20 Best 5 Channel Power Amplifier Home Theater (Jan 2023 Update)

I have a 7010 receiver and I decided to add a 7055 to improve the sound and fill up an open spot in my cabinet. I have the 7055 driving my three fronts speakers and the receiver is driving the rears and Atmos toppers. The 7055 made a noticeable improvement to the sound of the three front speakers. More dynamic and larger sounding. Nice bonus that it cosmetically matches my 7010 and looks great. It runs barely warm and is absolutely silent. Highly recommended.RickGr4

Great quality power amplifier highly recommended for any audiophile. Full compatibility with Marantz pre amp, easy setup, no configuration, full automation. Adds power.Officer

Purchased this to augment my 9-channel receiver in an 11-channel system (I was using an old Insignia stereo receiver to power the rear Atmos/ceiling speakers). Easy to setup, the trigger input works well to turn on the amp automatically when the receiver turns on. Using it to power the front L&R, center, and rear surrounds. Sound quality is good. Surprised that I have to turn the volume up to the same levels as before; since the Denon receiver is 140w per channel into 2 channels, I was expecting the 140w per channel of the Marantz to play louder, but it doesn't.Chuck

Received the amp and hooked up , and i was totally surprised at how good it is , it really is powerful and i wasnt expecting it to be . I read some people say its fans are loud , honestly my old pa head was loud , this is barely heard . Solid built body , actually has some weight to it . I have it hooked to my behringer mix board , and have several different interfaces , mics and my pc channeled through , and am using 4 speakers , 2 from my alesis pa system and 2 moniter speakers , and i dont even have the unit up to half way , prob 1/3 of the way to half , and it is loud but clear . I could use this head to do a decent sized venue and easily be more than heard and clear , even on my mix board i am not even close to raising the controls high , i had to with my old unit. Andi did the payments , which is a big help especially right now , with all thats going on . Fast delivery as always . I have bought so many different music equipment , from a les paul , a bass , mix board , pa , acoustic, mics . And i will only ever buy here. Never had a issue with any purchase or item Extreemly satisfied with this power amp .Paul

I am a physicist. (energy physics not matter physics). I am also a sound engineer, coincidentally, the control of sound energy. This amp is VERY GOOD for bench testing audio control devices and speakers. The addition of an unbalanced input makes it very handy for typical bench tests. Because I am retired I also use commercial speakers for my home stereo system. Use of commercial speakers is much cheaper than consumer speaker products that, by and large, do Not provide full range audio despite deceitful specs claiming otherwise. The commercial speaker is also built to last and far more reliable than consumer designs. (will last decades under home stereo use… my last amp lasted 31 years… speakers are still going strong) I use this amp as my home stereo amp driving 1,200 watt rated commercial speakers that actually reproduce 20Hz. (actual amp power use rarely exceeds 75 watts peak and 25 watts average) In that unique use… the amp fan noise is detectable so I place it behind a glass paneled cabinet. Aside from fan noise, the amp performs very well and for the price is one of the best bargains there is. Keep in mind… the typical consumer stereo amp is Designed To Fail and the primary reason is…. no active fan cooling. (a flawed design that minimizes ambient noise) The amp provides plenty of dynamic headroom (nearly 6dB under typical home stereo use) and presents no excessive noise floor problems. I use a receiver with balanced XLR outputs, a balanced 31 band EQ to drive the amp and control volume. My speaker connections are Speakon. Bottom line… A very good simple amp for multiple purposes at a very good price. If you are an engineer who loves music and movies you will quickly recognize the wisdom of putting up with a bit of fan noise to achieve excellent performance and very long term reliability.Suhr

Just purchased a QSC GX5 power amplifier from Mary (store manager), and Akeyla (sorry if I misspelled). The amp rocks! I have been DJing for several years and Mary explained a lot of technical stuff regarding which amp to buy for my speakers. I actually had a more expensive product in mind, but after her explanation I went with the GX5. That says a lot for her character and integrity. Some folks would have simply sold me the more expensive amp just to make a profit. She helped educate me on the correct product which saved me money AND potentially saved my speakers if I bought the wrong amp. Way to go Mary and Akeyla and God bless!DJ Marc D / Elite Entertainment

So, it's been a year and about 3 months since I purchased this amp; and the only thing I can say is that this monster is awesome. It's paired with my McIntosh MC 352 as part of my (7-channel) Home Theater system. This amp is wonderful; it's clear, great on the high end and produces some solid lows. I was hesitant about the brand versus the Mac but my doubts have been dismissed. Used it as my 2-channel listening setup while my Mac was being serviced and I was impressed. Great amp; no regrets a year later.New User

I don't say this lightly. Audiophiles are a peculiar bunch. This amplifier is amazing, is made in America, and unequivocally rivals silicon-based audiophile amplifiers costing 3X to 5X more. This amplifier opens up music in a way I didn't think an amplifier would or could. Suddenly I can hear detail in a way that only headroom from power on demand can produce. My source material is nothing exotic, MP3s encoded at whatever bit-rate, but even with such mundane digital sources the music comes alive. I know such platitudes are commonly used, but if you have good ears and you normally use the amplifier built in to your AVR, you'll hear the difference immediately. This amplifier is simply amazing and an unbelievable bargain. This amplifier is VERY heavy (I had to get new audio equipment furniture to accommodate its weight), but does not get very hot (I put a digital optical thermometer on the case and transistors directly while cranking it), suggesting high efficiency. This amplifier literally draws as much power from the wall as electrically possible. Most amplifier specifications lie. The way you can tell is to calculate the power output capacity from the AC draw. Compare your amplifier's rated AC input draw vs. power amplification claims. Your normal 3-prong AC socket is rated for 15 amps. Most US AC is 120 volts. Thus the absolute maximum you can draw from the wall is 1800 watts. No amplifier is 100% efficient. This amplifier requires the circuit be dedicated to it. It wants the full 1800 watts. Add up the power output per channel multiplied by the number of channels multiplied by the amplifier's efficiency (typically between 50% and 85%) and you get the maximum possible RMS power amp output to the speakers. Amplifiers can briefly peak above their rated power input by drawing power from their built-in capacitors, but these peaks are very transitory and driving to these levels consistently will very quickly cause at a minimum in a well designed amplifier a blown fuse, but more typically audio clipping, and at worst equipment failure. I don't want this to be about me, but I have extensive audio background, having run a professional recording studio for years with equipment costing 100's of thousands, and am a professional musician and home theater enthusiast for decades. This amplifier is a bargain in a way that makes AVRs built-in amplification capabilities insulting. I'm not sure how much is widely known about this amplifier, but if you knew who the source manufacturer is (I do), you would agree. This amplifier puts more expensive and well known brand names to shame. Those other amp's are simply not competitive with this Monolith in engineering, sound quality, features, warranty, or price.Brian

I wasn't expecting the heavens to open up and for angels to sing to me when I powered up and played music through this amplifier. I mean, all an amplifier does is make something louder, right? What sort of audio revelation could possibly occur? I've got a pretty high-end Yamaha AVR. Surely it's amplifiers are pretty good. I was partially right, and partially wrong. The "make the sound louder" part I got right. The part I got wrong, and am darn happy about it, is that utilizing a good quality amplifier DOES make a big difference. I figured the hefty weight of the amplifier was just a trick meant to fool consumers into thinking they were getting something substantial, significant. As it turns out there IS a reason audio equipment engineers use certain components and some of them weigh a bunch. Wrestling a 93 lb amplifier into place & hooking it up is no small feat. It isn't squirrelly like balancing a folding chair or a fussy child, it's just plain HEAVY. The weight is mostly the dual toroidal transformers, although the amplifier IS built like a tank. When putting it in my rack I was afraid I'd scratch my shiny new amp (as shiny as jet black can be). I didn't. I think everything else was at risk from the amp, not vice versa. Hookup was darn simple, but take note of a couple of things: 1st is the RCA vs. XLR switch. It's small, unobtrusive, and easy to miss. I did. That lasted a hot second of pondering why sound didn't come out until I switched it to match what I was using for inputs. 2nd is there are two power switches: one on the back of the unit (SUPER handy since I, and probably most, turn the amp on via trigger from something else) and the one on the front panel in the form a largish button that glows blue when the amplifier is operating. Music I've listened to ad nauseum for years suddenly has a new sonic appeal to my ears. I'm not sure why the channels are labeled the same way as you'd label speaker connections: front, right, center, left surround, etc. other than convention. The audio decoding is done by whatever source you're using. The amplifier just makes that a lot louder. Since each amplifier essentially lacks as its own independent channel they could have just numbered them from 1 to 7 and let you plug whatever into whatever. That makes sense to me. I suspect what makes sense to me would confuse the masses, although I would think people that are going to buy such a capable and ample amp are intellectually a notch above your average stereo/AVR buyer. I've long had a discussion with a friend about whether it makes sense to upgrade audio gear. My thought being that each component can only detract from the sound, like panes of glass. My friend's being that the digitized source material using lossy CODECs, like the omnipresent MP3 format, is so inherently flawed it makes no difference what sort of electronics you throw at it. He's wrong. I'm right. Again. Buy one of these things if you like music and your budget and muscles can handle it. I have been very pleasantly surprised. Wait, a minute, what was that sound? I think I just heard heavenly trumpets with accompanying vocals. Could just be my imagination.Brian

I purchased this receiver to replace its predecessor, which was also a Yamaha, but was 12 years old and beginning to get glitchy. Its predecessor was a higher end version with a bit more functionality. This receiver is really pretty much perfect. I chose it over the updated version of its predecessor because it is simpler. This receiver is very simple and straight forward to use – very easy to optimize sound quality, move through effects settings, control inputs etc. Per the description, it's optimized to drive a 5 speaker/sub woofer system, which is what we have, and it does that very well. Sound quality is on par with the more expensive receiver but I would say it's not quite as "deep". That's a tough characteristic to nail down, but it doesn't quite drive the edges (highs and lows) like the more expensive receiver. That said, it's a VERY minor difference and likely not noticeable by 99% of the human species (my wife can't tell). It makes up for that minor deficiency with sub-woofer performance and simplicity of operation. The remote is cleaner the the previous version and has a more positive and direct interface over functions. The LED display is also very clear and easy to see across a large room. Overall this is a VERY GOOD product, particularly for the ridiculously low price. I didn't give it 5 stars only because it's truly not perfect from an audio standpoint, which is the perspective of this review. If I was going strictly on audio value per $$ this would absolutely be a 5 star review.Bromhead24thofFoot

This Yamaha receiver is considered "entry level", meaning you're going to be missing some features and performance of higher end equipment. This may be true, but if you're looking for a good quality receiver, which will give you a nice home theater experience while not hurting the wallet too much, give this one a serious look. First off, let's get the few negatives out of the way. It doesn't support Dolby Atmos, or DTS-X, doesnt have Wifi, and it's feature set is a bit thin. But on the plus side, it supports Bluetooth, so you can stream music from your Bluetooth devices, has a decent assortment of inputs and outputs, supports 4K video, HDMI HDCP 2.2, and seems to be built with quality. It has up-converting ability, and a number of DSP modes for creating various effects, or just audio pass-thru for up to 5.1 audio. My impression of the quality of the audio from this receiver is that it is quite good for the price. With a decent set of surround speakers and a good subwoofer, I can fill my family room with wall shaking audio. Yes, on paper it's a bit thin on output power, but unless you're trying to fill a huge space, it will work quite well. To summarize, I feel the Yamaha RX-V385 is a well made entry level receiver which won't break the bank, but will give you a very enjoyable home theater experience. I'm very pleased with my purchase.VincentC

Great entry-level AVR for both movies and music. I run a simple 2.0 setup with Polk Series III floorstanding speakers. I decided to upgrade my old, non-HDMI AVR for two reasons: 1) better sound quality for my 320 kbps music streaming, and 2) the ability to finally play audio from my Samsung Q60 TV through my stereo 2.0 setup (which also lacked an optical audio input). I also game on an Xbox One X and wanted to make sure that the AVR would be capable of smoothly passing through 4K HDR content. This receiver excels at all aspects. The music quality is surprisingly improved, particularly with the Compressed Music Enhancer function. I always thought all receivers would sound basically the same when it comes to simple music playback in stereo, but there's a noticeable improvement to my ears in terms of both detail and clarity. So far I prefer using the STRAIGHT preset in combination with Compressed Music Enhancer for listening to albums. On the 0-97 scale, I find 50-60 is generally loud enough for reasonable listening in my ~ 700 sq. ft. apartment living room. On the video side, I was able to get the HDMI ARC function working surprisingly quickly. I have the Xbox plugged into HDMI 1 on the AVR, and another cable running from HDMI Out on the AVR to my TV's HDMI ARC input. This lets me send consistent 4K HDR video signals from my Xbox, through the AVR and to the TV without any distortion or lag, and returns the audio through the speakers. Even though I don't have a surround setup, I typically use the Surround Decoder along with the Game preset for pretty good results. Audio from shows and movies streamed from my TV's various apps (Netflix, HBO etc.) also works well. I debated forsaking the video stuff and just getting a higher quality stereo amplifier, but the ability of this AVR to coordinate with my Samsung TV's Anynet+ features for media switching is what sealed the deal for me. Using the HDMI Arc setup described above, and after enabling HDMI control on this AVR, the AVR automatically 1) switches to TV audio whenever it detects a streaming app, 2) switches to the audio and video signals coming from the Xbox whenever I start it up, and 3) automatically switches to the audio channel I have my Chromecast Audio plugged into whenever I feel like listening to music. The AVR also passes the audio and video from my Xbox through while powered off – and the TV automatically switches on its onboard speakers when the AVR is powered off, no manual digging into TV settings required! The only potential drawback in terms of functionality is that using this ARC setup, the TV doesn't automatically switch in and out of Game Mode depending on the media source, since it's all being routed into the TV via the same single HDMI input. I don't mind leaving Game Mode on for movie streaming, but for those that would, you could alternatively connect your game system into another TV input rather than pass it through the AVR (though the game's audio would still be returned via ARC to your external speakers). The only other drawback so far is the YPAO calibration. It was easy to connect the mic and run the quick calibration, but the results were just awful! For some reason it turned my right (front) speaker down by 10dB, making music sound horribly tinny. I manually went in and restored it, now everything sounds great. I was hoping it'd automatically give me a more fine-tuned calibration on the order of a couple dB (without me having to figure it out by trial and error), but oh well. Overall a fantastic product, especially at this price.SamH

I own a Polaris SLINGSHOT. This one Bluetooth amp has opened eyes and dropped jaws. It provides awesome sound on all levels and can work for any vehicle as long as you shield ????? it from water. I am impressed every time it turn it on. Highly recommend for those who would prefer to just deal with their phone, or classic car enthusiast that wish to keep stock units in. This amp is easy to hide and wire. Love Love love it. Because my slingshot is open to elements I will be purchasing a second just in case.Andre

Small and compact. Bluetooth audio is easy to pair, and the range is good. Could use a better remote. I have this hooked up to 2 ceiling speakers and 2 wall speakers. Sound is adequate for my 1 car garage.Stevie

This product adds simple 5.1 capability to any audio system. I hooked it up to my PC and now I have a sound system. It works with HDMI inputs(2), BT and RCA audio inputs. However, it's not a "power" amplifier. Don't expect to connect big speakers and make a loud audio. Just perfect for your desktop.mc**2

This is a fantastic amplifier. looks great and functions very well. using Aerpro 4AWG Amp cable kit. it powers a 300WRMS sub and 4x door speakers and a sub with out any issues. there output is very clean. the only down side is the amp does not come with base knob.DL

This little amp will run your entire system clean and efficiently. And the sound quality is great. So great in fact I bought another 5 channel and the 4 channel version.jame_judg

I received the black a 5500 instead of the one listed above. I was confused at the beginning but I am satisfied with a product. Can you explain to me why I got the black a 5500 instead of what I ordered or are they the same product I don't want to go!?Luis R

Awesome clean amp. No noise what so ever. Lots of head room. I ran the amp 6 hours straight, when I touched the amp, surprised it was cool to the touch. Top notch unit.Ariel

Great value bundle if you need all of the speakers. Sub has more than enough thump for small and medium rooms. Center and front speakers a little undersized, but they work well with the sub and the system delivers a nice theater surround if you set up the speakers properly. Very easy to install- straight forward old-fashioned style wired stereo and sub, nothing wireless (no interference!), no proprietary wires needed. Bluetooth pairs easily with one device at a time. System is recognized with no setup needed by Roku smart TV. Get the bundle if you need a complete system with all of the speakers, hassle free with easy setup. The included front and center speakers are serviceable, but if you already have better ones, then consider getting the standalone receiver instead.adfel

I just want to sayOMG! This thing is amazing. If you like going to the movies and enjoy the great sound then you’ll want this in your home. The sound makes it seem like you at the theater. I would definitely recommend this to all who enjoy watching movies and have great sound. Drawback. The higher you have the sound up the hotter the system gets. It should have come with a fan built in it. No problem for me . I mounted and small computer fan on mine. Keeps it nice and coolJohnny

Do not be fooled, this is an entry level home theater in a box solution. This is a $300 Yamaha RX-V385 receiver paired with speakers and a subwoofer that would cost $200-250. Do not expect audiophile quality sound just because it is from Yamaha. The sound quality is good enough from its price point. The subwoofer requires an active power source, a nice touch, in case the speakers are not to your liking. There is no output for a "B" set of speakers, which does bring the cost of entry down. There are also no audio streaming services built in, you must stream from your phone. Yamaha has a step up model that includes streaming for Pandora, SXM, etc. The jump is $150. If this is going in a man cave or the kids game room???? I installed this system in my friend's rec-room at his vacation rental. It filled the space well. I really did not tweak the sound at all after the setup mic. Everything sounded "fine" out of the box. But a bigger room would overwhelm the speakers otherwise. As far as video, you may see there are yellow RCA inputs for standard definition video signals. Don't let that fool you, at all. The receiver doesn't convert analog video for the HDMI/ARC signal. So if you are looking to use this receiver to hook up a VCR, you will need to buy an analog to digital converter box, which are roughly $15. The other work around is if your TV still has an RCA input, you can hook the "monitor out" to that. The remote feels kind of cheap, but then again, many remotes now days feel cheap compared to the wonderful ones of the 1990s. I tried out the FM radio tuner. It is hooked to an amplified TV antenna. The Yamaha tuner performed better than the Onkyo FM tuner upstairs, hooked to the same antenna. Sony's kit got over looked by me, is the fact their receivers use a proprietary connector and just a wire for their FM connection. That setup would render FM reception to nothing in the rural area blocked by a mountain. I saw no degradation of quality on a Ultra 4K disc between direct wiring the player to the TV versus passing through the receiver.MPP80

I've always liked decent quality sound, however it took a backseat while bringing up the family. I had a cheap LG All in one Home Cinema system which recently went bang so decided it was time to get something a bit better. I wanted something that I could plug all the AV inputs into the back and just have one HDMI going to the TV, with a passthrough to make it easy for my Wife to watch Sky. I also wated the ability to play internet radio and Spotify as I am hoping to do away with the 2,000 + CD collection to free up some space. The Amp was very easy to set up and the setup of the speakers was easy using the microphone. Initially I just used my existing LG speakers but within a week decided I should put some decent speakers with this so have now paired it with a set of Cambridge Audio speakers. It is absolutely brilliant, and my Wife loves the fact she can ask Alexa to put the radio on as she struggles to see the remote control.GrowlingDog

Bought as an updated AV amp, particularly wanted one smaller than our previous model for a reduced size TV cabinet/stand. Standard width but significantly smaller in height but delivers good output and doesn't feel cramped at the back for all the surround sound speaker and HDMI ports etc- only supports 5.1 but this was all we were requiring. Settings interface is a little bit clunky and feels a touch dated. but standard type of menu cascade which didn't pose too many navigation issues. Particularly liked the surround sound set up using an included microphone and cardboard tower- took about 15-20mins having to reposition 6 times but not particularly onerous and will probably a one off procedure unless you change your room setup/speaker arrangement. Overall good value unit.Bruce_Mac

I was looking to replace a 10-year old AV receiver and preferably wanted a slimline form factor. The Marantz NR1510 ticked that box for me but also has some great features, some of which I had not expected. First of all it's performing really well in my 5.1 system and sounds great with Blu-Rays as well as streaming through the Netflix app on my TV. Since it has ARC, I am able to route the audio from my TV to my surround speakers. I really like that I can Airplay straight to the receiver so in no time I can have music playing from my phone or my laptop. I don't even have to turn the receiver on, it just comes on automatically (and shuts down on its own too) and automatically switches to the correct HDMI input. With my old receiver I'd have to turn it on, find the correct HDMI input and then start playing music, but with this I don't have to worry about that. It also doesn't run very warm at all. My previous receiver was a heat monster so that's a great upgrade for me. I also really like using the app which allows me to change volume and input if I'm not close to my remote, which I don't really have to use much now as my phone can do it all. I've also been playing music through my front two channels and it sounds great. I've tried it through streaming via Spotify, Tidal, hi-res tracks via a USB stick as well as a CD player and it has all sounded good to me. It comes with Heos capability which uses an app and that contains lots of options for streaming. The only quirk of Heos is that you can't actually fast forward or seek forward or backwards in a track, which is a little odd. On the whole I find it much quicker to Airplay but it's great to have options. I've also set up a network drive that allows me to play my library of files from my CD collection and that has worked well so far. Once set up (which was easy), the Marantz gets out of the way and just lets me get to my video or audio content, whether it's live TV, Blu-Rays or video and audio streaming services, and sounds great while it does it, which is really what AV receivers should do.cghayes66

I replaced the Behringer NU1000DSP amp with this Crown and the sound is much better. The DSP features are better on the Behringer, but these Crown amp has no speaker pop when turning them on/off. Also is a very quiet amp. The Behringer amps are very loud with the fan coming on and staying on upon power up. I've never even heard the fan come on in my Crown 1002 and 1502 amps. This Crown XLS 1002 is powering my B&C compression drivers. The XLS 1502 powers the mids, and I've just ordered the 2002 to power the woofers. Looking forward to receiving the amp because with no fan noise in any of the 3 amps I'll finally be able to use my calibrated mic to fine tune the lower end of the sound spectrum. These work great (with the miniDSP 4X10HD) for powering my high output active 3 way towers. Will also be purchasing the 2502 to power my 18" sub to complete the system.Cara

I've had 8 Different Crown amps pass though my hands a currently am using 4 in my home audio System. If you are looking for sound quality, t's very hard to get from a PA Pro amplifier. That is not really what they were built for. In short Crown's are not Adcom's. That being said the sound quality is well above average for this type of amplifier and they have allot Of power for there compact size and weight. On subwoofer's where sound quality isn't as critical they are outstanding for the money. You'll be hard pressed to get anything better for the money. The newer 02 series have improved crossovers and controls which are a very nice improvement but of you find a older 00 series XLS Crown for a good price don't over look it. I have a pair of 2000 a 1500 and 2500 I'm currently using. The newer versions, which are better, don't for in my Pioneer cabinet where the older versions fit like they were made for it.willi4

The XLS 1002 amp is a 2 space rack unit (2U). Apparently we are supposed to automatically know that this amp is a 2 unit by just looking at it. No mention in any of the literature or on the Crown website that this amp is a 2 space unit. I wanted/needed a case (rack) to carry this amp to the gigs that I do. It was very difficult finding a single rack for it especially, when the amp is only a single unit but apparently is the actual size of a 2 unit. Again, apparently we are supposed to automatically know that this is a 2 space amp by looking at it? Well…. I'm here to help you. If you are looking for a rack for this amp… it is a 2U. Thank you Crown, and Musicians Friend for no help at all with this. I ordered a single space rack for it which I discovered was too small for the XLS 1002 amp to fit and had to send the case back and order a 2 space rack.A List Player

It's a good amp, simple and easy to set up. But the "low noise" fans are not low noise at all! If you have ever been in the back of a rack full of professional audio gear, you'll know the level of sound that this eqpt will produce from its fans; it's like a hair blow dryer on low setting. And there's nothing variable – for low noise – about the fan speed. It's full speed, high noise from the moment you turn it on.Glen

If I could give this zero stars I would. It doesn't deserve 1 star. We couldn't figure out what was going on with our sound for a while. We had to pay to hire a sound service to come and make sure everything was connected properly. Come to find out the problem all along was this "power amp" More like 5 watts. It couldn't power 2 wedge monitors. We had them cranked and you could still hear a pin drop on the floor What a waste of money.MCollins69

Excellent amp for anything. I use it to power extra speakers for my surround sound, it does a superior job, highly recommend.case.run

Ottimo prodotto,molto compatto e con potenza sufficiente per far andare un impianto con 4 canali più subwoofer. Ottima anche la possibilità di poter collegare uno stereo originale direttamente dalle uscite degli altoparlanti Servizio Norauto eccellenteAlessandro

Finally got around to installing this in my car. Hard to beat the power, clarity, and flexibility of this little beast of an amplifier. I am using it as a L+R bi-amp and mono dual sub configuration. I am using a Hertz H8 DSP to handle all the signal processing and bypassing the amplifier crossovers. There are enough controls on this thing to run a full active system without any DSP if you don't need time alignment or EQ or just want to upgrade in stages. No hiss what-so-ever. Connection blocks are all very solid. It's a quality unit and I highly recommend it.Mr. Scott

I have this with a full Alpine S system and its crisp and clean! My speakers are rated higher than what this little guy puts out, but let me tell you:Everyone will notice a difference between your system and the louder ones. My neighbors say that though mine isnt the loudest, its obvious when Im pulling up because of how clear it is, and as a bonus, I dont have to worry about blowing my speakers out. I do wish it could go lower on the sub setting, but its definitely worth every penny and you will love it!Alfred

Great little amp, but is not stable at one ohm. Did not disappoint because it was never advertised as being able to pull it off. One thing is this little amp has power. Amp is stable down to 2ohms. It will push your components and coaxials no problem. It will push 2 10 inch wired to 2ohms no problem.daadai.ajsxdft6z

This compact 5 channel amp along with a 10" sub really woke up the very disappointing factory stereo on my new pontoon. It's now a pleasure to listen tobuckshot944

I purchased a BasX A3 and connected it to a Marantz 6012 receiver. My reason for purchase was similar to DMK's review/intentions. My front L&R (Focal Aria 926) and center speaker (LSIM706C) crave more power, and it seemed that the Marantz could deliver but only when pushed. Not long after I purchase the Marantz, I ordered an AC Infinity AIRCOM T10 to help with cooling. Due to the Emotive taking up the front three channels it has helped the Marantz maintain its cool. I have also noticed a more vivid sound, and better clarity. As a consumer of a moderately priced item you want it to work and fulfill what it was intended to do. However, your mind and ears also tell you everything is great; helping to rationalize the purchase. The Emotiva BasX A3 WORKS! My opinion was validated when others heard the before and after, and said, "This sounds so much better" #worthit The amplifier is very well constructed and aesthetically pleasing. I am very pleased with how the item arrived. Double boxed, well insulated with Styrofoam, and a little bit of 'theater' with the black material the surrounded the amplifier. I also purchased 3 XRCA Analog RCA Cable (very well made). The customer support has been outstanding (Thanks Bret).Jeff

I have had many components over my audio journey of over 40 yrs. My favorites have always been the "Monster Receivers" of the mid to late '70's. I finally purchased two over the last few years via on-line auction (Sansui 9090 and the Marantz 2325). I had them serviced by a very competent audio repairman here in Pittsburgh who replaced what was needed. They sounded perfect but had to sell them due to job loss. When I got back on my feet I went shopping for the same components on e-bay and found that they were selling for 2-3 times ($2k-$3.5k) more than what I paid back in 2012 and 2014. They were unaffordable for me. Anyhow I purchased some new integrated amps and returned them. They just don't sound right. They included a Cambridge audio integrated amp over $1200 and a Rogue integrated that approached $2000. Sent it back too. I ended up buying a 50 year old Sansui 2000A that is in great shape but lacking the power (39 Watts) , although it sounded MUCH better than the prementioned Rogue and Cambridge. Much more midrange and over all great sound. I noticed it had a Pre-out and thought a great idea would be to buy a separate amp because the Sansui's pre amp was much better than the integrates I had just returned. WELL what a differences! This two channel Amp is perfect for these purposes. I'm beyond happy with my choice. Bottom line is that this amp is perfect for adding some power to the lower powered classic receivers from the '70's. Make sure the receiver has a "Pre-Amp Out" and have a competent repairman to check the preamp section of the component and you'll be very happy. This will work with Marantz, Sansui very well.MBF

Amazing amp! Able to achieve a crisp note throughout the high to end!! Totally impressed with system now that it's been properly tuned!life_and_asset_guy

This is no competition Amp. But it's no slouch either. If you know what your doing and or have half a brain and hook it up correctly then this thing hits like a prize fighter. The quality is definitely there. The sound is amazing. I have this hooked up channels 1 thru 4 front and rear coaxials and a 12 inch subwoofer on channel 5 as it should be. The sound is extremely well balanced and I am getting an overall reading of about 2700 watts. That's loud and non distorted. I got it up to 3000 watts but the distortion is a bit much there and it's not really providing any more power at that point. So is the Amp over rated..yes…they all are… But getting 2700 quality watts vs the 3700 promised isn't bad at all. Again this isn't a competition level Amp… But who cares. $100 for 3000 watts… 5 channels… HERE TAKE MONEY!!!TinyTim

I have 2 phantom series amp the 4000 monoblock and the 3700 5 channel amp. I use the 4000 for subs and the 3700 to run my front and rear speakers. These amps r perfect as long as u leave space underneath to allow them to breathe. The only thing that I didn't like was the hook ups and the power and ground screw stripped loose and had to replace with different screwRodney

You have to choose to run your woofer or your speakers from this amp. It is 4 channels or 1 channel with a switch to choose 1 or the other. Both at the same time is not available. There is little noticeable difference between this amp and my 1500 watt audiopipe amp however I have had no overheating issues whatsoever.angstlinds