I always want to take music with me. The car is no exception. However, I want to not only take it, but also in a way that makes it pleasant to listen to. Standard acoustic systems installed in cars, in most cases, do not produce what is required. In order to boost your car acoustically, an additional system is installed, which includes an amplifier and an expanded circuit of multi-frequency speakers.
To do everything right and be proud of your music system on wheels, you need to know some theoretical and operating points regarding the amplifier.
Types of car amplifiers
- Two-channel amplifier. This device is designed to provide sound to two speakers (front or rear) and a subwoofer. It is very rare that channels are divided into four speakers.
- Four-channel amplifier. Can provide sound from four speakers or two speakers and a subwoofer.
Important!
When connecting two speakers per channel and a subwoofer on another channel, it is very difficult to achieve clear sound.
- Five-channel amplifier. You can connect four speakers and a subwoofer to it. Each element connects to its own channel. The disadvantage of such a device is that most of the amplifier's power goes to the subwoofer, as a result of which the sound will be uneven. Low frequencies will go off scale if there is a lack of high frequencies.
- A monoblock is a device designed to amplify sound going only to a subwoofer.
Types and principle of operation
Before you get down to business, you should understand the principle of operation of the amplifier. Unlike stationary devices that operate on a 220-volt network, a device for a car is connected to the on-board network. The voltage here reaches only 12 volts. So the job of the amplifier is to take the weak signal and convert it into one that is suitable for driving the speakers. An important detail is that the received and converted signal differ not in wavelength, but only in its amplitude.
The internal structure of the amplifier consists of 3 elements:
- input circuit;
- power unit;
- output stage.
Input circuit. The amplifying device must be able to process signals of different levels. This is explained by the fact that the radio signals at the linear level can have different voltages. High level signals go directly to the load; if the level is low, the signal needs to pass through an amplifier.
In this case, it is important to take into account the correspondence of the signal level supplied from the head unit and the sensitivity of the input node.
Power unit. In operating condition, this unit converts low battery voltage into a higher voltage. For this purpose, the power supply is equipped with a transformer. An important feature of the sound signal is its variability, and therefore the functioning of the speakers requires 2 voltages at once: + and -. To achieve such conditions, voltages of different polarities are removed from the transformer. Their combination is used to obtain an alternating signal.
Output stage. This working unit includes powerful transistors, thanks to which increased voltage is supplied. This becomes possible due to the conversion of incoming signals
Manufacturers offer dozens of amplifier models with varying technical characteristics. According to the method of signal amplification, devices are divided into 2 categories:
- analog;
- digital.
Another classification is based on the quantitative difference between channels.
- Single channel. Such devices are designed for a nominal load of up to 2 ohms and are equipped with a volume control. More often, single-channel amplification devices are used to connect subwoofers.
- Two-channel. You can connect such a device to 2 dynamic heads, the power of which is higher than that of a single-channel amplifier for a car radio. An alternative option is to connect 1 powerful speaker.
- Three-channel. Devices with such characteristics are relatively rare.
- Four-channel. These are the most convenient devices that allow you to combine elements of an audio system. You can connect 4 speakers to such a device or use it as a two-channel device with a subwoofer connection.
- Five-channel. Such a device can be selected for a subwoofer and speakers.
- Six-channel. It is rarely used, since when it is used the battery is quickly discharged.
Factors Affecting Amplifier Installation
– the device should not interfere with the driver and passengers, should not spoil the interior and should not take up much functional space;
– the amplifier must be screwed to the car body, and not to moving parts;
– the device must be well cooled, i.e. it should be located in a large space, not in a small box;
– wiring should be simple. The wiring of the speaker system must be in a separate harness from the main wires of the car.
Interesting! If you connect all the wires into one harness (main and music), then when the car is started, noise will be heard in the speakers.
Features of Chinese car radios
2 din radios differ significantly from smaller devices. These multifunctional modules with a 7-inch diagonal LCD screen allow you not only to listen to music, but also to watch videos. The size of the radio exceeds the dimensions of a 1din device, which immediately catches your eye. Users note their stable operation and high-quality sound.
Most often, Chinese 2 din format radios are equipped with a GPS module. With such a car player, there is no need to purchase a navigator. Additional gadgets can be connected to a Chinese head unit (GU) of this format: multifunction steering wheel, rear view camera, GPS antenna. This slightly modifies the connection diagram of the car radio, because new wires appear that were not on the standard chip.
In most cases, the audio device comes with ISO connectors and wires. Otherwise, you will have to buy an adapter to connect the purchased car player. Switching the device with a source of electricity will not be difficult, since the pinout of radio tape recorders of both formats is identical.
The yellow DC +12V wire is connected directly to the battery through a safety device.
The red control wire is connected to the ignition switch. It is desirable that when the key is turned to the ACC position, there are no other consumers besides the control unit. This will reduce the load on the battery. It is better to connect the black wire (“ground”) to the negative terminal of the battery, and not to the car body, since a 2 din radio is an energy-intensive device.
The GU has the ability to reduce the brightness of the backlight of the buttons and screen when the side lights are turned on. This makes it possible not to blind the driver at night. Power is provided by the wire marked ILL. Terminals KAY1 and KAY2 are responsible for connecting the remote control for the car radio (multi-steering wheel).
Amplifier installation locations
- Under one of the front seats. Pros: close to the power source, radio; does not occupy functional space. Cons: overheats, inconvenient to install speaker wires.
- Under the back seat. Pros: does not take up useful space, does not overheat. Cons: as a rule, there is little space, and, consequently, low power of the device; far from the radio and power supply.
- Under the trunk lid. Pros: a lot of space for placement (you can install any device of any power), excellent ventilation, does not take up useful space, does not interfere. Cons: if the trunk shelf is very thin or flimsy, then the amplifier can create extraneous sounds, loosen the shelf, and the connectors in it can become loose; If the amplifier is designed to power not only a subwoofer, but also speakers, then it is very inconvenient to do the wiring.
- Place it on one side of the trunk. Pros: convenient installation, does not take up much functional space, convenient connection, you can install several amplifiers, good cooling of the device. Cons: far from all devices.
- On the trunk lid. They don’t take up space, good ventilation, easy connection, beautiful. Cons: possible loosening of the device and the trunk lid itself, possible short circuits of wires in places of kinks, far from all devices.
- On the back of the rear seats. Pros: plenty of space for installation, good cooling, convenient installation, ability to route wiring in detail on different sides of the machine, powerful mount, does not take up functional space. Cons: wires may break if the backrests are folded frequently, far from the sources.
- On the wall of the subwoofer. Pros: close to acoustics, does not take up extra space, installation and dismantling is simple, powerful cooling. Cons: strong vibration of the sound source can damage the amplifier.
General view
Ratio between amplifier and speaker power
In the old days, a lot depended on the power of the amplifier, and buyers relied on this parameter when making their choice. The price of the acoustics also depended on the power of the amplifier (see How to connect an amplifier and subwoofer to a car radio: you are your own master), its quality. Technologies began to develop and power eventually ceased to be a fundamental criterion. Playback quality comes first.
Why do you need power?
Amplifier to speaker ratio
Below is information that will be useful for every connoisseur of good sound to know:
- The power of the amplifier directly affects the volume, but not only that. The device itself and its power cannot directly influence the volume of sound emitted by the speakers. And this component depends on the ratio of acoustics and amplifier.
- The acoustic component known to everyone today, called “sensitivity,” is measured in decibels and indicates what sound pressure a certain acoustic system can develop (at a distance of 1 meter from it).
- The usual sensitivity of modern speaker systems ranges from 83-105 decibels. A person during a quiet conversation emits a sound of 60 dB, loud rock music - 110 dB, but 120 dB or more already creates a real situation of complete loss of hearing for a person.
It is very important to measure the ratio of acoustics and amplifier at a distance of one meter, and not more or less. For example, a 3 W device paired with 105 dB acoustics will sound as loud as a 384 W amplifier with an acoustic sensitivity of 84 dB. When choosing this element of the system, you need to remember one more important rule: it must always have a power reserve. This will deprive the user of the inconvenient situation when it is necessary to turn the volume knob to the maximum, as a result of which, on some amplifiers, quite large sound distortions can be observed. If you imagine a rotator in the form of a clock (many modern devices do this), then a comfortable volume level should be achieved when rotating the rotary until 10-11 o’clock. All acoustic models can be divided into 2 large groups
This is a group where 4-ohm systems are collected and a group where 8-ohm systems are collected.
If you imagine a rotator in the form of a clock (many modern devices do this), then a comfortable volume level should be achieved when rotating the rotary until 10-11 o’clock. All acoustic models can be divided into 2 large groups. This is a group where 4-ohm systems are collected and a group where 8-ohm systems are collected.
Acoustics 6 ohm amplifier 8 ohm
For owners of 8-ohm acoustics, the ratio of parameters will not be particularly important. In this case, it is much better to concentrate your attention on the sound. On the contrary, those with 4-ohm systems would be wise to look at amplifiers that can double the power as the ohm drops. For example, such a device should output 100 W at 8 Ohms, and 200 W at 4 Ohms. At the same time, we must also not forget about the sound quality of the amplifier
Acoustics for marcantz amplifier
- Typically, 4-ohm acoustics are chosen by connoisseurs of bass and rhythmic music. When playing low frequencies, 8 ohm acoustics make the bass a little vague and indistinct.
- On the other hand, among amplifiers that do not double the power, there are much more devices worthy of attention in terms of build quality.
- All types of acoustics can also be divided into simple and complex, from the point of view of their relationship with the amplifier. This depends not only on the above factors, but also on such components as the size of the speakers, their design, etc. Complex types of speaker systems complicate the process of controlling the speakers for the device (see How to choose speakers for a car radio on your own). As you know, a good amplifier not only instantly sets the speaker cone in motion, but is also obliged to stop it when the signal stops.
Amplifier 8 ohm acoustics 6 ohm
Damping factor is the name given to an amplifier's ability to drive speaker cones. In more powerful devices, this parameter is usually better and has good current output.
In short, choosing the right amplifier is a real art.
Selecting wires to connect the amplifier
Now let's look at how to connect an amplifier in a car. Nowadays there are entire kits for connecting acoustics on sale. However, the quality of the wires in the kits is rather questionable. The best option is to purchase special speaker wires.
Important! Household wires are not suitable for connecting the speaker system.
For the rear and front speakers, a PVA cable with a cross-section of 2x2.5 mm is suitable, for high-frequency (tweeters) a wire with a cross-section of 2x1.5 mm is suitable, for a subwoofer 2x4 mm.
Important! Rule: the longer the conductor, the thicker it should be.
The amplifier is powered from the battery using wires of type KG-25 or 35.
Preparation
At the preliminary preparation stage, the car owner develops a connection diagram for the amplifier, taking into account the location of standard equipment. If additional loudspeakers (for example, a subwoofer or tweeters) are installed in the vehicle structure, it is necessary to consider the method of installing the devices. Based on the data obtained, the car owner purchases power cables, interconnect cords with tulips, additional decorative elements and other parts necessary when installing amplification equipment.
Wires
To connect the amplifier to the vehicle's on-board network, you need a special cable designed for the current consumed by the additional equipment. The cord is selected based on the power of the installed components, taking into account additional heat losses (up to 30%). For example, when switching a 2-channel amplifier with a nominal power of 200 W, the thermal load must be taken into account, which is approximately 60 W. The resulting power value requires the use of a cable rated at 21.6 A (it is recommended to make a safety margin of another 10-15%).
To calculate the wire cross-section, there are special tables that display the dependence of the cable diameter on the transmitted current. For installation, you should use a cord with a copper core that does not collapse under vibration loads. When purchasing a cable, you should pay attention to the thickness and characteristics of the insulation, since low-quality materials spontaneously crack when the temperature drops to -15°C.
Fuse
It is necessary to install a fuse in the power supply circuit of the amplifier in the car to prevent the product from igniting in the event of a short circuit (for example, due to destruction of the insulation of the power cables). The design of the equipment includes standard protection elements; an additional insert is located near the battery terminal. To properly connect a car amplifier, you must use fuses with a rating of no more than 50 A.
Interconnect cable
The mounted amplifier must be connected to the head unit using a special interconnect cable equipped with metal mesh protection. The screen reduces the likelihood of interference occurring during the operation of the ignition system and electronic components of the vehicle. It is not recommended to lay patch cords near standard control units and electric motors installed in the vehicle's air conditioning system.
Amplifier connectors
+12V connector – it is supplied with power from the battery. A fuse must be installed between the battery and the amplifier.
REM – control connector, designed to create a connection with the radio. The equipment through this wire will turn on and off along with the radio.
GBD – mass connector. The wire should be as short and thick as possible.
Line connectors – designed to connect speakers and a subwoofer. The subwoofer can be connected with a bridge into two linear connectors: the minus of the subwoofer is connected to the minus of one connector, and the plus of the subwoofer is connected to the plus of the second connector. We connect the remaining “+” and “-” in the connectors (you must read the instructions, since this operation is not required for all devices).
RCA (tulips) – for connecting the head unit.
New driver's license: decoding, all categories, obtaining - you will find a description of the features here.
Changing the oil in an automatic transmission: how to choose. Read more here.
What are the reasons for high fuel consumption? Let's figure it out with us.
Chinese players for passenger cars
It should be noted that the entire production cycle for the assembly of this type of equipment occurs in full compliance with the requirements of the companies that own the brands, which guarantees the high quality of the declared trademark.
There are a number of car radios that are positioned as native, Chinese products. But upon closer examination, these often turn out to be the same Kenwoods, Prologies, and so on, in a slightly modified form. By the way, very good quality. For the reason that Chinese developers do not bother themselves with technical changes to the devices, limiting themselves, as we have already said, to changing the design.
The third option for Chinese players can be called gadgets of unknown brand and manufacture. You should stay away from such radios, because apart from troubles and wasted money (despite the low price), they will not bring you anything.
To summarize our introduction, let's say. Most of the sound reproduction equipment present on the modern market is Chinese in nature, but developed and certified to global standards by well-known companies. Accordingly, the process of installing, connecting and operating these gadgets, as well as additionally connected equipment, is uniform (by model). And it is no different from the European (American, Japanese) assembly technology (does it exist at all?).
Do-it-yourself installation of an amplifier in a car
And now about how to install the amplifier in the car.
- We fasten the amplifier with self-tapping screws or bolts in the selected location.
- The next step is to connect the amplifier to the radio. If the device is four-channel, then two interconnect wires are required, if it is two-channel, then one wire is needed.
- After this, the amplifier is connected to a power source. The mass can be found on the machine body.
- We connect the control wire.
- It is recommended to install a capacitor between the battery amplifier. It will prevent battery discharge and equipment failure.
- Then we connect all the speakers and the subwoofer to the device. When connecting, observe the polarity, and also ensure that the wires are securely fastened, as vibrations cause them to move away and contact is lost.
Connecting speakers
The following wires are responsible for connecting the speaker system of a Chinese 2 din radio:
The first 2 connect the front speakers, the rest - the rear ones. The speakers have 2 wires - positive and negative. A pure color is “+”, and a similar one with a black stripe is “-“.
It must be remembered that failure to observe polarity when connecting speakers will lead to sound distortion, since the devices will operate in antiphase.
If the standard control unit on a car is being replaced with a “Chinese” one, and the markings of the speaker wires do not correspond to the ISO connectors, then you must remember that a cable with a wide terminal is positive, and a cable with a narrow terminal is negative.
If the speaker outputs on the connected car player have additional “tulip” type connectors, then it is advisable to use them if the same connection is also available on the car speakers.
Setting up the amplifier
Traditionally, several settings are used.
The sensitivity on the amplifier is designated as Level, possibly Gain.
LowFrequency (LPF) – low pass filter. This adjustment allows you to cut off as much of the subwoofer's low frequencies as possible.
HighFrequency (HPF) – cuts off the low end of high frequencies. Designed to adjust high and mid frequency speakers.
Crossover or x-over is a switch between high and low pass filters.
Setting option:
- Turn the sensitivity to minimum.
- On the radio, set the volume to maximum or almost maximum. Until distortion begins to appear in the sound. Now we begin to rotate the sensitivity control on the amplifier until significant sound distortion is heard. Turn it to a slightly lower level and leave it.
- Reduce the volume on the radio.
This kind of simple theoretical knowledge will help you choose a good amplifier and correctly place it in the cabin.
Multi-way speaker systems.
Speaker systems differ in the number of frequency bands into which the amplifier's output signal is divided.
In single-way speaker systems, the entire output of the amplifier is sent to one or more identical speakers.
In two and three-way speakers, the amplifier signal is separated using passive filters that are located inside the speaker housing. Such systems use dynamic heads designed to reproduce a certain audio frequency band.
Speakers are divided into four groups: high-frequency, mid-frequency, low-frequency and full-range. By their name you can guess what frequency range they reproduce.
There are also multi-band speaker systems that do not contain bandpass filters. Such systems require a signal already divided into bands corresponding to the sound heads. In such cases, multi-band amplifiers or external filters (crossovers) are usually used.
Setup Instructions
The amplifier is configured in accordance with the recommendations set out in the operating instructions. To adjust the parameters, buttons and rotary switches are used, covered with a protective panel. Rotating correctors are recessed into the body, which reduces the likelihood of accidental position changes. To rotate the element, it is recommended to use a flat blade screwdriver.
A control diode of the power supply is installed on the equipment case; further adjustment of the device is allowed only when the green lamp is turned on. When using standard factory settings of the equipment, the sound picture is blurry. Adjusting the parameters allows you to highlight low and high frequencies, as well as reduce sound distortion.
Amplifier setup for four speakers without subwoofer
After completing the connection of the four-channel amplifier and checking the operation of the electrical circuits, you need to configure the acoustics according to the following method:
Setting up an amplifier for a subwoofer and speakers
The adjustment is made by analogy with the adjustment of a system with standard acoustics. To ensure an improved sound picture, it is recommended to relieve the speakers from broadcasting low frequencies. This action allows the diffuser stroke to be reduced and improves the reproduction of mid frequencies. The HPF corrector is used for adjustment; the position of the potentiometer is determined by the user by ear. Some car owners do not turn on the HPF adjustment due to distortion of the sound picture.
The use of bass boost for a subwoofer is not recommended since it affects the band above 40 Hz. When using a subwoofer with a bass reflex, the subsonic filter is turned on, which is adjusted to a frequency 2-5 Hz below the bass reflex value (indicated on the equipment).
Source
Important points
In the end, we summarize all the main aspects that need to be observed in order to connect the amplifier correctly and safely:
- Select a power cable of sufficient cross-section, preferably with a margin.
- Select the correct fuse.
- All contacts must be stripped and tightly tightened or crimped (the larger the contact area, the better).
- Knock out quality copper wiring.
- Protect cables from damage with additional insulation.
- Lay acoustic and signal wiring as far as possible from the power supply.
- If you have several amplifiers and the minus is taken from the body, then make contact for all at one point.
- Make all connections on a de-energized system (positive terminal with battery removed).
Scheme development
The connection diagram depends on the number of amplifier inputs, the location and power of the speakers, and the presence or absence of a subwoofer.
Power amplifiers are:
- two-channel, designed to connect only a pair of speakers;
- four-, used to connect two speakers and a subwoofer or four (there is also a daisy chain connection scheme for four speakers and a subwoofer);
- six-, used for a standard connection of four pieces and a subwoofer.
It is also important to consider the rated power (W, W) and the resistance of all connected equipment (Ohm). They can be found either on device labels or in technical documents
The total connection resistance should not exceed the maximum permissible standard.
There are three ways to connect speakers to an amplifier.
- Sequentially—speakers of the same type are alternately connected to each other and then to the device.
- Parallel - performed by a polar connection directly to the outputs of the device, while their resistance and power may differ.
- Series-parallel - used in cases where it is necessary to connect two columns with the same resistance and additional ones with other parameters.
