sub wire

[swimfreak26 10+ year member]

I am going to be running 400 watts RMS to each of my subs...what gauge wire should I use. This is from the amp to the subs, not the power for the amp...I have 4 gauge there. help is appreciated, thanks

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[KoBan715 10+ year member]

I use 10-12 gauge wire. But thats just me

 

[Sspider 5,000+ posts]

yea, 10-12 is g0od...

sspider

 

[indosia 10+ year member]

The thicker the better.

 

[bigbassman Premium Member]

12 gauge is the biggest wire you'll ever need for the output wiring.... It can safely carry 600 volts AC over distance...

you could easily get by with 14 gauge with only 400 watts a woofer....

Loyd L.

 

[Mr. Loki 5,000+ posts]

Hey I use 10 to 12 guage and it just give you a better current flow and more juice just do an easy check get some wire smallest of 16 and biggest of 8 and run the subs and see which you like...the thicker the wire the more you will get.

 

[indosia 10+ year member]

Yea 12 or 14 gauge will work, but the size and length of the wire will effect the amplifiers ability to control the subwoofer. Damping factor is measured at the amplifiers output terminals. Thicker wire minimizes loss of damping.

 

[Mr. Loki 5,000+ posts]

Yep also you can get the amp as close to the sub terminals possible and that will help...hints people mount the amp on the sub box

 

[indosia 10+ year member]

Iv'e heard that you shouldn't mount your amp directly to the box for two reasons. It makes it easier for a thief to steal. And the vibration can damage the amp. If you have a well built box and a alarm, it might not matter. With a ported box, you might be able to mount your amp inside the box, and connect it str8 to the speaker. The speakers movement would circulate air around the amp to keep it cool. Only problem is running the power, ground, and remote wires inside the box.

 

[Mr. Loki 5,000+ posts]

Iv'e heard that you shouldn't mount your amp directly to the box for two reasons. It makes it easier for a thief to steal. And the vibration can damage the amp. If you have a well built box and a alarm, it might not matter. With a ported box, you might be able to mount your amp inside the box, and connect it str8 to the speaker. The speakers movement would circulate air around the amp to keep it cool. Only problem is running the power, ground, and remote wires inside the box.

Yea theft is a problem, but an alarm helps alot.

I have heard the same, but a little vibrations hasnt hurt any of my amps and if you have a good solid box the amp should be fine as long as you dont have a ghetto setup where your **** slides all over your trunk.

 

[Bumpin03 10+ year member]

Originally posted by indosia Iv'e heard that you shouldn't mount your amp directly to the box for two reasons. It makes it easier for a thief to steal. And the vibration can damage the amp. If you have a well built box and a alarm, it might not matter. With a ported box, you might be able to mount your amp inside the box, and connect it str8 to the speaker. The speakers movement would circulate air around the amp to keep it cool. Only problem is running the power, ground, and remote wires inside the box.

WHY would you mount your amp inside your box? Your joking right? First of all...how would you ever adjust your gains or anything...you couldn't get to the amp. Second of all I don't know about that being to great having the amp being exposed to that much pressure. Third....that would be more trouble trying to send the power/ground/rca/remote wires through the box than it would to send speakers wires through terminals. Attaching the amp to the inside of your box is like saying...mount your amp on your roof.....or setting your subwoofer in your back seat not hooking it up and watching it bounce around thinking its going to sound good.

 

[Mr. Loki 5,000+ posts]

WHY would you mount your amp inside your box? Your joking right? First of all...how would you ever adjust your gains or anything...you couldn't get to the amp. Second of all I don't know about that being to great having the amp being exposed to that much pressure. Third....that would be more trouble trying to send the power/ground/rca/remote wires through the box than it would to send speakers wires through terminals. Attaching the amp to the inside of your box is like saying...mount your amp on your roof.....or setting your subwoofer in your back seat not hooking it up and watching it bounce around thinking its going to sound good.

LOL thats right, its not bad to mount it to the box, plus you could make and amp rack come on be creative, but not stick the amp in the box??

 

[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

well mounting it in the box is a bad idea...as for the vibrations it would get from being mounted to the box....your saying that it being anywhere else its not going to any vibrations???how about mounted to your car...your car has alot of vibrations when your driving as well....so mounting it to the box isnt going to hurt the amp any more than having it mounted any where else...but if you were really worried about it you could always add a strip of weather stripping along the bottome of the amp....only thing i can think about is the heat sink....if its vertical it might take a bit more time for the heat to dissipate .....but to each thier own....if a theif wants your stuff bad enough he'll get it regardless of if the amp is mounted somewhere else or not....

 

[indosia 10+ year member]

Originally posted by Bumpin03 WHY would you mount your amp inside your box? Your joking right? First of all...how would you ever adjust your gains or anything...you couldn't get to the amp. Second of all I don't know about that being to great having the amp being exposed to that much pressure. Third....that would be more trouble trying to send the power/ground/rca/remote wires through the box than it would to send speakers wires through terminals. Attaching the amp to the inside of your box is like saying...mount your amp on your roof.....or setting your subwoofer in your back seat not hooking it up and watching it bounce around thinking its going to sound good.

Most all powered home subwoofers are designed with the amp inside the box. It was more of an IDEA than a joke. It wouldn't be that hard to get power, ground, and remote wires inside the box and you could adjust the gain through the port. It would save space, look cleaner, and keep the amp cool. As for thiefs, the longer it takes a thief to steal my system, the better chance i have of shooting him.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[Mr. Loki 5,000+ posts]

Most all powered home subwoofers are designed with the amp inside the box. It was more of an IDEA than a joke. It wouldn't be that hard to get power, ground, and remote wires inside the box and you could adjust the gain through the port. It would save space, look cleaner, and keep the amp cool.

Dude thats right an all, but they are pre-tuned...you dont have controls on most of them....hard my ass what are you gonna do drill a hole for the wires?? run it through a port? that would look sick......sorry dude just dont think so...also you could mount the amp out of site other ways..