Stupid question... bridge front with rear?

[phunky.buddha 10+ year member]

Ok, I'm embarrassed to ask a question like this since I'm an engineer... just not the right kind. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

What happens when you combine the front and rear speaker outputs of a head unit?

My wife has an '06 xB and the rear speakers are pretty much pointless in the stock location. I know the stock Pioneer stereo isn't all that wonderful, but it's really pretty good compared to most other stock systems. I have some spare parts that I can use to put a sub in her car without spending any cash, but I'd like to cheat and get additional power up front to power a cheap/decent set of low power components.

I'd imagine that the front and rear outputs of a stereo are sending the exact same signal, just at different voltages based on fader settings- so would merging the front and rear positives and then the negatives to one set of speakers give more power? Or is this totally pointless?

I normally wouldn't ask such a boneheaded question- the wife really wouldn't appreciate the SQ a nice bundle of cash would get in a proper aftermarket head unit and amp/speaker install (and I don't want to spend it) that I would put into one of my own daily drivers- but I'd like to make her car sound better with the smallest amount of $ possible.

Thanks for any help!

Oh... search looks to be busted right now too. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

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[SicAudio 5,000+ posts]

uh do not do that ull fry the deck //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif you cant do it on an amp either lolz

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

not adviseable to bridge a HU as they're not designed for that. Get a cheap used amp or Profile refurb from the online store...

 

[phunky.buddha 10+ year member]

Ok, definitely not designed for that- I know. The Profile refurb store has been down for a while, at least from what I've seen over the last few months. Is there a new site?

Can any EEs explain what happens when you combine the outputs on an OEM head unit like this?

 

[SicAudio 5,000+ posts]

it blows it up lolz

no seriously it will cook it internally

 

[phunky.buddha 10+ year member]

Ok, thanks for the detail.

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

I've heard of people doing this w/o damaging anything, but it's not going to give you good sound, that's for sure.

When a regular amp is bridged one of the channels is inverted so one channel drives the speaker for (+) side of the wave and the other on the (-).

When you combine channels of an unbridgable source you have the (+) and (-) effectively trying to drive each other.

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

I wouldn't recommend doing that.

 

[tinctorus 10+ year member]

If its the newer scion with the "factory" pioneer radio with the "OEL" display it has front,rear and sub preouts FWIW