Bridging an amplifier means wiring the speaker connection so that we take advantage of a built-in design feature which allows 2 amplifier channels to drive one speaker or pair of speakers for more power. This typically allows 4 x the power of a single channel to be provided! Always check the specifications to be sure of power available and the required speaker Ohms rating.
For the average person, an amplifier capable of producing W for use with a well-matched subwoofer and speaker is adequate. Modern car amplifiers like the Alpine MRV-F offer high or low-pass crossovers to block bass or upper-range music from being played as desired.
The amp shown has adjustable frequency cutoffs to control what sound ranges are sent to speakers. A low-pass crossover is a feature that will filter out upper-range sounds and will allow you to play only clean sounding bass. High pass crossover block bass and allow higher-range sounds like music to play while blocking bass that distorts small speakers.
Crossovers are a simple but incredibly helpful feature for getting the best sound and volume out of your system. This leaves 2 channels to power front speakers and 2 you can use later for more speakers or bridge for driving a subwoofer. I recommend you buy a good quality 4-channel amp with 50W x 4 or 75W x 4 at 4 ohms that is bridgeable to W or more. There are some excellent choices available today including a wonderful amp I reviewed here as well! Look for a good combination of price, power rating, and features.
Good reviews are a must, too. Also, I recommend you buy a sealed enclosure as mismatching a subwoofer with the wrong vented box can result in terrible sound! If the speaker is not matched correctly, the sound produced can be far below what it is cable of. In most cases, a brand name box with speakers is designed specifically to work well with the speakers based on their particular characteristics.
This is the most convenient option for some people. Many amps, both single channel or bridged multi-channel amps, require a minimum speaker impedance Ohm rating of 4 Ohms, so bear this in mind when shopping.
You can learn more about that here. A car powered subwoofer is one that is an all-in-one bass system made up of a special enclosure, matching subwoofer, and has an amplifier already built-in. The total cost for a powered subwoofer vs. A powered subwoofer is an all-in-one solution for subwoofer bass. Typically their overall cost is less or the same as buying the items separately. They do have drawbacks, however: while they offer a more convenient way to install and remove the audio system, they tend to be more likely to have lesser performance than by using a standard amp and box system.
Car powered subwoofers tend to be more oriented to solving the problem of limited space in a vehicle and may be more limited in their speaker size, amplifier power rating, and the bass volume they can produce.
Some models, however, feature larger speakers and high power built-in. Some of these can be bought at stores like Wal-Mart or Harbor Freight for a discount price.
Most can be bought for cheap on eBay or Amazon. It was a great deal, and has lasted well! A crimp tool shown with crimp caps is a great tool for a professional-quality installation to avoid having issues with wire connections later.
I highly recommend using a cordless drill and drywall screws as they go quickly into the wood material of the box. Most subwoofers use 8 screws. Subwoofers are heavy and have a lot of vibration when in use. Installing an amplifier consists of several basic steps:.
Always be careful, and if necessary, carefully use a flat head screwdriver between gaps to help pry them off. Pull back the carpet to find room to hide your amp wire.
With a flashlight, look underneath the dashboard and try to find a plastic filler plug that can be pushed out exposing a free hole you can use or a rubber seal with a factory wiring harness that goes into the engine compartment. If you need to do this, use a punch, pointed object, or even a very strong and long screwdriver to put a hole in the rubber seal.
If by chance you find a plastic hole plug like this pop it out using a screwdriver and use it as a ready-made power cable hole. That makes things MUCH easier! Then push it through the car interior if no easier alternative is available and into the engine compartment, where you can then finally pull it through by hand and remove the power wire from it.
For best results, make a small loop on the end where you want to attach your wire and wrap it well with electrical tape to smooth over sharp edges that may snag. Step 3: Connect the ground wire The third primary connection is the ground wire. Step 4: Make your wiring connections Now, mount your powered sub and make your connections.
Comments Read comments. Gunny, No. Not only are there no relevant connections, there's no reason to connect a full-range speaker set to a powered subwoofer. Dusty, Yes. Y-cords are great ways to send signals to two places. Jason, Even without knowing exactly what sub and sub amp you've got, it sounds like the remote turn-on wire is connected to an unswitched 12 VDC source instead of a switched source.
Or, your car keeps its accessory power turned on for a few minutes after the car is turned off. Arthur, Each stage of a stereo system must have its output and input levels adjusted so no distortion plays.
Also, any equalization like bass boosting and crossovers must be set to produce the right sounds. And if you're trying to use speaker-level signals for the input, that powered sub needs a high-to-low level input adapter.
JS, If one of your powered subs has a preamp or pass-through output, you can use that to send signal to a second powered sub without using Y-cord connectors. For power, both will have to connect to the battery, either directly or using a distribution block.
Kaiser, The RCA connections in your console are probably auxiliary inputs for the audio system, and won't be of any use for a subwoofer installation. The power wire needs to run through your vehicle's firewall and fused to the battery. For input signal, you can to tap the factory speaker wiring almost anywhere, like the rear speaker connections.
Jay, Yes, you can add a powered sub to almost any system. La'Tony'a, All active car audio equipment needs a positive power wire connection and a ground negative wire connection.
The owner's manual for your receiver should show you how all the harness connections work. It's too bad you didn't buy it from Crutchfield so you could call Tech Support for free help troubleshooting your system.
Now, it sounds like you should take your car to a professional installer for help. Jay, Our collection of Subwoofer wiring diagrams includes seven different ways a mono amp can get wired to 2 subs. Which one to use for your situation depends on the coil configurations, impedances, and power ratings of the subs and the amp. Looking for powered subwoofers?
Shop our selection. The easiest way to shop car audio online Find what Fits your vehicle Remove. Checking fit Related products. In stock. Rockford Fosgate Punch P Kicker 11HS8. Kicker 46HS Go back See more. Car subwoofer buying guide Our subwoofer shopping guide will help you determine which kind of subwoofer and bass system you need, to get the sound you want. Subwoofers FAQ Which subwoofer will sound the loudest? Subwoofer wiring diagrams There are many ways to connect subwoofers to an amplifier.
All about subwoofers All the information and links you'll need to plan, install, tune, and enjoy a subwoofer system in your car or truck. Subwoofer Installation Guide This article describes the steps involved in installing a subwoofer in your vehicle. Undercover subwoofers Three of us here at Crutchfield installed subs that added punch and presence to our music without losing cargo space in our cars. Subwoofers Glossary Learn about the features and technical specifications included among today's car stereo subwoofers.
Amplifier wiring diagrams These wiring diagrams illustrate how amplifiers connect to your audio system, which will make it easier to shop for the gear you need for the system of your dreams.
Audition speakers before you buy. Virtual Audio technology allows you to compare sonic characteristics between speakers so you can make a more informed shopping decision. SpeakerCompare simulates the sound of home and car speakers through your headphones.
It lets you compare sonic characteristics between speakers so that you can make a more informed shopping decision. Learn how SpeakerCompare works. Select your headphone brand Brand. Select your headphone model Model. Don't see your headphones? Rent our Listening Kit. Please turn active noise cancelling off for best results. Add up to 4 items. What to listen for.
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Two different listening modes. In an actual listening room, you'd find that some speakers play louder than others when fed the same amount of power. In equal power mode, you'll hear these differences in loudness as they naturally occur between speakers. In equal volume mode, we've made the loudness of each speaker about the same. This gives you a more direct comparison of subtle voicing differences between speakers. Nothing beats listening to speakers in your space.
SpeakerCompare gives you a sense of the sonic differences. But performance in the real world is affected by the acoustics of your car or home, your choice of amplification, and your source material. We're here to help. Our headphone testing and research is ongoing. If your headphones are not currently selectable, please use the link below to request our Listening Kit. It includes a pair of studio-quality headphones, a combination DAC digital-to-analog converter and headphone amp, USB mobile adapters, and a guide to getting the most out of your session.
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Get a wiring kit with all the supplies needed for the installation. The easiest way to do this is to shop for wiring kits. The kit should include several different types of wires over 16 ft 4. For the installation, you need: [1] X Research source A 20 ft 6. A ground wire at least 3 ft 0. Speaker wire, which can also be bought separately. A amp in-line fuse and fuse holder. Crimp ring terminals for connecting the wires.
A plastic crimp connector for the remote wire. Pick a stable, well-ventilated spot for the subwoofers. Many people choose to put subwoofers in the trunk since it is an open and accessible area. It provides plenty of room for the subwoofer while also leaving space for the amp right next to it.
Your sound system will produce heat, so the additional space helps it last longer by keeping it ventilated. Some subwoofer systems include a built-in amp, making this less of a problem. Shut off your car using the key in the ignition, then pop open the hood. Locate the battery, which will look like a square box with a red and black cable connected to a pair of metal prongs on top of it.
These cables are held in place by a pair of metal nuts. Turn them counterclockwise using a regular wrench or a similarly-sized socket wrench. Inspect the battery before touching it. If you notice corrosion, put on rubber gloves and safety goggles. Part 2. Find an opening in the firewall to feed the power wire through. The firewall is the metal frame separating the engine compartment from the rest of the car. Even though it looks enclosed, it will have an opening for you to use when wiring the subwoofers.
This opening is tiny, so it can be hard to see. Shine a light down from above the engine bay to try and spot the opening. You can also get into the car and look for the opening there. Be careful to avoid cutting any wires. Run the power cable from the battery to the subwoofer. The power cable is often the longest wire in a wire kit and is colored red, but make sure to check the labeling. Lower the wire down into the engine compartment and through the firewall hole until it emerges inside your car.
Then, go inside your car to pull it all the way to the subwoofers. Leave the wire unconnected for now. To make this easier, straighten out a hanger, then curl one end into a hook. Use the hook to guide the wire. Most cars have a little bit of extra space along the sides for wire storage. Expose these channels by lifting up the carpeting or trim panels.
The trim panels are often held in place by plastic pins. Use a flathead screwdriver to pry the pins off. Note where each panel belongs before removal so you have no trouble reinstalling them later. Cut about 6 in 15 cm off the front end of the power wire. Use something sharp, such as lineman's pliers, that can sever the wire in one stroke.
Measure out from the end of the wire in the engine compartment. Cut through it and set this section aside to reuse later. The in-line fuse you will use to power the subwoofer should be no more than 6 in 15 cm from the battery. Cut the wire so that it extends from the battery to where you plan on placing the fuse.
Position wire strippers on the end of the long power cable in the engine compartment. Squeeze the blade down until it breaks through the insulation but not the wire underneath it. Then, pull the cut casing off to expose the wire. Wire strippers are the best tool to use if you want to remove the insulation without risking the underlying wires.
You can also use something like a sharp knife, but be very careful with it. Crimp the exposed wire and plug it into the in-line fuse. To crimp the wire, hold it in the jaws of a wire crimping tool and squeeze it. The crimping tool combines the wires strands into a single, neat ball that fits into one of the openings on the fuse. Open a terminal by using an Allen key on the hole above it. Turn the key counterclockwise to open the terminal, then insert the power wire and close the terminal again.
If it feels easy to move, tighten the terminal with the Allen key a little more. Be careful not to overtighten it. Connect the cut length of wire to the fuse after crimping it. Pick up the cut length of wire you set aside earlier. Plug the crimped end into the open part of the fuse, using an Allen key to open and close it as needed. This wire will be opposite from the rest of the power wire so you can attach it to the battery.
Try anchoring it to the car frame with a screw or cable tie. Hook the power cord to the positive battery terminal with a ring terminal. Then, push the exposed end through the opening on the ring terminal. The opposite end of the terminal is a metal ring that fits over the positive terminal on your car's battery.
Secure it in place by putting the positive battery cable and nut back in place. Part 3. Run the remote and RCA wires from the trunk to the stereo head. If you can, run these wires on the opposite side of the car from the power wire.
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