How to Install a Car Amplifier & Subwoofer for a Home Stereo
Car amplifiers are made for a variety of different car uses, so they come in a variety of power ratings and sizes. As a class, they're usually compact and rugged, with powerful performance at a reasonable price. Car amplifiers are built to operate with a 12-volt DC power source, while home stereo gear uses 110-volt AC current. But with a power converter, you can use a car amp to power a subwoofer in your home stereo system.
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Things You'll Need
- Power converter
- Red and black 10-gauge power wire
- Wire cutters
- Wire strippers
- Screwdriver
- RCA patch cables
Instructions
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1
Check the amplifier's specifications sheet or data plate for the required amperage and voltage and amperage it needs. Choose a converter that matches these specs. All car amplifiers need an input voltage of 12 volts DC, but their amperage needs will vary. You'll need to look this important specification up.
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2
Cut two pieces of power cable, one black piece and and one red piece. Each should be long enough to reach from the converter to the amp. Take a half-inch of insulation from the ends of each piece of wire with wire strippers.
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3
Loosen the "+" and "-" power terminals on your amplifier and your converter, using a screwdriver. Consult the manuals for your gear if necessary.
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4
Put the bare ends of the red and black power wires into the power terminals of your amp and converter. Put the red wire's ends into the "+" terminals and the black wire's ends into the "-" terminals.
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5
Plug an RCA patch cable between the preamp output of your receiver and the audio input of the amplifier.
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6
Insert the speaker wires leading to your subwoofer into the speaker terminals of the amplifier.
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