Subwoofer series wiring

Determine what amplifier to use with your subwoofer system.

Estimated wait for next available agent :. In this article, we'll help you find the best way to connect your subs to your amp. We begin with some basic — and important — subwoofer and amplifier terms. But if you want, you can skip straight to the wiring diagrams. There are many ways to wire subwoofers and amplifiers together. The ideal setup is when subs and amps match their impedance and power capabilities to optimize performance. The diagrams show wiring configurations for amplifiers and subwoofers that have already been matched for power capabilities.

Subwoofer series wiring

It seems do-it-yourself installers have taken a liking to our discussion about wiring multiple subwoofers to a single amplifier. A question came up on Facebook a few weeks ago asking if it was better to wire a pair of dual voice coil subwoofers in series with their coils in parallel or vice versa. We thought it might be fun to turn that question into yet another experiment and dive deep into the options of series-parallel wiring. Unless your installer has access to some very low impedance subwoofers, most installations will see the subwoofers you have purchased wired in parallel. In that case, your installer could wire all four coils in parallel to present a 1-ohm load to a monoblock subwoofer amplifier. In most cases, these amplifiers want to see a 4-ohm load when bridged. For our dual 4-ohm subwoofers , this wiring configuration would add the voice coil impedance on each driver to produce a nominal 8-ohm load. Next, your installer would wire each subwoofer in parallel with your amplifier to create a 4-ohm load. The second option is to wire the voice coils on each subwoofer in parallel, then wire the two subwoofers in series with each other to the amp. Each subwoofer would have a net impedance of 2 ohms, and wiring those loads in series would present our amplifier with a 4-ohm load. We talked about the reactive characteristics of speakers and subwoofers not long ago in this article. Next, we measured the sub with its voice coils wired in series and then again with the coils wired in parallel to generate the data below. As we expected, the electrical measurements like DC resistance, electrical Q, and inductance at 1 kHz did change. Next, we wired the subwoofers together in the configurations we showed in the two diagrams at the beginning of the article and repeated the measurements to see what, if anything, had changed. The reality is, the system will work just fine wired either way.

Three subwoofers. We can help you choose the right gear and give you the right advice on how to install it. To do this, follow the instructions provided by your browser usually within the "Help", subwoofer series wiring, "Tools" or "Edit" settings.

Estimated wait for next available agent :. Confusion concerning watts, amps, and ohms has been around for as long as people have been putting subwoofers in cars. Watts and ohms are entangled in a series of mathematical formulas that link them intimately together such that when one of them undergoes a change in value, the other often does too. So, using one of those math formulas, an amplifier that provides watts of power through a 4-ohm speaker, will produce watts through a 2-ohm speaker, because it's easier to push that reduced load. At the heart of every speaker and sub is a voice coil.

Estimated wait for next available agent :. Confusion concerning watts, amps, and ohms has been around for as long as people have been putting subwoofers in cars. Watts and ohms are entangled in a series of mathematical formulas that link them intimately together such that when one of them undergoes a change in value, the other often does too. So, using one of those math formulas, an amplifier that provides watts of power through a 4-ohm speaker, will produce watts through a 2-ohm speaker, because it's easier to push that reduced load. At the heart of every speaker and sub is a voice coil.

Subwoofer series wiring

Estimated wait for next available agent :. In this article, we'll help you find the best way to connect your subs to your amp. We begin with some basic — and important — subwoofer and amplifier terms. But if you want, you can skip straight to the wiring diagrams. There are many ways to wire subwoofers and amplifiers together. The ideal setup is when subs and amps match their impedance and power capabilities to optimize performance. The diagrams show wiring configurations for amplifiers and subwoofers that have already been matched for power capabilities. You should never connect subs to an amp that could give them more power than their total watts RMS power ratings.

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Depending on your gear, there might be more than one way to safely wire the subs. Your advisor will be able to share relevant pages and add items to your cart. Model Please turn active noise cancelling off for best results. I know my amp has watts extra power but how many watts are my subwoofers really taking and will they get ruined? Go to Checkout Continue Shopping. When the impedances of all the devices are the same, their total impedance, when wired in parallel, is that impedance value divided by the number of devices. If you have any questions about choosing the right gear, contact our advisors by phone or chat. Our subwoofer shopping guide will help you determine which kind of subwoofer and bass system you need to get the sound you want. Add up to 4 items. Shop our selection. This gives you a more direct comparison of subtle voicing differences between speakers. Rent our Listening Kit. We're here to help. Checking fit

One of the things people have the most trouble with is wiring multiple subs or dual voice coil subs to an amp. Series wiring for speakers means you are connecting the speakers like a chain. The positive terminal from one speaker connects to the negative terminal of the next speaker, then the positive of that speaker connects to the negative of the next speaker.

Go back See more. Additional combinations and values may be calculated with our Parallel and Series Calculators. What to listen for. For free personalized advice, call Most amps can work with 2-ohm loads on each channel, but not when the channels are bridged together. Ohms issue? Each subwoofer has a 2 ohm load because they are wired in parallel so it's a 4ohm load that my amp is taking do you think this is the best set up for my subwoofers and amp? Subwoofer wiring diagrams How to hook up your subs for powerful bass by Crutchfield's Buck Pomerantz. Our Advisors have listened to most of the speakers we carry, and can help you make the best choice for your system. If you plan on listening to music at moderate volume levels or have a smaller car, a subwoofer with a lower power handling rating, say to watts, and a matching amp is a good combo. If you're asking what speaker wire to use - use , , or gauge speaker wire from the amp's bridged channels to the sub. Dual voice coil subwoofers are a popular choice among car audio enthusiasts who want more flexibility in wiring their sound systems.