Car AudioCar audio related questions and helpful hints for building the best sound system for your car or getting the most out of what you have.
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Hey I've been doing research on parallel and series wiring and I got the basic of it. Parallel reduces ohms, which increas power output. Series increase the ohms which reduces the power output. Of course you can't reduce the ohms much without a high performance amp. Now I want to understand it a little better. If I have speakers with different watt ratings and want to give more power to a pair of speakers, let's say, and less power to another pair, could I set one pair up in series and one in parallel? I'll put up a picture because I can't explain that well in words. This is just an example. The amp is a two channel amp. If I wire it like this, will speakers A and B recieve 25 watts each and speakers C and D will recieve 100 each, or am I completely wrong?
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it all depends on how the amp is setup. on mono and most 2-ch amps, I wouldn't do this. stereo circuits often share a lot of parts and don't take well to one channel being run much hotter than the other. Now if you were using a 4-ch amp and bridging 2 channels for each of these setups, I'd say go for it, as you'll most likely have 2 sets of amplifiers in one chassis working in dependent of each other.
__________________
1987 Trans Am, work in progress
2008 Pontiac G8
Retired: 1984 Camaro "ZF" 2.8L, 1989 Camaro RS
Customer Service Manager, 1A Auto Parts
Oh okay I see. So is there any way to limit the power output to each speaker? Because if I have a two pairs of speakers with different rms watts how can I hook them up to the same amp without blowing them?
If your amp has an adjustable gain knob, i would hook both pairs of speakers up in parallel and set the gain way down on the lower rated speakers. also, if its a 200 watt amp, say 100 rms x 2 chan. @ 2ohms it will deliver 100 watts to each pair of speakers, so 50 watts each speaker.
__________________ 1988 Camaro RS. Color - Faded blue. 19 years old, daily driver to work and school. Runs like a champ... 80% of the time.
If your amp has an adjustable gain knob, i would hook both pairs of speakers up in parallel and set the gain way down on the lower rated speakers. also, if its a 200 watt amp, say 100 rms x 2 chan. @ 2ohms it will deliver 100 watts to each pair of speakers, so 50 watts each speaker.
Also just to keep in mine it won't be true power/watts. Also keep in mind. You can blow up or amp if you bring down the ohms low. Better make sure your amp can hold low ohms or it will fry. basic ones can do 1,4,8 ohms.
Also just to keep in mine it won't be true power/watts. Also keep in mind. You can blow up or amp if you bring down the ohms low. Better make sure your amp can hold low ohms or it will fry. basic ones can do 1,4,8 ohms.
And on another note being as i am tired. You can lower the power but you can't not lower one speaker power to gain in another it will both get the effect of it.
Hey I've been doing research on parallel and series wiring and I got the basic of it. Parallel reduces ohms, which increas power output. Series increase the ohms which reduces the power output. Of course you can't reduce the ohms much without a high performance amp. Now I want to understand it a little better. If I have speakers with different watt ratings and want to give more power to a pair of speakers, let's say, and less power to another pair, could I set one pair up in series and one in parallel? I'll put up a picture because I can't explain that well in words. This is just an example. The amp is a two channel amp. If I wire it like this, will speakers A and B recieve 25 watts each and speakers C and D will recieve 100 each, or am I completely wrong?
In that case figuring this out if it were to be true you would be pulling way over the power rating that amp can hold. it would fry.
One thing you have to make sure what amp your using and what can it hold. 4 ohms, 8ohms and bridged? 1ohm,2hohm,4ohm? One thing when you buy an amp it will show you all these things. I know the formula's on knowing what you need and all. Basic on is Ohm's Law, Watts Law. google it very useful information on how to calculate. Also looking up parallel / series if you have any problems give me your info like volts, your amp, your ohms off your speakers and I can calculate it for you to make sure your in the safe of doing this. Mind you certain amps can't go low or high on the ohms like going 8 ohms that dosn't mean you can use 2 8 ohms to that amp its overall what you can use. Series it adds the ohm and parallel it reciprocol.
Just give me your information. I need volts and your ohms of all the speakers you are wanting to use and the amp and its power rating and the ohms it could hold. I will help you out on this if you give me some info to work with.
Well I didn't buy anything for my sound system. Right now I'm just trying to find out as much as I can before I actually buy it you know? But my question is, is there any way to limit how much power goes to EACH speaker?
im an electrician not an audio guy so im really taking a shot in the dark here, but is it possible to use a resistor in line with a speaker?
Yeah that was like my final resort though cuz then I'd have to put resistors on every wire and like make a box to organize them. If there is no other way then yeah I'll do that
put it right on the sub and hide it inside the sub box?
Yeah that could be a solution. Or on the center console thing between the seats. So then all the wires from the speakers run through it. Either way it could work. Well thanks guys I guess the only thing I can do it that =]
