Newbie getting started

[jackofspades]

Ok, so here's hoping I'm putting this in the relevant place.

So I'm going to attempt installing my first stereo system EVER and I'm doing it in a truck that older than I am (what the hell am I thinking?).

I'm already purchased most of my system but I'm missing amps and a crossover. Basically i'm matched my front and rear speakers so that they have the same RMS power (which I hadn't done originally so I have a spare pair of pioneer speakers now that have 35rms vs my other speakers 50rms) I did it to try and save my brain. This stuff is beginning to sound really complicated although I'm sure when it gets down to it it's really not. I just need someone to break it down to me in PLAIN ENGLISH. Something nobody seems to be able to do.

Anyway, so far my 4 mid-range speakers are running at 50RMS. I've also purchased a sub with an enclosure already factory built by pioneer which has about 250RMS.

I don't have any tweeters or anything by I have 3 -way speakers in the back and 4 way speakers in the front so I don't think I need to stress about tweeters for the time being. I'm more worried about powering my speakers with an amp. What's confusing me is the ohms, channels and all that garbage. Can we break this down in plain english for me? How many speakers can I have on ONE channel? if I have a channel that's lets say 60RMS @4ohms can I put ALL 4 of my speakers onto that one channel if they're 4ohm speakers? Or does that like mess up my impedance and stuff? This is what nobody seems to be able to answer me elsewhere. Once I understand this, it's all gonna be easy.

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[southwest713 10+ year member]

if u put all 4 speakers together (called connecting them in parallel + to + and - to -), each being four ohms, it changes the impedance to 1ohm. which the amp will most likely not be able to handle

 

[blackbonnie 5,000+ posts]

welcome to the site, learn to use the search function

 

[jackofspades]

Alright, so it's not that i'm stupid and can't use the search function but it's about as useless as typing in my question on google. I'm still filtering through hundreds of posts that are completely irrelevant to my question or offering me the same cryptic answers i've been getting on every website i've checked.

Thankfully I now have a direct answer with no BS or crazy voodoo terms that lets me know that I can only do 1 speaker per channel with the amp I was looking at.

Personal recommendation is that if there is a specific thread that covers this question and many others, maybe it should be stickied since i'm sure it's the same question lots of people ask the minute they want an amp in their system.

Ditto for crossovers too since that's my next stop and I have already tried your search function, again, only to get hundreds of posts that I either don't understand because i'm new, or aren't relevant to my question period.

Kudos Southwest, you managed to finally confirm what I thought, something nobody else has been able to do. So now I have to go looking for another amp for my sub... and probably a new alternator to boot //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif

Second question, my sub is only 250rms and the smallest amp I can get from pioneer is 400rms. I know it's better to overpower than to underpower but so long as I don't really boost up the bass volume I won't blow my sub due to pumping too many watts through it will I? (yes, I am in fact this clueless. I'm pretty sure I know the answer but I'd rather confirm my suspicions and not waste money than throw my money out the window or end up paying for replacements later)

 

[blackbonnie 5,000+ posts]

this site has everything you need, dont even waste your time going somewhere else. you just have to know how to find it here ex. search function.