sub hookup

duckie8310duckie8310 Senior Wagonist
in Electronics, Fueling & Air Conditioning
alright...this is what i ended up doing. i put the subs in the box, and threw it in my car, and just for kicks, i hooked it up the the rear-speaker wires. i wanted to see if it would be enough to bump, and also to see if i had the subs hooked up properly inside the box.

the subs bumped pretty hard, considering it had no amp installed yet. is this bad? a buddy of mine said that it would run out the battery, but then said since i have an aftermarket headunit with a built-in equalizer, that i wouldnt need the amp to regulate power to the subs since the headunit is already doing that. so he changed his mind and said that this would be alright

i wanted to do this to save me the trouble of having to wire up the amp, but if this is bad, should i just hook up the amp anyway? i already have one sitting and waiting, just in case i need to.

not knowing much on car audio, do you guys know?

Comments

  • davensdavens familEE
    *disclaimer* I don't know much about car audio so you'll want to double check anything I say.

    I guess it depends on how powerful your deck is and what size sub we're talking. The average aftermarket deck has enough power to satisfy most speakers and it'll get a sub to make some noise...but...if your sub is underpowered and the decks power is maxed out, doesn't that cause damage? Something about clipping and distortion?
  • SiWagonSiWagon Council Member
    :? I'm no Audio Tech.


    But If it sounds fine to you leave it.The main advantage of a amp is to have give good bass @ lower volumes.Any time u crank it up it's going to suck batteries.Amps suck batteries too.If you're going to be bumping it for long periods of time get a bigger battery &/or alternator.At the beginning check the battery water levels to get a idea of how often to check the battery water level.I ran 250 watts thought 2- 5.5's & 2-6x9's with the OEM system in my old EF w/o any probs.I just didn't run it long w/o the engine on.or I kept it at a lower volume ,when the engine was off.I also ran it thoguh the OEM wires.(that drove the audiophiles crazy :twisted: :twisted: .but it was the bomb. :!:

    :arrow: Chances are your headunit has a built in amp.
  • HaydzHaydz Moderator
    If you don't cut out the high end then the you will damage the sub.

    Run it on an amp cutting out high frequencies. :D
  • duckie8310duckie8310 Senior Wagonist
    the headunit runs at 25 x 4...so 200W JVC deck

    2 10" Polk db104...RMS is 295W, also running it thru the OEM wires.

    Si, that kinda sounds like my old set up.... 2 5.25" in the front, 2 6x9's in the back, and also 2 6.5" in the back. and it ran fine. almost perfect. but now, i've asked like 3 people, and they dont know how that sub is bumping without an amp. i have the amp just sitting there....and if i absolutely have to install it, i'll do it. but id rather not, ya know?

    -one person said it would be fine.
    -another said to do the amp, but then changed his mind, then said he didnt know.
    -the other said he thinks it should be okay, then changed his mind too, and said he had no idea.

    ahh frustration!!! :?
  • SiWagonSiWagon Council Member
    Uiltimately it's how it sounds to YOU. 8) The reason your subs work is you're using the AMP in the headunit.Peeps forgot there's a AMP in the headunit.You are FINE w/the subs you got.I usually run at least 50w RMS per chnl.

    :arrow: As far as high frequencies just cap the speakers & I don't mean shoot them. :evil:
  • duckie8310duckie8310 Senior Wagonist
    haha thanks man. my buddy said the same thing about the built-in amp in the deck. i mean it sounds great tho. he said the deck is regulating power to the subs, not allowing more than the deck allows.

    i've heard the term 'cap' speakers....but it was a long time ago....time to look into this car audio stuff again
  • davensdavens familEE
    straight from Crutchfield self-help/FAQ:

    "Surprisingly, too little power can also damage your subwoofer — in fact, it's actually more common than damage caused by overpowering.

    When the volume is turned up and the amp doesn't have enough power, the signal becomes distorted, or "clipped." This distorted signal can cause parts of the speaker to overheat, warp and melt. Not good!

    The sub on the right, with an RMS power rating of 1000 watts, has a much beefier design and structure than the one on the left, with an RMS rating of 250 watts. Even the toughest sub, however, can be damaged by excessive distortion from a clipped signal."
Sign In or Register to comment.

© Vanilla Keystone Theme 2024