How To Hook Up 2 Amps To Single Power Wire » Aumoz

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How to Connect Two Amps to a Single Power Wire Using a Car Battery

You might believe that in order to join up and connect 2 amps in your car, you have to run a separate line of power wire down your car for the battery. This is a common misconception. To connect two car amplifiers to your vehicle’s batteries in the most straightforward manner possible, you should only need one run of power wire and a distribution block rated for two amps.

This will cause the electricity to be distributed down into the second car amplifier so that it can be turned on. Although you will still be need to run a separate pair of RCA cables for the input, the ground and remote wires can be jumpered across from the first amplifier.

1) Before doing anything else, disconnect the positive terminal from the automobile battery. When working with the various electrical cables, nothing will be able to cause a short thanks to this precaution.

2) If you already have a car amplifier installed, there will already be one run of power wire down the centre of your vehicle. If this is not currently there, you will need to install the power wire by routing it through the front to the back of the vehicle. When you do this, you should ensure that the fuse holder side is in close proximity to the battery in the vehicle.

3) Since you have now brought the primary source of power into the trunk, you should now link it to the distribution block. After you have completed this step, connect two additional brief pieces of wire, preferably of a gauge of 0.

4) At this point, connect one of the power wires coming from the distribution block to one of the car amplifiers, and then connect the other of the power wires to the other car amplifier. Because it permits the 12 volt line to be divided into two halves, utilising this method will make it possible for you to wire 2 amps using only a single power wire.

Wiring in one amplifier can be complicated enough, especially when dealing with a factory car stereo. The situation gets more complex when you add multiple amplifiers to the equation. You can wire two amplifiers or multiple amps in one car audio system, but it takes extra planning.

The main factors that you need to consider when you wire in two or more amps are how you will deal with the power cable, grounding each amp, and whether or not the remote turn-on signal from your head unit is strong enough to split between multiple amps.

Can You Have Multiple Amps in One Car Audio System?

As long as you wire them in correctly, you are free to utilise any number or combination of power amps in your automobile audio setup. This is the quick answer to the question. The most important stipulation is that the charging system must first be able to supply an adequate amount of power to the device. If you throw in too many amps and they demand too much power, you may need to update your alternator or install a stiffening cap on your vehicle in order to compensate for the additional load.

Whether you should power your numerous speakers with a single multi-channel amplifier or a number of individual amplifiers relies on a number of factors, including the quantity of available space, the results you’re going for, the amplifier classes you employ, as well as personal choice.

One of the most popular reasons to wire in several amplifiers is so that you can use one amplifier for your primary speakers and another amplifier for a subwoofer.

If you decide to go with more than one amplifier, the wiring process for multiple amplifiers will be quite similar to the wiring process for a single amplifier. You have a few different possibilities, but regardless of which one you choose it is imperative that you take into mind the increased current draw.

Multiple Amp Wiring

You must adhere to wiring best practises regardless of the number of power amps in your automobile audio system.

When it comes to amp wiring, this implies drawing power directly from the battery. With this in mind, you may either run individual power lines for each amp or a single cable that feeds them all. Depending on your specific arrangement, either of these solutions may be the best option.

A single power cable is usually the most elegant arrangement. If you go that route, make sure you select the thickest power cord that will work in your application.

Because your power cable must manage the current draw from all of your amps at the same time, it must be much larger in gauge than the standards for each amp. For example, if your amps require an eight gauge connection, you may wish to run a four gauge cable to the battery.

A power distribution block is the best technique to connect numerous amps to a single power connection. This allows you to use a single cable for the most of the run, including the critical section that passes through the firewall, and then connect to each amplifier with shorter individual connections. If your amps don’t come with built-in fuses, a distribution block can be fused as well.

Amp Ground Wiring

You should utilise a distribution block to provide the ground connection rather than individually grounding each of your amplifiers. This will save you time.

You should connect the individual amps to the ground distribution block, which should be connected to a solid chassis ground. This should be done in a manner that is analogous to the power distribution block but in reverse. You may avoid potential problems with ground loops by making use of the same ground block for all of your audio components. This is an excellent method.

Multiple Amp Remote Turn-on Wiring

A single remote turn-on lead may not be able to withstand the current draw expected by multiple amps in some instances. Connecting the turn-on leads from your amps to a relay triggered by your head unit is one technique to get around this problem.

Rather than getting power from the head unit, the relay should be connected to another source of battery energy, such as the fuse box or the battery itself. This will successfully isolate the head unit’s turn-on signal from the various amps, allowing you to avoid any current overload difficulties.

Amp Wiring: Head Unit and Speakers

The outputs of your head unit will determine how you connect it to your amp. You can connect each set of outputs straight to one of your amps if your head unit has multiple preamp outputs.

You’ll need to examine your amps if your head unit doesn’t offer numerous preamp outputs. Internal amp wiring may incorporate preamp pass-through functionality, allowing numerous amps to be connected. The pass-through outputs on your first amplifier can then be connected to the preamp inputs on your second amplifier, and so on.

You’ll need to use Y adapters to split the signal between your amps if your head unit doesn’t have multiple preamp outputs and your amps don’t have pass-through functionality.

If your head unit lacks preamp outputs, the amp wiring scenario becomes more problematic. You’ll connect your head unit to your amps with speaker wire, and you’ll either require power amps with speaker-level inputs or a line output converter to give your amps line-level inputs.

Things You Will Need

To hook up two amps with a single power wire, you will need access to the following:

Power wire
Remote turn-on wire
Ground wire
Distribution block

Step 1: Detach the Positive Terminal from Your Car’s Battery

To begin, disconnect the positive terminal from your car’s battery. This will keep anything from shorting out while you work with the various electrical cables.

Step 2: Run the Power Wire

If you want to put two amps on a single power wire, ensure sure the cable is heavy enough to meet the increased electrical current demands of your amplifiers; otherwise, the amplifiers will not function properly or deliver the rated power. The best – and smartest – approach to connect numerous amps to a single power connection is to use a power distribution block. The latter is a cost-effective and practical method of connecting several branch circuit devices to a single electrical circuit.

Step 3: Run the Ground Wire

Instead of grounding each amp individually, use a ground distribution block to link all of your amps’ grounds to a single point. Each amp should be connected to a ground distribution block that is coupled to a suitable subframe ground or chassis that has been cut down to bare metal, ideally within eighteen inches of the amp’s position. Your amplifiers’ ground wires must be the same size as the power cables. Furthermore, the ground distribution block to grounding point cable must be the same size as the battery to power distribution block wire.

Step 4: Run the Remote Turn-On Wire

A remote turn-on wire is a blue wire (typically with a white stripe) attached to the back of the head unit. Its main function is to “tell” your amplifier to turn on once the head unit is switched on. Without the remote switch-on signal, your amplifier will not turn on. The problem is that a remote turn-on signal isn’t usually strong enough to turn on multiple amps at once.

A proposed remedy for this problem is to connect the turn-on leads from your amps to a transmitter that is operated by your head unit. Using a 12v relay to turn on two distinct amps at the same time with just one power cable is a great idea. Instead of receiving power from the head unit, the relay should be connected to another source of battery energy, either directly from the battery or indirectly from the fuse box. This basically isolates the head unit’s turn-on signal from your amplifiers, allowing them to turn on and presumably avoiding any current overload difficulties.

Step 5: Wire the Head Unit to Your Amp

Your head unit’s outputs will dictate how you connect it to your amplifiers. You can connect each set to a separate amp if your head unit has several preamp outputs. If your head unit doesn’t offer several preamp outputs, you’ll need to check your amps.

In rare cases, inbuilt amp wiring may have preamp pass-through capability, allowing you to connect numerous amps. Connect the pass-through outputs of your first amp to the preamp inputs of your second amp, and so on. If your head unit doesn’t have multiple preamp outputs and your amplifiers don’t have pass-through capabilities, you’ll need to use Y adapters to divide the signal between your amps.

Connecting Two Amplifiers To One Speaker Using An Amplifier Switch

An amplifier switch is a straightforward field that permits you to switch from one amplifier to a different. This resolution doesn’t allow you to play each amps on the identical time and doesn’t improve power or make the system louder. It merely permits you to use totally different amplifiers along with your speakers at totally different instances. Reasons you might wish to do that:

To examine the sound of two totally different amplifiers
To run a house theater surround sound amplifier into your entire speakers for motion pictures and a stereo amp into simply the entrance two speakers for music
Because you like the sound of various amplifiers at totally different instances or with totally different music

Whatever switch you utilize, be sure it’s a “break before make” switch, which means that it utterly disconnects one amplifier earlier than connecting the opposite. Any different type of switch is prone to trigger harm to your tools. Wiring an amplifier switch like that is actually easy, however let’s go over the fundamentals step-by-step. You can see on the again panel that there are connectors for 2 amplifiers (marked “input”) and connectors for 2 pairs of speakers (marked “output”). Connecting two amplifiers takes only three primary steps:

Run speaker wire from the again of 1 amplifier into input A on the again of the switch field, ensuring to attach proper to proper and left to left, and constructive to constructive and damaging to damaging.
Run speaker wire in precisely the identical method from the again of the second amplifier into input B.
Run speaker wire from the #1 output connectors on the again of the switch field to your pair of speakers, once more ensuring to attach proper to proper and left to left, and constructive to constructive and damaging to damaging.

Recommended Reading: try our article on learn how to join speaker wire right here or learn a fast information on how to decide on one to your system. Now you need to use the entrance panel controls to simply and safely switch from one amplifier to a different. If you may have additionally wired within the second pair of loudspeakers (following step 3, however this time for the #2 output connectors) you too can switch between speakers.

IMPORTANT To Consider When Connecting Two Amplifiers To One Speaker!

Many individuals wish to use a second amplifier to make their sound system louder, and assume that they’ll successfully improve, even double, their power by working two amplifiers into the speakers on the identical time. It is possible to “bridge” amplifiers on this approach in a car stereo system, however for dwelling or skilled audio, it doesn’t work, and should by no means be performed! It will harm your amplifiers, speakers, and presumably different parts in your sound system. Specifically, you should NEVER:

Run speaker wire from two amplifiers to at least one set of speakers on the identical time without utilizing the proper amplifier switching field – even in case you are only utilizing one amp at a time.
Try to make use of a speaker switching field backwards.
Attempt any kind of particular wiring to run amplifiers bridged, in parallel or in collection.

Really, the only secure and efficient methods to make use of two amplifiers on the identical time on a pair of speakers are lined in our subsequent sections on find out how to join two amplifiers to your own home theater or stereo system.

Connecting Two Amplifiers To A Home Theater System Using A Surround Sound Processor

One of the most critical components of any home theater/audio-visual system is the surround sound processor. It divides an audio signal (for example, a movie soundtrack or music) into many channels. Two for the front left and right speakers, two for the back left and right (surround) speakers, one for the front centre channel (dialogue) speaker, and one for the subwoofer, which plays deep bass. Most audio/visual systems have an all-in-one receiver that includes the surround sound processor as well as all of the amplifiers for the speakers and subwoofer – all in one box. The output connectors for the speakers and subwoofer are clearly labelled on the back panel of the receiver.

Running speaker cable from the speaker outputs to the relevant speakers and from the subwoofer outputs to the subwoofer is then a straightforward matter. Independent output connectors from the surround processor may be available on some higher-end home theatre systems, allowing you to bypass the integrated amplifiers and connect separate amplifiers, which may provide greater power and better sound quality. If this is the case, wiring becomes slightly more difficult, but it is still manageable if done step by step.

The “pre-out” outputs from the surround processor will be prominently labelled on the back panel of the home theatre receiver. These are line level outputs, which have a lower power level than speaker outputs, and are intended to be connected to amplifiers, which are then connected to various speakers. The methods outlined here will show you how to connect several amplifiers to your home theatre system. We’ll use the Yamaha RX-A3080 Home Theater Receiver as an example because it’s a fantastic high-end Audio Video receiver with plenty of power, terrific sound, and all the versatility and features anyone could want, but the same instructions will work with any AV receiver or preamplifier.

Locate the part on the AV receiver’s again panel that has the “PRE OUT” connectors.
Run RCA connector cables from the outputs for the entrance speakers to the input jacks on the entrance speaker’s amplifier, ensuring to attach the optimistic (often purple) jack to optimistic and detrimental to detrimental.
Do the identical for the surround speakers, the middle channel (dialogue) speakers and the subwoofer(s).
Now run speaker wires from every amplifier to its corresponding speakers, ensuring, when applicable, to attach the left speaker to the amp’s left speaker output and the correct speaker to the correct speaker output.
Consult your receiver’s homeowners guide for information on easy methods to modify particular person channel ranges to acquire the best possible steadiness between the speakers.

If you aren’t positive easy methods to do all of this, have questions or simply want some assist, the audio/visible vendor the place you bought your gear should have the ability to provide all of the help you want.

Connecting Two Amplifiers To A Home Stereo System Using An Active Crossover

An active crossover is a device that separates the high and low frequencies of a music signal, sending the high frequencies to one amplifier, which powers the tweeter and midrange speaker drivers, and the low frequencies to a second amplifier, which powers the woofer or subwoofer. Although passive crossovers are commonly built into speakers, active crossovers come in their own box and are placed between the stereo preamplifier and the amplifiers.

We have a comprehensive post dedicated to speaker crossover if you want more information. You’d probably have one amplifier for the tweeter and midrange speakers and another for the woofer/subwoofer in this situation. Connecting numerous amps to your hi-fi system in this way can provide a number of benefits, including increased volume and musical intensity, improved clarity and sound quality, deeper bass, and reduced distortion and colouring across the musical spectrum, from the highest to the lowest notes.

When utilizing an energetic crossover in a high-end audiophile stereo system, there are lots of completely different concerns:

You should get a really high high quality crossover which matches well with the system, the speakers and your individual tastes.
The amplifiers themselves should even be high high quality, and every amplifier should be optimum for the speaker it’s driving, when it comes to frequency range, power output, impedance and different variables.
The speakers should have separate inputs for high and low frequencies, not only one pair of speaker wire connectors, or there should be a separate subwoofer in its personal field and with its personal connectors.

At this stage of kit and listening, most individuals contemplate it smart, and even needed, to hunt the recommendation of knowledgeable audiophile supplier to pick out and arrange their amplifiers, crossover, and speakers – as well as the remainder of their high-end audio gear.

Troubleshooting – I’ve Followed The Instructions, But It Doesn’t Work; Now What?

What if you have followed our instructions exactly and it still isn’t working? Even the simplest process can go wrong, and finding the reason can sometimes take longer than the process itself. To avoid this, let’s run through some basic problems you might encounter.

1. Make Sure All Of The Equipment Is Turned On

Make sure that all of the equipment is turned on and that the volume controls are at least slightly raised. Not only the amplifiers, but also the receiver or preamplifier into which they’re connected, as well as any source equipment you’re utilising – CD, DVD, or MP3 player, internet source, record player, or anything else. Check not only the power switch, but also that all of the equipment is plugged in and that the power or dial lights are illuminated.

When turning equipment on and off, especially power amplifiers, it is critical to do it in the precise sequence. You should always turn on your receiver or preamplifier first, followed by your power amplifier. When turning off your system, do so in reverse order: turn off your power amplifier first, then your preamplifier or receiver. This can help you avoid sudden loud pops and noise, as well as possible equipment damage.

2. Make Sure You Have Correct Source Selected

Also, double-check that the correct source is selected. If you’re watching a DVD, for example, ensure sure the receiver’s input selector is set to DVD. With more powerful AV receivers, you may be able to plug in a large number of various sources — some may even include inputs for three or four separate DVD players! If in doubt, look at which connector the DVD player (in this case) is attached to on the rear panel – it should be clearly labelled DVD 1, DVD 2, etc., and the receiver’s selector switch should say the same thing.

3. Check All Of The Cables

Examine all connections, including those connecting the amplifiers to the speakers, the amplifiers to the stereo or home theatre system, and the source equipment to the stereo or home theatre system. Make certain they are in the correct location and are securely attached.

4. Check The Fuses And Circuit Breakers

A protective circuit may trip, shutting off power or an audio signal, and you may only need to turn the device off for a few seconds to allow it to reset. If the protective circuitry detects high heat, you may need to turn off the power and wait a few minutes before it resets.

Final thoughts – How To Hook Up 2 Amps To Single Power Wire

You have a plethora of options at your disposal when it comes to connecting two amplifiers to a single source. There are many various motivations for why individuals may like to connect several amplifiers to a single source. The goal of the vast majority of individuals is often to improve sound quality while simultaneously increasing volume. You have three options to pick from, and each one is both risk-free and uncomplicated to carry out. Because each system has its own unique input and output options, the possibilities change depending on which system you choose.