Many folks find it hard to wire many dual voice coil subwoofers or subwoofers together to an amplifier. The real challenge often comes up when wiring a dual 2-ohm sub to an amp. To make this task easier, we will discuss how to wire a dual 2-ohm sub to an amp in this article.
This method of wiring is a traditional process that works quite well. We will also discuss the types of wiring for subwoofers, the difference between a single and a dual voice coil subwoofer, and more. So, let’s not waste any more time and jump right in.
Know The Types Of Wiring For Subwoofers
Before we dive into how to wire a dual 2-ohm sub, let’s check out the types of wiring for subwoofers. There are two types of wiring for subwoofers. They are:
1. Parallel Wiring
In parallel wiring, you need to connect every positive terminal together and every negative terminal together. So, if one portion of the circuit stops working, the rest stays connected, but it affects the impedance. When you wire speakers in parallel, it lowers the resistance that the amplifier sees.
This means the amplifier has to work more because the parallel wiring pulls more electric current. Rather than adding up all the impedances, the entire impedance goes down each time you add another speaker to the circuit. For example, if you connect two 4-ohm subwoofers in parallel through wires, you will end up with a total impedance of 2 ohms.
2. Series Wiring
When you do series wiring for speakers, it is like making a chain with the speakers. You have to connect the positive terminal of one speaker to the next one’s negative terminal and then connect the positive terminal of that speaker to the negative terminal of the next one. You can keep doing this with lots of speakers.
However, keep in mind that if you take out one portion of the circuit, nothing will work. In series wiring, you have to add up the impedance of every speaker together. Therefore, for instance, if you have three 2-ohm speakers in a series wiring arrangement, the full impedance becomes 6 ohms.
What Are The Differences Between Single Voice Coil And Dual Voice Coil Subwoofers?
The wiring choices for your subwoofer depend on how many voice coils it has. Some folks believe that DVC subwoofers are more powerful compared to SVC or the other way around, but that’s not true. Various versions of the same subwoofers can be created.
Therefore, you can obtain the full Ohm load you require, no matter how many subwoofers you’re connecting together. A single DVC subwoofer offers two wiring options straight from the box, while an SVC subwoofer only gives you one.
Single Voice Coil Subwoofers (SVC): Single voice coil subwoofers come with just one voice coil. An SVC subwoofer’s impedance will just be what that subwoofer is rated at. For instance, if you have one SVC 2-ohm subwoofer, you can just wire it to 2 ohms.
Dual Voice Coil Subwoofers (DVC): A Dual voice coil subwoofer is a type of subwoofer that comes with two voice coils. You can wire one single DVC subwoofer to two different Ohm resistances straight from the box by choosing between parallel or series wiring.
For instance, you can wire one single 4-ohm DVC sub subwoofer to either 8 ohms (in series) or 2 ohms (in parallel). It’s important to note that the Ohm rating specified for DVC subs is per voice coil, meaning you can’t connect one 4-ohm DVC subwoofer to 4 ohms through wiring.
How Can You Wire A Subwoofer?
To wire your subwoofers, start by finding out your amplifier’s highest power and, more notably, its RMS power rating. Note the number of channels your amplifier has, for example, 2-channel, 4-channel, monoblock. If it has more than one channel, check if it is bridgeable. Once you have found out these specifications, record them and do the same for your subs.
Now, figure out their RMS power ratings and highest power. If you haven’t bought anything yet, then research amplifiers first, get one you like, and then match the subs as per the amplifier you purchase. If your amplifier has a 500 RMS power rating, then get subwoofers that also have a rating of 500 RMS power.
RMS power is a better judge compared to the highest power for matching an amplifier and subwoofers. Pay attention to the impedance that your amplifier can handle; some can go as low as one ohm, while others can’t handle anything below four ohms.
This is crucial for wiring, as running subwoofers at an impedance lower than the amp’s capacity can damage both the amplifier and subwoofers. When you have your amplifier and subwoofers, you have to gather some supplies. You will need a speaker wire of 12 to 16-gauge for maximum power transfer.
Some tools that you will require include a few needle nose pliers and a couple of wire cutters or strippers. Also, depending on your amplifier’s terminals, you may need an Allen wrench or a screwdriver. Optionally, use dielectric grease to prevent corrosion on exposed speaker wire ends. Consider adding poly fiber or polyfill to your sound system for stuffing your speaker box.
You need to fill your speaker box completely with polyfill. Polyfill can change how your subwoofer sounds when it is put in a small box. It kind of fools the subwoofer into feeling like it’s in a larger box by slowing down the return sound waves inside.
How Can You Wire A Dual 2 Ohm Sub to A 1 Ohm Load?
To wire a dual 2-ohm sub to a 1-ohm load, first, connect the positive sides of the subwoofer with a wire. Then, link that wire to the positive terminal of the amplifier. After that, connect the two negative terminals of the subwoofer with another wire. Finally, link one of those negative terminals to the negative side of the amplifier with a wire.
How Can You Wire A Dual 2 Ohm Sub to A 4 Ohm Load?
In the first step of wiring a dual 2-ohm sub to a 4-ohm load, you need to connect one of the subwoofer’s positive sides and its negative sides with a wire. Then, link the remaining positive terminal of the subwoofer to the positive terminal of the amplifier using a wire.
Lastly, connect the remaining negative terminal of the sub to the negative terminal of the amplifier with another wire.
How Can You Wire Subwoofers to Get the Right Impedance?
When you have two SVC subwoofers with the same impedance, wiring them in series will always double the impedance. On the other hand, parallel wiring of these subwoofers will always halve that impedance. However, things get a bit tricky, and you might need to do some calculations when wiring many DVC subwoofers together.
This is because you might have a mix of parallel and series wiring setups in the same circuit. For instance, if you wire one DVC 2-Ohm subwoofer in a series setup, you will get 4 Ohms. On the contrary, wiring two 4-Ohm subwoofers in a parallel setup brings the impedance down to 2 Ohms.
Before linking your subwoofers to the amplifier, it is crucial to cross-check the final impedance of the subs using a multimeter. In this case, you can use the UNI-T AC/DC Digital multimeter, which is an excellent multimeter.
Final Thoughts
Finally, we can say that wiring a dual 2-ohm subwoofer to an amp is not that difficult. The process described in this article is the best method for wiring your dual 2-ohm subwoofer to an amp. This will maximize the power of your amp for your subwoofer.
It’s a basic method to wire a dual 4-ohm sub into a 1-ohm impedance or a 4-ohm impedance. We are hopeful that after reading this article, you now know how to wire a dual 2-ohm sub to an amplifier. Still, if you have any more inquiries, feel free to let us know in the comment box. We will be pleased to help you.
