Full Review

This amplifier was installed as part of an effort to improve the sound of the stock audio system of my '01 Toyota Highlander SUV. It should be noted this was my first foray into upgrading car audio.

The vehicle came from the factory with an optional "premium JBL" four-channel system that included an amplifier external to the head unit. From this auspicious title I was expecting something that sounded at least somewhat awe-inspiring but unfortunately it did not. The sound was a bit better than what you might expect from a base-level factory audio system, but the highs were distorted, the lows didn't have any presence that would cause one to take notice, and the entire sound had a "dead" feel, lacking in dynamic range and impact. So I set upon upgrading the audio system to achieve some level of awe-inspiring sound. I was seeking something that sounded fairly impressive with a definite high-end feel, so my expectations were high. Upon carefully listening to the existing audio system I concluded that the amplifier was the weak link. I heard Alpine was a respected name in amplifiers and, not knowing how much power I needed for the level of sound performance I was seeking, I initially purchased a lower-end amp from Alpine, the MRP-F200.

That lower-end amp unfortunately did not meet my expectations -- it was rated at 40W x 4 RMS at 0.08% THD into 4 ohms at 14.4V. I hooked it up to my existing factory audio system, bypassing the factory amplifier. Although there was a noticeable improvement in the dynamic impact of the music and the distortion in the highs was diminished, this distortion was not down to nearly the level that I was seeking in my vision of the epitome of a "high-end" system. I returned the amplifier and exchanged it for the Alpine MRV-F340, the subject of this review.

What a difference! The MRV-F340 four-channel amplifier is rated at 55W x 4 RMS at 0.08% THD into 4 ohms at 14.4V. The highs improved to a very pleasant, and somewhat heavenly-sounding level that came close to completely eliminating the distortion in the highs. Power for the lows is there and feels fairly solid; can't comment too much beyond this as you can only expect so much in terms of bass from a set of four low- to mid-end 6-1/2" speakers.

In conclusion if you're looking for clean-sounding highs, solid lows, and basic high-end sound, this amplifier definitely fills the bill. I strongly recommend it!