Sub ohm question

[SHO M0nk3y]

I just recently picked up two older JL 12" 8 ohm subs with a 400W 4 ohm bridged out put amp. Easy enough, put the subs in parallel to get them down to 4 ohms to plug in to the bridge out put. Well the amp is out, had to fix a connections on the boards so while boxing day shopping I picked up an an new amp and deck. The amp has a left and right channel outputs are 4 ohm and the bridge is 2 ohms.

So I can keep my subs set up for 4 ohm and use one channel or can I put each sub in parallel with a 8 ohm resistor to get them down to 4 ohms each and plug them in to separate channels or then once the subs are in parallel with the 8 ohm resisters put them in parallel to down them to 2 ohms and put them on the bridged connection. Will this work if I can get proper resisters, if so would any old 8 ohm resister work or am I looking for high power rating resistors.

When it comes to car audio (such as speakers, amps, and subs) I'm a bit of a noob, but I am pretty good with electrical thats how I came up with this.

 

[NiNeTy Fo SHO]

Do not use any resistors...they will not make it any louder. Lower impedance = more output on an amp...but the resistor will "use" that extra output and the sub will still get the same amount of watts with or without the resistor.

I would wire them in parallel and bridge it across both channels like you had with your last amp.

You can run them in parallel on only one channel, but then if a song only has music coming out of one side (left or right), your subs may or may not play it depending on which side you hooked them up to.

 

[SHO M0nk3y]

I would wire them in parallel and bridge it across both channels like you had with your last amp.

I was going to do use the bridge on the new amp but the bridge is 2 ohm. Or are you saying use both channels in parallel with the subs in parrallel.

 

[baySHO_510]

If you have single voice-coil 8 ohm subs, wire them in parallel to the bridged output and your amp will "see" a 4 ohm load. Your amp should be stable at 4 ohms to a single channel.

If you run each sub from each channel on the amp you will cut the power output maybe by half because it will be running at 8 ohms. Check out www.cruchfield.com they have a lot of good info.

 

[SHO M0nk3y]

Gotcha! Thanks.

 

[NiNeTy Fo SHO]

Exactly as baySHO stated. Your amp is 2 ohm stable...meaning it can run at 2 ohms and up. You will be putting a 4 ohm load on it when you wire your subs in parallel.