Hi all you experts out there can you answer a very basic question for me
please. If I take the output for the front speakers from my HU (at 45 watt
per channel) and instead of connecting it to 2 speakers I connect it to 4,
what effect will that have on the watts per channel.

I will connect it by splitting the + and - and running them to the 4
speakers as opposed to linking them and only running one + and one - to them
as a pair (series?)

Any advice gratefully welcomed

Hugh

judging by the way you asked your question, my guess is that you don't know
much about electronics. That's fine. You had enough sense to ask the question
BEFORE you damaged something.

Here's the short answer.
take the right + output of your receiver, and connect it to the + output of
your right front and right rear spearker.
do the same with the right - lead.
Now do the same on the left.

This is called parallel wiring. It cuts the resistance value of your speaker
circuit in half, to two ohms (assuming you are using 2 typical aftermarket
loudspeaker pairs)

Most newer receivers are rated at "2 ohm stable" if this is true of yours,
you'll be okay. In fact, you'll draw more power out of your receiver.

Now, if your unit cuts out as you turn it up, there is a simple fix. This fix
WILL cause you to be able to draw less power, however.

AT YOUR DASH LOCATION, it is essential that you are able to determine the wires
dedicated to each speaker pair. It is equally essential that you know which is
+ and which is - . If you've bought a plug-in adaptor this should be much
easier. that adaptor will have a purple, a green, a gray and a white pair of
wires. The black striped one in each pair is the negative wire.

Take the two pairs of wires for the right speaker. Connect the right front
negative speaker lead to the right rear positive lead.
Now connect your receivers right + output wire to the right front + speaker
lead, and the receivers right - output wire to the right rear - speaker lead.
Do the same for the left.

This establishes a series circuit, which, while reducing the radio's power
output, is almost guaranteed to work.


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Hi all you experts out there can you answer a very basic question for me
please. If I take the output for the front speakers from my HU (at 45
watt
per channel) and instead of connecting it to 2 speakers I connect it to 4,
what effect will that have on the watts per channel.

Assuming these are 4 ohm speakers you're talking about, then zero watts.
The head unit will not function.

Here's the short answer.
take the right + output of your receiver, and connect it to the + output of
your right front and right rear spearker.
do the same with the right - lead.
Now do the same on the left.

uh, I mean to the + LEAD of the speaker.

AND this is where the "short answer" ends.

If this works, disregard the rest of what I wrote. You don't really need it.


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~ ~ ~ Where SERVICE never goes out of style ~ ~ ~

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So I guess that would apply to running 4 speakers off a small amp. I
have a 88 watt 2 chann amp driving a pair off 3 1/2 door speakers. I
want to add a pair of 1' tweeters on the dash. I would wire them the
same way as above?
AL

So I guess that would apply to running 4 speakers off a small amp.

No, a small amp and a head unit are two different things. Most "small amps"
are 2 ohm stable so you can do it with no problems. And if you're talking
tweeters, then you could do it on a head unit with no problems either.

I
have a 88 watt 2 chann amp driving a pair off 3 1/2 door speakers. I
want to add a pair of 1' tweeters on the dash.

Why?

Mark Zarella wrote:
So I guess that would apply to running 4 speakers off a small amp.


No, a small amp and a head unit are two different things. Most "small amps"
are 2 ohm stable so you can do it with no problems. And if you're talking
tweeters, then you could do it on a head unit with no problems either.


I
have a 88 watt 2 chann amp driving a pair off 3 1/2 door speakers. I
want to add a pair of 1' tweeters on the dash.


Why?


I like the sound of tweeters up on the dash, being a semi deaf sheet
metal worker I can hear the highs better LOL.
My sound dies cut out from time to time and the small amp starts to
distort when I am up in the 2000rpm range, thats whey I was asking.
AL

On Sun, 06 Jul 2003 at 15:34 GMT, AL wrote:

So I guess that would apply to running 4 speakers off a small amp.
I have a 88 watt 2 chann amp driving a pair off 3 1/2 door
speakers. I want to add a pair of 1' tweeters on the dash. I would
wire them the same way as above?

Al,

First off, are you familiar with crossovers? I found this
description of a crossover at www.Crutchfield.com (
http://tinyurl.com/g6po )

------- start -------
What can a crossover do for you?
A crossover is any device that limits the range of frequencies sent
to a speaker. Think of a crossover network as an audio traffic cop,
directing highs to your tweeters, midrange to your midwoofers and
low bass to your sub.

Without a crossover, a messy, sonic "traffic jam" results. Your
midrange and sub duplicate too many of the same frequencies and your
sub wastes time trying to put out high notes it wasn't meant to
handle. A "fatal pile-up" could also occur, with your tweets being
destroyed by some renegade tractor-trailer of a bass note thumping
along in the wrong audio lane.
------- end -------

If you use a crossover to send the lower frequencies to the 3 1/2
speaker and the higher frequencies to the tweeter, both the tweeter
and the 3 1/2 drivers will run at their impedance (normally 4 ohms).

On the other hand if the 3 1/2 is a full range speaker (it has a
tweeter in it) and you want to allow the high frequencies to go to
both the 3 1/2 and the new tweeter, you still want to use a
crossover for the tweeter as not to blow the little guy with a bass
note. What you will do is hook the tweeter's crossover up in
parallel with the 3 1/2 full range speaker. At this point the
impedance would be cut in half (normally 2 ohms).

Hope this helps!

Sam