Quick Sub Wiring Question
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=21985
Printed Date: July 15, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Topic: Quick Sub Wiring Question
Posted By: EzekialPhoenix
Subject: Quick Sub Wiring Question
Date Posted: November 26, 2003 at 11:39 AM
If you had 1 dual 4 ohm voice coil sub and you wanted to connect it to a two-channel amp, what type of load would the amp be seeing if you wired the positive and negative from one coil to the positive and negative of one channel on the amp, and wired the other voice coil to the other channel on the amp?
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I be tossin and flossin, my style is awesome. Causin' more family feuds than Richard Dawson.
Replies:
Posted By: bberman1
Date Posted: November 26, 2003 at 11:46 AM
Each channel on the amp would have a 4 Ohm load, but you have to be careful each channel must have an identical (ideally mono) signal or you will damage your sub.
Posted By: EzekialPhoenix
Date Posted: November 26, 2003 at 11:55 AM
I see, so then is the amp seeing two 4 ohm loads from the sub? Is it the same as wiring the sub in series and bridging it? Where I'm really confused is with the impedence. From my understanding, and granted I am a true amateur, I thought if you have one 4 ohm dual voice coil sub, you can wire it at either 2 ohms (parallel) or 8 ohms (series) end of story. So, are you telling me that if you wire the sub as I mentioned in the first post, this is a way to run the sub at 4ohms?? Very confused, need help, head hurts......
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I be tossin and flossin, my style is awesome. Causin' more family feuds than Richard Dawson.
Posted By: bberman1
Date Posted: November 26, 2003 at 12:04 PM
Look at it like this, a DVC is like 2 SVC speakers, if each of your speakers is 4 ohm and you wired them in parallel to their own channel then each channel would have a 4 ohm load. On a 4 ohm DVC you have 2 voice coils. Now each coil is 4 ohms if you wire them to their own channel each channel will have 1 voice coil for a 4 ohm load. This is not the same as wiring the sub in series or parallel and bridging it to a 1 channel configuration. But I would not recommend you run a dvc off of 2 channels since it is very difficult to get identical signals to both channels. If each voice coil dose not get the same signal you will destroy the sub.
Posted By: EzekialPhoenix
Date Posted: November 26, 2003 at 12:08 PM
Ok, so although you do not recommend it, you could only get away with this with a two-channel amp. If you had a mono, single channel amp, you could only wire the sub in parallel or series. You would not be able to wire a dual 4 ohm vc sub any other way than at 2 or 8 ohms, correct?
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I be tossin and flossin, my style is awesome. Causin' more family feuds than Richard Dawson.
Posted By: bberman1
Date Posted: November 26, 2003 at 12:19 PM
The only way you can do it is if each channel is getting a mono signal and the gains x-overs etc are absolutely identical on both channels. And I still would not recommend it unless it’s your own setup, and you are willing to run the risk of damaging the sub. Now to get a mono signal take one channel on your rca cable and put a Y on it connect that Y to your 2 channel amp which will give you a mono signal. As far as the series and parallel when wiring the dvc to 2 channels you are not bridging the 2 coils together so you’re only wiring option is parallel.
Posted By: EzekialPhoenix
Date Posted: November 26, 2003 at 12:24 PM
If you have a dual 4 ohm voice coil sub, and you want to wire it to a two-channel amp that is not 2 ohm stable, the safest way to do while getting the most power out of the amp is to connect the sub in series for an 8 ohm load and bridge it at the amp. Does that sound right?
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I be tossin and flossin, my style is awesome. Causin' more family feuds than Richard Dawson.
Posted By: bberman1
Date Posted: November 26, 2003 at 12:38 PM
If your amp is rated @ 1 X 4 ohms bridged. And you have a 4 ohm dvc then yes the safe way to bridge it to the amp would be in series for an 8 ohm load.
Posted By: EzekialPhoenix
Date Posted: November 26, 2003 at 12:43 PM
thought so.
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I be tossin and flossin, my style is awesome. Causin' more family feuds than Richard Dawson.
Posted By: bberman1
Date Posted: November 26, 2003 at 12:44 PM
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