parallel 2 ohms for 1 ohm?
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=127662
Printed Date: May 19, 2024 at 9:13 AM
Topic: parallel 2 ohms for 1 ohm?
Posted By: pontiacg5
Subject: parallel 2 ohms for 1 ohm?
Date Posted: June 17, 2011 at 6:31 PM
I've got a Pioneer PRS-D1200M amp, rated for 150W at 4 ohms, 300W at 2, and 600W at 1ohm in "high power" mode. In normal mode the ratings are 400W at 4 and 600W at 2 ohms.
The manual says to not wire two 2ohm subs in parallel to achieve a 1ohm or lower bridged mode but a few pages earlier it says it is safe to connect a 1ohm sub rated for 600W.
Should there be a difference, as far as a mono amp is concerned, between a natural 1ohm impedance or a synthetic 1ohm impedance?
I ask because I would like to purchase one sub at a time, the first one to fit in my car's factory box and then another when I build a custom box. The subs I am eying are 2ohm SVC, rated for 300W RMS. According to my limited car stereo/electronics knowledge, I should be able to run one sub to it's full potential in "high current" mode at 2ohms and then add one later to run both to the max at 1ohm.
Am I on the right track?
Thanks!
Replies:
Posted By: oldspark
Date Posted: June 17, 2011 at 9:48 PM
2 x 2Ohm in parallel = 1 Ohm.
No difference provided powers match (2 x 2R 300W paralleled = 1R 600W)
Though maybe speakerphiles with practical experience wish to add their views...?
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: June 18, 2011 at 8:22 AM
"Synthetic impedance." That always makes me laugh. There is no such thing...
Pioneer is talking about bridging two amps when they mention driving no lower than 2-ohms. You may connect a one-ohm load to a single amp, and you may create one-ohm using two 2-ohm speakers. Note that Pioneer does not list specs for this amp at one ohm. This is because the distortion goes through the roof and some of these amps become unstable at one-ohm. If you load it that low, be very careful to set the gain properly. ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: pontiacg5
Date Posted: June 19, 2011 at 11:27 PM
I was wondering if distortion might be a problem, as the power rating for 2 ohm in "normal" mode and 1 ohm in "high current" mode is the same. It seems like you should be able to get more power from 1 ohm, but if all of that extra power was heavily distorted than it is useless.
Assuming there is no distortion, an amp running 600W at 2 ohm would run hotter than another amp also running 600W but at 1 ohm right?
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: June 20, 2011 at 9:01 AM
No, the amp with 1-ohm load will be hotter. Lower impedance places more strain on amps because it draws more current. The reason the amp is rated the same at different loadings is because it is internally regulated to keep it from blowing up. IMO, you achieve nothing besides convenience using that amp with 1-ohm, and you will likely shorten the amp's life. Load at 2-ohms minimum. ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: addicted
Date Posted: July 05, 2011 at 12:31 PM
Dvc 2 0hm woofer. Better stability for the amp then running it at 1 ohm. I agree with moderator.
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