Best Car Amplifiers · head-to-head

JL Audio RD900/5 vs Kicker KEY500.1

A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Kicker KEY500.1 is cheaper at $299.99. Every spec and price links to its source.

Which is better: the JL Audio RD900/5 or Kicker KEY500.1?

On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The Kicker KEY500.1 is the cheaper at $299.99.

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Full spec sheet

✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.

Spec JL Audio RD900/5 Kicker KEY500.1
US price $679.99 $299.99
BrandJL AudioKicker
Released——
Channels 5 1
Amplifier class Class D —
RMS per channel4 ohm (W) 70 150
RMS per channel2 ohm (W) 100 300
Bridged rms4 ohm (W) 200 —
Total RMS power (W) 900 500
Snr (dB) 104 90
Thd percent — —
Frequency response (Hz) 12-22000 10-160
Min impedance ohms 2 1
Fuse rating amps 80 —

Sources — JL Audio RD900/5: jlaudio.com (verified 2026-07-11). Kicker KEY500.1: kicker.com (verified 2026-07-11).

What's the difference between the JL Audio RD900/5 and Kicker KEY500.1?

Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (7 of 11). Matching specs are omitted.

  • Channels: JL Audio RD900/5 5 vs Kicker KEY500.1 1
  • RMS per channel4 ohm (W): JL Audio RD900/5 70 vs Kicker KEY500.1 150
  • RMS per channel2 ohm (W): JL Audio RD900/5 100 vs Kicker KEY500.1 300
  • Total RMS power (W): JL Audio RD900/5 900 vs Kicker KEY500.1 500
  • Snr (dB): JL Audio RD900/5 104 vs Kicker KEY500.1 90
  • Frequency response (Hz): JL Audio RD900/5 12-22000 vs Kicker KEY500.1 10-160
  • Min impedance ohms: JL Audio RD900/5 2 vs Kicker KEY500.1 1

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