Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Customer Reviews for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

Model: KTP-445
SKU: 9442187
UPC: 793276300959
Use this 4-channel mini amplifier with your 2005 or later Alpine in-dash deck to enhance your favorite tunes while you're on the road.
Average Customer Rating:
4.81 out of 5
4.8
 out of 
5
(21 Reviews) 21
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot 21 reviews
5 stars
18
4 stars
2
3 stars
1
2 stars
0
1 star
0
95% of customers would recommend this product to a friend 
(
20 out of 21
)
Customer Reviews for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier
Review 1 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

great amp for stock or slightly modified stereo

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Anonymous
from phx az
on 03/22/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Accuracy of Controls
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: ease of install and good sound.
What's not so great: had to cut both ends of to fit with my non alpine system
i installed this my 99 gmc single cab pickup. i have aftermarket stereo and kenwood factory replacement speekers. i wasnt impressed with the sound at all i thought i was going to have to reconfigure everything, but i didnt this amp and about 30-45 min gave me a whgole new system. dont get me wrong. you probably wont win Any compititions but if you just want that next level its great.
About me... Avid listener, Frequent car commuter, Installed myself
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 2 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

Plug and Play simplicity

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: bigblock93
from detroit
on 03/22/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Accuracy of Controls
5.0 out of 5
5.0
I can't believe how easy it was to install this amp. It fits easily right behind my head unit. It only has one high/low gain switch to adjust so you may want to try something different if you want lots of adjuastability. Try the low gain setting and see if it distorts your sound when you turn your music all the way up. If not, try the high gain setting the same way. High gain adds nice clarity to the sound. I got more than I expected.
About me... Avid listener, Frequent car commuter, Installed myself
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 3 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

Best way to power front speakers!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Greg3852
from Massachusetts
on 03/21/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Accuracy of Controls
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Easy to install
What's not so great: Nothing
For a quick, easy way to really power your front speakers, this cannot be beat. It literally takes 5 minutes to install. Works great. You can really crank up your system without being overpowered by a subwoofer. Excellent product.
About me... Audiophile
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

Works like its supposed to

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: JoeT426
from Albany, NY
on 03/14/2012
Value for Price
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Accuracy of Controls
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Ease of installation
Took me 10 minutes to install this to my alpine 305bt head unit. Installation in my 2003 wrangler was almost too easy. The added power drives my Polk dxi's front and back and the whole system sounds amazing.
About me... Avid listener, Installed myself
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

good alternative

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: aram954
from plano tx
on 02/27/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Got this for the wifes car. Installed along with precision power 6x9 and a pioneer head unit and sounds great. Turned way up and no distortion sounds better than premium factory speaker system. Perfect if you want a great sound system and dont want to annoy neighbors or others cars. Installed in dash so u cant see it and no running wires or boxes taking storage space. got a 2011 titan with rockford fosfate factory system and wifes car sounds better for less money. And i haven't done the rear speakers yet. would recommend to have installed at best buy if not to familiar with this type of stuff.
About me... Avid listener
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 6 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

Makes a huge difference

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: giftfromdad
from Atlanta, GA
on 02/11/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Accuracy of Controls
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Easy to install, really improves sound quality
What's not so great: Nothing yet
We gave our son a new stereo system for his car last Christmas and chose Alpine from Best Buy. Alpine because of their quality and Best Buy because of their service and their knowledgeable people. We had Best Buy install the new head unit and speakers and they made a huge difference vs, the factory stereo in his car. Alpine CDE-122 head unit and SPE-6000 speakers. The salesman suggested that we install the 45W per channel amplifier but it was more than we wanted to spend at the time. Our son earned enough to buy the amp, we installed it in 15 minutes, and it makes a huge difference in the sound quality of the speakers. I would recommend this to anyone with an Alpine system.
About me... Avid listener, Frequent car commuter, Installed myself
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 7 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

Small but packs a gd punch

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: Ree81
from Richmond, VA
on 02/09/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Accuracy of Controls
5.0 out of 5
5.0
I was looking for something not too expensive and easy to install. This is it. Didn't have to cut a wire plug an play.
About me... Music is my life, Avid listener, Installed myself
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 8 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

Ahh-mazing

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: goirish38
from Winder,Ga.
on 01/27/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Size, cost, SOUND, so easy to install I wasn't charged for install.
What's not so great: Nothing that I can think of.
I had this installed with a CDE-121 and all four door speakers were upgraded from factory to SPS-610s. The sound is incredible. I was looking for a way to upgrade my factory system, and make it a little louder. I have never had Alpine components before, but a 4-door truck (at least my 2011 Dakota) doesn't afford much room to put in amps and speaker boxes and still use the back seat for people, so after a lot of research, ended up going this route. Glad I did. It sounds 1000 times better than the factory set up and didn't kill the bank account.
The Geek Squad tech was great at the Loganville, Ga. Best Buy. He told me that you can modify this unit use with other brand HUs, but for some reason it sounds better with an Alpine.
About me... Casual listener
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 9 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

Great Amp!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Theatreboy
from Wyoming
on 01/25/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Accuracy of Controls
5.0 out of 5
5.0
This is one amazing little amp...it has worked perfectly for me and really brought my alpine stereo to life...music is not only much much louder it is very clean!
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 10 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

awesome amp for jeeps

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: AcuraAl
from Lakeland, FL
on 08/11/2011
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Accuracy of Controls
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Easy to install, great for vehicles with limited space.
I have a 03 jeep wrangler. I have a punch 8 in my center console powered by an older infinity amp located under driver seat. I had been looking for a small amp to run my alpine highs but simply had no room to install an amp because we use the back of the jeep for storage. This alpine mini amp is made for this sort of issue, I mounted below the center of the dash so it's sleek and disceat the even better news is that it makes a world of difference for a smaller system like my Jeeps. I installed in about 4 minutes simple plug n play of course the amp is built to plug n play into alpine radios but I imagine if you wanted a slim amp one could splice wires and use it just fine.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
Review 11 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

Best buy in the industry for the money!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: RAWGUTS
from IL
on 08/08/2011
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Accuracy of Controls
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Simple, cheap and FANTASTIC.
What's not so great: You can't brag about how much you spent on it!
If you like to waste money go ahead and buy a 4 channel amp and go through the nightmare of an install (add an upgraded battery or a second battery to your vehicle) and throw your cash away on somthing you'll never use... or just drop $130 on this amp and you will be tickled! 45 watts RMS is more then enough power for anyone other then a DUB STEP competitior (remember RMS is actual wattage and most head units are 18-20 watts RMS). Geek Squad installed it for free because it is so easy. I went from good sound quality to FANTASTIC in a 2000 Chevy Silverado with 6 1/2 Alpine's up front and 4x6's in the back.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+5points
6out of 7found this review helpful.
Review 12 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

great

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: reclaimer
from Pittsburgh PA
on 06/12/2011
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Accuracy of Controls
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: price ease of use.
What's not so great: helps to blow fuses.
the power pack is great if you want an inexpensive option to amping your stereo for better sound quality and a bit more volume. great buy, well worth the money. easy to install, especially if connecting to an existing alpine radio. i have mine set into my glove box and it works beautifully.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
5out of 6found this review helpful.
Review 13 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

Easy amping

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Mtneering
from Auburn, CA
on 05/23/2011
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Accuracy of Controls
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Ease of install & sound
I have used this power pack in two different cars now, with two different decks and 4 different pairs of speakers. It is so easy to install and hide behind the dash and really does add to the clarity of sound production. The unit is plug and play for Alpine decks but can be hardwired to any deck (this voids alpines warranty). All speakers sound better amplified, this is great/easy fix and addition to any sound system.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
Review 14 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

OK for sound quality not good for volume

Customer Rating
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Posted by: Luvlou
from Louisville
on 05/15/2011
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Sound quality is excellent. I am hearing every note.
What's not so great: Not much volume - definately not 180 watts
Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier. Best Buy recommended this amp for my hybrid SUV. The installer seemed to think the hybrid could not support the power needed for a larger amp. He replaced four speakers and installed this amp. The sound is excellent but it is certainly not delivering 180 watts of power. I would say 80 Watts. I listen to classical music on CDs and the volume dial is at 42 out of 62 most of the time. When it gets very low, I have to crank it up to 62 to barely hear it.
To solve this problem, I had another audio specialist put in hot and speaker wires to the far back of the SUV. I bought a small subwoofer, a Kenwood amplifier for $90 that truly delivers 60 watts per 2 channels and some Sony 4 way speakers for $59 from Walmart. I built a box for the amp and one Sony speaker and a second box for the subwoofer. Since the speakers that were installed by Best Buy are in the front and rear doors so there was no sound coming from the far back anyhow.
I put the boxes in the way back, adjusted the Kenwood amplifier gain so that the volume control is on 30 - exact mid range - most of the time. The sound is now fantastic and real surround.
It may be that if the manufacturer audio system gave more preamp power, the Alpine could deliver 180 watts but not with the Toyota radio that came with the vehicle. I would say the whole enterprise cost me a little less than if I original had them install a multichannel amp since these cost about $300 and I would have needed the far back speakers anyhow.
As I say, the sound is excellent but depending on what is feeding this amp, the volume may not be great for classical music. Rock may do much better.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-24points
2out of 28found this review helpful.
Review 15 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

Perfect for audio enthusiasts on a budget

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Anourani959
from Irvine, CA
on 05/08/2011
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Accuracy of Controls
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Installation in under 5 min. Instantaneous improvement in sound
What's not so great: Nothing really, could be a little cheaper, but not really bad
At first I wasn't sure if this product would give me what I was looking for, but everyone else's review assured me about the purchase so I want to help others too.
This amp is great, packs a punch for budget buyers. My car had upgraded speakers and a Alpine stereo unit, but it didn't utilize the speakers the way they should've been. That's exactly what this mini-amp does(Any amp actually, but without the extra time consuming wiring). Just find a nice place behind the dash, plug both ends in, and you're set. It has an immediate difference in sound and quality.
It is a purchase you will not regret, and everyday you get in your car and listen to your music, you'll appreciate what this little product does.
I find no cons with this product, it is exactly what I was looking for, and works perfectly.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+8points
8out of 8found this review helpful.
Review 16 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

Great Bang For Ur Buck!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Dvlman99
from Big D
on 03/29/2011
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Accuracy of Controls
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Small, simple, tons of power...
What's not so great: Wish Alpine would make it easier to hook up to other HU's..
I recently replaced the factory speakers in my 2011 Kia Sorento with Kicker KS62 components for the front doors and Polk DXi650's for the rear doors. That alone made a huge difference, but I still needed extra power to get the sound quality that I was looking for. I did tons of research on various web-sites and forums, and all had good things to say about this amp. I hardwired this to my OEM HU because I wanted to keep everything looking factory. Man, this little thing made a HUGE difference! I get super clarity and bass at less than half vol level, where I used to have to crank it up practically all the way. It was super simple to hook up, even though I had to hardwire it. If you are looking to boost the sound quality of simple door speakers, then I HIGHLY recommend this amp...especially if you don't want to go through all the hassles of running cables throughout your car or pay a fortune for all the install kits.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+7points
10out of 13found this review helpful.
Review 17 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

great for what it is

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: audiolover12
from cloumbus,ohio
on 03/15/2011
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Accuracy of Controls
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: easy to set up, double the power of deck
What's not so great: only 45 rms
I have this hard wired to a Kenwood head unit and it sounds great. It added a noticeable amount of volume and doesn't distort like the Kenwood did at high volume. The amp has a 15 amp fuse and my car has a 7.5 amp fuse so u will have to increase the fuse size or wire it to the battery if u blow a fuse. If your looking for a lot of power this isn't for u but it is a nice add on.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
4out of 5found this review helpful.
Review 18 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

Almost made the mistake of getting a "big" amp...

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: dehlers
from San Diego, CA
on 11/09/2010
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Accuracy of Controls
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Price, size, performance
What's not so great: Time will tell, if anything.
I had visited some local stereo shops to research amps that would push the 4 upgrade speakers that I had just installed in my 2008 Dodge Ram Quad Cab with factory deck. The consensus was to buy a $250 low end 4 Chanel amp with the install kit and 2 high/low converters. After installation I would have been looking at $425. I decided to visit Bestbuy and look at what amps they carried. I explained to the guy in the car audio dept what I wanted to do, and he walked over to a locked cabinet and pulled out this little Alpine amp and said "this is ALL you will need". He said that they had installed one in a Jeep a few days ago with factory deck, and said it sounded amazing. He said YES it's made for plug and play with Alpine decks, but they could hard-wire it to my factory Dodge deck with no issues. Paid $69 to have Geek Squad install it. I installed Kicker 600's (6") speakers in the rear doors of the truck to replace the factory 5 1/4" cheapies, and installed Lightning Audio 6x9's in the front doors to replace the cheap ones that Dodge put in there. My 4 speaker system now cranks with this little amp! There is a tiny amount of background hiss that was not there before...... but I don't care, my iPod music sounds great now. The best part is that It's like Lojack- I don't even know where in the heck they installed it, and there is no space taken up under my seats by having a full size amp. $205 out the door...... money well spent.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+22points
25out of 28found this review helpful.
Review 19 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

Awesome little thing

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Chief396
from Oregon
on 10/11/2010
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Accuracy of Controls
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Its easy to use and powerful!
What's not so great: Its a little expensive but it is definitely worth the money!
I just bought my first car and was wanting to add a new stereo to it so I bought some speakers with this amp to add some power and this thing rules! It has a massive amount of power for its size. It doubled the amount of power coming out of my deck. It says its for alpine decks only but if you take the time to cut the connectors and add your own on the end it will work with any stereo.
I would recommend this to a friend!
 
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
Kicker KS 5-1/4" 2-Way Car Speakers with Polypropylene Cones (Pair)
4.8 out of 5(4)
 
 
 
 
 
+12points
14out of 16found this review helpful.
Review 20 for Alpine 180W 4-Channel Mini Amplifier

MUST HAVE UPGRADE

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Hedge
on 08/18/2010
What's great about it: Everything
What's not so great: Nothing
I already had installed in my vehicle an Alpine head unit with Alpine Type S speakers. This set up already makes a huge improvement over OEM speakers and head units.
Long story short, a sub/amp/wiring kit and installing would be too expensive and not worth it right now. I figured if I got a sub anyways, I would need to get an amp for the speakers to match the power/loudness of the sub. So I decided to go ahead and get this mini-amp first and have it tide me over until I eventually get a sub.
WOW, what a HUGE improvement. Before I could really only put the volume on 16 and it would start to distort, now I can put it all the way up to 24 without distortion and it's so clear. Truly amazing. I am also hearing lows and highs I could not here prior to installing the mini-amp. The bass is also much more powerful and clean. This is a must have for any car audio kit, with or without a sub.
As for now I'm pleased with this upgrade and have no intention to get a sub for a while. This is a significant amount of power.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+13points
19out of 25found this review helpful.
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