How to Wire Subs to a 2-Channel Amp
A good pair of subwoofers can make even the most modest car stereo sound like an impressively installed professional system. By using a pair of two speakers to amplify only the low frequencies of your audio signal, you can boost the overall volume and scope of your car's sound significantly. While low-frequency sounds are non-directional to human ears, and therefore two channels are not needed, you may still hook a pair of subwoofers up to a two-channel amp, so learn how to perform this procedure at home rather than taking your car to the local hi-fi shop
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Instructions
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Measure the amount of wire you will need to run from the rear speaker connector of the subwoofers to the channel output connectors usually found on the side of the amplifier. Cut two sections of speaker wire long enough to accommodate your setup.
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Strip the ends of the speaker wire carefully using a pair of wire strippers. Be sure you have about one inch of bare wire at each end of the wires. Fold the end of each wire over once, so that you effectively have a half inch of thick speaker wire at each end. There should be eight bare ends total, two at each end of each wire.
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3
Press the speaker input tab above the speaker input connectors on the subwoofer to open the connectors. Insert the ends of the two wires that are marked with a black stripe into the two black (-) connectors on your subwoofers, one for each speaker. Insert the ends of the unmarked wires into the red (+) connectors.
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4
Open the positive and negative output connectors on your amplifier using a phillips screwdriver. Connect both positive (unmarked) wires from the subwoofers to the same positive connector on the amp if one of your two channels is already being used for a set of speakers. If both channels are being used for the subwoofers, attach the positive wires to separate positive connectors. Tighten the connectors with a Phillips screwdriver to hold the wires in place.
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Connect both negative (marked) wires from the subwoofers to the same negative connector on the amp if you are only using one channel. If both channels are being used for the subwoofers, attach the negative wires to separate negative connectors. Tighten the connectors with a Phillips screwdriver to hold the wires in place.
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Turn on your amp, and play some music through it to hear what your new sub setup sounds like. Adjust the output level for each channel on the amplifier to balance the volume of your subs, then go out for a drive and listen to all your favorite tracks on your new, improved sound system.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are using a mono amplifier to drive two subwoofers, consider bridging the subwoofers to make for easier installation and a boost in sound performance. Simply use stereo speaker wire to connect the positive and negative terminals of one subwoofer to the terminals of the same type on another before attaching the first speaker to the amp. This will boost the sound of your mono setup considerably by allowing you to use two subs for a single mono signal.
