Hey guys, I'm illiterate when it comes to audio (all I know is that the higher the RMS the better haha..).
I've recently purchased 2 sets (so 4 total) of 3-way loudspeakers that are:
Overall Frequency Response 33Hz-25KHz
Nominal Impedance 4 ohms
Power Handling (continuous) 100 w
Power Handling (peak) 300 w
Efficiency 91 dB
So, from what I can see, it is 100 RMS each speaker, am I correct??
And to power these bad boys at optimum performance, I will need a 4-channel amp that will do at least 100Wx4 at 4ohms. Right?? I'm not sure what my options are.. so if anyone can give me advice, I'd greatly appreciate it!
Yep, you got it. Something a little under or a little over dosent matter much either. Infact the more the better, a peaking amplifier is much worse than peaking speakers. (and a blown speaker is a lot cheaper than a blown amp. ) Anyone that says the wattage has to be matched is on drugs. It simply has to be set so the amplifier is not being overdriven. If you're running 100 watts for each speaker be sure to use atleast 16 gauge speaker wiring.
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I went ahead and bought a used JL 300/4 amp so that should be sufficient, I hope.
I have to buy an amp wiring kit now but besides the 16-gauge speaker wire, what gauge am I supposed to get for the power/ground..... I'm guessing 8-gauge would be fine since it says in the manual that 8 AWG is the minimum recommended wire size.....
It depends on the amp kit, what sort of wire they use and all that. If its a name brand then you should be pretty good. A nice thing to note is wire material. Copper is far superior than Aluminum. In fact 8 gauge copper will carry more current than 4-6 gauge aluminum wire. Say its a a 400WRMS amp, lets say it draws 600W. 600W divided by 12V is 50 amps. So you're looking at right at 8 gauge. 4 gauge would be overkill and 6 gauge isn't too popular in automotive systems.
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I believe the amp is rated at 300W RMS.. but the amp's manual clearly states that a 40A fuse is recommended.
Therefore, I'm looking at an all-copper Monster Cable kit but it comes with a 30A fuse. Would I be able to separately purchase a 40A fuse and replace that without problems?
They're giving you a 30 amp fuse for a 8 gauge kit? Now that just ain't right. Yeah, assuming its a barrel or ANL style fuse where you can obtain a higher amperage fuse and not have any problems.
If the amplifier already has a fuse basically what you're doing is protecting the power run from any chassis shorts, as any amplifier problems should be covered by the integrated fuse. So a higher rated fuse on the mains wiring really isn't going to do much harm. Like the 200A I used to have on my 6 gauge wiring.. :P
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Unless you're getting a deal on MOnster Cable kits, I wouldn't bother with the premium price that comes with the brand. I've used cable from http://www.knukonceptz.com/ for my installs. Unfortunately they're out of stock on the 8 AWG amp kits ATM.
The thing I don't like about Knukonceptz kits is that 20ft of speaker wire isn't all that much if it's going into a Camry and the amp is mounted in the trunk. That's maybe enough for one side from trunk to front door with enough left over for one rear speaker. But speaker wire doesn't cost all that much anyhow at 25 cents per foot.
How long is that 4AWG wire? If it's going to the trunk, your fuse is too high and will not adequately protect the wire.
The wire has an rating of about 80 amps, and these ratings are continuous current. Much like anything else, it can achive a higher rating but for a short duration before it has a chance to heat up what it cannot dissipate.
The fuse right now is 150A. The fuse is going to go pop before any sustainable damage will happen to the wire due to a short.
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Need help choosing AMP.
) Anyone that says the wattage has to be matched is on drugs. It simply has to be set so the amplifier is not being overdriven. If you're running 100 watts for each speaker be sure to use atleast 16 gauge speaker wiring.
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