The Acura TL and Acura TSX spanning the years 2009–2010, 2011–2012, and 2013-2014 come equipped with a factory amplifier located in the trunk on the passenger side behind the trunk liner. The factory audio system in these consists of 8 individual drivers, including the front speakers, the dashboard tweeters, the rear deck speakers, the subwoofer, and lastly, the center channel speaker.
This amplifier only works on models without factory navigation.
When the factory amplifier is working with no issues, the factory audio system sounds rich and full. When your amplifier begins to fail or has failed, the system sounds tinny, and the volume output is very low. If you want to upgrade your sound system or if your factory amplifier has failed, this is a great option to consider. Our plug-and-play amplifier works with the factory radio or with an aftermarket radio if installed with our accessories. The plug-and-play amplifier will work with your factory speakers or aftermarket speakers. This is a five-channel amplifier that will retain all your speakers except for the center dashboard speaker.
If you are installing this amplifier in your Acura TSX you will need to upgrade your tweeters. The factory tweeters are protected by the factory amplifier. When you replace the factory amplifier that protection is gone and the new amplifier can easily blow your factory tweeters. You can either upgrade your tweeters or the front speakers together. The tweeters are easily removed by removing the sail panel that is clipped in place.
Installing this amplifier in your Acura TL or MDX will result in the loss of the factory center channel. If you are looking to retain the center channel please checkout our 6 channel plug and play amplifier. The Acura TSX has no center channel so no speakers are lost.
This upgrade is plug-and-play so it doesn’t require any new power or ground lines. When installing the amplifier, you don’t have to run any wires to the speakers or to the battery.
These are the amplifier power ratings.
- NEW AMPLIFIER With 2 OHM Speakers: 80 Watts to each speaker + 200 Watts to the subwoofer
- NEW AMPLIFIER With 4 OHM Speakers = 40 Watts to each speaker + 100 Watts to the subwoofer
- FACTORY AMPLIFIER With Factory Speakers: 20 Watts to each speaker + 40 Watts to the subwoofer
Impedance is rated in ohms. Impedance changes in a speaker as it begins to play music, but for the best results, you want speakers that have a resting impedance of 2 ohms. The amplifier will automatically send as much power as it can to each speaker, depending on the impedance of that speaker. There is no switch or setting on the amplifier for changing impedances; it is handled automatically by the electronics inside the amplifier. To take full advantage of this amplifier, we recommend installing 2 ohm speakers for the doors, deck, and subwoofer. We sell 2 ohm JBL, Infinity, and Audison speakers but there are other brands that also sell 2 ohm speakers. If you also plan to upgrade the subwoofer, the kicker subwoofer we offer is the best choice. There are other subwoofers, but you want one that has a 2 ohm final impedance.
The factory amplifier powers each speaker with roughly 15–40 watts, depending on the speaker; this results in a total power output of 140 watts. This amplifier has a total power output of 500 watts. The factory speakers are all 4 ohms in final impedance, so if your factory speakers are all in good condition, the amp will make them sound great. If some of your speakers are blown and you didn’t notice it before, this amplifier will make you notice it now.
When installing the amplifier, we highly recommend replacing the factory subwoofer at the same time. The factory subwoofer works with this amplifier, but you will have to be careful at higher volumes with heavy bass songs. The extra power can possibly damage your factory subwoofer. As for the factory door speakers, we have found they can handle the extra power as long as the high-pass filter is turned on. The amplifier is shipped pre-configured, so you don’t have to turn any knobs or flip any switches. We ship the amplifier configured based on the selections you make on this page. When shipped, the amplifier will have the proper level set along with the correct high-pass and low-pass filters selected for your application.
This amplifier is packaged with a plug-and-play harness and the accessories you need to install it. The amplifier also comes with a bass knob, so you can control the bass level on the fly. To install this amplifier, you will need to remove the passenger trunk liner and unbolt the factory amplifier. Then you can proceed to unplug it and connect our plug-and-play amp in its place. The amplifier shares the same connectors as the factory amplifier, so no wiring is necessary. If you plan to install the bass knob that comes with the amplifier, you will have to snake the wire for the bass knob to your chosen location. To mount the amplifier, you can use the supplied screws or self-tapping screws to secure it in the factory amplifier’s location. The new amplifier will fit in the factory location; you will just need to maneuver the wiring harness behind the trunk liner and metal rails.
While this amplifier is louder than the factory amplifier, it does not shake the doors off your car or make your window flex from the bass output. This amplifier is a great choice for someone who has a failing amplifier or wants just a little bit more bass from the subwoofer and the door speakers. If you are looking to make your car show stopping loud, you will want to check out our other high-power plug-and-play amplifier. This upgrade will make your car noticeably louder, and you will feel the bass, but you must have realistic expectations.
Please read this disclaimer. The loudness of sound can be subjective from person to person, along with the quality of sound. Almost all of our customers who have bought this amplifier have loved it, but there have been a select few who claimed it was not louder than the factory or that it did not sound better than the factory. We do not accept returns because you don’t like how it sounds or because the amplifier is not as loud as you expected. If you want loud and clear sound, check out some of our higher-end amplifier options.
If, after reading this description, you feel that this package does not have enough power, you can use our amplifier bypass kit to easily install your own amplifier. Please keep in mind that if you are going to power each speaker with more than 125 watts RMS, then we recommend running new speaker wires and suggest you do not use our amplifier bypass.
If you have questions regarding shipping or product availability, please check out our FAQ section.
If you are looking to upgrade the factory amplifier in your 2009 to 2013 Acura TL, Acura TSX, or Acura MDX without navigation this amplifier is a great upgrade that doesn’t require permanent modifications. This amplifier can be installed in a plug and play configuration. This amplifier can replace your Acura’s failing factory amplifier and doesn’t require you to install new speakers. You can also use this amplifier to power aftermarket speakers. This amplifier provides 80 watts of output per channel @ 2 ohms and 40 watts of power @ 4 ohms. The subwoofer portion of this amplifier can provide up to 200 watts of power to a 2ohm subwoofer or 100 watts of power to a 4ohm subwoofer.
FAQ
- Can I use the factory radio and factory speakers with this amplifier?
Yes, you can use this amplifier with the factory radio and factory speakers. - Can I use an aftermarket radio with this amplifier?
Yes, but you must have installed that radio using our accessories. - Can I use aftermarket speakers with this amplifier?
Yes, we recommend using speakers from JBL or Infinity. - Does the Android radio work with this amplifier?
Yes, but you will not have fader and balance controls. - Can I run this amplifier and another amplifier for subwoofers?
Yes, you can either tap the lines of this amplifier (brown wires) or run an LOC of the rear subwoofer. - Can I use the subwoofer output of this amplifier to run a 10″ or 12″ subwoofer in a box?
Yes, if you don’t want to upgrade the 8-inch subwoofer, you can instead use it to power a subwoofer in a box. - Is this amplifier louder than the factory amplifier?
Yes, this amplifier is louder than the factory amplifier. - If my factory amplifier has low audio, is it the amplifier or the factory radio?
If you are having audio volume issues, it’s almost always the amplifier. - How do I know if my speakers are blown?
If you turn your radio up and set the bass to +3, your speakers should not make any weird noises. If they do, they might be blown. - How do I mount this amplifier?
The amplifier comes with four mounting screws, so you can secure it to the factory amplifier location. - What speakers should I upgrade if I get this amplifier?
We recommend getting two ohm final impedance speakers.
