A Few Questions... I'm New to This Stuff

[eternalentity 10+ year member]

I don't know very much about car audio and this is something that I would really like to understand. I've looked at the stickies, and my, the information is overwhelming for me to understand anything in plain terms. There's A LOT.

Okay with that said... One thing I want to try to get my head around is the differences between 1 ohm, 2 ohms, and 4 ohms. Is it better to run 1ohm because it always has the most wattage? I always see amplifiers and subs listed like:

Sub "x" or Amplifier "x"

500rms@1ohm

300rms@2ohms

150rms@4ohms

What does this mean? Should I always get amps and subs that'll perform at 1ohm because it's the most? Or hook it up like that? Errr, I'm lost.

I will be very thankful if somebody can explain to a newb like me what this stuff means. All I know is that I need a THUMPIN' BASS-FILLED car //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

Thank you for looking.

Click to read more...

 

[evan 10+ year member]

I'm no expert, but here's how I understand it. Ohms are a measure of resistance. The lower the ohm rating, the higher the strain on the amplifier. I think lots of people buy subs that will wire down to 1 ohm because it is easier to get huge amplifier numbers at 1 ohm. If you don't have huge SPL needs, you could buy your subs with voice coils that will wire down to 2 ohms and life won't be quite as hard on your amp. There are lots of amps that are 1 ohm stable, but that doesn't mean they aren't good at running at 2 ohms.

So... Yes, you could buy gear to run at 1 ohm and get bigger numbers, but you don't need to. What's your budget?

 

[Atimm693 10+ year member]

http://www.bcae1.com

LOTS of info there.

 

[eternalentity 10+ year member]

Thank you. It sorta makes a bit more sense. As for my budget, I'm not looking for anything spectacular. I'm into the entry level stuff like "Profile Amps" and

As for my car, I have a 1991 Toyota MR2. I have two 8" woofers behind each seat and I'm running an unknown kicker amp that a friend of mine gave to me almost a decade ago LOL. I will most likely upgrade the 8"s and up the amp to a more powerful one to run more powerful subs. Also go to a 4 gauge wire setup too. As for now, my system is extremely cheap that I don't even want to say... it's the cream of the crop when it comes to ghetto //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

I'm no expert, but here's how I understand it. Ohms are a measure of resistance. The lower the ohm rating, the higher the strain on the amplifier. I think lots of people buy subs that will wire down to 1 ohm because it is easier to get huge amplifier numbers at 1 ohm. If you don't have huge SPL needs, you could buy your subs with voice coils that will wire down to 2 ohms and life won't be quite as hard on your amp. There are lots of amps that are 1 ohm stable, but that doesn't mean they aren't good at running at 2 ohms.
So... Yes, you could buy gear to run at 1 ohm and get bigger numbers, but you don't need to. What's your budget?

Thanks for the link... I'll have a look.

http://www.bcae1.com
LOTS of info there.