Alpine KTA-450 In-Line Amplifier Review

Alpine KTA-450 review. I show you everything you’ll get in the box, go over all of its features, compare it to its predecessor, the Alpine 445u, and offer some other considerations if you are thinking about getting this amp to substantially improve the sound in your car, if that’s what you’re after.
Alpine KTA-450 Amp → amzn.to/2AOg3wZ
Complete wiring of this amp→→ • How to Wire Alpine 445...
Other videos in my 2020 STI sound upgrade series:
How to Install AMP Kit→→ • How To Install an Amp ...
LC7i Line Out Converter Review→→ • LC7i Active Line Out C... →amzn.to/2BI9ooq
Alpine R-Series Component Speakers →→ • How to Install Compone... →amzn.to/3dNaI7V
Alpine R-Series Coaxial Speakers→→ • Alpine R S65 2 Coaxial... →amzn.to/3cOWL7Q
Setting Gains (Coming Soon!)
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#STI #CARAUDIO #ALPINE

[@zurn56]

My ex-wife wrecked my 99 Grand Cherokee back in 2017. It sat in the shead for years & I decided to fix it last year. The old speakers were just done, so I got an Alpine 409, KTA450 & cheap kickers. Night & day difference. Wish I would have just gotten a single din, but modernizing the old thing is still kinda cool

[@roach969]

Great video with a fountain of useful info, thanks! I'm a new subscriber, and happy to have found your channel. I'm looking forward to your "setting the gains" video since I have a project in the works. Thanks again and keep up the good work.

[@brianlawrence7614]

I got the 445u partially based on some of your previous vids... Put it under the seat. I also added a small powered subwoofer under the seat also it's a 150 watt pioneer. And I added a Pioneer head unit. All this to my 2006 Impreza. I basically installed it the same way you did in one of your videos are you took the seat out. I have my front gain turned at about half and the rear game just under half and for me it's perfect. And I don't know if it matters but I have separate power lines for each of the amps. Appreciate your work keep it up!

[@doinitwell69]

great video!!! going to use this information to the fullest

[@JPIndustrie]

Man, you are THE resource for car audio in the Subaru VA chassis. My hats off to you and all the info you've shared!

[@wvsubaruwrxstiusa8585]

Thanks for your videos! looking to get more power to my kicker speakers! 😎👍

[@colt5189]

I'd like to check out that gain adjustment tutorial video you plan on releasing.

[@rheadog9546]

The biggest question, If your an installer or ever have been. If I change my speakers will it really help? followed by, if I buy speakers should I buy an Amp? Great answers and explanations in this video! Also, this little amp is very impressive and is plenty for most people. It will amaze people what this little amp will do if they have a good set of speakers that go along with it. If you have more speakers buy 2 of them! (Along with a good Alpine/Kenwood or comparable deck/head unit of course.) I made a career out of installing low power, very impressive systems in the 90's. We used little Proton amps similar to these amps and we installed high quality low sensitivity speakers. We amazed people what we could do with small amplifiers and even won some competitions on the west coast. Customers were always so happy. great info!

[@dbmojothe1970]

Another great vid..

[@colt5189]

What is the big difference between the KTA-450 and one of Alpines larger class-D amps like in their S-series line?

[@skoal022]

I was looking at this inline amp for a 7" double din alpine stereo. Would this fit in my 03 lincoln town car? And what would you suggest? It has a factory amp. Thought about best buy because they install for free.

[@Haze121201]

I like the box mounted behind the seat like that. My issue is I have an old eclipse 12" with a huge magnet. A shalllw box wont work.

[@xabre16v]

Would this be a good amp for upgrading your classic factory headunit from like the early 1990's?

[@colt5189]

Has anyone put the KTA-450 on one of those amp dynos? I'd like to see numbers of what this amp can actually do. As some people are saying those little Alpine amps don't really do 50W RMS x4. Though this is a new model and I can't find any dynos on it.

[@michaelsalice9952]

I see this is an old video but I just have a question, how come the RCA's were removed from your aftermarket stereo and KTA-445 in the diagram at 4:03?

[@p_f_e_i_f_f_e_r]

Looking forward to your wiring + mounting video! The KTA-450 calls for a 20-amp fuse. Are you adding a 20-amp fuse between the KTA-450 and the R500X1D? Curious if this sounds right to you: 80-amp fuse at the WRX's battery on PK4 battery wire [80-amp fuse = closest fuse I could find for combined R500X1D (50 amp internal fuse) + KTA-450 (20 amp fuse required) + LC7i (2 amp fuse required)]?

[@304cortez85]

Christopher Pfeiffer I’ve read and heard the folks at crutch field say it could run of a 15 am fuse and if your head unit was ran that way you didn’t need to run anything from the battery and could just tap into the head units ground and power.

[@lildreamer1313]

I bought the Alpine iLX-W650 with the KTA-450 for my husband’s 01 Acura 3.2 CL. He upgraded the factory speakers and now, I want to buy him a subwoofer. I’m glad I found this video bc I was wondering if he needed a separate amp for the sub. You mentioned 5 channels, so that is a yes! My question is if I bought pre-owned Kicker CompVR 07CVR124 subwoofer with pre-owned Kicker DX 125.2 amp, would it sound ok? I know nothing about car audio, so any help greatly appreciated. The guy is asking for $250 for used amp & sub w ground shaker box & wires.

[@fabiancastillo5784]

I ran with the same setup but I lost sound 5 out of 6 speakers I just don’t know what caused it since I don’t run my speakers hard

[@southpark159753]

So everyone knows you can change grain on the fly, but what about the dip switches for HPF/LPF? Also, Which is better, setting HPF/LPF on the amp or the radio if it has it or both?

[@marksabota4056]

My rear speakers from the stock head unit are half the sound then a front. Will this amp be able to balance the sound between front and rear or my rear signal still going to be weaker and quieter?

[@Mattor24]

Hey awesome tutorial vids thank you. I followed you're wiring diagram on the alpine 445u and sounds amazing, but I hear a faint buzz or white noise in my tweeter speakers constantly. Even with volume at 0. I grounded the negative wire from the 450 to a ground terminal and still makes the noise. Any advice? ALSO, if you made a tuning video on the subwoofer amplifier that would be much appreciated. Thanks

[@K03sport]

Search for "ground loop isolator" or "alternator whine supressor" and see if that works for you...high pitch alternator whine happens when you boost power (unfortunately).

[@firstnamelastname9370]

Hi, I suspect its the nature of these in-line amps. I have the same thing. Most people, aside from the super discerning like us, do not seem to notice unless you point it out to them.

[@nickmastrandrea223]

I am using a new head unit. It has line out rca jacks. Do the male rca plugs of the KTA 450 plug into the head unit? It’s not clear from the instructions of that is the input to the amp

[@NYinSD]

i have Alpine AMP KTP-445A (the last version before this one) and love it.. highly recommend it.

[@NYinSD]

@@akqjtn i was impress on how small the AMP KTP-445A (the A is for APLINE) and what a big difference it made. I wanted quality sound not just louder sound... Glad i upgraded

[@RolanTHUNDER]

Can this Alpine in-line amp be used with any head unit? I have a Sony head unit and would like to run this amp with it but, will it work?

[@jackkannon605]

Just upgraded to the iLX-W650. Have a rockford fosgate mono amp and 10" shallow sub in the back of my truck. Still driving stock speakers with no amp, how big of a diff will this piggy back amp make? Is it a must buy? EDIT: Folks, I just bought the KTA-450 and paired it with the Alpine iLX-W650. Lemme say... it sounds AMAZING. If you have the W650, you MUST buy the KTA-450, it's a night and day difference. I recommend pairing it with the Rockford Fosgate Punch P300-1 amp and a 10" rockford fosgate sub. I got the shallow one, as that is what fit behind my backseat. Next... some JBL speakers to replace the stock...!!! ....NO LIMIT !!!!

[@LeandroJack]

What JBL speakers are you looking at?

[@seinfeldcostanza9433]

can you tell me how many amp is the fuse? i need a max 20amp fuse 4 channel amplifier because i'm driving a Accord Hybrid. Thanks!

[@pit2300pit2300]

Noticed your high pass for front/ rear set for 80Hz ?? Having this issue myself, I believe the numbers of the switches count down left to right despite labels upside down. In the video what are the settings?

[@akqjtn]

Yeah you have to follow the little picture, not the actual labeling on the switches themselves. I can't remember the exact setting I had at the time, but the speakers I have are pretty good on the low end so I turned the HPF off now. You have to test each setting at the volume you like to listen to with your own particular speakers.

[@a1l1i0]

cam you make comparison by Sony XM-S400D?

[@FCalle08]

Upgrading all 4 speakers to the alpine r series coax. and kicker tweeters . plus this amp as my first setup... should it be enough?

[@sergeilosev1416]

alpine best of the best

[@akqjtn]

They are one of my favorites for sure

[@robbiexiong3508]

Do the harness from the 445 plug into the 450?

[@DiegoTerzano]

The DIP Switches appear confusing. Is UP where the number (down) is or where the diagram shows? You said that you set for HPF at 60Hz but based on the diagram they are set to 80Hz. If following the diagram, you are set for 4ch mode and RCA inputs. Is that correct?

[@akqjtn]

Do not look at the label on the dip switches, look at the label on the 450 itself. This is something Alpine should rectify to avoid confusion.

[@yankodimitrov5246]

Hello, I've been eying this and the pioneer gm-d1004. Seeing the specs shows them as 4x50W. Does that mean it is as powerful as a regular aftermarket headunit. Or it is actually more powerful?

[@akqjtn]

Hi this is over twice as powerful as an aftermarket HU. Those numbers from the hu you see are not an RMS rating.

[@ThePaulv12]

I disagree about crappy speakers and big amps. The more powerful the amp the better it makes crappy speakers sound. This is because the power is clean, has low distortion, doesn't clip and there's plenty of headroom. It is true that running crappy speakers with a good amp is a bit like having a large 'manservant' and being impotent LOL. One time I put a Kenwood M2 power amp on a pair of very poor plastic outdoor speakers and the sound was so improved that it was like new speakers. You could drive them quite hard and they still sounded good. The bass was punchy and they seemed to like it.

[@randymorman4989]

Is there a fuse inside the amp

[@firstnamelastname9370]

Can we use the ktp-445 (pre ktp-445a) universally via wire splicing on both ends or is the circuit different from 445u? i read somewhere that the 445+445a has lower input signals thats designed only for alpine head units.

[@1ShyAzn]

From my research a while back , yes the 445u*niversal can be used universally for any headunit by splicing. The 445a*lpine is designed for alpine head units(2006 models and newer ) as it’s strictly plug n play, no need to splice. I wanna buy the kta450 but there’s no actual videos on KZbin or forums that show the process of installing it on a non alpine head unit .

[@firstnamelastname9370]

@@1ShyAzn Hi, just saw this reply. Thanks for your feedback. I did end up buying the 445u and wiring it up speaker level. It definitely is an improvement over non-amplification, but my experience was not awe-inspiring. Let me know if you need any help. *edit* I also replaced 4 midrange/mid bass speakers (in a component set up) at the same time.

[@gervaciosantos8331]

Im in the market for this

[@jose8514]

Hi I have a simple question, should the little 445u would be good enough to push my little jl Audio’s c2-570x? They are 60rms each one and I have 4 of them to connect with this amp

[@jose8514]

@@akqjtn Hi just received the amp this morning, but it came with the RCA’s cut should I still be able to connect it with my pioneer AVH-4200nex? I heard you have to cut the RCA’s for factory radio and use them with aftermarket radios

[@firstnamelastname9370]

@@jose8514 Yes, you can cut off the rca and solder/connect wires instead.

[@benscott3603]

How did your C2’s turn out? I just got some C2-525 components for my Mini only to find out it will take the 600s so I’m waiting for them to arrive. I’ve got this amp too I just haven’t installed it. Did your setup reproduce bass comparable or better than the stock speakers?

[@thedankatheist3466]

I hate that my dash brackets cover up the amp controls. Who designed this lol

[@IndymanPhilly]

Do the plugs for the 445 fit in the 450??? For easy upgrade

[@robbiexiong3508]

I'd like to know this too. Have the 445u and don't want to rewire lol

[@DanDan-dn5lt]

That Subaru has a very quiet interior though

[@WarriorsPhoto]

I was thinking the same thing. 😂

[@davidwilley6199]

Can you hook up four doors and two dash speakers with this amp?

[@MrNoahdean]

Should be able to its 50 watt per channel. Way more than ur stock stereo

[@jessel1217]

After I finally got my KTP-445u installed in my WRX, at higher volumes it clips. I can’t seem to fix it even when using the gain knobs all the way to zero. I’m at a loss. It’s annoying

[@jessel1217]

Boost & Shutter - it’s set to speaker level input instead of RCA (I cut and spliced the wires). And what exactly is an LOC? Low output converter?

[@jessel1217]

Boost & Shutter - oh yea, I upgraded them all. I have Rockford Fosgate P1675 3-ways in the front, P16 2-ways in the back and Rockford Fosgate tweeters up front. I’m getting a horrible metallic rattling sound as well... it’s coming from the audio source. I’m holding my tweeter up to my ear right now and can hear it. This is with the Kicker OEM tweeters as well as my Rockfords (just put the Rockford tweeters in right now). EDIT: Funny thing is I installed the alpine unit before anything else and my stock speakers with my Kicker OEM tweeters rocked. EDIT 2: all 4 doors and door panels are deaddened with Noico material and all buttons and switches are deaddened with foam tape just FYI

[@jessel1217]

Boost & Shutter - I did not try the speakers with just the head unit. I guess I’ll have to try. They’re rated at something like 65w RMS. The clarity and bass is very CLEAN and CLEAR. It’s just at certain mid-range frequencies I hear a slight little metallic rattle... it’s weird. Idk I’ll figure it out.

[@firstnamelastname9370]

@@jessel1217 keep us posted

[@jessel1217]

First Name Last Name - so I took out my alpine amp completely and still have the crackling noise coming from all my speakers. It’s faint, and not noticeable at high volume but I’m wondering if the tweeter crossover built in to my front 3-way door speakers is interfering with the built in crossovers in my dash tweeters. So this weekend I will install my OEM speakers and see what happens.

[@frankiefaithful]

Ok, I have a big time question if someone can answer would be a lifesaver. I actually have the Harmon Kardon upgrade, but I've been struggling with the quality of the sound. Base is loud and clear, but overall it seems there is no dynamic range and sounds very flat. For example, intricacies and different elements of the instruments just blend together. The source is under the exact same conditions I had in my Golf, but the WRX doesn't sound as good. The question is, is it the speakers, amp, or head unit? Or multiple reasons? Amp would be easy to replace, I am willing to change the speakers, but if it's the head unit, that would really suck. Not interested in changing the head unit. Does anyone have experience with this or know what the issue is?

[@frankiefaithful]

@@akqjtn That sucks but at least it alleviates my struggle. I was just running one of my stereos outside to compare the sound then I saw your reply. Still willing to replace the HU if I can make sure all the car features. Last Android head unit I installed in my Golf was a semi nightmare I eventually got rid of it.

[@6ft8incyclist]

Hope your Insurance company does not see this video Keep taking your hands off the steering wheel as you are driving..Freaking crazzy

[@akqjtn]

Nuts 🤣

[@Crysmatic]

Going from 16W to 50W isn't going to make a difference in normal listening because speakers only need a few watts to play at "loud" levels. Extra watts aren't used. What you need is *clean* power, that is, low distortion from your amp.

[@mattobrien5406]

This is set at 80 Hz

[@mattobrien5406]

And 2 channel

[@lunchie80]

Why are you driving while recording. Park somewhere FFS. I'd this to make out that you're such a busy guy making KZbin vids who have to multitask or something?

[@firstnamelastname9370]

I do agree with this, especially as he didn't give us a listen during real world driving conditions as an example. But, he did help us out with the wiring video so...

[@isaacso]

i have the 445u and just ordered 450 is it a big difference with the DPP? can it really achieve 100watts rms per channel?

[@isaacso]

Can you do a video on how to adjust the power pack hf?