My system has plenty of power. Who needs an amp?

You might think you don't need an amp because you have a 400-watt system in your car, or because your new stereo puts out 50 watts a channel. But those are peak wattage ratings, which may boil down to 15 or 20 watts per channel, using the more realistic RMS rating. An amp sends your speakers the power they need to deliver your music with clarity and impact, whether you're using factory speakers or high-performance components. And low-frequency reproduction requires lots of power, so an amp is an absolute must if you're adding a sub to your system.

Our take on the MTX TH90.2

by Buck Pomerantz

MTX muscle from a TH Series amp

If you're addicted to great sound, then you know that MTX has been building great amps for decades. Their TH90.2 amp mixes the latest advancements in amp technology with MTX know-how to bring you strong, clean power that you can rely on — day in and day out. This TH Series amp delivers 60 watts RMS per channel to your speakers, with some cool features that'll make your life a little easier.

Flexibility and reliability

MTX designs their amps for reliability. All internal wiring is as short as possible, for the purest reproduction with low noise. An anodized aluminum heat sink pulls the heat right out of this amp, so it'll keep on rockin' even when you push your system hard. You can bridge the amp to mono operation to drive a sub with 180 watts, and you can use the built-in frequency filters to tailor the amp to the job at hand, whether it's powering speakers or subs. A set of preamp outputs make it easier to get the signal to a second amp in your system.

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Highlights:

60 watts RMS x 2 at 4 ohms (90 watts RMS x 2 at 2 ohms)
180 watts RMS x 1 bridged output at 4 ohms (4-ohm stable in bridged mode)
stereo or bridged mono output
requires 4-gauge power and ground leads — wiring and hardware not included with amplifier
PWM MOSFET switching power supply
Intelligent Surface Mount Technology for cleaner sound and greater reliability
variable high-pass/low-pass crossovers (40-400 Hz at 12 dB/octave)
preamp and speaker-level inputs
preamp outputs
fuse rating: 30A x 1
11-9/16"W x 2"H x 7-1/8"D
warranty: 1 year (extends to 2 years when purchased and used with a StreetWires 4-gauge amp wiring kit)
Our 60-day money-back guarantee

Hands-on research from the Crutchfield Labs (what are the Labs?)

Features and specs chart | What’s in the box? | In-depth notes

Features and Specs

Performance
RMS Power Output (Watts x Channels) Loading...	60 x 2
Peak Power Output (Watts x Channels) Loading...	N/A
Power at 2 Ohms (Watts x Channels) Loading...	90 x 2
Bridged Power (Watts x Channels) Loading...	180 x 1
Minimum Impedance Bridged Loading...	4
Minimum Impedance Unbridged Loading...	2
Best Frequency Response Loading...	20-30k Hz
THD at Rated RMS Power Loading...	1%
Signal to Noise Ratio Loading...	80 dB
Input Voltage Loading...	14.4v
Features
Amplifier Class Loading...	AB
Low-Pass Crossover Frequency Loading...	40-400 Hz
Low-Pass Slope (dB/octave) Loading...	12 dB/oct
High-Pass Crossover Frequency Loading...	40-400 Hz
High-Pass Slope (dB/octave) Loading...	12 dB/oct
Bass Boost Loading...	No
Bass Boost Frequency Loading...	N/A
Fan Cooled Loading...	No
Fuse Rating Loading...	30
Speaker Level Inputs Loading...	Harness
Preamp Outputs Loading...	1 pair
Width (inches) Loading...	11-9/16
Height (inches) Loading...	2
Depth (inches) Loading...	7-1/8
Parts Warranty Loading...	5 Years (3-5 Prorated)
Labor Warranty Loading...	5 Years (3-5 Prorated)

Product Research

What's in the box?

Download owner's manual

2-Channel amplifier with one 30A ATO fuse installed
Spare 30A ATO fuse
12" Speaker-level input harness
2.5mm Allen wrench
3mm Allen wrench
4 Self-tapping screws (M4 x 20mm)
4 Flat washers
Owner's Manual (En/ Fr/ Sp/ Po)

Our Product Research Team

At Crutchfield, you'll get detailed, accurate information that's hard to find elsewhere. That's because we have our own in-house Product Research team — they open the box, verify contents, check the owner's manual, and record dimensions, features and specs. We stay on top of new products and technologies to help people make informed choices.

Features
Connections
Warranty

Features

Overview: The MTX TH90.2 is a 2-channel, Class-AB amplifier. It has anodized aluminum heatsinks to dissipate heat generated by the amplifier. The amp produces 60 watts RMS x 2 at 4 ohms, and 90 watts RMS x 2 at 2 ohms.

Bridgeable: The two channels of the amp are bridgeable. The bridged output is 180 watts x 1 at 4 ohms.

Protection Circuits: The TH90.2 provides protection against overheating and electrical short circuits.

Gain: The amp's rotary gain control is continuously variable from 100mV to 6V to match the output of the source unit.

Crossover: The built-in crossover can be set to high-pass, full-range, or low-pass operation via a 3-way switch. If set to high-pass or low-pass, the cutoff frequency can be set between 40Hz and 400Hz.

Connections

Line Level Input/Output: The line-level signal from the source unit is input using a pair of stereo RCA inputs. There is also a pair of stereo RCA outputs for daisy-chaining a second amplifier, if desired.

Speaker-level Input: If the source unit lacks RCA outputs, such as a factory head unit, you can connect the amplifier via a speaker-level input. A plug-in 2-channel input harness is included with the amp, which can be spliced to the head unit's speaker wires.

Power Terminals: The TH90.2 features set screw terminals for power, ground and remote turn-on. The power and ground terminals will accommodate up to 4 AWG wire, while the remote turn-on terminal will accept up to 8 AWG wire. The set screws can be loosened or tightened with the supplied Allen wrenches. MTX recommends the use of 4 AWG power and ground wires with the TH90.2.

Speaker Connections: The amplifier is equipped with set screw terminals for the speaker outputs. The terminals will accommodate up to 8 AWG wires, and can be loosened or tightened with the supplied Allen wrench.

Warranty

5 Year Warranty Terms: This product carries a 5-Year Prorated Warranty with the following terms:

Years 1-2: Products found to be defective in materials or workmanship during the first two years will be, at Mitek's option, repaired or replaced by Mitek at no charge. The warranty period does not renew, but continues on from the original date of purchase.
Years 3-5: The purchase price of an item which becomes defective after the first two years and prior to the end of the warranty period will be prorated and credited toward the purchase of a new MTX product. The amount of proration is determined by dividing the original purchase price by the number of months in the warranty period (60), then multiplying the result by the number of months remaining in the warranty period.

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