How to install two amps?
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Anonymous | I have 2 amps (both 2 channels) one is 300w max and one is 800w max. I want to hook two 6x9s on the 300w amp and on the 800w amp, some subs. The 300w amp has speaker level inputs and rca inputs (one pair) while the 800w amp has only rca inputs (one pair). Someone from this forum stated the sound quality of the head speaker outputs are worse than the rca output on the head. Should I just use the speaker level inputs on the 300w amp or buy some y cables to split it? Will this split the voltage in the rca's and cause problems? Also, curently I have a 8 gauge wiring kit for the 300w amp. Should I buy another power wire to run the 800w amp or just run both them off the one? |
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New member Username: GlasswolfPost Number: 804 Registered: 12-2003 | a: don't ever use max ratings for amplifiers. b: use 4AWG from battery to amps, then a dist. block from 4 to 8 gauge at teh amps. c: run one set of RCA lines from head unit to amps if you only have one set of pre-outs on the head unit, then at the amps, use an electronic crossover to split between the two amps, and this will also allow you to control what frequencies go to which amps/speakers. |
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Anonymous | Thanks for the help. The only problem I have now is with answer b. I already have one 8AWG from the battery to the back of my car. Isn't it cheaper to just buy another power wire and run another one back there? or is there some reason to buy a power dist. other than that you don't have to run two power wires to the back? Keep in mind cost is an issue |
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New member Username: GlasswolfPost Number: 816 Registered: 12-2003 | www.knukonceptz.com power cable is cheap. 4AWG handles more current than 8AWG does. it's based on both current draw and distance run. you can go a short distance from the block with 8, but the long run needs to be larger. sorry you already ran the 8 but ya shoulda gone 4 when ya started if you planned to use larger amps  woulda saved time. you'll want to add a high output alternator as well, with that increased draw from that much amplifier power. |
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Unregistered guest | I have the same problem, I currently have two 10inch kicker comp subs (4ohm), a pair of JBL GTO 935e 6x9s, and some kicker components all running off a JBL GTO6000 amp (6 channel) this amp is really meant for running 4 speakers and one sub so I need another amp for the subs. I figure that I get another JBL GTO4000 amp and bridge both subs off it and then buy another pair of 6x9s and wire them up to the GTO6000. Just a matter of working out how to split the RCAs and power/remote wires? Any help on this issue would be good. Good luck with yours mate |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfPost Number: 1227 Registered: 12-2003 | look at the JBL BP600.1 for a pair of CompVR subs. use a power distribution block to split power. use an electronic crossover to separate RCA lines and frequencies for the subs and the components. |
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Anonymous | I have two 12" 4 ohm sony xplods and i want to hook them up to two amps. one amp is a 4 channel legacy that is 2 ohm stereo stable, 4 ohm bridged. The other amp is a 1 channel rockford power amp that is also 2,4 ohm stable. How would i go about wiring the subs to both the amps? |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfPost Number: 1258 Registered: 12-2003 | you wouldn't. |
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Anonymous | so are you saying that it's impossible to run those two particular amps with the subs?????? |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfPost Number: 1276 Registered: 12-2003 | put the two subs on the RF amp use the legacy to power your front/rear components. by the way legacy and sony are some of teh worst products you could possibly buy. sorry |
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bmw boy Unregistered guest | my head unit only has one RCA output and i want to run two amps in the same car. i currently have a 4 channel kenwood amp for my subs and want to hook up an old x-plod amp for my front components. do i have to run seperate remote and power cables for the second amp, and how do you connect the second amp to the existing one? |
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New member Username: N2audioLawrence, Ks USA Post Number: 9 Registered: Mar-04 | I would suggest picking up the 4 ga amp kit from wal-mart. It's $25 and I'm pretty sure it has all the wiring you need to connect 2 amps. There should be some basic instructions that make it pretty simple to see what you need to do. |
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bmw boy Unregistered guest | wicked... i'll see how i go! |
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New member Username: Cah6685Chesham, Bucks UK Post Number: 1 Registered: Mar-04 | I currently have a JBl 1000watt sub running of a 2 channel JBL 400w amp. However, I also want to run a set of Kenwood 6x9's off another 2 channel amp which I have just purchased. The JBl amp is currently running off the sub preout on the back of a Sony CDXCA900 headunit. I have bought a distribution block and power cap to power both the amps but I am not sure how to connect both the amps to the headunit? Would I be able to use a electronic crossover between the two amps? But will this give me seperate frequencies for the 6x9's and sub? |
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Silver Member Username: TboneOK United States Post Number: 192 Registered: Feb-04 | Yes, you could install an electronic x-over inline before the amps, which would allow you to filter the cutoff frequencies, but I would run the RCA's from the HU rear RCA's, not the Sub-outs. However, if you wanted something easy, run another set to the rear RCA outputs of the amp to run the 6x9's, and leave the sub amp on the subouts. |
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T York 03 Unregistered guest | I have 2 12s and they both hold 1200 watts each.I need to install 2 1000 watt amps to each sub.Is it Possible...and how do I do it? |
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New member Username: ThespotlightAmarillo, TX USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Mar-04 | That's very easy. Run at least 2awg from the battery to a large fuse in the engine compartment. Run another 2awg wire from the fuse to a distribution block. The two amps are wired to the dist. block and grounded at the nearest point. Each amp should have their own stiffening capacitor and you should upgrade your alternator too. This all depends on what kind of amps you want but if your speakers are 4ohm each it can be hard to get the full wattage out of an amp. You may just need one amp that puts out a lot of power @ 2ohms. |
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Coolie B Unregistered guest | How do you hook up the power and groud cables in a two amplifier system. |
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Bronze Member Username: N2audioLawrence, Ks USA Post Number: 20 Registered: Mar-04 | use a distribution block. You run a single large wire to the d-block which will provide you with multiple smaller wires to run a short distance to the amps. You can either ground the amps seperately, or use another distribution block to ground them via 1 short, large wire. |
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Bronze Member Username: ThespotlightAmarillo, TX USA Post Number: 14 Registered: Mar-04 | Using a dist. block for grounds can cause problems so I recommend wiring each amp to either serperate grounds or all at one nearby point. The large wire is fused (or you can use a circuit breaker) near the battery and then screwed into the large hole of the dist. block. Then each amp has a power wired screwed into the other end of the dist. block. The remote wire can be relayed or just hooked up to each amp serially. I've never had any problems. I did this once and had switches on my dash so I could turn any of my 3 amps on or off. |
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New member Username: CharliegonePost Number: 3 Registered: Mar-04 | Glasswolf is right the newer sony xplode junk sucks, but sony wasn't that bad a couple years back. Back in 95 my brother had a nice sounding system with sony tweets, speakers and amps. The woofers, though were JL. Now a days this xplode crap has messed it up for sony. I also heard some kenwood headunits were bad. I've heard they break down very fast due to some rotating thingy in the cd player. |
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Unregistered guest | Hi. there. I was just wondering if i someone could explain to me as if i were a little kid in how to install to amps into my car. i already have an alpine amp in my car powering 4 220w 3 way 6" speakers but i have now bought a 1000w sub and want to hook it up to another amp, then tap that amp into my existing alpine amp. Could someone please enlighten me how to do this as i have no idea. Thanks |
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New member Username: CharliegonePost Number: 4 Registered: Mar-04 | When you say you want to "tap" into the other amp are you refering to as bridging them or just hooking up two amps separate. I mean if you bridge them, you can only use one amp as the main unit that goes to your speakers or subs. Bridging is something I am not very familiar with, but I believe other people might be of some help. If you are using 2 different amps to 2 different components say like one amp to your 4 6" speakers and the other amp to your sub then that is a totally different installation. That means you will be needing some other "accessories" in order to install 2 amps like that. You might need a distribution block for the power and ground leads and more wiring. Also will your car provide enough power to your amps? If it doesn't mostly likely you will need an upgrade in altenator or other. Also a 1000w sub? What kind of sub is it? Are you refering to it as 1000watts max or rms. Remember the RMS is more important then max. Simply rms means the adequate power you should amplify the woofers to, same thing for the speakers. If the sub is 1000watts max usually the sub will be around 500 watts rms (usually half but every sub brand is different). So then you will only able to push that woofer at 500watts rms. If you go over you risk the chance of blowing up your woofers. The same thing goes for anything else like speakers, amplifiers, and headunits. Nothing in this world will perform at 100%, that is simply impossible. Take of it this way your car can run at lets say 150mph, but if you run it at 150mph you risk the chance of messing up your car right? Also I forgot, what kind of amp is the other amp? Is it the same kind? |
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Unregistered guest | Can you use a 1 farad cap before the distribution block to assist two amps or should I use it for the bass end only. (PPI A600.2 pushing 2 solo baric 10"'s L&'s.) Thanks |
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jaymeister Unregistered guest | I'm in the same predicament. I currently have a 2 channel 2000W max amplifier hooked up to 2 12" 500 Watt RMS Perf. Teknique subs . I want to install 2 200W RMS 6X9's. I've got a 4 channel 800 watt amp to power my in car speakers and a CAP to save the Alternator some grief. would it be best to purchase a 2 gauge wiring kit, and attach that to a distribution block then to my amps. or is it possible to leave the 4 gauge wire hooked up from the battery to the CAP. Then from the CAP to my 2000 W amp. And another 4 gauge wire from the CAP to a distribution fuse block to my 800w amp. Thanks, any help would be appreciated |
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New member Username: CharliegonePost Number: 10 Registered: Mar-04 | Here is a webpage that might help. It has a diagram showing how you would install it. Very helpful if you ask me. http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/S-xShXEYmzQDu/learningcenter/car/amplifiers_wi ring.html |
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tpro2000 Unregistered guest | off that diagram, off the distributor block they have one wire going to the cap, and then off the cap (+ terminal?) going to one amp only (the amp for subs?). sorry, a little confused. how do you know when you should use a cap, or should you use one with 2 amps regardless just for safe keeping. How do you base whether you need a .5 cap or a 1 cap (rms, max, ?) thanks for any help |
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Bronze Member Username: CharliegonePost Number: 11 Registered: Mar-04 | Well, actually crutchfield didn't show it how it is suppose to. This is how it should go battery power goes to + then that same one goes to amp or amps (most likely the one powering the woofers) then the other terminal (the one that is not the positive) should go to the ground. Well from what I heard caps aren't really necessary. It depends on how much power your alternator and battery can handle. If your alternator is like 40 amps and your sound system is sucking in more than that or near 40 (which it probably will) you will need to upgrade you electrical system. For example your alternator. Well if you still want to purchase a cap then it depends on how much wattage rms your amps are sucking in. Lets say about 800 watts rms for both amps you will need a 1 farad cap, if you have 500w rms you will need a .5 farad. Usually from what I found people use caps in competition sound systems. Also I forgot caps need to be charged before installing them. |
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New member Username: MaynardisgodPost Number: 5 Registered: Apr-04 | i had an mtx 55x4 amp with 2 mtx 10's and my rear 6x9's hooked up to it, i recently installed a kenwood 460x1 (4 ohms) RMS for my subs then i hooked my 2 front speakers up to my mtx 4 channel, along with the 6x9's. I have it all up and running except for one problem. When i crank the volume, the sound from my speakers gets more distorted as the volume gets louder, the bass seems to be fine. But when i turn off the kenwwod amp my sound is perfect, no distortion. I don't listen to rap so i don't care for a big boom from my subs, i just want them for kick drum and low bass, but i want to be able to crank my music without it distorting... what seems to be my problem? |
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