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.

Big power for your speakers or sub

Rockford Fosgate's Punch P400X2 amplifier sends 125 watts RMS per channel to your speakers, filling your ride with clean music. You can use the high-pass filter to keep the low bass out of your speakers so they perform more efficiently. You can also switch this versatile amp into mono mode to drive a subwoofer with up to 400 watts RMS, then use the built-in low-pass filter to send the correct bass frequencies to your sub. The Punch EQ2 features a bass and treble boost, in case you want to add a little boom and sizzle back into the mix.

Easy to set for optimum performance

P300X2 control panel shown as example

Once again, Rockford Fosgate steps away from the crowd with their C.L.E.A.N. technology (Calibrated Level Eliminates Audible Noise) — a setup system that ensures your music will sound as clean and powerful as possible. It works like this: play the setup tone on the included test CD, adjust the receiver volume until a red clip light on the amp goes out, then turn the amp gain up until a blue light comes on. It's that simple — your amplifier is now set to match your receiver's output. When your receiver reaches maximum clean volume, you'll get maximum clean power from your Punch amp. At quiet listening levels, you'll hear less background noise and more of your music.

Keeps an eye on things while playing

If that blue light turns solid red while you're playing music, the amp's telling you that your source is distorting and you should turn it down, or risk damage to your gear. The optional PLC2 remote level control also doubles as a clip indicator, so you can see from the front seat if your music's clipping. The amp's built-in computer keeps tabs on the output current, ensuring that plunging speaker impedances (they change during play) or even a short circuit won't hurt anything.

Maintaining coolness raises efficiency and lowers distortion

Rockford Fosgate's Dynamic Thermal Management system uses forced air to dissipate heat evenly across the amp and out through the high-mass heatsink, efficiently drawing heat away from vital internal parts. Their proprietary MEHSA cooling process maximizes the heat transfer from the MOSFET devices to the heatsink, allowing the heat to escape more readily, so the transistors stay cooler and work better.

                                                          P400X2 connection panel and input clip light