If sub amps are mono, then why...

[John Pionke 10+ year member]

If amps are mono, then why does my HU have two RCA outputs for my sub stage, and why does my mono sub amp have two RCA inputs? It may be something simple I am overlooking, but I ask because I put a splitter on my RCA's from my HU and ran one set to one sub amp and the other set to the other. I did it so I could control my sub amp output level through my HU. Will this affect anything? If so, I will just run from my HU to Amp One and from Amp One pre-out to Amp Two.

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[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

it combines them into a mono signal. so if you have a bass note on the right side it will pick it up as well as the left. not just one or the other

 

[Trey803 5,000+ posts]

even better why does the p880 allow you to switch between stereo and mono for the sub output

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

because not all sub amps are mono, and your hu puts out a stereo sub signal, white is left, red is right

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

even better why does the p880 allow you to switch between stereo and mono for the sub output

like said above, some bass notes are either right or left side, not everyone wants a mono sub stage

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

Dependiong on your xover point and actual sub stage, stereo seperation can possibly be audible from your subs... while playing midbass that is. Some people swear by stereo sub stages. *shrug*

 

[Immacomputer 10+ year member]

even better why does the p880 allow you to switch between stereo and mono for the sub output

3 way active setups using stereo midbass/subbass up front would be a must.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

like said above, some bass notes are either right or left side, not everyone wants a mono sub stage

Subbass is omnidirectional, meaning even if its recorded in stereo, your ears can't hear it that way.
But most people play midbass through their substage in car audio, so they think 'stereo subbass' is a necessity. Some people still think the world is flat too.

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

some people use a two channel amp that is bridged for their subwoofers. hence having a left and a right.

when an amp is bridged it normalizes the two left and right signals to one and the speaker sees one signal.

some amps, like my memphis belle, have a mono input for the sub channel. so the alpine H701 has a mono or stereo output that i can select //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

thats why.

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

I prefer mono. But some people run small subs in their quarter panels or in their doors.