Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

OK. So like many others, I read all the other reviews on this item. In doing so I learned two things.... 1) Everybody thinks they are an expert in car audio, yet they buy the cheapest 4GA wire kit on the internet and complain about it 2) This kit is not 4GA. Now, I knocked off a star because they advertise 4GA, when in fact it is 8-9 GA. I'll add a picture to the pile showing the comparison of this kits 4GA and a piece of 9GA so you can see the actual difference. Since they are saying they are selling you one thing, and are in fact selling another (and it's amazon direct shipped) I think Amazon should be responsible enough to either A) change the description to alert potential buyers or B) require the manufacturer to actually put the correct gauge cable in the box. However, you must realize that you are paying just over $20 for a complete amp install kit. I even went and looked at the other items mentioned in some of the reviews from wally world etc. They do sell a kit that is 4GA, and reviewers say the wire is true 4GA wire, however they also complain of cheap rem wire, missing parts and poor connectors on the Bravo kit. The Pyle 4GA kit also had comments about not being 4GA. Apparently very common in lower end kits (suprise suprise.....go inquire how much decent real 4GA wire is per foot and then you will see the light, and don't be suprised at $2 a foot or more for quality stuff) So at the end of the day in research, one cheap kit is about as good as another. Now, as to what will this kit handle. Well, for that we use a little math. Here's your equation. Multiply the total number of channels on the Amp (or Amps) time the RMS power output per channel. For example, my Fosgate R250-4 250 Watt amp has a 65 x 4 RMS rating so 65x4=260. I also have an inexpensive Dual 8" powered sub box that is 80 watts RMS. So 260 + 80 = 340 total RMS. (RMS means literally, "Root Means Square." That's a whole nother topic though) So now we know my system has an RMS total output of 340. Now double the total RMS output. 340 x 2 = 680. Now divide by 13.8. 680 / 13.8 = 49.28 (rounded to the nearest hundred) That number, 49.28 is the systems actual current draw. At this point, we need a chart to show the required gauge wire based on the length of the Positive Power Wire. This can be found at Crutchfield. (Not sure if they'll allow a hotlink to the page with the chart, if they do it can be found here: [...] if they don't allow the link, you can find it using a simple search on Crutchfield's webpage for "cable gauge chart." In my particular case, the 4GA cable (the 4GA in this kit) is going to run from the battery, to the passenger side seat into a small distribution block where one leg will go to the Fosgate amp, the other to the Dual sub. At the distribution block, the wire gauge will be reduced to normal 8GA in my application. So the 4GA run is going to be roughly 6-8 feet long. Based on the chart, in the 7-10 foot range at 50-65 amps I should use 8 Gauge. (Since my draw was under 50, I could probably get away with 10GA but I rarely have ever used smaller than 8GA) Now you know how to calculate your needs. (there are a great number of charts out there, some different than others. I find Crutchfield to have dependable information 99% of the time) As to the max power of this kit, assuming it is 8GA.....the max will depend on the length of the power wire for your application, there is no universal max number. As an example, this kit could power a Fosgate T1000 which is a 1000 watt mono amp, which pulls 700 watts rms, as long as the Positive Power Cable is no more than 8 feet long. (Not likely that you'll have 8 feet or less, but it is just an example) Also, those talking about the Ground wire being to short. The way electricity flows in a car is dependent on the ground. There are varying opinions on this. In my experience, the shorter the better. The best option is to drill your own ground location, use a nut, bolt, and star washer. Make sure to sand away paint in that area. If you aren't comfortable with drilling, use the closest location possible.