Daisy chain front and rear speakers, or connect at the Amp?

[NatoXemus]

I'm adding aftermarket rear speakers to a 4 channel amp, sub (mono bridged), and 2 front door speakers.

My question is, is it safe to chain the front and rear speakers - so rear positive to front positive, rear negative to front negative, front pos/neg to amp channels?
Or should I just play it safe and connect the rear speakers in parallel at the Amp?

I'd rather the former, as I really CBA to unmanage my cabling -.-

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[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

I'm adding aftermarket rear speakers to a 4 channel amp, sub (mono bridged), and 2 front door speakers.

My question is, is it safe to chain the front and rear speakers - so rear positive to front positive, rear negative to front negative, front pos/neg to amp channels?
Or should I just play it safe and connect the rear speakers in parallel at the Amp?

I'd rather the former, as I really CBA to unmanage my cabling -.-

Not really understanding the last sentence posted. you will benefit at most to place front stage and rear stage on theyre own channels to be able to tune properly/fade and power properly as needed. if you want to add a sub, I would dedicate an amplifier for sub duty only as well.
Though ,another option would be to place amplifier on front chs. 1&2 and utilize Chs-3&4 to used for sub duty and place rear speakers on HU power and place an inline cap for those to keep lower frequencies from damaging those speakers in this operation. make sure that the rear speakers (if in the rear deck ) are capped off from trunk space so that they do not get damaged from the subwoofers air movement flexing the rear speakers beyond theyre Xmax if shared with trunk space.

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

What amplifier ?Make and Model? speakers Make and Model? Sub/ Make and Model? what Vehicle? make and model? what size power and ground supply? OFC or CCA supply wiring? Whar size alternator and what amperage is it rated? waht size and type of battery being used? Type,Brand and model number? Pics help as well or Links to Audio you have or wanting to purchase,or have purchased.

 

[HardofWhoring]

Ok. I'll try to answer it: It COULD be safe. There's a lot of variables you left out, and at the least you lose stereo, (you lose left and right sound coming out of the speaker), and you lose left and right adjustability from the head unit. With subs, it doesn't matter, with mids and highs it does.

I'd suggest getting as detailed as you can about the setup and the vehicle, ^that, and maybe we can give you a couple suggestions on a better way to go about it. At least let us offer up what your alternatives are, and you go from there.

I also wouldn't add a sub to the same amp with door speakers unless you have adjustability somehow on the bridged channel. Not all songs, not all the time, maybe not even any of the time, do you want to have the subwoofer playing at the same volume as the door speakers.

 

[NatoXemus]

Toyota Verso 2010 2.0
Amp: Juice JA1504 1500w bridgeable 4 channel rated 2ohm @ 80w rms
Front Speakers: In-phase 3-way 260w 4ohm
Rear speakers: sub-zero Ice 2-way 220w 4ohm
Sub: Vibe Optisound 8" Hideaway Sub 500w rms - bridged to channels 3 and 4

I understand coupling 3 and 2 way speakers is not ideal, but I'm willing to find out if it works well enough for me and replacing them if not.

I'm fully aware of the load, power, fuse requirements so I don't need to confirm whether the full system is going to run together, I just need to know if physically connecting the speakers together in a chain is as safe/workable as connecting them in parallel at the Amp.

Really appreciate the advice so far!

 

[NatoXemus]

60A fuse to an 80AH Batt

 

[dragon.breath 10+ year member]

You can run one front speaker and one rear speaker per amplifier channel in parallel so that each channel runs at 2 ohms.

The ‘chain’ that you are talking about would result in a 8 ohm load per channel. Which would be safe, but not much power. Figure the 8 ohm power would be about half of the rated 4 ohm power, so 60w at 4 ohm would be 30w at 8 ohms, across 2 speakers would mean each speaker would get about 15w.

 

[NatoXemus]

You can run one front speaker and one rear speaker per amplifier channel in parallel so that each channel runs at 2 ohms.

The ‘chain’ that you are talking about would result in a 8 ohm load per channel. Which would be safe, but not much power. Figure the 8 ohm power would be about half of the rated 4 ohm power, so 60w at 4 ohm would be 30w at 8 ohms, across 2 speakers would mean each speaker would get about 15w.

Thanks for the info, but wouldn't the two speakers connected together in parallel half the impedance meaning both 4ohm speakers would run together for a total 2 ohms per channel to the amp? I'm assuming that connecting the cables at the speaker or the amp terminals creates the same result if wired in parallel?

 

[NatoXemus]

For clarity (obviously only two speakers per chain into 1 channel each L/R):

The wires from both speakers will be twisted together and crimp connected to the front speaker terminals

 

[HardofWhoring]

Toyota Verso 2010 2.0
Amp: Juice JA1504 1500w bridgeable 4 channel rated 2ohm @ 80w rms
Front Speakers: In-phase 3-way 260w 4ohm
Rear speakers: sub-zero Ice 2-way 220w 4ohm
Sub: Vibe Optisound 8" Hideaway Sub 500w rms - bridged to channels 3 and 4

I understand coupling 3 and 2 way speakers is not ideal, but I'm willing to find out if it works well enough for me and replacing them if not.

I'm fully aware of the load, power, fuse requirements so I don't need to confirm whether the full system is going to run together, I just need to know if physically connecting the speakers together in a chain is as safe/workable as connecting them in parallel at the Amp.

Really appreciate the advice so far!

You don't want to use this amp like this. Those numbers you listed are peak.

• Peak power 1500W
• RMS @ 4 Ohm Bridged 170W x2
• RMS @ 2 Ohm 85W
• RMS @ 4 Ohm 60W

So what was your plan here, send 170w to a 500w RMS sub, and
170w (/2 = 85w to each speaker.


Those 260w Fronts are 40w RMS.
Those rears are 220w peak, and 70w RMS.


Can I just be straight with you?? I don't think you do know. This doesn't make sense.
1) If you knew what you were doing, stereo 101 is don't bother with Peak/max numbers. They mean nothing.
2) Putting a sub (especially as underpowered as you want to do it), is going to be weak, and be like having the volume at half of what an appropriate sized amp will do. (half would be lucky).
3) AGAIN, you also don't want a sub on the same amp as your door speakers, because you want to be able to adjust those differently.

4) DUDE IT'S A 4CH AMP. Set your four speakers on the 4 ch amp. The wattage is right there, and will work for the four, and get a sub amp that is 500w x 1 @ whatever ohm rating that sub is.

 

[deadrx7conv 10+ year member]

A parallel connection can be made at the speakers or at the amp.

Since the OP is using 2 channels bridged to the subwoofer, he'll run his front/rear speakers in parallel.

 

[NatoXemus]

My current setup has run flawlessly for the past 10 months with rear into the HU and all else into the amp. I'm simply looking at adding additional speakers in parallel to channels 1 and 2. Channels 3 and 4 are a dedicated sub bridge with its own adjustment and LPF, the amp manual was very clear with its instructions and I'm pretty adept at reading English.
I listed my hardware as requested, and never proclaimed to know anything. That's exactly why I'm here, asking for help precisely because I don't know.

I'm aware of rms over peak, I did enough research before setting up what I have - which is my first ever attempt at an aftermarket rig - to make sure I wouldn't risk any hw or my car... I mean I'm not simple.

As it is, there's nothing wrong with it, and it sounds great. Could it be better? Probably, I can ask for suggestions if I come to that, right now I'm asking if something would be safe and reasonably close to as good as I can get it.

 

[NatoXemus]

A parallel connection can be made at the speakers or at the amp.

Since the OP is using 2 channels bridged to the subwoofer, he'll run his front/rear speakers in parallel.

Perfect, exactly what I needed to know. Thanks for clarifying!

Tbh, I've tested it since asking the question and can see no discernable drop in performance overall. I can't measure the exact numbers in the circuit but, everything else I've checked out online confirms this amp with bridged sub can handle 2 speakers in parallel per channel @ 2 ohms.

The kicker is, my rear door shuts have plastic molex plugs...ffs

 

[HardofWhoring]

I'm really not trying to be rude, I'm just being straight with you. Didn't think you were stupid, or simple. Flat out you're just off on some really basic things, and trying to help you get this better, because I don't think you know as much about it as you think you do. Not trying to be rude, I just think there are other factors you are unaware of.

A parallel connection can be made at the speakers or at the amp.

Since the OP is using 2 channels bridged to the subwoofer, he'll run his front/rear speakers in parallel.

Perfect, exactly what I needed to know. Thanks for clarifying!

Tbh, I've tested it since asking the question and can see no discernable drop in performance overall. I can't measure the exact numbers in the circuit but, everything else I've checked out online confirms this amp with bridged sub can handle 2 speakers in parallel per channel @ 2 ohms.

The kicker is, my rear door shuts have plastic molex plugs...ffs

Doing this you lose front/rear, fader adjustability. & You're putting the bare minimum in the speakers, so that your sub maxes out at probably about 30-40% of what it is capable of if you put 500w RMS into that sub. If you're dead set on doing this, you go right ahead, but you're going to be missing out. I think you're close, it just seems like you're trying really hard, to do it half-ass. Good luck.

Yes you can measure it:

You should at least do this, and you will see what wattage your gain is set at.

 

[NatoXemus]

I'm really not trying to be rude, I'm just being straight with you. Didn't think you were stupid, or simple. Flat out you're just off on some really basic things, and trying to help you get this better, because I don't think you know as much about it as you think you do. Not trying to be rude, I just think there are other factors you are unaware of.



Doing this you lose front/rear, fader adjustability. & You're putting the bare minimum in the speakers, so that your sub maxes out at probably about 30-40% of what it is capable of if you put 500w RMS into that sub. If you're dead set on doing this, you go right ahead, but you're going to be missing out. I think you're close, it just seems like you're trying really hard, to do it half-ass. Good luck.

Yes you can measure it:

You should at least do this, and you will see what wattage your gain is set at.

I honestly do appreciate what you're saying, and I fully agree with you. I am by no means as well-versed as I'd like to think I am. I would 100% like to get set up like the big boys but time, money, and car constraints limited this attempt from the start. It's a bit of a Frankenstein build, no brand matching, everything I did was off the back of hours and hours of scouring the web for info, never once spoke to any technically knowledgeable people, I had a very basic understanding of electrical circuitry and home sound setup, this is also my first car and sound production has been a big love of mine that I haven't had the means to put into real practice.
Everything I decided on was cheap and cheerful, and has already blown my expectations out of the water. I will be looking to upgrade and improve over the course, but for a 13 year old car I very much doubt it would be worth going all out this time around.

If my sub really is only kicking out that little of its max potential, I'm not sure I need or want to push it any harder - certainly not right now. It sounds and feels incredible in its current form, including the speakers.
I'm looking for convenience over potential in the short run, if that means more inconvenience in the long run then it matters not to me, I'll have just as much fun going back to it all again when it's more feasible.

It's the contradicting information I come across at times that throws me off. Parallel Vs series, parallel halves resistance, series doubles. The speakers would still be in parallel regardless of where the connection is made, that's all I was hoping to confirm.

It's my bad for being a bit vague and brash, but I really do appreciate everything you've said. I'll take it on board for sure, specifically measuring output as it's definitely a helpful area to get stuck into.
Soundstaging is another big one and I am aware I'd lose that potentially but if it's acceptable for now and an improvement to factory speakers then hell I'm down for it. I don't want to tap into factory wires or harnesses either, so until I get a mono amp I'll just make do with what I've got. Sub is still adjustable separately so that works for me.

I appreciate you my dude, one love