it, Focal's itty bitty Impulse 4.320 puts out 4x55W clean, CEA rated power. You can bridge it to 2x110W if you get a slightly better front speaker. The Focal unit is awesome, but pricier than the ones you list. You'll likely find it for about £160. It's like the size of a pen. I love the piece for stealthy installs.

If you are set on the £100 limit, then I would look at the Kenwood KAC-M1804 if you want smaller and better, or the Pioneer GM-A3602 if you want to save some, and are OK with larger.

I wouldn't remove the rear speakers, I would just get them unplugged. Unless you regularly have backseat passengers. You're way better off spending what you would spend on the rear speakers on better fronts. If it is any help, I drive a 5 meter long SUV, and I only have front speakers, albeit really good ones.