[Fish Chris 2]

So, being faced with the dillema, of buying a brand new vehicle, which hasn't even hit the street yet, wanting decent sound, but not willing to rip up the dash for an aftermarket HU, their are not many choices.

LOVE the Axxess DSP in my Prius, unfortunately, they are not going to make one for a brand new vehicle, for at least a few months after it hits the street.

So, the Kicker KEY amps seem to get really great reviews. They are compact, decently powerful, and have built in, active DSP's, with auto tuning.
I have to assume people are using speaker level inputs on these most of the time, because I read a bunch of reviews where people said it made their stock HU sound fantastic. Well, I know their stock HU does not have RCA outputs. Yet I read not a single review where someone complained about any ugly alternator behind or other issues stemming from using speaker level inputs....

Kicker 47KEY200.4

Compact 4-channel car amplifier with automatic tuning DSP — 50 watts RMS x 4

www.crutchfield.com

BTW, if I only needed two of these (a 4ch and the 500wt mono) and speakers, this would make for a very reasonably priced setup... I'm thinking like $800-1000 (depending on the speakers I chose)

 

[test13371997]

no experience, but If you do go this route, I suggest getting both the kicker keyloc and the kicker key amp.

 

[DaveG]

no experience, but If you do go this route, I suggest getting both the kicker keyloc and the kicker key amp.

Why the redundancy? Isn't the Key200.4 basically any amplified Keyloc?

 

[Thomasluke7899]

Why the redundancy? Isn't the Key200.4 basically any amplified Keyloc?

Yep...the only thing that I don't like about them is bit fixing bass roll off.
And if you use the 500.1 and 200.4 in the same vehicle they don't work together. The are separate.
If you could link them up and have them work in conjunction with each other that would be 🔥

 

[test13371997]

Why the redundancy? Isn't the Key200.4 basically any amplified Keyloc?

because one(keyloc) looks at the electrical signal coming from the factory headunit and fixes it in to a flat L&R signal. From the product page "detects and analyzes crossovers, EQ, time delay, and all-pass filters present, and then it will level-match the left and right audio channels. Once analyzed, it corrects these various filters to give you the smoothest frequency response possible, giving you a clean, uncolored audio signal for your aftermarket gear."

The other(kicker full range/4 ch amp) checks the audible frequency response, and tunes it to target a house curve that kicker uses.

They do different things.

 

[test13371997]

Yep...the only thing that I don't like about them is bit fixing bass roll off.
And if you use the 500.1 and 200.4 in the same vehicle they don't work together. The are separate.
If you could link them up and have them work in conjunction with each other that would be 🔥

? you CAN use the kicker key 200.4 and kicker key 500.1 at the same time.

 

[Thomasluke7899]

? you CAN use the kicker key 200.4 and kicker key 500.1 at the same time.

Right, but neither knows the other exists.
They are separated. You need to run the auto calibration for both amps and sometimes its sounds off. You end up doing the calibrations a few times.

 

[test13371997]

Right, but neither knows the other exists.
They are separated. You need to run the auto calibration for both amps and sometimes its sounds off. You end up doing the calibrations a few times.

well the kicker key 4ch/full range, as I said fixes the acoustical frequency response. The kicker key mono 500.1 doesnt. Its such a narrow band width, that it fixes the electrical response. Thats why the key 200.4 has a mic, while the key 500.1 doesnt. thats why they are separated

 

[Thomasluke7899]

well the kicker key 4ch/full range, as I said fixes the acoustical frequency response. The kicker key mono 500.1 doesnt. Its such a narrow band width, that it fixes the electrical response. Thats why the key 200.4 has a mic, while the key 500.1 doesnt. thats why they are separated

I'm not asking why. It would be nice if they did. Like I said it sounds off sometimes.

 

[cowdog360]

I just got done installing a KEY200.4 in my 2021 Sienna (I may be the first, there was no info out there and no other aftermarket options that seemed to work well) and really like it in bi-amp mode for the front stage. I actually asked kicker some questions about the KeyLOC vs. the KEY amps. The KEY amps will not fix all-pass filters in your stock headunit, but the KeyLOC will.

I'm thinking at some point of just putting a KeyLOC in front of my KEY and then splitting the RCA output to run to a monoblock sub amp of my choice. Once you have a KeyLOC, probably not much reason to get the Key 500.1 since it's doing what that amp does (fixing bass rolloff).

If you wanted to go 5-channel and a little higher end, but keep tiny form factor, consider the MATCH 5 or MATCH UP 7 DSP/amps.

 

[test13371997]

I just got done installing a KEY200.4 in my 2021 Sienna (I may be the first, there was no info out there and no other aftermarket options that seemed to work well) and really like it in bi-amp mode for the front stage. I actually asked kicker some questions about the KeyLOC vs. the KEY amps. The KEY amps will not fix all-pass filters in your stock headunit, but the KeyLOC will.

I'm thinking at some point of just putting a KeyLOC in front of my KEY and then splitting the RCA output to run to a monoblock sub amp of my choice. Once you have a KeyLOC, probably not much reason to get the Key 500.1 since it's doing what that amp does (fixing bass rolloff).

If you wanted to go 5-channel and a little higher end, but keep tiny form factor, consider the MATCH 5 or MATCH UP 7 DSP/amps.

More than all pass filters, factory systems can have time alignment. The kicker keyloc can figure these values out, and add some to get them all to the same value. And it has a built in electrical RTA on top. So you know if you are tying into the correct wires(most people dont have separate rtas. And the keyloc has a built in load resistor that is needed with quite a few new factory headunits these days

 

[cowdog360]

More than all pass filters, factory systems can have time alignment. The kicker keyloc can figure these values out, and add some to get them all to the same value. And it has a built in electrical RTA on top. So you know if you are tying into the correct wires(most people dont have separate rtas. And the keyloc has a built in load resistor that is needed with quite a few new factory headunits these days

Yeah, that would all be good stuff to have for sure. I think you have to spend quite a few bucks to get a DSP with an input signal RTA like the helix. They KEY 200.4 also has the load resistor. I tried using time delay on my KEY 200.4, but since the KEY is not correcting the factory all-pass, it ends up sounding really off, right-centered. That's one reason I'd like to toss the keyloc in front of it. But yeah, a 5 channel KEY amp with a keyloc built in would be amazing.

 

[Fish Chris 2]

Wow ! Thanks for all of the input guys 🙂👍
I talked to a tech guy at Crutchfields about the Kicker Key products this morning, and he didn't feel like the Keylock was necessary, but maybe he doesn't know some of the things, that some of you do ?
When I get the chance, I'll call and talk to a tech guy at Kicker, and see what they have to say.
I'm really confident that this equipment can help to create a really nice sounding setup....
My only concern is whether my new "hybrid" vehicle is okay with a 40 or 50 amp draw ? I can totally imagine Ford saying "NO"...
But then Toyota says my Prius should not be asked to put out more than 30 amps, and it handles my amp, with a 90 amp fuse rating just fine. The installer who told me about this stuff, said that when he was installing a decent little 5ch in his wife's Prius (same model and year as mine) he purposely hit it with a couple of bigger amps just to test it, and it took over a 100 amp draw, before it finally popped up with an electrical error warning.
So he dropped back down to an amp with and 90 amp fuse rating, and also never had a problem.

I just hope that the Ford Maverick can handle at least as much draw as my Prius.

 

[cowdog360]

Wow ! Thanks for all of the input guys 🙂👍
I talked to a tech guy at Crutchfields about the Kicker Key products this morning, and he didn't feel like the Keylock was necessary, but maybe he doesn't know some of the things, that some of you do ?
When I get the chance, I'll call and talk to a tech guy at Kicker, and see what they have to say.
I'm really confident that this equipment can help to create a really nice sounding setup....
My only concern is whether my new "hybrid" vehicle is okay with a 40 or 50 amp draw ? I can totally imagine Ford saying "NO"...
But then Toyota says my Prius should not be asked to put out more than 30 amps, and it handles my amp, with a 90 amp fuse rating just fine. The installer who told me about this stuff, said that when he was installing a decent little 5ch in his wife's Prius (same model and year as mine) he purposely hit it with a couple of bigger amps just to test it, and it took over a 100 amp draw, before it finally popped up with an electrical error warning.
So he dropped back down to an amp with and 90 amp fuse rating, and also never had a problem.

I just hope that the Ford Maverick can handle at least as much draw as my Prius.

So my 2021 sienna is hybrid and the "JBL" premium stereo that's in some of them has a pair of 25A fuses for the stock amplifier. For the KEY200.4, I used one of those fuse positions. I'm not at all worried about running a 500-600W amp off the little 12V battery in the rear (like a prius). And you're really not going to get anywhere near that kind of current draw continuously anyways.

 

[Fish Chris 2]

Right on. TY 🙂 I'd think it would be okay, but like I say, I'd bet you anything Ford would tell you not to....

 

[cowdog360]

Right on. TY 🙂 I'd think it would be okay, but like I say, I'd bet you anything Ford would tell you not to....

Dude you're not supposed to go from a prius to a truck. Isn't there a law that says "Thou must trade thy prius in for a Tesla" ?

 

[Fish Chris 2]

Dude you're not supposed to go from a prius to a truck. Isn't there a law that says "Thou must trade thy prius in for a Tesla" ?

😀 lol Well, really I’ll be going from an F150 to the Maverick….. since that’s the vehicle that will have to go. I think it’s going to be great, having two vehicles that I can afford to drive 👍

 

[arsuoni]

BTW, if I only needed two of these (a 4ch and the 500wt mono) and speakers, this would make for a very reasonably priced setup... I'm thinking like $800-1000 (depending on the speakers I chose)

This is basically my budget build, running them in a Giulia that does auto start-stop. They've done a great job for the cost.

It's 80 amps total, 180.4 - 20 amps, 500.1 - 60amps. I'm really curious which class-d chips they run (and all other manufactures too...), but not enough to open it up. There is a video where Kicker talks about how the 200.4 runs in two different modes to be more efficient.

 

[Fish Chris 2]

This is basically my budget build, running them in a Giulia that does auto start-stop. They've done a great job for the cost.

It's 80 amps total, 180.4 - 20 amps, 500.1 - 60amps. I'm really curious which class-d chips they run (and all other manufactures too...), but not enough to open it up. There is a video where Kicker talks about how the 200.4 runs in two different modes to be more efficient.

TY Arsuoni. Yea, I saw the 60 + 20 amps in the specs, but I think it's generally accepted that an amp even under hard use, typically pulls about 50-60% of what it's fused for. So 40 -50 amps shouldn't be bad at all.
Like I say, the 5 ch Kicker in my Prius is fused for 90 amps. It would be pretty bad if the Maverick couldn't handle as much load as a Prius ! But I think it will be okay 👍