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Speakers Wired in Series Versus in Parallel


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numi 
Member - Posts: 11
Member spacespace
Joined: February 08, 2015
Location: California, United States
Posted: February 08, 2015 at 1:53 PM / IP Logged  
Hi all,
Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of wiring car speakers in series versus in parallel?
Someone gave me this info, quoted below...
"... Connect the speakers one way, and the speakers won't be very loud. Connect them the other way and the speakers will be louder but you risk burning out your head unit."
...but I don't know which as which characteristic, or if these symptoms are guaranteed, or just possibilities.
Thanks for any input.
numi
numi
oldspark 
Gold - Posts: 4,913
Gold spacespace
Joined: November 03, 2008
Location: Australia
Posted: February 08, 2015 at 4:10 PM / IP Logged  
You can search for series & parallel (resistor) formulae & explanations.
2 speakers in series doubles overall resistance (hence generally 1/4 the power (output) but amplifiers may be different - eg, 1/2 the power output).
2 speakers in parallel halves overall resistance.
If an amp is rated for 4 Ohm or higher (or 1 Ohm & higher) you don't want 2 Ohm (or 0.5 Ohm)... you'll blow the amp at high power outputs.
numi 
Member - Posts: 11
Member spacespace
Joined: February 08, 2015
Location: California, United States
Posted: February 08, 2015 at 8:50 PM / IP Logged  
Thanks oldspark,
It sounds like I'd want to go with in series to be safe.
But can you slightly clarify this sentence?...
"If an amp is rated for 4 Ohm or higher (or 1 Ohm & higher) you don't want 2 Ohm (or 0.5 Ohm)... you'll blow the amp at high power outputs."
Do you mean that if you have a 1 Ohm amp, you don't want 2 Ohm speakers?... meaning you don't want speakers that are a higher Ohm rating than the stereo unit/amp, or do you mean the other way around?
Thanks,
numi
numi
oldspark 
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Gold spacespace
Joined: November 03, 2008
Location: Australia
Posted: February 08, 2015 at 9:16 PM / IP Logged  
No, the other way...
Your speaker resistance should never be less than what the amp rated for. That's another way of saying don't try to supply more power (current) into the speaker(s) than the amp is capable of.
Having higher resistance speakers is ok (despite what I once thought...). That means the amp's output will be less than what it can handle.
If you have a speaker which is matched to the amp (eg 1 Ohm sub on a "1 Ohm stable" amp, or 4 Ohm etc for typical non-sub amps) do not connect 2 or more of them in series unless you want LESS electrical output power. The volume control is a better way of of dropping output power (LOL?).
The highest output you can get from an x-Ohm amp using x-Ohm speakers is to use ONE speaker. You reduce output by series connecting the speakers. Or you can blow the amp by paralleling such speakers.
You would only series or parallel matched Ohmage speakers if speaker power handling is less than the amp.
EG - for a 100W amp and 50W speaker you would use FOUR speakers in series/parallel (ie, 2 series connected speakers in parallel with the other 2 series speakers). You then have the same Ohmage "speaker" load capable of 4x 50W = 200W power handling.
You could have only 2 of the above example speakers in series (none in parallel) but that means less amp output (typically ~half). (That does not apply to (newer??) impedance-independent amps.)
numi 
Member - Posts: 11
Member spacespace
Joined: February 08, 2015
Location: California, United States
Posted: February 08, 2015 at 11:15 PM / IP Logged  
Thanks OS,
The info with my new stereo says "Speaker impedance 4-8 Ohms", and my new door speakers say "4 Ohms".
So does that means that it would be okay to run the door speakers from the dash speaker in parallel, so I wouldn't lose volume, since my new door speakers fall within the stated impedance range of my new stereo?
numi
numi
oldspark 
Gold - Posts: 4,913
Gold spacespace
Joined: November 03, 2008
Location: Australia
Posted: February 08, 2015 at 11:29 PM / IP Logged  
You can have ONE 4 Ohm speaker on your stereo 4Ohm output; NOT 2 in parallel.
numi 
Member - Posts: 11
Member spacespace
Joined: February 08, 2015
Location: California, United States
Posted: February 08, 2015 at 11:36 PM / IP Logged  
OS,
Sorry, but I'm having a bit of a hard time understanding you wording.
Do you mean just the right OR the left speaker could be run in parallel, and not both?
Again, the info with my stereo says, "Speaker impedance 4-8 Ohms".
Thanks,
numi
numi
oldspark 
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Gold spacespace
Joined: November 03, 2008
Location: Australia
Posted: February 08, 2015 at 11:45 PM / IP Logged  
Your stereo info means "one 4 Ohm speaker per output".
An output is LEFT. Another is RIGHT. ETC.
(Forget 8 Ohms, you have 4 Ohm speakers.)   
Hence one 4 Ohm speaker on the left output/channel, and another 4 Ohm speaker on the right output/channel. (And similarly for rear left & right if applicable.)
numi 
Member - Posts: 11
Member spacespace
Joined: February 08, 2015
Location: California, United States
Posted: February 09, 2015 at 12:03 AM / IP Logged  
Okay, so then, apparently, I'd be okay to run one speaker in parallel on each side, so as not to lose volume, I guess.
Thanks again!
numi
numi
oldspark 
Gold - Posts: 4,913
Gold spacespace
Joined: November 03, 2008
Location: Australia
Posted: February 09, 2015 at 12:22 AM / IP Logged  
NO!!!
Parallel means connecting one speaker in parallel with another.
You can only have one 4 Ohm speaker on each stereo output.
If you want to add any new 4 Ohm speakers you have, then disconnect the existing speaker(s).
If you connect another 4 Ohm speaker in parallel with an existing 4 Ohm speaker, you'll have 2 Ohms on a (minimum) 4 Ohm output. That'll destroy your amp as per your OP and all I have subsequently written.
(Unless perhaps you make sure the volume control is never high enough to blow the stereo, but ytf would you want to have 2 speakers in parallel anyway?)
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