by Joshua Thomas
Nothing beats a good quality sound system in your car and if you are looking forward to getting a powerful music output, then you need to fit in an amplifier. This installation process also requires you to connect the amp using a wiring kit.
It is important to get the right amplifier wiring kit for the job and this means looking at the wire quality, gauge, length, terminals, etc. With that in mind, these are the best Amp wiring kits to consider buying.
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1. BOSS Audio Systems KIT-2 (Best Overall) |
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2. KnuKonceptz KCA-K4 |
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3. InstallGear IG4AKR |
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4. SoundBox Connected ECK4 |
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5. Rockford Fosgate RFK4D |
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6. New England Providore PR000091 |
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7. Stinger SK6681 |
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If you are tight on cash, Boss Audio Systems' Kit-2 is an affordable amp wiring kit that you should consider. However, with this price, you get an 8-gauge wiring kit, which is thin and cannot handle large amounts of electric current.
There is a much thinner 10-gauge option that is cheaper while a 4-gauge kit enables you to power up a stronger sound system, but is much more expensive.
Regardless of the gauge size, the kits contain a long 20-foot red power cable with a high-quality competition fuse holder, a 3-foot ground wire, a 16-foot turn-on wire, a 30-foot speaker wire, a 20-foot RCA cable, multiple rubber grommets and wire ties, and multiple terminals.
On the downside, the copper core used in the cables is not Oxygen-Free, which reduces its conductivity.
Pros
Cons
This Amp wiring kit consists of a 4 gauge 3-foot and 18-foot ultra-flex black and blue wire, in which the former is a ground wire while the latter is a power wire.
All these feature a KCA cable (Kolossus Copper Aluminum) core, which is KnuKonceptz next generation of Copper Clad Aluminum (CCA). This wire basically consists of 90% aluminum and 10% copper, and this results in better current transfer from the battery to the amp.
The 4-gauge width of the cables in this kit provides good flexibility and they are covered in a rugged PVC jacket that is resistant to grease and oil and can withstand extreme temperatures of -40 to 105˚C.
Other items in the kit include an inline fuse holder with an 80-amp fuse, a 20-foot 14-gauge CCA speaker wire, a 5-meter remote turn-on wire, a 5-meter RCA twisted-pair OFC cable, grommets, wire ties, and 4 gold plated 4-gauge terminals (2 spade and 2 ring terminals).
On the downside, this kit cannot handle a load of more than 100 amps and the CCA used is less conductive than Oxygen-Free Copper (OFC). However, CCA is cheaper than OFC.
Pros
Cons
InstallGear's IG4AKR amp wiring kit features an ANL fuse holder, which is a particularly important electrical tool that is designed to protect the main power wire from the battery to the amp because this cable is very difficult to replace.
This fuse holder comes with a 100-amp fuse for the 4-gauge kit but the 1/0 gauge features a 150-amp fuse for high load systems while the thinner 10-gauge set comes with a 50-amp fuse for light load systems.
Regardless of the gauge, each set is equipped with a 17-foot CCA power cable, 3-foot CCA ground cable, 17-foot 2-channel RCA cable, and a 17-foot CCA speaker wire.
All these are covered in a soft-touch PVC jacket, with the RCA and speaker wires having black and blue jackets for easy polarity identification. On the downside, the CCA core used is not as conductive as Oxygen Free Copper wires.
Pros
Cons
This amp wiring kit is designed to handle a maximum of 2300 watts of peak power, and this is made possible by its 4-gauge power cable, which can comfortably accommodate such a load.
Additionally, this power cable is fitted with an inline AGU fuse holder that has an 80-amp fuse, and these protect it against burnouts or overloading, which might result in a lot of work when doing the replacement.
You also get a 3-foot 4-gauge CCA ground wire, a black and white color-coded RCA audio cable, a 17-foot 16-gauge speaker wire, an 18-foot 18-gauge remote wire, multiple terminals, wire ties, wire looms and installation accessories.
On the downside, this kit is only available for a 4-gauge size and its load rating is limited to only 80 amps.
Pros
Cons
Though very costly, Rockford Fosgate's RFK4D is quite unique because its cables are made of 100% OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) cores, which translates to better current transfer from the battery to the amplifier.
Additionally, the kit's power cable has a true 4-gauge wire with 1,862 copper strands and no filler on its jacket, resulting in improved conductivity and more power.
Included in the kit is a maxi fuse holder with a 100-amp fuse, a 16-foot twisted pair cable that enhances the sound quality, a long 30-foot 16-gauge speaker wire and other installation accessories such as wire ties.
This set is actually built for dual amplifier systems and it has all the brass parts made of the highest quality standards while all the kits have the appropriate wire termination hardware.
Pros
Cons
A solid battery connection is important for any amplifier kit and this one from New England is equipped with pre-crimped, tinned copper lugs so as to provide the best connection for easy current-draw while also preventing arcing.
From the battery point, a premium NEP mini-ANL fuse holder is included and it has sold metal blocks that secure both the fuse and cable, resulting in a steady, lossless connection for improved conductivity.
New England also ensured that the power and ground cables are built for high performance because they are 20% oversized as compared to other 4-gauge kits, which further improves on conductivity. These features make this PR000091 one of the best wiring kit for car audio.
However, the wires are made of Copper Clad Aluminum, which is not as conductive as OFC. On the bright side, there is a thicker 2-gauge option with better conductivity and also an 8-gauge kit, which is ideal for light load sound systems.
Pros
Cons
Though this is an 8-gauge wiring kit, Stinger's SK6681 has its cables made of a 100% Oxygen Free Copper cores, making them highly conductive and thus, the best 8-gauge kit in this review.
This construction effectively gives the kit the ability to handle audio systems with a maximum load of 400 watts.
The included parts in the set are an 18-foot power wire, a 3-foot ground wire, a 17-foot twisted RCA audio cable, a 17-foot remote turn-on wire, a water-resistant mini ANL fuse holder with a 70-amp fuse and several mounting accessories.
However, being an 8-gauge kit, this SK6681 is not suitable for extremely powerful amplifiers with a large current load.
Pros
Cons
Most amp wiring kits come with multiple accessories and installation hardware as part of the package, but it is still important to check the included components.
Generally, the best kit should have at least long RCA cables (minimum 16-17 feet) that are of good quality, a long power cable that is at least 17 feet in length, remote, speaker and ground wires, a fuse and its holder and terminals.
Other additional components are advantageous to have and the more they are, the better.
This is a very important factor to consider because it determines the current load that the kit can handle. Gauge basically defines the width or thickness of the wire and the smaller the value, the thicker the wire. For instance, a 0-gauge kit contains thicker wires than a 4-gauge kit.
Thicker wires are ideal for powerful sound systems because they contain multiple strands inside that can carry a higher electrical current without burning out. Therefore, if your car's sound system required more than 1000 watts RMS, the best option is a 0-gauge kit.
Most 4-gauge kits are good for 400-1000 watts RMS systems while 8-gauge sets are ideal for the ones that operate below 400 watts RMS.
This is a no brainer. The longer the wires, the better. You should avoid kits with power, speaker, remote and RCA wires that are shorter than 17 feet because these might be too short, creating tension once installed.
You should always select a kit with a good quality fuse holder such as ANL or AGU because they are easy to install, are water and heat resistant and usually show if the fuse element is blown. For this component, never compromise on quality.
Pure copper or Oxygen-Free Copper (OFC) is generally considered as the best conductor of electricity as compared to aluminum. It is also very flexible but on the downside, can cost 4 times as much as aluminum.
On the other hand, Copper Coated Aluminum (CCA) is very affordable but has a higher resistance to current flow. This means that for extremely powerful sound systems, some of the power might be lost during transmission, thereby reducing sound quality.
Therefore, for such systems, it is recommended to use copper wiring kits for the best results.
Also known as lug terminals, these are included in some kits and are ideal for making a solid connection with the battery so as to prevent arcing and for easy drawing of current. Therefore, a kit with such components should be highly considered.
Installing an amp wiring kit is not always easy. As such, ensure that the one you buy comes with clear installation instructions so that you do not mess up.
In summary, you must have an amp wiring kit for you to set up your amplifier and aside from the main wires and cables that are required and contained in most kits (power, RCA, speaker and ground wires, etc.), ensure that the set you buy has as many components as possible.
Another crucial factor that you need to get right is the gauge and that said, all these are clearly laid out in the article above so that you can easily pick the best amp wiring kit that befits your car's audio system.
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About Joshua Thomas
Joshua Thomas just simply loves cars and willing to work on them whenever there's chance... sometimes for free.
He started CarCareTotal back in 2017 from the advices of total strangers who witnessed his amazing skills in car repairs here and there.
His goal with this creation is to help car owners better learn how to maintain and repair their cars; as such, the site would cover alot of areas: troubleshooting, product recommendations, tips & tricks.
Joshua received Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University.
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