Is a 2 ohm load on a Alpine 7893 safe?

[Abunai 10+ year member]

I replaced my factory (12 ohm) tweeters w/ a pioneer 4 ohm pair, which the factory wiring splices it into the front channel w/ the door speakers, which now puts a 2 ohm load per channel on the left and right front channels of my Alpine CDA-7893 head unit, is this safe for this head unit?

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[tommyk90 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by Abunai I replaced my factory (12 ohm) tweeters w/ a pioneer 4 ohm pair, which the factory wiring splices it into the front channel w/ the door speakers, which now puts a 2 ohm load per channel on the left and right front channels of my Alpine CDA-7893 head unit, is this safe for this head unit?

I highly doubt it because all, or most, speakers that would be hooked up to a head unit are 4 ohms. So head units are always rated at 4 ohms per channel. I doubt it would last under 2 ohms. Or maybe it would. Do you have a warranty on it?

 

[Abunai 10+ year member]

I have it hooked up now and it runs great, but I was just wondering if it will hurt it in the long run. I hear that amps that are of high quality can run 2 ohm loads, and some 1 ohm, safley. This is a head unit, yes, but it uses the same technology to power a component amp (MOSFET). I don't think it came w/ a warranty, I got it from a company on eBay.

 

[paikiah 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by Abunai I have it hooked up now and it runs great, but I was just wondering if it will hurt it in the long run. I hear that amps that are of high quality can run 2 ohm loads, and some 1 ohm, safley. This is a head unit, yes, but it uses the same technology to power a component amp (MOSFET). I don't think it came w/ a warranty, I got it from a company on eBay.

erm....

still, a hu amp would not be as good as a dedicated amp...maybe a pyramid amp would be better than a hu amp...

 

[ChefJoe 10+ year member]

Well, I did it with the factory stereo for a month without problem, but it's technically not safe (it's putting out more current than designed to do). That being said, unless you crank it to the limits, it's something that can be done. I say, go for it, until you can afford a cheap amp (like the one I got from ebay).

 

[avistar23 10+ year member]

Originally posted by paikiah erm....

 

maybe a pyramid amp would be better than a hu amp...

umm no i dont think so.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[80_Cutlass_mn 10+ year member]

I'd say you could do it as long as you kept the volume down to a reasonable level. The decreased ohm load will cause the internal amp to heat up more quickly, AND TRUST ME THEY CAN GET HOTTER THAN FUK when pushed hard. I know, before I put highpass passive crossovers on all my speakers, when running my h/u to the point where you could hear it with the windows rolled down, it got so hot that it actually burned me one day. But now it just barely gets warm and I keep it turned up all the time now, like 70 out of 80 volume. I can feel the back of my h/u easily cuz I left the plate under the h/u mouting postion out to allow air movement around the h/u.

 

[Abunai 10+ year member]

Well, when I'm not in neiborhoods or other 'quiet zones' I'm always running my alpine head unit at full volume (35) and everything is crystal clear, high quality. I believe it doesn't let you run it to the point where your audio destorts due to power inssufenciency. The headunit location provides heat displacement, and I haven't noticed it getting hot to the touch at all.

 

[80_Cutlass_mn 10+ year member]

Originally posted by Abunai Well, when I'm not in neiborhoods or other 'quiet zones' I'm always running my alpine head unit at full volume (35) and everything is crystal clear, high quality. I believe it doesn't let you run it to the point where your audio destorts due to power inssufenciency. The headunit location provides heat displacement, and I haven't noticed it getting hot to the touch at all.

let me ask you this, when you take a CD out of your h/u is it hot? If it is then its a good sign that the h/u's internal amp is hot. The only way I can tell that mine is getting hot is when I reach under my dash right above my console and feel the back of my h/u where the cooling fins are. They can get pretty dam* hot when the internal amp is pushed hard. Trust me, I know all to well Ive been burned by it before.

 

[Abunai 10+ year member]

I haven't noticed the cd's being hot, I do however hold them by the edges.

I have most all my trim out of my car right now for various installs going down, so I'll check out the back of the cd deck tomorrow to see how hot it's getting.