Series or Parallel? (2 speakers)

[Troopie's Tonka]

I have 2 dual 4ohm voice coil 12" subs. I want to run them to my amp bridged. I am trying to run them to get the best performance. Should I:
a) run the dual voice coils parallel, getting a 2 ohm load per speaker, then running the speakers in series to get a 4 ohm load at the amp? or
b) run the dual voice coils in series, getting an 8 ohm load per speaker, then running the speakers parallel to the amp and get a 4 ohm load at the amp?

The amp only gets 100 watts per channel, but if I bridge at 4ohms, it pushes out 300 watts (150 per speaker). Does it really matter how I run it? Or would one way be better than the other? Thanks.

 

[RingMaster4x4]

I would go with the first one (A). I think that if you did B you would have a 16 ohm load, but I could be wrong. /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

 

[Z3PR]

[ QUOTE ]
a) run the dual voice coils parallel, getting a 2 ohm load per speaker, then running the speakers in series to get a 4 ohm load at the amp?

[/ QUOTE ] It'd be better to get a 2 ohm load at the amp, but I'm not sure how to wire it for that. (Providing your amp is 2 ohm stable). That'd get the biggest boom !! ((( Not sure what the ohms would be but try L positive wire to sub 1. off the negitive of sub 1 run a jumper to positive of sub 2, then negitive of sub 2 back to the amp R negitive at the amp. )))

 

[Greg72]

[ QUOTE ]


The amp only gets 100 watts per channel, but if I bridge at 4ohms, it pushes out 300 watts

[/ QUOTE ]



Now where's that little emoticon with the "BS" flag.....??? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I don't know what to tell you...if the specs claim that the amp somehow gets MORE powerful when bridged (more total power than adding up the individual channels)... there's something fishy going on.

Bridging an amp gives you a single LARGE channel to work with, but there are losses electronically when you do it. A 100W x 2 amp that is bridged should produce no more than 200W (and probably less!) when it's bridged to mono...

You can't create "free" watts out of thin air... take a look at the specs on the amp, my suspicion is that they are using a different rating system in "bridged" mode (maybe at a higher distortion value, or the spec is not for 20-20,000Hz anymore???)


Curious......VERY curious.... /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

 

[4x4Freak]

The 300x1 is most likely the MAX output, while the 100x2 is probably RMS.

 

[Troopie's Tonka]

Yeah, 100x2 is rms, and in the amp specs, it just shows that it puts out 300 watts briged at 4ohms, I'm guessing that is max. So, question is...hmmm....run the 12's on their own channel, giving them 100x2 at 2ohms? or bridge them and get 300 max at 4ohms? Any givers? Here are the specs:
http://memphiscaraudio.com/P18_PR_Amps.htm

 

[Rebel88]

In all honesty most of todays amps cant handle being bridged at 2 ohms...I would say run your voice coils in series to bump up to 8 ohms then bring them down at the amp and run the amp at 4 ohms...in most cases that is the most stable and power conservative way to run the amp

Later