How to Wire a Kicker L5
Kicker is one of the best-known names in the car subwoofer arena, owing to its unique, patented square-molded diaphragms and loud, deep bass. The Kicker L5 "Solo-Baric" woofer comes in four sizes: 8, 10, 12 and 15 inches. All L5 drivers have a double-voice coil design, so all of them have four spring-loaded wiring terminals attached to the stamped steel basket. Some L5s have 2-Ohm voice coils and some have 4-Ohm voice coils, so even if you're wiring only one L5, there are several wiring options. How you wire the L5 also depends on the impedance load your amplifier likes.
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Instructions
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L5 Dual 4-Ohm Voice Coil Wiring Options
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1
For 2-Ohm (parallel) operation, strip 1/2 inch of insulation off enough speaker wire to span the distance between the red/white dot and red terminals. Connect them together by depressing the button on the terminal, inserting the wire and releasing. Repeat this procedure with the black/white dot and black terminals. Perform Step 3 to finish connections.
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2
For 8-Ohm (series) operation, connect the red/white dot terminal with the black terminal. Perform Step 3 to finish connections.
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3
Connect the negative speaker lead to the amplifier with the L5's black/white dot terminal. Connect the positive lead to the amplifier with the L5's red-only terminal.
L5 Dual 2-Ohm Voice Coil Wiring Options
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4
For 1-Ohm (parallel) operation, strip 1/2 inch of insulation off enough speaker wire to span the distance between the red/white dot and red terminals. Connect them together by depressing the button on the terminal, inserting the wire and releasing. Repeat this procedure with the black/white dot and black terminals. Perform Step 3 to finish connections.
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5
For 4-Ohm (series) operation, connect the red/white dot terminal with the black terminal. Perform Step 3 to finish connections.
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6
Connect the negative speaker lead to the amplifier with the L5's black/white dot terminal. Connect the positive lead to the amplifier with the L5's red-only terminal.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If your amplifier works with the lower impedance of any given woofer hooked up in parallel, that configuration is preferable because it allows the woofer motor system to handle more power.
Although generally the lower the impedance, the more power is transferred, some amplifiers become unstable below 2 Ohms, causing overheating and eventual shutdown. Choose a woofer with voice coil impedances that work well with your amplifier.
References
- Photo Credit Sound image by Alexander Sabilin from Fotolia.com
