sub wiring difficulty

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=113473
Printed Date: May 14, 2025 at 5:11 PM

Topic: sub wiring difficulty

Posted By: polt3rg31st
Subject: sub wiring difficulty
Date Posted: April 28, 2009 at 8:29 PM

Ok. So since im 16 and didnt understand the importance of proper equiptment selection i went out and bought my system and ram into a problem. I dont understand how to run the subs at a proper level of watts considering the few wiring options.

Amp:
Alpine MRP-M1000
Per channel into 4 Ohms: (@ 14.4V Ƈ%THD+N, 20Hz - 200Hz) 600W x 1
Per channel into 2 Ohms: (@ 14.4V Ƈ%THD+N, 20Hz - 200Hz) 1000W x 1

Subs:
Pioneer TS-SW301

Watts MAX. Music Power	1000 Watts
Watts Nominal Power Handling	250 Watts
Frequency Response	20 Hz to 114 Hz
Sensitivity	91 dB
Ohm Rating	4

So the problem is that there are only 2 ways to wire them(paralelland series)and one of the ways gives me and 8 ohnm load and my amp cant handle that as it is only stable and 4, 2, and 1.

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Polt3rg31st

Replies:

Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: April 28, 2009 at 8:48 PM

How many of the woofers do you have? It says 4 ohm, is it a single or dual voice coil woofer? If you do not know the answer to that question, are there just one positive and negative terminal? Or does it have one set on one side and another set on the other side?

Your amp will safely run into an 8 ohm load, it just will not make a lot of power. If they are single voice coil woofers, and you have 2 of them, you can achieve a 2 ohm load. When I find out more about your woofers, I will post a diagram helping you connect them.

Posted By: polt3rg31st
Date Posted: April 29, 2009 at 7:42 AM

sorry they are single voice coil 4 ohm. I can achieve a 2 ohm load as well but i have already blown one of them with wiring in paralell and had to get it exchanged.

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Polt3rg31st

Posted By: ragsports
Date Posted: April 29, 2009 at 8:15 AM

if you blew one of them already, that a good indication you need to turn your subs down.. posted_image

Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: April 29, 2009 at 8:40 AM

Option 2 (series) = 8 ohm load
Speakers wired in series
Recommended Amplifier: Stable at 4, 2, or 1 ohm mono

Wire the woofers as pictured above. Your amp will not put out near the power it puts out into a 2 ohm load, but it will be safe for your amp and your woofers.

Posted By: icearrow6
Date Posted: April 29, 2009 at 3:46 PM

Run them stereo at 4oms.

Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: April 29, 2009 at 7:21 PM

He has a 1 channel amplifier. Stereo is not an option.

Posted By: polt3rg31st
Date Posted: April 29, 2009 at 7:54 PM

so i can run them at 8 ohm without the amp having 8 ohm compatability?

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Polt3rg31st

Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: April 29, 2009 at 8:05 PM

The amp is capable of any load greater than 2 ohms. Greater = number higher than 2.

Posted By: polt3rg31st
Date Posted: April 29, 2009 at 8:13 PM

thanks every1 i really appreciate the help. i wudnt have known to do so otherwise

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Polt3rg31st

Posted By: icearrow6
Date Posted: April 30, 2009 at 2:23 PM

i am an idiot wrote:

He has a 1 channel amplifier. Stereo is not an option.

Oppps..didn't read the model # i just saw the "per channel" description. So i just figured....Are u sure u wanna run two woofers in series?

Posted By: icearrow6
Date Posted: April 30, 2009 at 2:31 PM

https://mobile.jlaudio.com/support_pages.php?page_id=163
read this plz.

"It is far less desirable to make subwoofer to subwoofer connections in series. Because of slight and unavoidable differences between speakers and because of the high likelihood of uneven loading between different speakers in a car, there will be slight differences in the mechanical behavior of the two speakers in series. These differences in movement result in induced voltage (called back EMF) being created by the speakers across the series connection. This effect causes a problem when two speakers which behave differently are connected in series because the speakers can modulate each other (cause each other to move), resulting in distortion. The problem becomes more serious as more speakers are connected in series."

Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: April 30, 2009 at 5:07 PM

Yeah you gotta watch out for that Back EMF. The distortion that is caused by the series connection may be audible, but most ears will not even notice it.