I Currently have a 222W amp hooked up to one 10" Sony sub thats rms is 300watts. The power from the battery is on an 8 guage wire. I just bought another 10" Sub and plan to get a 444W amp to run the subs. 1. Do I need to get a larger guage wire for power and ground? 2. Is 444W enough to run 2 10"s that are 300 watts rms, 1100 watts max? 3. Does it matter that one sub was bought refurbished last year and has been in use sence then and the other is brand new(currently being broken-in by my home stereo)? 4. Should I have them both on the same channel bridged(4 ohms each) or each one has its own channel? the amp can handle between 2-4 ohms per channel and bridged(I may be wrong) The Box.. The right hole will have the amp taken out, a back panel added, and sealed then the other sub will be installed..

[fastev]

Are the subs single or dual voice coil? If they are single, you can either wire one to each channel (amp not bridged) or you can bridge the amp and wire the subs in series. For the series wiring, wire as follows,

(+) on amp to (+) on sub one
(-) on sub one to (+) on sub two
(-) on sub two to (-) on amp

It doesn't matter that one is newer, as long as they are the same driver you'll be fine.

8ga wire is sufficient for your application. You could leave it, or you could go to 4ga if you want. If you plan to run a larger amp eventually, you might just go ahead and change it out.

[ranger024x4]

they are single...

[Dean53]

yes 8 gauge should be fine for that wattage amp, unless like fastev said, you may plan on going bigger down the line. A 4 gauge wouldnt hurt, but 8 should be fine.

what kind of amp is it? Mono? 2 channel? Depending on the type of amp, it will have different wiring options. If its a 2 channel then you will want to wire one sub to each channel. If its mono you will want to wire the subs in parallel to a 2 ohm load so that you get the most power out of the amp...assuming its 2 ohm stable (most mono amps are). some mono amps have speaker wire connections for both subs and they are wired to parallel internally, and some just have speaker connectors for one sub so you would have to wire the subs in parallel then the final leads would attach to the amp. Hope this helps

The one Im looking at is a 2 channel amp that can be bridged for 444watts or 222w for each channel..

Edit: Single Channel..

[2003stealthedge]

for sonys, they sound like crap at rms...I never hook anything more than about 200W a piece to them trust me

[fastev]

I don't agree. I've heard some very good sounding Sony systems.

Good call. You ought to experiment with the wiring to get the sound taylored to your tastes. Just be sure you don't go below the acceptable load limit for you amp.

[FoMoCoFiddy]

Ask people about the 12" xplod i had in my truck

[Mnemonic]

Don't say xplod, say P5. The early xplod sony subs did suck, and people think everything sony sucks now. But the P5 series is actually a pretty decent sub...

Basically you want to deliver RMS power to your subs. 2 subs @ 300w RMS each means you should get a 600 watt amp. Find an amplifier that delivers 300 watts RMS @ 4 Ohm, and it should deliver 600 watts @ 2 Ohms. That's with a mono channel amp, or bridging a 2 channel. The deal is two 4 ohm subs can be wired up for an amp load of 2 or 8 ohms, you only get 4 ohm load if you run them in 2 separate channels.

You can run a 2 channel, but I doubt you'll find a good 300w x 2 channel @ 4 ohm amplifier.

[Mnemonic]

Do NOT get the Sony XM-444 amplifier. that's a 4 channel amplifier (each channel 40 watts @ 2 ohms). That's WAY underpowered.


http://www.dealtime.co.uk/xPF-Sony_XM_444

[Dean53]

ok so you havn't purchased the amp yet? Then definitely as Mnemonic said...look for a mono amp. This will give you the best wiring option for two 4 ohm subs. How much are you looking to spend on an amp...that may help to narrow down amps to something that will work for your setup and keep in your price range

Im going to a flea market(Trader's Village in Arlignton,TX) saturday or sunday, thats where I got the sub and amp I have now for $120 with wiring.. Im looking for an amp under $75 at the flea market and maybe trade the amp I have now for one of theirs to sweeten the deal..

Recommend Any Amps?????



btw this brand new sub I got cost me only $35 at an Ultimate Electronics that is closing here..

[Sonic_03]

see ya gotta be careful when buying subs and amps i found out. it took me alot of search destroy search destroy over and over. Sony i wrecked in 2 weeks, Ultimate 2 hrs, Kicker Comp VR awsome still got them, Phoenix Gold have now http://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2/...ead.php?t=7372 Jl is alright just W0 is not very tuff forsay, clarion is good and alpine is awsome too. now when it came to amps i found that a 1000watt was the best for 2 10" with 250-300RMS each. 1000 watt is usually all you need but if your going comp more power blah blah blah then of course more power but you gotta buy your amp to your subs or subs to amp and if you buy a lowend brand name amp your not gettin the true wattage out of it. ive been playing with stereos for a few years now and gettin teh best gear ive found so if you have anyquestion feel free to PM me

[Mnemonic]

Generally speaking, A 1000 watts RMS amplifier is a little too much for two 300watt RMS subs. I think I know why you have gone through so many subs. But that's where brand name and model quality will make up the difference.

Overpowering is fine, but when you start talking almost double the recommended power, then problems are likely to occur. If you match RMS ranges you may not have the upper most SPL possible, but you'll have a system that lasts longer than 1 year.

I wouldn't give a 300 watt sub more than 450 watts or so (maybe 500 if it's a premium brand). I personally send about 950 watts to a 750 watts sub (~26% overpowered). With this setup I know I'm trading a little SPL for a little longevity.

Same for underpowering, but the reason why is different. In a nutshell, underpowering is bad for a system when the user cranks up the volume too high to compensate. Signal processors start can't compete or are over driven into signal clipping, and distortion, both of which are not good for drivers (speakers).

I say this because I don't like buying systems every few months. Research and plan, and get a balanced system and it will last you for years. Just remember that you have to double power output to gain an extra 3 dB. So Putting 500 watts into a 300 watt RMS subwoofer may only result in 2 extra dB, and it may die in 6 months versus 18 months. (Generally speaking)

RMS is the level of power the product is rated to withstand continuously without any damage what-so-ever.

http://www.audiodiscounters.com/site...t_id/2319.html
I bought that, so how bad did I screw myself??

[Mnemonic]

That's perfect to power one sub (when bridged). The specs on that amp are not perfectly clear:
"300 Watts x 2 max at 4 ohms
150 Watts x 2 rms at 2 ohms stereo"
So I'm guessing RMS power for 2 channels @ 4 ohms is 75 watts (150 max).

So you're giving your 300 watt (rms) subs about 75 watts of power each.

You want an amp that says one of the following:

600 watts RMS x1 @ 2 Ohm.
300 watts RMS x2 @ 4 ohm.

[2003stealthedge]

the p5's are ok but imo sony should stick to making tvs and not car audio

I know the box looks small, but I like the boomy sound the smaller box gives..

Its hard to find amps that powerful that fit in a regular cab and dont cost a **** load..