Rockford Fosgate R600X5 – Beautiful Clarity on a Budget

Home » Reviews » Amplifiers » Rockford Fosgate R600X5 – Beautiful Clarity on a Budget

Verdict

Here’s what I love about the R600X5: I can get the beautiful sound clarity of a Class AB Rockford Fosgate amplifier at a decent price. It might not deliver enough power for some, but as long as it’s a good match for the audio system it’s paired with, that won’t be a problem. The biggest drawback in my books is that it can run hot and is lower efficiency than a Class D amp.

Pros

  • Excellent sound fidelity (Class AB/D)
  • Great value for the quality
  • CEA-2006 compliant

Cons

  • Not the most efficient, runs a little hot
  • Not the highest power you can get
  • Not the newest 5-channel Rockford Fosgate model

The R600X5 Prime is Rockford Fosgate’s older model 5-channel amplifier (replaced by the R2-750X5 Prime). It’s bridgeable, so I have the option to hook it up to only my front speakers, instead of all four.

The amplifier’s RMS power needs to be a good fit for the other components in my car audio system. At 2 ohms, I can get 75 watts for each of my four speakers, or 150 watts for each of my two front speakers when bridged. As for the subwoofer, the R600X5 drives it with 300 watts.

This amplifier uses both Class AB and Class D technology: AB to power the four front and rear channels, and D for the subwoofer. In practical terms, that means hooking up the R600X5 to my speakers will give me the highest-fidelity sound I can get out of them.

On the negative side, Class AB amps rank low on efficiency. Rockford Fosgate engineers their amplifiers carefully (using technology like Dynamic Thermal Management and MEHSA) to offset some of the low-efficiency drawbacks of this amp. But even so, it’s going to run hotter than a Class D amp.

Overall, this is a great quality amplifier you can get at a good value. I lean toward this model’s newest version, the R2-750X5 Prime, because it is both higher-power and higher-efficiency. But if the clarity of your car audio system is what you care about most, I think the R600X5 could be the amplifier of your dreams.

Features

Class AB Technology (Speakers) – Class AB amps enable the highest-fidelity sound available for car audio.

Class D Technology (Subwoofer) – Class D amps produce less heat and are much more efficient than AB amps.

Variable Bass Boost – Rockford Fosgate’s Punch boost (0-12 dB)

Speaker-Level Inputs – Allows the installer to connect the amp with almost any car audio system. This is especially important if you are connecting to factory speakers.

CEA-2006 Compliant – Ensures the amplifier’s specifications are standardized to allow for more accurate comparison with other amplifiers.

Controls

  • Remote Punch Level Control
  • Variable Punch EQ
  • Variable Crossover (50 to 250 Hz)
  • Variable Phase (0 to 180˚)
  • Crossover Switch (All Pass, High Pass, Low Pass)
  • Input Switch (2-, 4- or 5-Channel)
  • Gain Control

Specifications

Total Power Output: 600 watts

RMS Power Output

  • Full Range Channels:
  • @ 4Ω: 50 watts x 4
  • @ 2Ω: 75 watts x 4
  • Bridged, @ 4Ω: 150 watts x 2
  • Subwoofer Channel:
  • @ 4Ω: 200 watts x 1
  • @ 2Ω: 300 watts x 1

Amp Class: Class AB/D (Class AB with Class D subwoofer)

Bridgeable: Yes

Width: 13.2″

Height: 2″

Depth: 6.8″

Last update on 2024-03-29 / Affiliate links / *Image Disclaimer: We use images/data from Amazon Product Advertising API solely on products that link to Amazon. On products with the "Price at Crutchfield" button, we use images/data from Crutchfield.com as per the partnership deal.

Hey, there mobile audio lovers! My name is Vincent Talbot, founder and chief editor at 99carstereo.com. Ask any mobile audio fanatic, installer, or company rep what makes a good car speaker, sub, or amp, or, better yet, why he or she prefers a certain brand over another, and be prepared to endure a litany of opinions, viewpoints, and passion-fueled perspectives. To be honest, mobile audio shopping can be a daunting task without a guide, so I’ve assembled what I feel are the best products to consider to make things easier for you. More.

Why you should trust me?

Mobile audio is my passion, so before I put anything in front of you I exhaustively research a broad range of products, review all the available information on them and ultimately make a curated list of recommendations. As a result, I want this site to be a trusted resource that you can rely on and that is not rigged by brand sponsorship, so you can use this information when you are planning your new mobile audio upgrade.