Our take on the Kenwood KAC-9102D

by Ken Nail

Kenwood built the KAC-9102D amplifier from the ground up to power your subs with authority. Its rugged cast-aluminum chassis houses an efficient Class D mono power section that'll punch out up to 850 watts without putting a strain on your car's electrical system.

A built-in low-pass filter adjusts amplifier output so you'll get the best sound possible from your subwoofer/box combo, while the subsonic filter eliminates inaudible, ultra-low bass that can hamper performance. Speaker- and preamp-level inputs, plus preamp outputs, provide flexibility in system design and hookup.

The top-mounted controls allow you to tweak the sound easily, and convenient front-side connections make setup a snap.

Highlights:

mono subwoofer amplifier
500 watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms (850 watts x 1 at 2 ohms)
variable low-pass filter (50-200 Hz at 24 dB per octave)
variable bass boost (0-18 dB at 40 Hz )
subsonic filter (15/25 Hz, 18 dB/octave )
top-mounted controls
Class D design
CEA-2006 compliant
speaker- and preamp-level inputs
preamp outputs
fuse rating: 30A x 2
4-gauge power and ground leads recommended — wiring and hardware not included with amplifier
15"W x 2-7/16"H x 11-3/4"D
warranty: 1 year
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...	500 x 1
Peak Power Output (Watts x Channels) Loading...	1700 x 1
Power at 2 Ohms (Watts x Channels) Loading...	850 x 1
Bridged Power (Watts x Channels) Loading...	N/A
Minimum Impedance Bridged Loading...	N/A
Minimum Impedance Unbridged Loading...	2
Best Frequency Response Loading...	5-200 Hz
THD at Rated RMS Power Loading...	0.5%
Signal to Noise Ratio Loading...	96 dB
Input Voltage Loading...	14.4v
Features
Amplifier Class Loading...	D
Low-Pass Crossover Frequency Loading...	50-200 Hz
Low-Pass Slope (dB/octave) Loading...	24 dB
High-Pass Crossover Frequency Loading...	N/A
High-Pass Slope (dB/octave) Loading...	N/A
Bass Boost Loading...	0-18 dB
Bass Boost Frequency Loading...	40 Hz
Fan Cooled Loading...	No
Fuse Rating Loading...	30 x 2
Speaker Level Inputs Loading...	Harness
Preamp Outputs Loading...	1 pair
Width (inches) Loading...	15
Height (inches) Loading...	2-7/16
Depth (inches) Loading...	11-3/4
Parts Warranty Loading...	1 Year
Labor Warranty Loading...	1 Year

Product Research

What's in the box?

Download owner's manual

Mono amplifier with two 30-amp fuses inserted into the chassis
7" Speaker-level input harness (has a 10-pin connector on one end and bare wire on the other end)
1 Metal cover (installed)
1 Allen wrench
4 Machine screws (installed)
4 Self-tapping screws
1 Rubber terminal cover
Instruction Manual (English/French/Spanish)
Warranty Card
"Caution" sheet

Our Product Research Team

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Features
Inputs and Outputs

Features

Class D Amplifier Design: The KAC-9102D is a Class D mono-block amplifier, which uses digital switching to amplify audio signals. This design results in high efficiency and less heat.

Low-Pass Filter: The KAC-9102D has a built-in 24dB/octave low-pass filter that is continuously variable from 50Hz to 200Hz.

Bass Boost: The bass boost level is adjustable from 0-18 dB and the boosted frequency is adjustable from 40Hz to 100Hz.

Infrasonic Filter: This amp features an 18dB/octave Infrasonic Filter. Ultra-low frequencies that cannot be reproduced by a subwoofer do not become sound but become unnecessary oscillations, which affect sound by causing distortion. These frequencies also waste amplifier power and can cause damage to speakers. Setting the Infrasonic filter switch to 15Hz or 25Hz cuts the frequencies below the respective frequency to improve the reproduction performance of the speakers by eliminating harmful distortion.

Phase Inverter: The amp has a switch that allows you to invert the phase of the speaker output. You can select 0° or 180°.

Speaker Level Input: The KAC-9102D comes with a speaker level input harness. Once you splice the speaker wires from the receiver to the harness, you have plug-in convenience to the amplifier. This feature makes it easier to add an amplifier to a factory radio or to a receiver with no preamp outputs. The maximum power output from the source receiver can be no more than 40 watts.

Line Level Output: The amplifier has a set of line level outputs for feeding a full-range stereo signal to another amplifier. It is the same signal that is input through the line inputs. The amplifier's crossovers have no effect on the line level output signal.

Protection Circuitry: The amplifier has the protection circuits and will shut itself down in case of the following events:

Speaker wire short-circuits
Speaker output contacts vehicle ground
Unit malfunctions and DC is sent to speaker output
Internal temperature is too high
When the system is not properly grounded

Inputs and Outputs

Front of the Amplifier:

Fuses: two 30A fuses
Power: Screw terminal (0.55" wide)
Ground: Screw terminal (0.55" wide)
Remote Turn-on: Screw terminal (0.33" wide)
Speaker Outputs: Screw terminals (0.33" wide)
Line In: One pair RCA inputs
Line Out: One pair RCA outputs
Speaker-level Input: Multi-pin input for use with included speaker level input harness

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1-10 of 13 items >> Sort Results By: Date Reviewed | Rating | Helpfulness

5 out of 5

Great Amp

Written By Charles, Seattle, WA on Friday, January 12, 2007

First of all, please don't wire this up at 1 ohm. Kenwood doesn't even recommend you doing it in the first place (Almost all the non 5-star review had the amp wired at 1 ohm). If you wire it at 4 or 2 ohms it will perform great. I've wired this amp on different occasions to 2 12" Infinity Reference subs (1240), to a pair of 8" Boston Accoustic Pro Series subs, a pair of 8" Kicker CompCVRs, a single Infinity Kappa Perfect 12.1 sub and now a pair of 10" Infinity Kappa Perfect 10.1 subs and they've performed great without any overheating. I've had this amp for over a year now and I have no major complaints about its performance.

4 out of 4 people found this helpful