what is the best way to hook up a subwoofer

Subwoofer Installation Guide

How to install a subwoofer in your vehicle

The tools yous'll demand

You need some basic tools to mountain your subwoofer in an enclosure, and connect it to your system. At a minimum, you should have the following tools handy earlier you become started:

Basic subwoofer installation

Subwoofers are specialized speakers that reproduce low notes. They're a popular component in many audio systems because they produce deep, strong bass. They too make your other speakers more efficient by diverting notes that full-range speakers strain to reproduce.

Subwoofers come in a variety of sizes and shapes. The well-nigh mutual blazon is an unpowered, component subwoofer. This subwoofer lacks a built-in amplifier as a power source, so you will need to hook it to an external amp to describe current. (Some subs have built-in power supplies. See page 3). Too, while some subwoofers can be used without a divide box in space-saving free-air installations, most require a potent enclosure to operate properly.

The most bones element of component subwoofer installation is a snap. Mount your component subwoofer to an appropriate enclosure past connecting the leads to the final cup, and using mounting screws. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Yous'll then run the wiring to a nearby amplifier. You lot'll have choices of how you wire your sub. You can wire in parallel for maximum output, or series for a higher-impedance, multiple woofer setup.

Yous should be able to mount your subwoofer in a ready-made enclosure in just a few minutes.

Set up-made subs

Ready-made subwoofers are the easiest fashion to get better bass, because the manufacturer has already built the box and installed an appropriate speaker. Some prepare-made enclosures accept every bit many as three subs in them. You option the manner and size you lot like, and match it to your amplifier, your available space, and the rest of your system.

In sedans, fix-made, non-amplified subwoofers usually go in the torso. If yous're feeding it acceptable power, the bass it produces volition exist potent enough to penetrate through the back seat. Just connect the speaker wires from the amplifier and secure the enclosure with straps or brackets. Make sure y'all're not blocking access to your spare tire and, if you drill holes for the brackets, work carefully and exist certain you're not cutting through the gas tank or a brake line.

This enclosure from JL Audio comes with the sub already mounted.

If you're installing a subwoofer that comes with a built-in amp, you won't have to hook upward speaker wires, but y'all will have to install a patch cord (or tap into your speaker leads for the input betoken). Yous'll need an amplifier wiring kit for ability, ground and plow-on leads. That usually means you will demand to run wire under your seats.

Powered subwoofers

Powered, or amplified, subs offering an ease-of-use that's handy if you drive a rented or leased vehicle. Because of their portability, these subs can be removed quickly if you sell or commutation your vehicle. They too have upwards less space than a carve up amplifier and subwoofer.

Be extra careful to ballast a subwoofer in a hatchback, station railroad vehicle, or sport utility vehicle. It could become airborne and injure someone if you lot stop of a sudden.

The Sound Ordnance B-8PT is a meaty powered sub that fits under the seat. It's designed for smaller vehicles or pickups.

Pre-fabricated sub enclosures

While prepare-fabricated subs accept their advantages, you'll take a greater choice of subs if you go with a component subwoofer and an advisable enclosure. Information technology's more than work, yes, but you get to create the sound you want. You choose the subwoofer or subwoofers that conform your musical needs best, and then select the box size that volition optimize their sonic properties. Most component subwoofers don't come up with hardware, and so y'all might accept to provide your own screws. As well, you might need speaker wires and hardware to connect the speaker to the last cup in the box. Finally, find some brackets or straps to hold the enclosure in your vehicle.

Sound Ordnance makes a diverseness of enclosures to accommodate nearly sizes of subs.

Wiring and burglary

If you go with the most common type of subwoofer installation — a component sub in a box hooked to an amplifier — you will have to consider various wiring possibilities before you get-go.

A two-channel amplifier gives you outputs for 2 speakers. Of form, that doesn't mean you have to connect two subwoofers. Y'all can hook upwards one, 2, or perchance fifty-fifty four. To be safe, you just demand to be enlightened of the impedance of your subs and the "load" capability of your amplifier. These factors will decide which wiring method yous should use. For more than data, check out our drove of subwoofer wiring diagrams.

Basic subwoofer wiring.

Typically, a automobile stereo amp "sees" a 4-ohm impedance. When nosotros say an amplifier is stable downward to 2 ohms, we're usually referring to the minimum impedance it tin can handle in stereo (ii-channel) fashion, not bridged (mono) mode. The lower the impedance (resistance or "load") an amplifier sees, the more power it produces, and the louder your music plays.

A mutual mode to go a 2-ohm stable amp to produce the extra ability it delivers at lower impedance is to wire your speakers in parallel. Recollect — while series wiring always raises your impedance, parallel wiring always lowers it.

To wire your speakers in parallel, connect the positive (+) leads of both speakers to the amplifier's positive (+) terminal, and the negative (-) leads of both speakers to the amp'due south negative (-) terminal. You can increase your organisation's impact dramatically by hooking upwardly ii subwoofers (in parallel) to each of your amp's channels.

After y'all complete the wiring, break in your subwoofer properly. Play the sub at low volume for approximately 20 hours to condition it before you turn up the volume. This volition better the sub's performance and lifespan.

Building your ain subwoofer box

An enclosure does more than than simply hold the woofer; it is an integral part of the system. A properly sized and congenital enclosure can turn an inexpensive woofer into a proficient performer, while a poorly designed or constructed enclosure will make even the finest woofer audio awful.

There are 2 main challenges in fabricating an enclosure — making sure it contains the proper volume of air, and controlling the cabinet resonances that otherwise volition compete with the audio from the woofer and colour its audio.

The ideal volume of an enclosure (length x width ten height) will vary depending upon the woofer you select. The enclosure volume for your woofer is unremarkably quoted equally internal volume. Therefore, in calculating the overall external dimensions of the box, you must have into account the thickness of the board, the space occupied by the speaker and any internal bracing.

One time you know the internal book you want to achieve, y'all'll decide on the dimensions of the enclosure. As a rule of thumb, make sure no internal dimension measures more than 3 times that of whatsoever other. But don't make them too close to each other or you will have a cube — ane of the worst acoustic shapes for a speaker.

So proceed those two rules in mind: don't make don't make ane side too much longer than the other and don't make them too shut to the aforementioned. Near whatsoever shape will be fine. Information technology'south the volume that matters most.

Finally, make up one's mind whether your box volition be sealed or ported. A sealed box is the easiest to blueprint and build, and protects the woofer against subsonic bass that tin can affect its functioning. A ported box uses a tube (port) that reinforces the bass produced past the woofer. It can offer excellent, high-output performance, but is more challenging to construct.

For more on the topic, check out our article How to Build A Subwoofer Box.

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