Wiring a Speaker Amp

FrannoBaz · 10 Jul 2007 at 15:35

How would i go about wiring an amp in a car? where does the power come from? Direct from Battery? or are there spare "open" cables in the dash?

Thanks

chipperhead · 10 Jul 2007 at 15:37

Buy an amp wiring kit, you'll get a wire with a fuse in for wiring straight to the battery, you'll also get earth cable.

Something like this http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/audio-ak10-10awg-p-5454.html?cadid=1cf3a8cdf0466f000ec47581b8d58ff8

Just make sure you get beefy enough wiring for your amp

1CE · 10 Jul 2007 at 15:37

^^Beaten to it

Power comes from the battery, route it to the boot or seat (whatever takes your fancy) earth it, then connect remote leads and speaker leads to the headunit, sub.

chipperhead · 10 Jul 2007 at 15:40

Just make sure you keep the amp power and speaker cables away from each other or you'll get problems.

Beeston86 · 10 Jul 2007 at 15:42

Straight from the battery, I did with my 2 * 800W and it worked brill

Luke · 10 Jul 2007 at 15:46

chipperhead said:
Just make sure you keep the amp power and speaker cables away from each other or you'll get problems.

That is still a fiercely contested opinion. I always used to run cables down either side of the car to keep them apart, but last time I couldn't get one side of trim off, and ran them all down one side.
No difference whatsoever.

1CE · 10 Jul 2007 at 15:49

Do you have shielded leads, perhaps that will make a difference.

wassap · 10 Jul 2007 at 15:50

emailiscrap said:
That is still a fiercely contested opinion. I always used to run cables down either side of the car to keep them apart, but last time I couldn't get one side of trim off, and ran them all down one side.
No difference whatsoever.

Its just best practice, with modern cars, they arent so electrically noisy, so sometimes you cannot tell. For basic/average systems you wouldnt notice anyway, but with decent systems they amplify every last bit of bloody noise.

It helps that cable technology advances have meant we can get pretty good cable for not a lot.

chipperhead · 10 Jul 2007 at 15:51

emailiscrap said:
That is still a fiercely contested opinion. I always used to run cables down either side of the car to keep them apart, but last time I couldn't get one side of trim off, and ran them all down one side.
No difference whatsoever.

I once ran them all down the same side of the car and as I increased the revs on the car there was a whining interference noise coming through the speakers.

Luke · 10 Jul 2007 at 15:52

1CE said:
Do you have shielded leads, perhaps that will make a difference.

No just your standard 99.999% OFC.
I have encountered interferance in other cars, but I never noticed it on mine.
It certainly won't hurt to do it all down seperate sides, but the benefits are variable

monkeyspank · 10 Jul 2007 at 16:05

chipperhead said:
I once ran them all down the same side of the car and as I increased the revs on the car there was a whining interference noise coming through the speakers.

That usually indicates a bad earth.