0

This is strictly a hypothetical question. I have a 2600W peak monoblock amplifier for my car, which is rated at 1000W at 2 ohm. I am currently wiring my subwoofers to the amplifier like this:

What would happen if I wired them down to 1 ohm or even 0.5 ohm on the amplifier? Theoretically it would give me more power, but I have no idea if the amplifier can take it. The amplifier is a JBL GTR-1001.

Improve this question
9
  • Consumer audio is completely off-topic for this site - however, right now you are loading at 2 ohms [a pair of 4s, in parallel], which is what the amp is designed for. Don't ever run below that, you will just burn out the amp, you will never "get more volume/power". For additional info, "peak" is not the way to measure an amp's output power, it's just a way the advertisers "make the numbers look bigger" & is in no way useful.
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Aug 24, 2017 at 19:21
  • @Tetsujin Yeah I get that peak says nothing. My subwoofers are both rated at 500W RMS at 2 ohm, so if I run them both at 4 ohm parallel to 2 ohm on the amplifier, it should yield about 1000W RMS total. As I said below, I often see people sharing which amps they have. They are usually rated at 1 ohm, but they wire them at 0.5 or 0.3 ohm for maximum power.
    – MortenMoulder
    Commented Aug 24, 2017 at 19:29
  • Don't confuse power with resistance. They are not in any way related. If your subs are 2Ω 500W & you have them wired as that picture, in parallel, then you will kill the amp... and the speakers. Wire them in series instead.
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Aug 24, 2017 at 19:38
  • @Tetsujin Kill the amp? What? But that's the recommended way of doing it.
    – MortenMoulder
    Commented Aug 24, 2017 at 20:13
  • only if the subs are 4Ω. You just said above that they're 2Ω
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Aug 25, 2017 at 5:48

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

If it's rated at 2Ohms, that's what you should load it with for maximum output power without blowing up. However, you say it is "rated for 1000W at 2 Ohms" with "2600W peak". The peak rating is also at 2 Ohms, so the 1000W is RMS? 1000W at 2 Ohms is about 22A of current. Assuming you have perfectly efficient amplifiers (and DC converters), this will draw about 80A of battery current at 12V continuously.

Be sure to use thick cable: 2 Ohms are easily "diluted" with cables adding significant resistance, and if you lose 200W in the cables, their insulation might melt, getting you into problems.

At any rate, while a car is a comparatively small space, 1000W RMS of subwoofing seems like a rather inefficient way of cleaning the windows from inside. I definitely hope that you have no passengers inside while doing that procedure.

Improve this answer
1
  • The 2600W is the peak yes. A common thing manufacturers do, is add up all the RMS into peak, as far as I know. I run them right now at 1000W RMS at 2 ohm, which is pretty loud and shakes a lot, but I would love more power, which is why I'm asking this hypothetical question. I often see people share which amplifiers they have, and they often wire down to 0.5 og 0.3 ohm, even though their amplifiers are only rated at 1 ohm. I have thick wires and I have soldered everything, so the connections are very good.
    – MortenMoulder
    Commented Aug 24, 2017 at 19:26

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.