should i ue an amp to power the front and rear speakers?

3144 Views 33 Replies 9 Participants Last post by 302sport, Feb 7, 2007

umeshr85

Discussion Starter · Jan 10, 2007

should i ue an amp to power the front and rear speakers? OR JUST LEAVE THEM ALONE
I ALREADY HAVE AN AMP POWERING ONE 12 INCH SUB IN THE TRUNK. AND I HAVE AN EXTRA 4 CHANNEL AMP LYING AROUND. SHOULD I USE IT TO POWER MY FRONT AND REAR SPEAKERS?
I WONDER HOW DIFFERENT THEY WOULD SOUND.

IF I WANTED TO REPLACE THE WIRES FOR MY FRONT AND REAR SPEAKERS, WOULD I CUT AND DISCONNECT THEM AT THE HEAD UNIT AREA? AND THEM RUN WIRES FROM THE SPEAKERS TO THE AMP?

THANKS

I ALREADY KNOW I WOULD NEED A POWER BLOCK DISTRIBUTOR. ONE THAT HAS A 4 GAUGE INPUT AND TWO 8 GAUGE OUTPUTS, SINCE MY AMPS USE 8 GAUGE. AND EVEN THOUGH I DONT HAVE A CAPACITOR I MY LIGHTS DONT DIM WHEN THE 12 INCH SUB POUNDS THE BASS.

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Delay_FTB

· #2 · Jan 10, 2007

umeshr85 said:
should i ue an amp to power the front and rear speakers? OR JUST LEAVE THEM ALONE
I ALREADY HAVE AN AMP POWERING ONE 12 INCH SUB IN THE TRUNK. AND I HAVE AN EXTRA 4 CHANNEL AMP LYING AROUND. SHOULD I USE IT TO POWER MY FRONT AND REAR SPEAKERS?
I WONDER HOW DIFFERENT THEY WOULD SOUND.

IF I WANTED TO REPLACE THE WIRES FOR MY FRONT AND REAR SPEAKERS, WOULD I CUT AND DISCONNECT THEM AT THE HEAD UNIT AREA? AND THEM RUN WIRES FROM THE SPEAKERS TO THE AMP?

THANKS

I ALREADY KNOW I WOULD NEED A POWER BLOCK DISTRIBUTOR. ONE THAT HAS A 4 GAUGE INPUT AND TWO 8 GAUGE OUTPUTS, SINCE MY AMPS USE 8 GAUGE. AND EVEN THOUGH I DONT HAVE A CAPACITOR I MY LIGHTS DONT DIM WHEN THE 12 INCH SUB POUNDS THE BASS.

I would recommend amping your speakers, even if they are stockers. What you'll need is either some RCA pre-outs in the back of your HU (Front and rear/sub at the least) or a line out converter that will take the signal from your RCA-less HU and feed it to the line-out input on the amp (this is assuming your amp has a line-out input). Then you'll need to run speaker wire from the amp to the speakers.

Don't get a capacitor unless you're running a monsterous system and have already done the Big 3.

A distribution block would come in handy as well as you'll be running power wire to two amps.

Powering speakers with an external amp will usually render better sound if only for the sheer fact that you can reach louder volumes with less strain on the stereo. An average HU puts out about 20 watts per channel. If you happen to have a 50 watt x 4 channel amp, you're more than doubling your power to those speakers, which will be more than noticable.

fredberg

· #3 · Jan 10, 2007

I was thinkin of amping the (Gen5.5) front stock speakers before i upgrade with components. i have an old-school MTX amp which only puts out 40W X 2Ch, but its clean power. stocks probably only handle 15W RMS (at best?). will 40W blow them up?

Delay_FTB said:
I would recommend amping your speakers, even if they are stockers. What you'll need is either some RCA pre-outs in the back of your HU (Front and rear/sub at the least) or a line out converter that will take the signal from your RCA-less HU and feed it to the line-out input on the amp (this is assuming your amp has a line-out input). Then you'll need to run speaker wire from the amp to the speakers.

Don't get a capacitor unless you're running a monsterous system and have already done the Big 3.

A distribution block would come in handy as well as you'll be running power wire to two amps.

Powering speakers with an external amp will usually render better sound if only for the sheer fact that you can reach louder volumes with less strain on the stereo. An average HU puts out about 20 watts per channel. If you happen to have a 50 watt x 4 channel amp, you're more than doubling your power to those speakers, which will be more than noticable.

Corollacrazy42

· #4 · Jan 10, 2007

Shouldnt blow them as long as you keep the gains at a decent level.

I would hope you can tell when your speakers are distorting like a bitch, so thats a good sign to either turn down the volume or turn down the gains.

umeshr85

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 10, 2007

i have a head unit that i already have the rca outputs coming from, of course they go to the current amp i use to power my 12 inch sub. i can just split that rca plug so it goes to two amps. but what about the signal wire, do i hook up a piece of wire to that so it goes to both amps? what gauge? its such a thin wire.

Delay_FTB

· #6 · Jan 10, 2007

You're going to need to split all the wires as it sounds like you only have one set of RCA pre-outs, which probably could be part of your other problem with the sub (as the full signal is being sent to the sub amp, and the sub amp may not filter out the higher frequencies).

Split the signal wire and you should be able to do it.

umeshr85

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jan 10, 2007

i hooked up my rear speakers to my 2 channel amp, disconnected my sub to do so, and it sounded sick. i can turn the volume up so much louder. so i'm gonna wire the 4 speakers to a 4 channel amp my neighbor gave me
and then use the 2 channel amp for the sub
question, should i get 4 gauge wire and a distribution block to break it down to two 8 gauge wires going to my amps which would require a new fuse holder for the 4 gauge wire
or should i get another 8 gauge wire with a fuse holder and run that along side the current 8 gauge coming off the battery to the trunk area

my 2 channel, which is hooked up to the sub currently has no setting to adjust, just a rear level adjustment
the 4 channel has tons of adjustments for hzs and juice boost and filters and gains its a lightning audio B300.4

umeshr85

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 15, 2007

i wired all 4 interior speakers to a 300watt 4 channel lightning audio amp
b300.4 is the model

sounds awesome.
loud and clear.

was a bitch to run new speaker wire from the front speakers through the door grommets into the front of the car though. used a coat hanger wire. if u have to do this, carefully cut the grommet plastic, i taped it up with electrical tape afterwards.

i am running on 8 gauge wire and its fine. because its only a 300watt amp

i have to purchase 1/0 gauge wire and a distribution block in order to hook up my other amp and 12 inch sub

xet

· #9 · Jan 15, 2007

cool to hear my friend was thinking of running 100w each to his 4 speakers but I thought they would blow... Does that mean as long as you listen for distorition the speakers won't blow from excessive power? Or is that only up to a certain value above the speakers RMS values?

umeshr85

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 15, 2007

if u're going to amp your interior speakers
upgrade the speakers as well buddy
after all those stock speakers are only 15watts each
get a pair of speakers on ebay, about 25 bux shipped for 6.5's or 6x9's and they are like 300watts each but u wont get 300 watts each unless u get a 4 channel 1200watt amp
understand
u have to match the speakers potential with an adequate amp

but yeah, EVERYONE SHOULD AMP THEIR SPEAKERS, ITS AWESOME, SOUNDS BETTER THAN THE STEREO THAT CAME IN MY DAD'S 4RUNNER, AND THAT STARTS AT $30,000

xet

· #11 · Jan 15, 2007

ya thats what i told my friends, I personally am doing something else. But ya he had a 100wrms x 4 amp around and stock speakers. 25 bux getting 300w rms speakers?

What types are those? Alpine Type R's are like 70w rms each

Corollacrazy42

· #12 · Jan 15, 2007

He's talking max power ratings of the speakers.

I would be very amazed to see anyone here that has a 1200 watt 4 channel too.

Not to say its not possible but it would be awfully expensive for one of that caliber.

Really you can push any speaker beyond its power limit, but by doing this you are gambling on the life expectency of the speaker. It may fall apart from the cones movement.. it may burn the voicecoil. These things happen overtime regardless, but more power will only speed up the process. Kinda the concept with the pro comp sub people. They run as much power possible, full well knowing their equipment could go out at any moment.

Given most people want to enjoy listening to their speakers everytime they go into their car, most people would consider putting their power at a reasonable level to make the speakers last to their fullest potenial.

Also 25 dollar speakers front and back does not sound like a bargain. I honestly would take those if they gave them to me. Even if that happened all I would do is see how much power they could take till they blew up.

The only power number you should be considering is the RMS rating, not the Max rating, as this is a number they list to which the speaker can max out at in a musical note, not constantly.

Invest money and buy from forum's. Good people, with great stuff, and usually leaps and bounds cheaper then normal

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umeshr85

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jan 15, 2007

i was talking about no name stuff
but its powerful and good
yes 300 is the max rating on each
my interior amp is 300watts
50 watts per channel, which doesnt sound like a lot, but what a difference

umeshr85

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jan 16, 2007

i bridged my front and rears today, damn it was so loud my ears were ringing

but after a while when i had all the bass and treble up and the volume on 25 or more, out of 46
the sound cut off
and the fuses on the amp were fine
so i guess either the amp was being overpowered or the speakers couldnt handle it, i'm assuming the amp cut off the sound before it was damaged
so i put my speakers back to normal, 1 channel per speaker. loud enough. on 35 volume out of 46 it can be heard by my mother in the house, even with all the windows up. crazy loud.

Corollacrazy42

· #15 · Jan 16, 2007

o boy...
:disappoin

Just to let you know, loudness doesnt really mean shit when it comes to music, sir

Anyone can make their shit loud and sound like crap...

Have fun being deaf moron

Delay_FTB

· #16 · Jan 16, 2007

Corollacrazy42 said:
o boy...
:disappoin

I laughed when I saw that.

umeshr85

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jan 16, 2007 (Edited)

thats great but it was loud and still clear

have fun being a cracker in south dakota
u dork

Corollacrazy42

· #18 · Jan 17, 2007

umeshr85 said:
thats great but it was loud and still clear

have fun being a cracker in south dakota in the backwoods

Like that Delay :thumbup:

Also, now it comes to racial slamming eh... figures :disappoin I dont get your referencing to backwoods either... I'm so offended by the forest

I live off the land like a real man!

:
haha

Delay_FTB

· #19 · Jan 17, 2007

Corollacrazy42 said:
I live off the land like a real man! :
haha

I'm sure the Cam loves off roading. :lol:

umeshr85

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jan 27, 2007

i'm going to replace the 300watt amp for the interior speakers with a 1000 watt one.
and so i had to replace the 8 gauge wire from the battery with 4 gauge, and put a new in line fuse holder with a 80a agu fuse, and i got a distribution block that is digital and has the voltage readout, lights up in blue leds. that will allow me to split the 4 into two 8 gauge wires for the two amps, 1 for the interior speakers, another for the sub.

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