Team Electronics carries a variety
of car audio products from trusted name brands like Kenwood, Rockford Fosgate,
Obcon and Metra. Team carries a huge variety of car accessories like amp wiring
kits, dash kits, wireing harnesses, misc connectors, and much more. Stop in to
team electronics in Manitowoc for you car audio head units, speakers, subwoofers,
amplifiers, sub boxes and accessories. Please find our subwoofer-wiring
guide below or stop in to our Manitowoc showroom and we will be happy to answer your questions.
Subwoofer Wiring FAQ:
1) What is the difference between dual and a single voice coil?
The voice coil of a car subwoofer is the coiled wire that is wrapped around the “former”, or cylinder inside the subwoofer. The two voice coil configurations allow for different wiring options.
SVC (Single Voice Coil):
DVC (Dual Voice Coil):
Parallel Wiring – This is a wiring configuration that applies the same voltage to all the connected components. The current from the amplifier is then divided equally among all the drivers according to their respective impedances. When wired in this manner, the overall impedance of the system drops. As more speakers are added to the parallel configuration, the lower the impedance.
Series Wiring – This is achieved by creating a single electrical current path across all the components. When multiple speakers are wired in series, the total impedance of the system increases. Series wiring is realized by connecting the positive (+) speaker terminal of the amplifier to the (+) terminal of speaker A, the negative (-) speaker terminal of speaker A to the (+) speaker terminal of speaker B, the (-) speaker terminal of speaker B to the (-) negative terminal of the amplifier. Any number of speakers can be inserted into the series of speakers that are wired together.
3) What are the signs of bad subwoofer wiring?
If your woofers are wired incorrectly, the wire is cheap or below the recommended gauge, or one of your wires is not making full contact to the terminal a few things could happen. A few signs of bad woofer wiring are less bass output, distortion or clipping, a burning smell which indicates burnt voice coils and potentially a blown subwoofer. Occasionally, your car amplifier could overheat or catch fire if it does not have safety features programmed into it. Some amplifiers can detect incorrect subwoofer wiring, and will go into protect mode until the problem is fixed
4) Why do I need to follow a subwoofer wiring diagram?
A proper subwoofer installation means that the power requirements between the amp and sub match, the impedance between the sub and amp are consistent, and the subwoofer is mounted in the correct box. Using a subwoofer wiring diagram will ensure that the impedance between the subwoofer and amplifier match. Then you can make sure that the RMS power handling is in line. Failure to properly match impedances and power handling recommendations can void warranties and potentially damage the audio equipment
Subwoofer Wiring FAQ:
1) What is the difference between dual and a single voice coil?
The voice coil of a car subwoofer is the coiled wire that is wrapped around the “former”, or cylinder inside the subwoofer. The two voice coil configurations allow for different wiring options.
SVC (Single Voice Coil):
- One layer of wire wrapped around the former
- One set of speaker terminals
- Wired at the impedance of the voice coil
DVC (Dual Voice Coil):
- Two layers of wire wrapped around the former
- Two sets of speaker terminals
- Multiple wiring options at different impedances
Parallel Wiring – This is a wiring configuration that applies the same voltage to all the connected components. The current from the amplifier is then divided equally among all the drivers according to their respective impedances. When wired in this manner, the overall impedance of the system drops. As more speakers are added to the parallel configuration, the lower the impedance.
Series Wiring – This is achieved by creating a single electrical current path across all the components. When multiple speakers are wired in series, the total impedance of the system increases. Series wiring is realized by connecting the positive (+) speaker terminal of the amplifier to the (+) terminal of speaker A, the negative (-) speaker terminal of speaker A to the (+) speaker terminal of speaker B, the (-) speaker terminal of speaker B to the (-) negative terminal of the amplifier. Any number of speakers can be inserted into the series of speakers that are wired together.
3) What are the signs of bad subwoofer wiring?
If your woofers are wired incorrectly, the wire is cheap or below the recommended gauge, or one of your wires is not making full contact to the terminal a few things could happen. A few signs of bad woofer wiring are less bass output, distortion or clipping, a burning smell which indicates burnt voice coils and potentially a blown subwoofer. Occasionally, your car amplifier could overheat or catch fire if it does not have safety features programmed into it. Some amplifiers can detect incorrect subwoofer wiring, and will go into protect mode until the problem is fixed
4) Why do I need to follow a subwoofer wiring diagram?
A proper subwoofer installation means that the power requirements between the amp and sub match, the impedance between the sub and amp are consistent, and the subwoofer is mounted in the correct box. Using a subwoofer wiring diagram will ensure that the impedance between the subwoofer and amplifier match. Then you can make sure that the RMS power handling is in line. Failure to properly match impedances and power handling recommendations can void warranties and potentially damage the audio equipment