Many car owners without technical education do not know how to connect an amplifier to a car radio - for them it seems like too much work. In fact, you should not rush to contact a car service, because installing a car amplifier is not so difficult.
Maintenance by specialists will be expensive, so in order to save money, you should try to figure out the connection procedure, which this article will help you with.
For high-quality operation of the amplifier, it is necessary:
For more information on how to connect an amplifier, see below.
The procedure for connecting the amplifier begins with power wires. Wiring is the most important element of a car audio system, it determines the volume and sound quality. Amplifiers need a stable power supply, because otherwise there will not be enough power, because of this, the sound will become distorted. To understand why you need to pay attention to the quality of the wiring and how it affects the sound reproduced by the loudspeaker, you need to know what a music signal is.
Some suggest that it represents a sine, however, musical singal is characterized by a large difference between normal and peak value. If for the speakers of car acoustics, sharp bursts of signal are not fundamental, then in the case of an amplifier, the situation is completely different. If the signal even for a second (or even a millisecond) exceeds the allowable power, then these "anomalies" will be audible even for those who cannot boast of a good ear for music.
If the connection of the car amplifier was done properly, then the signal will go through the wires in an undistorted form. Carelessly done work or incorrectly selected wire size will cause the sound to be more clamped, rough and sluggish. In some cases, wheezing may also be clearly audible.
Wire is the most common metal that has a certain level of resistance. The thicker the wire, the lower the resistance of the wire. To avoid sound distortion during strong voltage fluctuations (for example, during powerful bass playback), it is necessary to install a wire of the correct gauge.
It should be noted that the cross section of the positive cable should not be greater than the negative one (the length does not matter).
The amplifier is considered to be a rather electrically intensive device. For its effective operation, high-quality grounding is necessary so that it is possible to receive the necessary energy from the battery.
To choose the right cross-section of wires, you need to do some calculations. To get started, look in the instructions for the amplifier (or directly on the box from the manufacturer, if there is no documentation, use the Internet) and find the value of the rated power (RMS) there. Rated power is the signal power of the amplifier that it can deliver for an extended period of time into one channel of 4 ohms.
If we consider four-channel amplifiers, they usually have a power of 40 to 150 watts per channel. Let's say the amplifier you've purchased puts out 80 watts of power. As a result of simple mathematical operations, we find out that the total power of the amplifier is 320 watts. Those. how did we calculate it? it's very simple to multiply the rated power by the number of channels. If we have a two-channel amplifier with a rated power (RMS) of 60 watts, then the total will be 120 watts.
After you calculate the power, it is advisable to also determine the length of the wire from the battery to your amplifier and you can safely use the table to select the desired wire section. How to use the table? On the left side, the power of your amplifier is indicated, on the right, choose the length of the wire, go up and find out what section you need.
The table shows the sections of copper wires, remember that a large number of sold wires are made of aluminum coated with copper, these wires are not durable and have more resistance, we recommend using copper wires.
In order to secure the connection of a car amplifier, it is necessary to protect the power supply from the battery to the amplifier using a fuse. Fuses should be placed as close to the battery as possible. It is important to distinguish between a fuse that protects the device itself (whether it will be an amplifier or a radio tape recorder), and a fuse installed on the power wire. 
The latter is needed in order to protect the cable itself, since a considerable current flows through it.
Be sure to match the fuse ratings, as if the wiring fuse rating is too high, the wire may burn out as a result of a short circuit. If the value, on the contrary, is less, then the fuse at the time of peak loads can easily burn out and then there will be no other way out than buying a new one. The table below shows the wire size and the required fuse rating.
To lay the cable, you need to find a line-out on the radio. The line output can be recognized by the characteristic "bells" that are located on the rear panel of the radio. The number of line outputs differs in different radio models. Usually there are from one to three pairs. Basically, they are distributed as follows: 1 pair - you can connect a subwoofer or 2 speakers (signed as SW \ F) If there are 2 pairs of them, you can connect 4 speakers or a subwoofer and 2 speakers (the outputs are signed F and SW), and when there are 3 pairs of linear wires can connect 4 speakers and a subwoofer (F, R, SW) F This is Front i.e. front speakers, R Read rear speakers, and SW Sabwoorer I think everyone understands that.
Does the radio have line outputs? Read the article "".
To connect, you will need an interconnect wire, which in no case can be saved. It is forbidden to lay an interconnect cable near the power wires, since various kinds of interference will be heard during engine operation. You can stretch the wires both under the floor mats and under the ceiling. The latter option is especially relevant for modern cars, in the cabin of which there are electronic accessories that interfere.
You also need to connect the control wire (REM). As a rule, it comes with interconnecting wires, but it happens that it is not there, purchase it separately, it is not necessary that it be of a large cross section of 1 mm2 is enough. This wire serves as a control to turn on the amplifier, i.e. when you turn off the radio, it automatically turns on your amplifier or subwoofer. As a rule, this wire on the radio is blue with a white stripe, if not, then use the blue wire. It connects to the amplifier to a terminal called REM.
We have combined this section, because these amplifiers have a very similar connection scheme, it can even be said more simply, a four-channel amplifier is two two-channel. We will not consider connecting a two-channel amplifier, but if you figure out how to connect a four-channel amplifier, then you will not have problems connecting a two-channel one. Most car enthusiasts choose this option for their installations, because 4 speakers can be connected to this amplifier, or 2 speakers and a subwoofer. Let's look at connecting a four-channel amplifier using the first and second options. 
Connecting a 4-channel amplifier to a battery is recommended using a thick cable. How to choose the right power wires and connect interconnects is all we have discussed above. Amplifier connections are usually specified in the instructions from the manufacturer. When an amplifier is connected to acoustics, it operates in stereo mode; in this mode, this type of amplifier can operate under a load of 4 to 2 ohms. Below is a diagram of connecting a four-channel amplifier to speakers.
Now let's look at the second option, when speakers and a subwoofer are connected to a four-channel amplifier. In this case, the amplifier operates in mono mode, it takes voltage from two channels at once, so try to choose a subwoofer with a resistance of 4 ohms, this will save the amplifier from overheating and going into protection. Connecting a subwoofer will not be a problem, as a rule, the manufacturer indicates on the amplifier where to get a plus for connecting a subwoofer, and where a minus. Take a look at the diagram of how a 4 channel amplifier is bridged. 
Single channel amplifiers are used for only one purpose - to connect to a subwoofer. A notable characteristic of amplifiers of this kind is increased power. Monoblocks are also capable of operating below 4 ohms, which is called a low-resistance load. Monoblocks are classified as class D amplifiers, while they have a special filter for cutting frequencies.
Installing a single-channel amplifier does not require much effort, since its connection diagrams are very simple. There are two outputs in total - “plus” and “minus”, and if the speaker has only one coil, then you just need to connect it to it. If we are talking about connecting two speakers, then they can be connected either in parallel or in series. Of course, it is not necessary to be limited to only two speakers, but before connecting the amplifier and subwoofer to the radio, will the latter cope with a high level of resistance.
We hope that this article helped you figure out how to properly connect a car amplifier. Rate the article on a 5-point scale, if you have any comments, suggestions, or you know something that is not indicated in this article, please let us know! Leave your comment below. This will help make the information on the site even more useful.
It is good if the installer has the opportunity to apply a channel-by-channel amplification scheme. However, in most cases this is considered an unaffordable luxury, and in the process of installing an audio system, in nine cases out of ten, there is a need to load, for example, a two-channel device with four speakers or a four-channel device with eight. Actually, there is nothing terrible in this. It is only important to keep in mind a few basic ways to connect speakers. Not even a few, but only two: serial and parallel. The third - series-parallel - is the derivative of the two listed. In other words, if you have more than one speaker per channel of amplification and you know what loads the device can handle, then choosing one, the most acceptable scheme from three possible ones, is not so difficult.
Series connection of speakers
It is clear that when the drivers are connected in series, the load resistance increases. It is also clear that with an increase in the number of links, it grows. Usually the need to increase the resistance arises to reduce the output performance of acoustics. In particular, when installing a rear sub-sound or a center channel speaker, which mainly perform an auxiliary role, they do not require significant power from the amplifier. In principle, you can connect as many speakers as you like in series, but their total resistance should not exceed 16 ohms: there are few amplifiers that work with higher loads.
Figure 1 shows how two dynamic heads are connected in a daisy chain. The positive output connector of the amplifier channel is connected to the positive terminal of speaker A, and the “minus” of the same driver is connected to the “plus” of speaker B. After that, the negative terminal of speaker B is connected to the negative output of the same amplification channel. The second channel is built according to the same scheme.
These are two speakers. If you want to connect in series, say, four loudspeakers, then the method is similar. The “minus” of speaker B, instead of being connected to the output of the amplifier, is connected to the “plus” C. Further from the negative terminal C, a wire is thrown to the “plus” D, and already from the “minus” D, a connection is made to the negative output connector of the amplifier.
The calculation of the equivalent load resistance of an amplification channel loaded with a string of series-connected speakers is done by simple addition using the following formula: Zt = Za + Zb, where Zt is the equivalent load resistance, and Za and Zb, respectively, are the resistance of speakers A and B. you four 12-inch 4 ohm subwoofer heads and a single 2 x 100 W stereo amplifier that does not tolerate low-impedance (2 ohm or less) loads. In this case, connecting the woofers in series is the only possible option. Each amplification channel serves a pair of heads with a total resistance of 8 ohms, which easily fits into the above 16 ohm frames. Whereas the parallel connection of the speakers (about it later) will lead to an unacceptable (less than 2 ohms) decrease in the load resistance of both channels and, as a result, the failure of the amplifier.
When more than one speaker is connected in series to the same amplification channel, output power is inevitably affected. Let's return to the example with two 12-inch drivers connected in series and one 200-watt stereo amplifier, the minimum load impedance of which is 4 ohms. To find out how many watts under such conditions the amplifier can give to the speakers, you need to solve another simple equation: Po = Pr x (Zr / Zt), where Po is the input power, Pr is the measured power of the amplifier, Zr is the load resistance at which the measurements of the real power of the amplifier, Zt is the total resistance of the speakers loaded on a given channel. In our case, it turns out: Po = 100 x (4/8). That is 50 watts. We have two speakers, so the "fifty kopeck" is divided into two. As a result, each head will receive 25 watts.
Parallel speaker connection
Here everything is exactly the opposite: with a parallel connection, the load resistance drops in proportion to the number of speakers. Accordingly, the output power increases. The number of loudspeakers is limited by the ability of the amplifier to operate at low loads and by the power limits of the loudspeakers themselves connected in parallel. In most cases, amplifiers can handle loads of 2 ohms, less often 1 ohm. There are devices that can handle even 0.5 ohms, but this is really a rarity. As for modern loudspeakers, there is a spread in power parameters from tens to hundreds of watts.
Figure 2 shows how to connect a pair of drivers in parallel. The wire from the positive output connector is connected to the positive terminals of speakers A and B (the easiest way is to first connect the amplifier output to the “plus” of speaker A, and then pull the wire from it to speaker B). In the same way, the negative output of the amplifier is connected to the "minuses" of both speakers.
Calculating the equivalent load resistance of an amplification channel when the speakers are connected in parallel is somewhat more complicated. The formula is: Zt = (Za x Zb) / (Za + Zb), where Zt is the equivalent load resistance, and Za and Zb are the speaker impedance.
Now let's imagine that a 2-channel device (2 x 100 W for a load of 4 ohms) is again assigned to the low-frequency link in the system, but it works stably at 2 ohms. Connecting two 4 ohm subwoofer drivers in parallel will significantly increase the output power, since the load resistance of the amplifier channel will be halved. According to our formula, we get: Zt = (4 x 4) / (4 + 4). As a result, we have 2 ohms, which, provided that the amplifier has a good current margin, will give a 4-fold increase in power per channel: Po = 100 x (4/2). Or 200 watts per channel instead of 50 watts per channel.
Series-parallel connection of speakers
Typically, this scheme is used to increase the number of speakers on board the vehicle in order to achieve an increase in the total power of the audio system while maintaining adequate load impedance. That is, as many speakers as you like can be used per channel of amplification, if their total resistance is within the limits already indicated by us from 2 to 16 ohms.
Connecting, for example, 4 speakers using this method is as follows. The cable from the positive output of the amplifier is connected to the positive terminals of speakers A and C. Then the negatives of A and C are connected to the positives of loudspeakers B and D, respectively. Finally, the cable from the negative output of the amplifier is connected to the negative terminals of speakers B and D.
To calculate the total load resistance of an amplification channel that operates with four heads connected in a combinatorial way, the following formula is used: Zt = (Zab x Zcd) / (Zab x Zcd), where Zab is the total resistance of speakers A and B, and Zcd is the total impedance of speakers C and D (they are connected in series with each other, so the resistance is summed up).
Let's take the same example with a 2-channel amplifier running stable at 2 ohms. Only this time, two 4-ohm subwoofers connected in parallel do not suit us anymore, and we want to connect 4 woofers (also 4-ohm) to one amplification channel. To do this, we need to know whether the device can withstand such a load. With a serial connection, the total resistance will be 16 ohms, which does not suit anyone. With parallel - 1 Ohm, which no longer fits into the parameters of the amplifier. What remains is a series-parallel circuit. Simple calculations show that in our case one amplification channel will be loaded with standard 4 ohms, while swinging four subwoofers at once. Since 4 ohms is a standard load for any car power amplifier, no losses and gains in power indicators will occur in this case. In our case, this is 100 watts per channel, evenly divided into four 4-ohm speakers.
Let's sum up. The main thing when building such schemes is not to overdo it. First of all, with regard to the minimum load of the amplifier. Most modern devices can handle 2-ohm loads quite well. However, this does not mean at all that they will work at 1 ohm. In addition, at low loads, the amplifier's ability to control the movement of the speaker cone is reduced, which most often results in "blurred" bass.
All three examples above dealt exclusively with the low-frequency link of the audio complex. On the other hand, theoretically, on one two-channel device, you can build the entire speaker system in a car with mid-bass, mid-range and tweeters. That is, with speakers playing in different areas of the frequency spectrum. Therefore, passive crossovers will have to be used. It is important to remember here that their elements - capacitors and inductors - must be matched with the equivalent load resistance of a given amplification channel. In addition, the filters themselves introduce resistance. In this case, the farther the signal is from the passband of the filters, the greater the resistance.
In order to fully enjoy the sound of a car speaker system, the right choice of equipment is not enough. An important aspect of high-quality sound is the correct installation of the speakers to the amplifier. How to connect speakers to an amplifier in a car? If the installation of a subwoofer and an amplifier is calculated from power and location, then the scheme for connecting car speakers to an amplifier has a number of additional nuances that play an important role.
The connection scheme depends on the number of amplifier inputs, the location and power of the speakers, the presence or absence of a subwoofer.
Power amplifiers are:
It is also important to consider the rated power (W, W) and the resistance of all connected equipment (Ohm). They can be found either on device labels or in technical documents. The total resistance of the connection should not exceed the maximum allowable rate.
There are three ways to connect speakers to an amplifier.
In this variant, the resistance is summed up and calculated by the formula:
where R is the general,
R 1 - the first speaker,
R 2 - the second speaker.
In this case, R 1 must be equal to R 2, otherwise the speaker system will wear out quickly, and the expected sound effects will not meet expectations. According to this scheme, you can connect as many speakers as you like, but their R value should not exceed the maximum allowable R of the amplifier. It is also worth considering that the more speakers are connected in series, the less sound power will be at the output.
The serial connection of three or more speakers is carried out according to the same scheme, where each subsequent one is polarly connected to the previous one, and their extreme contacts are polarly connected to the device terminal.
The most important thing when connecting speakers is to make the connection so that none of the speakers is overloaded. Overloading will damage the speaker.
It is important to understand that the speaker can be supplied with power either less than or equal to the nominal power for which it is, in fact, designed. Otherwise, sooner or later, even the highest quality speaker will fail due to overload.
It is clear that before connecting the speakers you need to define them:
Rated power ( Tue, W);
The active resistance of the voice coil ( Ohm, Ω ).
All this, as a rule, is indicated on the magnetic system of the speaker, or on the basket.
1W means 1W, 4Ω is the resistance of the voice coil.
Speaker Brand - 3GDSH-16. The first digit 3 is the rated power, 3 watts. Near the signature - 8 ohms, coil resistance.
Sometimes they don’t indicate, but you can find out by marking.
midrange speaker 15GD-11-120. Rated power - 15 W, coil resistance - 8Ω.
Let's start with the basics - illustrative examples. Imagine that we have a 6-watt audio frequency power amplifier (UMZCH) and 3 speakers. Two 1W speakers (coil resistance 8 Ω each) and one 4W speaker (8 Ω). The challenge is to connect all 3 speakers to the amplifier.
Let's look at an example first wrong connection of these speakers. Here is a visual drawing.
As you can see, the resistance of all three speakers is the same and equal to 8 Ω. Since this is a parallel connection of the speakers, the current will be divided equally between the 3 speakers. At the maximum power of the amplifier (6 watts), each of the speakers will have 2 watts of power. It is clear that 2 out of 3 speakers will be overloaded - the ones with 1 watt power rating. It is clear that such a connection scheme no good.
If the amplifier produced only 3 watts of sound power at the output, then such a circuit would fit, but the 4 watt speaker would not work at full strength - "filonil". Although this is not always critical.
Now let's take an example of the correct connection of all the same speakers. We apply the so-called mixed connection (both serial and parallel).
Connect two 1-watt speakers in series. As a result, their total resistance will be 16 Ω. Now we connect a 4-watt speaker with a resistance of 8 Ω in parallel with them.
When the amplifier is operating at maximum power, the current in the circuit will be divided based on the resistance. Since the resistance of the series circuit of two speakers is 2 times greater (i.e. 16 Ω), the speakers will receive only 2 watts of sound power from the amplifier (1 watt each). But for a 4-watt speaker, a power of 4 watts will go. But it will work according to its rated power. There will be no overload with such a connection. Each of the speakers will work normally.
And one more example.
We have a 4-watt audio frequency power amplifier (UMZCH, aka "amp"). 4 speakers, each wattage is 1 watt, and the impedance of each is 8 Ω. An 8 Ω load can be connected to the amplifier output. It is necessary to connect the speakers together so that their total impedance is 8 Ω.
How to connect the speakers to each other in this case?
First, let's connect all the speakers in series. What will we get as a result?
Since when connected in series, the resistance of the speakers adds up, as a result we get a composite speaker with a resistance of 32 ohms! It is clear that such a connection scheme will not work. By the way, the same resistance (32 Ω) has a headphone capsule - popularly called "gags".
If we connect such a composite 32 Ω speaker to the 8 ohm output of our amplifier, then due to the high resistance, the current through the speakers will be small. The speakers will sound very quiet. Effective matching of the amplifier and the load (speakers) will not work.
Now let's connect all the speakers in parallel - maybe this time it will work?
With a parallel connection, the total resistance is calculated according to such a tricky formula.
As you can see, the total resistance (R total) is 2 Ω. This is less than necessary. If we connect our speakers in this way to the 8 ohm output of the amplifier, then a large current will flow through the speakers due to the low resistance (2 Ω). Because of this, the amplifier may break down .
Well, if we apply a mixed connection, we get this.
When the speakers are connected in series, their resistance is added, we get 2 arms of 16 Ω each. Further, we calculate the resistance according to a simplified formula, since we have only 2 arms connected in parallel.
This connection is already suitable for our amplifier. Thus, we matched the output impedance of the amplifier with the load - our composite speaker (column). The amplifier will deliver full power to the load without overloading.
