how to hook up 3 amps
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=30626
Printed Date: July 05, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Topic: how to hook up 3 amps
Posted By: bruno71088
Subject: how to hook up 3 amps
Date Posted: April 18, 2004 at 9:20 PM
what would i need to do to hook up 3 amps im gonna have 2 for my subs and one for highs i have no clue how i can do this please help me out
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Replies:
Posted By: bruno71088
Date Posted: April 18, 2004 at 9:21 PM
i forgot to add i already have all the wires ran for one amp if that helps at all its 4 gauge
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Posted By: southside
Date Posted: April 18, 2004 at 9:24 PM
whatr kinda subs an amps do u have. it would be a lot easier to run just one higher powerd amp. a lot less work to do. especailly for only 2 subs. but just my thoughts.
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southsider
Posted By: MAXST
Date Posted: April 18, 2004 at 9:34 PM
Find a distro block that has one input and three out puts- prolly end up being four- then for the turn on solder or crimp on four wires to the end of the main and go to the turn on points on the amps. then for the ground, get the same distro block as the power and ground it to one point. I dont think 4 awg is going to work tho.
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Posted By: pureRF
Date Posted: April 18, 2004 at 9:39 PM
You will probably want to run a 0 gauge wire from your battery fused with an ANL fuse under the hood. The ampage of the fuse will be all the amps fuses added together. (so if 2 were require 50 amp fuses and another a 20 amp fuse then get a 120 amp ANL fuse) Run that to a distribution block (found online) with a 0 gauge input and 3 outputs of probably 4 4 and 8 gauge. If your amp has the option of output RCA's (this means you can use the signal sent from your headunits bass output RCAs from the first amp and just send them to the 2nd amp) you can run 1 set of RCAs to your SUB amps then use like a 2 foot RCA cable to hook the other SUB amp up to. Then you will want to run a seperate set of RCAs for your HIGHS. Hope this is clear if not PM me with any ?s.
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dream it, build it, fiberglass it
Posted By: bruno71088
Date Posted: April 18, 2004 at 9:44 PM
i dont understand how i could do my rca's for all 4 i think i got the rest of it just get distributer blocks for the power and ground um im going to try and stick with 4 gauge becaus if i dont have to i really rather not mess with that stuff the amps arent very powerfull they shouldnt need it there 2 pioneer 760 watts each and a pyramid 1000 watt for highs
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Posted By: kickerstang
Date Posted: April 19, 2004 at 6:26 AM
what he means with the RCA's is a daisy chain, each amp should have an input for RCA's and an output. if it does you bring the RCA's from the headunits sub out and plug them in to the input on the first sub amp, then you plug another set of RCA's in that same amps output, then run that one to the second sub amps input. you will probably want to run a seperate set of RCA's from your headunits front out for your high amp
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what!?!?! you want some??
Posted By: pureRF
Date Posted: April 19, 2004 at 5:10 PM
well then stick with 4. Hope the rubber doesnt melt.
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dream it, build it, fiberglass it
Posted By: bruno71088
Date Posted: April 19, 2004 at 7:13 PM
um i already have the pyramid for my highs and i know for sure that it only has the input for rca's no out put im not sure about the pioneer's because i havent gotten them yet i just ordered them but i think they only have the input as well how can i run the rca's on the other amps if there are no output rca slots?
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Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: April 19, 2004 at 7:41 PM
What is the model # on the Pioneer amps? GM-X862? GM-5000T?
Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: April 19, 2004 at 7:44 PM
What is the model # on the Pioneer amps? GM-X862? GM-5000T?
Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: April 19, 2004 at 7:45 PM
What is the model # on the Pioneer amps? GM-X862? GM-5000T?
Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: April 19, 2004 at 7:45 PM
What is the model # on the Pioneer amps? GM-X862? GM-5000T? Neither one has line
Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: April 19, 2004 at 7:45 PM
What is the model # on the Pioneer amps? GM-X862? GM-5000T? Neither one has line output from what I could find
Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: April 19, 2004 at 7:46 PM
What is the model # on the Pioneer amps? GM-X862? GM-5000T? Neither one has line output from what I could find out. The
Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: April 19, 2004 at 7:49 PM
.......uhh, something is wrong here....
Posted By: bruno71088
Date Posted: April 19, 2004 at 7:49 PM
it is the gm-x862 your right there is no output jack so how will i do this to wire the rca's to all of the amps at the same time?
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Posted By: Alpine Guy
Date Posted: April 19, 2004 at 8:02 PM
you got some good amps for the subs, , but what about the most important part!! The mids and highs, sheesh you got a pyrimid!! Save up a few more bucks, , get a nice speaker amp and your system will rock,.
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2003 Chevy Avalanche,Eclipse CD7000,Morel Elate 5,Adire Extremis,Alpine PDX-4.150, 15" TC-3000, 2 Alpine PDX-1.1000, 470Amp HO Alt.
Posted By: bruno71088
Date Posted: April 19, 2004 at 8:09 PM
ya i will i already had the pyramid thats y i kept it all i need now is a way to hook all those amps up because none of the amps have rca outputs i dont know how to do it please help me out oh yea my radio only has 1 output aswell
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Posted By: pureRF
Date Posted: April 19, 2004 at 8:24 PM
well sh*t
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dream it, build it, fiberglass it
Posted By: bruno71088
Date Posted: April 19, 2004 at 10:10 PM
So is there a way to do this or im i pretty screwed
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Posted By: kickerstang
Date Posted: April 20, 2004 at 7:18 AM
you're going to have to split the RCA's with a y-adapter which will give you both your RCA's to your amp but your also cutting your signal and voltage in half. and if your deck only has one set of RCA's out then it's probably a lower model deck and only has 2.5V out. which is pretty low already and now your cutting that in half to feed 2 amps, wait, actually it would be 3 amps if you only have 1 output. ok, the cheapest solution i see here to give all the amps more power and achieve better sound i would recomend an EQ. i have a clarion 7 band EQ, it has 8 volt out plus sub control and frequency control. it has sub out, front out, rear out, aux out, aux in, its great. it cost me like $100 dollars. other than an EQ the only other way i see getting a good signal to all your amps, besides a line driver but then you still have to split the signal, is a new deck. and show me a great deck you can get for $100. try finding you an EQ, that should help a great bit
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what!?!?! you want some??
Posted By: bruno71088
Date Posted: April 20, 2004 at 10:31 AM
thanks alot ill start looking at eg's for sale on ebay. do all eq's come with extra outputs for rca's? oh by the way i have a kenwood radio i dk if its good or not it sounds pretty nice on highs and its not old at all i dont think its a model kdc-122
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Posted By: bruno71088
Date Posted: April 20, 2004 at 12:35 PM
ok i found a crossover that is 3 way does this mean it would have one input and 3 outputs?
heres the site-------------
Posted By: bruno71088
Date Posted: April 20, 2004 at 12:35 PM
ok i found a crossover that is 3 way does this mean it would have one input and 3 outputs?
heres the site would this work to hook up the rca's for three amps? -------------
Posted By: razorbacx
Date Posted: April 20, 2004 at 12:51 PM
bruno, I would strongly recommend simplifying your entire system as I have looked at the spec's on your equipment and I think that you are asking too much out of it. I would recommend the following: Remove the Pyramid Amp out of the equation as it will allow for you to simplify your installation by allowing you to use the exisiting 4 gauge wire already in place, install a basic 2 Amp Distribution Block and use of 8 gauge wire from your amps to the Dist Block and improve your overall SQ (Sound Quality) by removing the weak link in your system. Also, your Head Unit, Kenwood KDC-122, has only one set of RCA's so you'll need a pair of RCA "Y" adapters to split the signal from your HU to your amps. Install only one (1) sub as I'm not sure how stable your Pioneer GM-X862 Amps are at a 2 Ohm load, especially if pushing a sub. Use the other Pioneer amp to push your mids/highs. I believe that you will find that you will acheive the SQ that you are looking for with minimal effort in the install process and you will get more out of your equipment if you don't max it out. In the future if you plan on expanding your system I would recommend that you purchase a Head Unit that has more than one set of RCA's and an amp designed specifically for subs. By the way, what components have you choosen (brand name/model #'s) and what car are you putting all this in? Are you planning on four (4) full range or component speakers including a sub? Hope this helps. Regards, Razorbacx
Posted By: bruno71088
Date Posted: April 20, 2004 at 1:10 PM
i have a kenwood kdc-122 head unit 2 pioneer 4" speakers in the dashboard 2 stock 6x9's in the back then i have 2 other 6x9's in a box above the back seats running off the pyramid amp. I have the two thunder 8000's 10" subs and 2 pioneer amps i was going to run 1 amp to each sub this is all in my chevy corsica
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Posted By: kickerstang
Date Posted: April 20, 2004 at 1:17 PM
that crossover looks like it might do the trick, it's got a 6V out, that not to bad, a lot more than your deck has, go for it
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what!?!?! you want some??
Posted By: bruno71088
Date Posted: April 20, 2004 at 1:19 PM
thanks alot so that crossover will definetly work for all 3 amps?
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Posted By: bruno71088
Date Posted: April 20, 2004 at 1:39 PM
one more thing if i just use y spliters would it have enough power to run all 3 amps from my radio or should i stick to the crossover?
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