The sound of a standard radio may not suit owners due to poor quality reproduction of low frequencies. It is possible to hear the bass in full only when connecting a special acoustic device - a subwoofer. The algorithm for installing an amplifier and subwoofer in a car is simple if the components are selected correctly, the correct circuit is available, and the nuances of self-installation are taken into account.
It is important to note that such work often does not require special skills, which means that any car owner can handle it, which is especially nice considering the prices for installing an audio system in specialized workshops.
What to choose - active subwoofer or passive?
To understand the need to use an active or passive subwoofer, you need to find out what the advantages of each option are. For example:
- A passive sub is a design made from a single block, with several speakers enclosed in it. To reproduce low-frequency sound, you must connect the subwoofer to an amplifier. The advantage of the passive option is its relatively low cost. The downside is the required additional space due to the need to connect connecting structures - an amplifier and a filter;
- An active subwoofer is a ready-to-connect acoustic unit with an amplifier and a frequency filter. The undoubted advantages of such a device are that it does not require additional space, it has a wide range of settings, and it is easy to connect to a standard car radio. But its cost is significantly higher.
As you can see, we have two equivalent options. Therefore, before installing a subwoofer, it makes sense to imagine exactly what we want to get in the end, how much money we plan to sacrifice and how the subwoofer can be placed in the car.
Speakers for subwoofer
Before connecting your speakers and subwoofer to your amplifier, it is important to select your speakers. Owners have different tastes when it comes to car stereo systems. Loud music for a teenager who has just received his license will become tiresome for a lover of quiet sound. The subwoofer's subwoofer bass and front bass are enhanced or sounded quieter by different sized speakers. The suggested range is from 6 to 15 inches. What to choose:
- Speaker diameters up to 10 inches will not produce rich sound. They are suitable for a car enthusiast who is not ready to spend a lot of money and does not strive for loud and surround sound;
- Speakers from 10 to 15 inches are the golden mean, and provide rich sound at an affordable price;
- Speakers larger than 15 inches are used for car audio competitions. High volume and very powerful sound make them not the best option for a family car. It should also be noted that the volume allowed for car audio competitions often does not comply with current legislation, and such speakers cause installation problems due to their size.
We also recommend that you familiarize yourself with our rating of car subwoofers.
How to connect a subwoofer to an amplifier?
In order to connect the subwoofer to the amplifier and car audio system, you will need the following tools:
- Pliers and wire cutters;
- Wires for connecting a subwoofer and amplifier - power and connecting cables, tulips;
- Plastic ties;
- Set of wrenches;
- Knife and insulating materials.
Since the wires will have to be pulled through the interior, in order to avoid chafing of the cable, it is better to use corrugated sleeves, which must be securely fastened to the cable connection points.
Subwoofer and amplifier connection diagram
As a rule, any type of device comes with an accessible diagram for connecting the subwoofer to an amplifier or car radio. For example, for a passive subwoofer:
Or for active:
Depending on the complexity of the model, installation will take from 1 to 3 hours of work.
How to connect a passive subwoofer to an amplifier?
Before installation, the terminals from the battery are removed to avoid short circuits. Afterwards, you should find a technological hole connecting the engine compartment and the interior. As a rule, it is closed with a plug, and on domestic cars it is completely absent. Then it will have to be drilled. If you plan to install the subwoofer in the luggage compartment, a hole is made there too. Since the cable will pass through the entire interior, you will have to remove the trim or door sills - everything is individual. Next, instructions:
- Connect power from the battery to the amplifier in the luggage compartment according to the polarity. The power wire should be inserted into the corrugated sleeve in advance - a hole should be drilled along its diameter. In addition, it must be equipped with a fuse;
- Next, the amplifier wire is connected to the radio. First, its body is dismantled, exposing the wire connections. For connection, tulips are used, which are inserted in accordance with the colors of the connectors;
- To achieve simultaneous activation of the radio and subwoofer, it is necessary to equip the amplifier with a positive wire, which is connected by a terminal to the power cable of the radio;
- The last stage is connecting the amplifier and the subwoofer itself. Before connecting a subwoofer to a two- or four-channel amplifier, you should organically arrange the power inside the trunk or interior and connect each speaker to the appropriate input.
A capacitor is required for an amplifier with a power of more than 400 W. For less powerful models, it may not be used. It is worth remembering that using very powerful amplifiers will quickly drain the battery.
By the way, if you are not satisfied with the models manufactured by foreign and domestic companies, you can make a passive subwoofer yourself.
Comments and reviews
How to connect a subwoofer to an amplifier? From this article you will learn about the types of car radios, as well as what to pay attention to when connecting head units in a car and how to implement such a connection of the PG yourself. In fact, such a crossover is an inductor, capacitance and resistance.
Connection diagram for a passive subwoofer in a car Connecting a passive subwoofer in a car is somewhat more complicated, since it needs to be connected not directly to the radio, but through an amplifier, see the connection diagram above. Next, we stretch the wires through the interior along with the power wire.
After installing and connecting the subwoofer in the car, all that remains is to configure it correctly.
One of the connection options Step-by-step instructions for connecting an active subwoofer Approximate installation instructions: Disconnect the entire car or only the circuits that are used during installation. Car amplifiers have a line input and a high-level input, which can be used to feed the signal from the speaker outputs. Connecting the subwoofer coils The technical documentation for the subwoofer says the resistance of its coils is 1 Ohm, 2 Ohm, 4 Ohm, rarely 0. You can attach the tape to the subwoofer using double-sided tape or glue. If you have an active subwoofer, then you will not need an additional amplifier, because it is already built into the subwoofer housing. Read more about active subwoofers.
If you have an original radio, you need to buy a suitable switch and find a place where you will place it and perform the following steps: Pull the wire from the amplifier to the switch; Cut it in half; Connect the ends of the wire to two terminals; Pass the cut part of the wire back, leaving a margin of 30 cm. Why do you need a capacitor in car speakers?
The nuances of connecting a subwoofer to an amplifier
Due to the different models of car radios, car enthusiasts often have questions regarding the individual model and/or features of the car. For example:
Is it possible to connect a subwoofer (passive in this case) without additional purchase of an amplifier?
In addition to savings, the reason for the issue may also be a lack of free space in the trunk or in the cabin. The answer is depending on the low frequency resistance of the radio. If it is less than 4 ohms, then the amplifier output may be overloaded, which is why a short circuit will inevitably occur.
How to connect a subwoofer to a radio amplifier with no line output?
Such models (without tulips) are popular because they are inexpensive. However, when the owner decides to change and upgrade the speaker system, he is faced with the need to change the radio. You don't have to do this. It is enough to purchase a high-level adapter that converts the signal. The device is connected to the output of the radio. It already has a linear signal to the amplifier. The adapter also has the ability to be configured so that the sound comes out without distortion.
How to connect an amplifier and subwoofer in a car via a crossover?
The device plays the role of a filter, separating frequencies into ranges, improving sound quality. Crossovers come in the following types: active, passive, as well as one- and two-way. The options have their own advantages and disadvantages. They are arranged as follows:
- Passive crossovers are connected in front of the speakers. One amplifier is enough;
- Active filters are placed in front of auto amplifiers (several). The speakers are connected to the subwoofer amplifier with a separate channel wire.
The price of an active crossover (adapter) is higher than a passive one due to the ability to accurately reproduce frequency cuts.
How to connect two subwoofers to an amplifier?
To connect, you need to connect the wires of two subwoofers “+” to “+” and “-” to “-“. In this case, it is extremely important that the subwoofers are the same, or at least carefully matched to each other in terms of characteristics.
How to connect a subwoofer to a 4 channel amplifier?
Connecting a subwoofer to a four-channel amplifier, in most cases, follows a standard scheme. It’s just that a special channel is allocated for the subwoofer, which is optimized for transmitting low frequencies.
Description of devices
The term subwoofer refers to an acoustic speaker or system capable of reproducing sound waves in the frequency range of 20-120 Hz. The work is based on the principle of converting electrical signals from an amplifier into sound. For this, an electromechanical device is used - a speaker, which has a special design that ensures the generation of low-frequency sound signals. To improve the sound, it is installed in a housing with a strictly defined volume. Parts of the housing and speaker suspension should not create extraneous sounds (creaking).
Design features of subwoofers
There are several designs for installing the speaker:
- Open speaker installation or unrestricted acoustic baffle. The element is placed on a box with a large volume. On a car, a similar box is the luggage compartment in cars with a sedan body type.
- Installation in a small closed box. The dimensions of the box impose restrictions on the frequency ranges, cutting off the very bottom.
- Bass reflex housing. In such a device, a channel is used that has certain overall dimensions. The bass reflex is based on the effect of the meeting of waves emitted by the outer and inner sides of the speaker.
- A strip body, which is a bass reflex with an additional bulkhead. The speaker is located inside, on the partition. The sound is transmitted through the bass reflex hole. The design is used to create small-sized devices with improved sound parameters.
- The housing of a passive radiator, which is a combination of active and passive speakers with identical characteristics. The elements operate in antiphase. Due to the distance and dimensions, which are calculated individually for each device, it is possible to obtain clear sound with a low frequency.
