bridging an amp

Please explain the process for bridging an amp in series and then in paralell the amp is a sony exlpod 2/1 480w and i want to hook up two 4ohm subs. the pseaker dept. said it is stable at 2ohm only if i do it in series:errr:

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jtfrog

Are you sure he didn't say 2ohm Stereo? What's the exact model number of the amp?

I've never heard of a 2ohm Mono stable 2-channel Sony amp, which makes me believe your's falls in with the other 95% out there. When you bridge an amp, you are effectively combining 2 channels into 1. In doing that the ohm sability usually decreases for the bridge. For an example, a 2ohm Stereo (2-channels) amp is usually only 4ohms Mono (1-channel) stable when bridged.

When you wire in series you double the ohms. When you wire in parallel you cut them in half. Series/Parallel and Parallel/Series is a combination of both (but you don't really get into that unless you have 3+ SVC subs or 1+ DVC sub).

In your case, if you have two 4ohm SVC subs, then you can't bridge into a 4ohm load. Two 4ohm subs wired in Parallel = 2ohms total load in Mono, which your amp is not stable at. Two 4ohm subs wired in Series = 8ohm total load in Mono, which your amp is stable at but you wont get much power from it at all. Your best bet it to either get a 2ohm stable Class D Mono amp, or a different Class AB 2-channel amp that matches your specs better.

To give any more info I'd need the exact model number of your current Sony amp and the make/model of your subs.

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Squirrel
"No more Cpt. Kirk chit chat"
If its too loud, then you're too old
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The amp is a sony  XM-280GTX and the subs are XS-L1000B 10 inch.  as of now they are wired in series and dont sound that great. Not much of a hit as i thought there would be. Is there  a way to get more from this setup. Subs are 4.o ohm and amp is rated at 480W mono at 4 ohm. Can you check out both the amp and subs and get back with me on how to get the most out of the two

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jtfrog

Sorry it's taken so long. Every time I've tried to connect the site has been down...

Anyway, if you're bridged in Series then you have an 8ohm total load (two 4ohm SVC's in series = 8ohm total load). You're current setup probably looks like this..


Unfortunately most manufacturer's don't list 8ohm specs, so you have to guestimate. Your listed specs are: 80 x 2 @ 4ohms, 100 x 2 @ 2ohms, and 200 x 1 @ 4ohms mono/bridged. My guestimate on a ??? x 1 @ 8ohms would be 100watts total. So I think you're getting apx 50watts per sub. Your subs are 150RMS 650Peak, so they would deffinately sound better with more power (meaning a different amp). You're not running them at near their potential. You could probably throw up to 300 watts (with a different amp) to each of those subs and be fine.

To get the Most out of you existing equipment (safely), you should wire your subs 1 per channel for the 80 x 2 @ 4ohms rating. Wire like this...


You can try (but this is not advised) to wire them in a parallel bridge at 2ohms mono, but make sure to turn the gains down first. If you try this and the amp starts shutting off on it's own or at high volumes then you need to revert to the previous wiring diagram for 1 sub per channel. Here's the diagram for a 2ohm bridge...


If you ever decide to get a different amp and keep the same subs, you'll want to get either a 2-channel Class AB rated at least 150 x 2 @ 4ohms, or a Class D mono amp rated at least 300 x 1 @ 2ohms.

Whoever sold you your equipment just made a quick buck without giving you what you really wanted/needed. Sorry dude

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Squirrel
"No more Cpt. Kirk chit chat"
If its too loud, then you're too old
Donate to the12volt.com

I have a similar problem with the same amplifier. I would like to know how to utilize all 480W into a 2ohm bridged connection, only using 1 12"Pioneer sub.

ps. those illustrations were awsome in your previous reply: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=15645&KW=Sony+XM%2D280GTX

Stanzz as long as your pioneer sub is not a DVC model (two pairs of terminals on one sub), then you can bridge bridge the amp and it will still get a 4-ohm mono load because you only have one subwoofer.  All you gotta do is take the positive from the left channel speaker output on the amp and hook it up to the sub's positive wiring terminal, and then the negative from the right channel speaker output on the amp and hook it up to the sub's negative wiring terminal.  Just leave the left negative and right positive amp speaker terminals alone as they are not needed.

The way to maximize your amp's power output RELIABLY is to run it at a 4-ohm mono/bridged load like I just explained above, or a 2-ohm stereo load (2 subs per channel).  A single 2 ohm mono load will likely cause the amp to overheat like wvsquirrel described above.

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Ethan
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"Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success"
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