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Just looking to get some verification that I've got everything correct and am making the right decision, as far as amp and wiring setup. I've read and read about amps, ohms, and wiring, and to be honest, it makes my head hurt.
So I've got some old school 10" Alpine Type Rs that are rated at 500 watts RMS each with dual 4-ohm voice coils, so I'd like to feed them 500 watts RMS each and keep everything at a 4-ohm load using a single amplifier. Here is a link to the subs I already have.
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
That diagram is correct. What they're doing is connecting the two voice coils of each speaker in series effectively creating an 8-ohm speaker. Then they connect the two 8-ohm speakers in parallel to show a net 4-ohm load to the amplifier.
It would also work if reversed - wire each speaker's voice coils in parallel to create a 2-ohm speaker and then run the two speakers in series creating a 4-ohm load. There is no advantage in doing it either way... the results are identical.
That diagram is correct. What they're doing is connecting the two voice coils of each speaker in series effectively creating an 8-ohm speaker. Then they connect the two 8-ohm speakers in parallel to show a net 4-ohm load to the amplifier.
It would also work if reversed - wire each speaker's voice coils in parallel to create a 2-ohm speaker and then run the two speakers in series creating a 4-ohm load. There is no advantage in doing it either way... the results are identical.
I don't know what you just said, but that's cool! As long as I have the correct wiring diagram to show me the way, I'll be alright.
From what I've read, these amps tend to be underrated. If this amp ends up putting out more power, am I playing with fire by already matching the subs with their max RMS power?
I don't know what you just said, but that's cool! As long as I have the correct wiring diagram to show me the way, I'll be alright.
From what I've read, these amps tend to be underrated. If this amp ends up putting out more power, am I playing with fire by already matching the subs with their max RMS power?
No, you're better off feeding them more than RMS power than less. Too little power can loose control of the woofer and cause damage. Too much power can do damage too but not as common unless you are straight abusing them.
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Originally Posted by bnorth
No, you're better off feeding them more than RMS power than less. Too little power can loose control of the woofer and cause damage. Too much power can do damage too but not as common unless you are straight abusing them.
This is one of those urban myths that never seems to die. Sending too little power to a speaker (any speaker not just subs) will never cause damage. If it did, then merely turning down the volume (i.e. reducing power to the speaker) would cause damage. The myth comes from a misinterpretation of the fact that using an under-powered amp to drive a speaker can cause damage - not because of the lack of power but because the user turns it up past the point where it can produce clean signal causing clipping which then destroys the speaker. It's the distortion from over-driving the amp that kills speakers not the lack of power. You could run 500W speakers off a 200W amp forever without causing speaker damage as long as you never turned up the volume beyond the amp's limits.
Now it is also true that using an amp that produces more power than the speaker is rated to handle is probably better. As long as you don't turn up the volume beyond the speakers capability, you'll never have a problem. It's best to buy a speaker that can handle the most power you would ever want to hear (threshold of pain if you don't want to be able to hear when you get older... perhaps because you're married ) and then get an amp that can provide at least that much power cleanly.
I will probly end up having this setup not even turned up to its capabilities. But it's like horsepower. Just cause I may only be cruising around doesn't mean I don't want a lotta horsepower. It'll be nice to have it there if I ever wanna use its full potential.
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Verify I'm Making the Right Amp Decision 
As long as I have the correct wiring diagram to show me the way, I'll be alright.
) and then get an amp that can provide at least that much power cleanly. 
