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In a centrally amplified system, there is a single amp that takes a signal (in the form of music) from the stereo systems main controller (known as th e head unit) and boosts it to all of the speakers. The amp uses a system of channels to divide the signal amongst the speakers — front to back, left to right, subwoofers, etc.

Each of these channels leads to a separate speaker, but they are all powered by a single amplifier that is cenraly locat- ed so that the massive spider of wires needed to r fficiently.

Remember the days when your car audio system consisted of single speaker mounted someplace in the dash board? ~ Jason Roy

As car audio systems developed to the point of producing concert quality sound in the cabin of your car or truck, the demands on the car’s amplifier were multiplied. Eventually, audio designers started installing two amps, dividing the system into two power blocks.

As the number of speakers grew, another amp was added, until we reached the point many systems are nearing today each speaker has its own amplifier mounted on or very near the speaker itself.