Everything you need to know before connecting a subwoofer with your own hands
Content
Installing a subwoofer is a simple process, but as with any business, there are some nuances, especially if you are doing it for the first time. In this article, we will tell you how to connect a subwoofer to a car, calculate the power of the system, consider in detail what you need to connect a subwoofer, and select the right wires.
List of required accessories
To begin with, we will decide on a general list of parts, namely, their name and function, and then we will give a recommendation on the choice.
- Power wire. Supplies battery power to the amplifier. A medium-sized sedan will need 5 m "plus" and 1 m "minus". You can get more accurate measurements by measuring your car yourself.
- Flask with fuse. Important component. Serves as protection in case of short circuit of the power wire.
- Terminals. They will simplify the connection of power wires to the battery and the car body. You will need 2 pcs. ring type. If the connection is at the amplifier on the blades, 2 more pieces will be required. fork type.
- Tulips and control wire. Transmits the sound signal from the radio to the amplifier. Can be bundled with interblock wires or purchased separately.
- Acoustic wire. Transfers the improved signal from the amplifier to the subwoofer. It will take 1-2 m. If you have an active subwoofer, this wire is not needed.
- An additional distributor may be required if two amplifiers are installed.
Determine the power of the audio system in the car
Calculating the power of the audio system will allow you to choose the right power wire. To do this, you need to know the rated power of all amplifiers installed in the machine. It can be viewed in the instructions or found by the name of the active subwoofer or amplifier on the Internet.
If, in addition to the subwoofer, an amplifier is also installed on the speakers, the power of all amplifiers should be summed up.
For example, your car has 2 amplifiers. The first is for a 300 W subwoofer, the second is a 4-channel one with a channel power of 100 W, mounted on speakers. We calculate the total power of the audio system: 4 x 100 W = 400 W + 300 W subwoofer. The result is 700 watts.
It is for this power that we will select the power wire, if in the future your audio system is replaced with more powerful components, we advise you to choose wires with a margin.
Subwoofer cable set, budget option for weak systems
A common option is to purchase a ready-made set of wires. This solution has its advantages. First, these kits are inexpensive. Secondly, the box contains everything you need to connect.
There is only one minus. These kits use aluminum wires coated with copper. They have a lot of resistance, which affects the throughput. Depending on the conditions, they oxidize and rot over time. This option is suitable for those who have a modest budget and low system power, for example, to connect an active subwoofer.
We select the wires ourselves
The best option is to assemble the kit yourself, choosing copper wires, taking into account the power of the audio system.
Power wires
The most significant ingredient. Choosing them incorrectly will not only affect the sound quality, but can damage all components of the audio system.
So, knowing the power of the system and the length of the wire, we will determine the required cross section. To select the section, use the table below (the calculation is given only for copper wires).
Tip from CarAudioInfo. There are a lot of power wires of well-known brands in car audio stores. They are good for everything except the price. Alternatively, industrial wires can be used. Most often in installations there are KG and PV wires. They are not as flexible as branded ones, but they are much cheaper. You can find them in the Electrician and Everything for Welding stores.
Interblock "tulip" and control wire
The task of the interconnect wire is to transmit the initial signal from the head unit to the amplifier. This signal is vulnerable to interference and the vehicle has a lot of electrical equipment. If we install “tulips” designed for the home, or budget car ones, it is likely that extraneous noise will occur during the operation of the subwoofer.
When choosing, we advise you to give preference to well-known brands. Pay attention to the composition - in the budget segment, not everyone has copper, the manufacturer indicates this on the packaging. Pay attention to the connectors themselves. It is better to choose metal and shielded wires - this will make the connection stronger and protect the signal from interference.
The next is the presence of a control wire. Does it go with tulips? Excellent! If it is not there, it’s not a problem, we get any single-core wire with a cross section of 0.75-1.5 squares, 5 m long.
Flask with fuse
A fuse is a jumper that is installed in the cut of the power wire, as close as possible to the power source. Its task is to de-energize the wire in the event of a short circuit or heavy load, protecting the system and the car from fire.
For ease of installation and protection from dirt, a flask is used, a fuse is installed in it. Bulbs and fuses for the subwoofer come in different shapes - AGU, ANL and miniANL.
- AGU - Deprecated but still common. Allows you to connect a wire with a cross section of 8 to 25 mm2. We do not recommend using it, as a weak connection between the bulb and the fuse leads to power losses.
- miniANL - Replaced AGU. It has no drawbacks, it is used for wires with a cross section from 8 to 25 mm2.
- ANL - Larger version of miniANL. Designed for wires of larger cross section - from 25 to 50 mm2.
You already know the cross section of the power wire and the length. The next task is to choose the correct fuse rating. To do this, use the table below.
Ring and fork terminals
For tight fastening of the wire to the battery and the car body, ring terminals are used. On the other hand, the wire is connected to the amplifier directly or through the plug terminals, depending on its design.
speaker wire
The last thing we need is an acoustic wire through which the amplified signal will pass from the amplifier to the subwoofer. The selection process depends on the length of the wire, mainly 1-2 meters and the power of the amplifier. In this case, you can use branded speaker wires. Usually the amplifier is mounted on the back of the seats or on the subwoofer box.
Additional components
If the system consists of two amplifiers, for ease of connection, you will need a distributor - a device that allows you to distribute the power wire to two or more sources.
Polyester sleeve (in other words - snakeskin braid). Its task is to additionally protect the wire from mechanical damage. In addition, it adds aesthetics to the engine compartment, which is especially important when using industrial wires.
How to connect the subwoofer to the vehicle's on-board network
First of all, I want to clarify about active and passive subwoofers. They are connected in almost the same way, i.e. the amplifier is powered by the battery and the signal from the head unit. How to connect an active subwoofer will be described later.
To install a passive subwoofer, you will have to do a little more, namely, connect the speaker to the amplifier.
To complete the work, you will need the following materials and tools:
- wires and other little things (we talked about the requirements for them above);
- pliers and pliers;
- screwdrivers of the required size;
- insulating tape;
- clamps for screeding and fixing.
Power wire connection
First we lay the power wire. It is connected to the battery, during installation it must be turned off. The positive power cable must be protected by a fuse, placing it as close as possible to the battery.
The laying of power wires from the battery to the amplifier must be done in such a way as to exclude the possibility of accidental damage. Inside the cabin, the wires are pulled along the threshold or, if the wire has a large cross section, under the rug. In the engine compartment, find a suitable route for laying and secure the wires by fastening them with clamps to the wiring harnesses and body parts. After completing this stage, we should have two wires in the trunk: the power wire, which is protected by a fuse, and the ground from the body.
If you mount the tips for connecting to the battery and amplifier yourself, do it as follows. Carefully strip the wire from the length of the ferrule sleeve. Carefully, to a shine, strip the bare end of the conductor. If the wires are not tinned, tin them with a soldering iron. Next, insert the wire into the sleeve of the tip and carefully crimp it. You can heat the tip with a gas or alcohol burner. This will ensure that the wire is soldered to the sleeve (due to the solder that we put on the wire) for a more reliable electrical contact. After that, a cambric or heat-shrinkable tube is put on the sleeve. This is done before installing the tip.
Connecting a subwoofer to a radio tape recorder
Power is supplied to the amplifier through separate wires. To turn it on with the radio, there is a special input for the control plus. Usually this is a blue wire in a bundle, signed by remote or ant. This can be seen more clearly by examining the connection diagram of the radio.
To connect the interconnect wires in the radio, there are usually two "tulips" designated SW.
When connecting a subwoofer to a head unit, there may not be line outputs, in this case we recommend that you read the article “4 ways to connect a subwoofer to a radio without line outputs”
If we have a passive subwoofer, the last thing we need to do is connect it to an amplifier.
If you are connecting a subwoofer with 2 coils or two speakers, check out the article “How to switch subwoofer coils” in which we examined not only the connection diagrams, but also gave recommendations on what resistance it is better to connect the amplifier.
Subwoofer connection diagram
Below is a diagram illustrating the connection procedure.
Connecting an active subwoofer
As we said in the active vs. passive subwoofer comparison, an active subwoofer combines an amplifier and a passive subwoofer. Installing such a system is even easier - no need to think about how to connect the subwoofer to the amplifier, it is already connected to the speaker inside the active subwoofer case. Otherwise, the installation process does not differ from the amplifier-passive subwoofer system.
When purchasing an active sub, check the standard wires that are included in the kit. They may not meet the requirements for the cross section and the material from which they are made. By replacing them in accordance with the recommendations outlined above, you can significantly improve the quality and volume of playback.
If you are not going to change the wires from the kit, or you already have them laid in the car interior, install a capacitor for the subwoofer, it will eliminate power losses, which will positively affect the sound quality.
Active subwoofer connection diagram
How to improve bass quality? - You probably know that the installed subwoofer, with the right settings, will play many times better. But for this you should know what adjustments are responsible for what, for this we advise you to read the article on how to set up a subwoofer in a car, in it you will find specific recommendations for improving the quality of bass
Conclusion
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