Marine Audio Journal
50% More Power for $179 More: Is Fusion's 4-Channel Amp Worth It Over Kicker's?
The Fusion Apollo 1200 delivers 150W RMS per channel. Kicker's KXMA800.4 delivers 100W. A real power gap this time, not a wash.
One Rates Its Amp in RMS, One Rates It in Peak, and That's the Whole Story
The MM55 and MS-RA210 land $30 apart with built-in amps and NMEA 2000. Comparing them fairly means translating peak watts to RMS first, not reading the numbers at face value.
Kicker Publishes a Power Range, JL Audio Publishes One Number
The 51MSC65's "15-100W RMS" and the M6-650X's "75W RMS" aren't measuring power the same way. Once you sort that out, this is a genuinely close $180 matchup.
Six Channels Built In or Zero: Kicker and JL Audio Pick Opposite Extremes
The KMC5 packs 6 channels of built-in amplification. JL Audio's MM55 gives you 4. Its MM105-HR gives you none, on purpose.
Two Brands, Two Names, Same No-Box Idea for Bass
Kicker calls it freeair. JL Audio calls it infinite-baffle. Same installation problem, $30 apart.
Nearly Identical Power, $180 Apart: Kicker and JL Audio's 4-Channel Amps
The Kicker KMA600.4 and JL Audio MX500/4 land within 5 watts of each other per channel. One costs $349.99, the other $529.99.