What Is Car Amplifier Strapping?

Strapping involves wiring two amplifiers together to increase the power.

Strapping is similar to the bridging that takes place inside an amplifier. Strapping combines two amplifiers, creating a master and slave amplifier that boosts overall power of amplification.

Strapping

To strap two amplifiers, the positive output from one amp is plugged into the negative of the other. If strapping is built-in, switches on the amplifiers will control which is the master and which is the slave.

Amplification Boost

Strapping two amplifiers -- each producing 2,00 watts at 1 ohm individually -- doubles the output when combined. The strapped amplifiers produce 4,000 watts at 2 ohm in this example.

Caution

Not all amplifiers are suitable for strapping. This information is typically in the amplifier's manual. Converters are sometimes available to allow for strapping. Ensure that your car audio system has a sufficient power supply for two amplifiers.

References

• Rawedge: Oz Audio Vector amplifier system
• Form Audio: Technical: Car Amplifier Basics
• The David Berning Company: ZH270 Power Amplifier
• SSA: Sundown Amplifier FAQ