Sub & Amp Integration
In Car Subwoofer & Amplifier Integration Advice
When wiring any subwoofer or amplifier into your vehicle you require a multiple cable wiring kit. (Sub & amp wiring kit). The kit contains a power cable that is connected from the vehicles battery to provide a 12v power connection. A remote cable connects to the rear of the head unit which activates the power to the sub, amp (or both), this connects to a 12v ignition switched live which therefor activates when the ignition key is turned. A phono cable connects from the head unit & transfers the sound to the amplifier & an earth cable to ensure the equipment you are installing is safely earthed. Most kits (sub & amp wiring kits) also come complete with speaker cables, this is for if you are installing any addition speakers from your amplifier (other than the subwoofer).
Subwoofers require a higher quality speaker wire which is much thicker than standard speaker wire & uses a high quality production method known as oxygen free. Generally the thicker the cable the better the quality it is & can transfer sound & power much more efficiently. Nowadays most Sub & Amp kits come complete with all wiring kits needed to install the Sub & Amp straight into the vehicle. Pictured are various examples of Sub boxes, Sub & Amp combo kits, Double Sub boxes, & full Amp Wiring kits. So in summary when fitting an aftermarket sub and amp kit, the 12v live cable (generally red) connects to the positive terminal on the vehicles battery. The earth cable (generally black) needs to connect to a solid earth point on the vehicles chassis, good places to use are existing bolts such as the ones that bolt the rear seats in, or rear light clusters, or seat belt anchor points etc, wherever is more suitable for the particular vehicle you are installing in to, (the nearer the sub install the better). The audio Pre-out cable with 2 Phono leads (Generally white and red or black and red), and the amp/sub remote lead (generally blue) both need routing to the rear of the stereo, the Phono leads in to the sub pre out connections on the rear of the stereo and the blue amp remote cable to the amp remote lead on the stereos wiring harness (if aftermarket stereo) if fitting to a standard vehicle manufacturers stereo connect to the 12v ignition live feed from the stereo, or cigar lighter, or fusebox, which ever is more suitable for the install you are carrying out. |