[GearHead]

i picked up an audiobahn 12" sub cheap on ebay the other day. i made a box for it, now i need to know whats the best way to wire it. its a dual voice coil sub, 400 watts rms. i have a 2 channel 100 watt amp i'll be using.
my question is, do i keep the amp bridged and run one pos and neg from the amp to the sub, then parraell the two connectors on the sub, or do i un-bridge the amp and run one channel to each side of the sub?

 

[Broncomx]

well what you really need to do is get another amp but that is a whole different story.

Go ahead and leave it bridge and they wire it in parallel that would be the best way to run it.

Jason

 

[drexelsteve]

keepin it bridged will give you more power to the sub givin more bass. If you run one channel per side you'll gett better clarity, then again audiobahn dvc's aren't really made for clarity so i'd leave it brigded.

 

[GearHead]

thanks for the fast responces guys.
i know the amp is gonna suck, but its what i have laying around.

 

[Brieldo]

This post is classic...


First of all, you need to find out what your amplifier is rated for. If its rated for say, 4 ohms mono and you try running it at 2 ohms mono, you're going to have a problem. Secondly, you need to know what impedance your subwoofer is. It could be dual 4, dual 2, etc. Find out this information and then I can tell you what you need to do. Also, running one channel per side does not give you more clarity...its just a method of wiring.

 

[94 XLT BRONCO]

Agreed, Bridge or buy better amp. I got one of mine used on E-bay..... Be carfull and you can get a good deal.:thumbup

 

[jopes]

This post is classic...


First of all, you need to find out what your amplifier is rated for. If its rated for say, 4 ohms mono and you try running it at 2 ohms mono, you're going to have a problem. Secondly, you need to know what impedance your subwoofer is. It could be dual 4, dual 2, etc. Find out this information and then I can tell you what you need to do. Also, running one channel per side does not give you more clarity...its just a method of wiring.

I kinda agree, but I had a punch 200 which was only rated @ 4ohms bridged. I ran it @ 2 ohms bridged for years... Sweet little amp I wish I never sold.

 

[Tweeter]

Have to go with Brieldo, How many OHMs are the coils on the sub? This will let you know the best way to run it.
2 What kind of amp is it? This will also help on Knowing the best way to run it. So amps and take more than other amps.

 

[Brieldo]

Word selection is very important here, gentleman.

Amplifiers dont take anything, they just "see" whatever it is you're throwing at them. Heres how it works:


You have a speaker. It has a 4 ohm nominal impedance. That means, when its sitting there, doing nothing, it has about a 4 ohm impedance. Some might be 3.7, 4.1, whatever, but its about 4 ohms. Now, speakers are not nominal devices, they're reactive... When you begin using the speaker, the impedance changes based on where the pole piece/voice coil is within the voice coil gap/magnet structure. When it changes, it goes up and down. So, when you take a 2 ohm speaker and wire it to an amp that is rated for 4 ohms, when the amp is doing nothing, ther're no problems. When you start powering it, that 2 ohm speaker becomes a 3 ohm speaker, a 2 ohm speaker, a 1 ohm speaker, all at the same time as it moves with the music. This causes the amp to see possible 1 ohm loads which it wont like, causing failure.

Now, there are amps out there that are rated for XXX impedance and you can run them at impedances far lower than that...but I assure you, in daily driver situations you will be reducing the lifetime of hte amplifier considerably.

So, what impedance are your subwoofers and what is your amplifier rated for?

 

[fordman7795]

how do you know what ohms your running at? i have a fosgate punch 160.2 amp and 1 12" fosgate sub in a fosgate box. brand new amp and box. newest sub availble.

 

[GearHead]

the sub is an audiobahn aq1251t i think. the amp is a cheap blaupunt 100 watt 2 channel amp. i think the amp is 4 ohms and i think the sub is 2,4, or 8 ohms. i'll have to go to their website to see.

 

[Brieldo]

look on the subwoofer itself. it should say. if it doesnt, get our your DMM and check the resistance.

 

[jopes]

Now, there are amps out there that are rated for XXX impedance and you can run them at impedances far lower than that...but I assure you, in daily driver situations you will be reducing the lifetime of hte amplifier considerably.

I ran my punch like that for over 5 years. thing is still working to the last time I knew.

 

[godless]

Ya but B is speaking by the books.
What he is saying absolutely correct in every way, but a failure rating of 100% is not going to happen.
Most likely an amp running at the impedance of what is was built for will give it the most efficiency and last the longest.
Running it harder will deminish the life, it may not happen for 2, 3, 5 years, but it will die eventually.

Another thing that I dont think he mentioned is that most amps THD becomes audible if you run the amp harder than it was designed for. Anything above .1% is audible.

So Jopes to put it in our terms, its like saying that running 42's on a D44 will break each and every time.
That is a very good statement but not exactly true.
It depends on how the axle (amp) is driven.
Get it.:beer

This is by no means calling you an idiot or degrading you in any way, i was just tryin to splain :toothless

 

[Domin4nt]

I wouldnt even wire it up with that amp.....go out and buy yourself a cheap amp. Jensen makes descent amps for not too much cash. You can pick up a 300W X 2 amp from walmart for just over $100. Its not the best amp in the world but they'll be able to push that sub pretty well. Otherwise bridge your amp down.

:shocked I got my BlackMaxx 1400 watt x 4 amp for just over 100 bux on ebay. I have it powering my 2 rear 6x9s and my 12" sony sub. Very good amp for the price and for average speakers...not so good for high quality gear(my bro's JL sub sounds like trash on it). I am very happy with it.:toothless

 

[Brieldo]

Stang,
You're not correct in this instance. I explained it in my post. Reread it and if you still dont understand I will explain it in more detail.