Featured Using stock wiring

[Old_risk]

My car has a factory amplifier and theres a harness that sends a + and a - to each speaker individually, can I just cut the connector off and splice wire on those speaker wires then extend that to my aftermarket amp, it's 18-20 gauge wire so should be enough for my 100 watt speakers and 15 watt tweeters

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[CarAudio.com - Hal AI Bots]

My car has a factory amplifier and theres a harness that sends a + and a - to each speaker individually, can I just cut the connector off and splice wire on those speaker wires then extend that to my aftermarket amp, it's 18-20 gauge wire so should be enough for my 100 watt speakers and 15 watt tweetersView attachment 72258

Yes, you can splice the wires from the existing harness and extend them to your aftermarket amplifier, but there are a few important considerations:

1. Wire Gauge: If the existing wires are 18-20 gauge, they should be sufficient for your 100-watt speakers and 15-watt tweeters, but make sure to check the total length of the run to ensure you don’t lose power.

2. Splicing: Make sure to use high-quality connectors or solder the wires properly to avoid any electrical issues. Also, ensure the connections are insulated appropriately to prevent shorts.

3. Amp Compatibility: Verify that your aftermarket amplifier's specifications match the impedance and power requirements of your speakers.

4. Signal Type: Ensure that the signals from the factory amplifier are compatible with the input of your aftermarket amp. Some factory systems use line-level signals, while others may output speaker-level signals.

5. Safety: Always disconnect the battery before working on the wiring to prevent any shorts or electrical mishaps.

By following these guidelines, you should be able to successfully install your aftermarket amplifier.

 

[Old_Slapper]

My car has a factory amplifier and theres a harness that sends a + and a - to each speaker individually, can I just cut the connector off and splice wire on those speaker wires then extend that to my aftermarket amp, it's 18-20 gauge wire so should be enough for my 100 watt speakers and 15 watt tweetersView attachment 72258

What size amp are you using and what car is this?

 

[Old_risk]

What size amp are you using and what car is this?

What size amp are you using and what car is this?

2011 Santa Fe, and 150 RMS x 6 channel amp speakers are focal 165 as (will use dsp so speakers need separate channels) and will utilize stock rear full range

 

[Old_risk]

What size amp are you using and what car is this?

What size amp are you using and what car is this?

2011 Santa Fe, and 150 RMS x 6 channel amp speakers are focal 165 as (will use dsp so speakers need separate channels) and will utilize stock rear

Yes, you can splice the wires from the existing harness and extend them to your aftermarket amplifier, but there are a few important considerations:

1. Wire Gauge: If the existing wires are 18-20 gauge, they should be sufficient for your 100-watt speakers and 15-watt tweeters, but make sure to check the total length of the run to ensure you don’t lose power.

2. Splicing: Make sure to use high-quality connectors or solder the wires properly to avoid any electrical issues. Also, ensure the connections are insulated appropriately to prevent shorts.

3. Amp Compatibility: Verify that your aftermarket amplifier's specifications match the impedance and power requirements of your speakers.

4. Signal Type: Ensure that the signals from the factory amplifier are compatible with the input of your aftermarket amp. Some factory systems use line-level signals, while others may output speaker-level signals.

5. Safety: Always disconnect the battery before working on the wiring to prevent any shorts or electrical mishaps.

By following these guidelines, you should be able to successfully install your aftermarket amplifier.

Speakers are focal 165as which are actually only around 60 RMS but everywhere I read say you can/should run them higher

 

[Popwarhomie 5,000+ posts]

Yes. I did that in my Focus ST. I didn't cut anything though. Aftermarket harness from Maestro for my DSP/ amps. Just used the factory speaker wiring.

 

[Old_risk]

Yes. I did that in my Focus ST. I didn't cut anything though. Aftermarket harness from Maestro for my DSP/ amps. Just used the factory speaker wiring.

I was gonna get an amp bypass but it's like 30 bucks and the exact same thing as I'm doing, don't plan on ever selling the car since anyways so don't need to revert to stock

 

[Old_Slapper]

2011 Santa Fe, and 150 RMS x 6 channel amp speakers are focal 165 as (will use dsp so speakers need separate channels) and will utilize stock rear full range

If you're running 150 watts to each speaker, you will need to run wires from your amp directly to your speakers. I would use 14 gauge wire. Your factory 18 gauge is way too small.

 

[Deiimos]

This is one of those things you can try, see how it works / how long it lasts. The stock speaker wires are a bit small, but full range or high passed music, shouldn’t be horribly stressful on it. If it stops working can replace it down the road. I’ve done similar in at least one old car we had, just to not have to run new wiring. My guess is, on music, it won’t stress it too badly.

Of course the proper thing to do is upgrade the wiring.

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

For runs of 20 ft or less, anything over 16-gauge OFC wire is kind of overkill for midbass, mids, or tweeters. Truth be, for subwoofer runs of 6' or less, a 2k amp to subs only really needs 10-12 gauge, it's not like you're running serious current.

That said, if you don't have the wire yet, I've had good luck with this wire, and aside from the current build that has a lot of exposed wire (Audtek and Knukonceptz colored twisted pair), I've used this wire pretty much for everything.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLXYM8WD/?tag=caraudiocom-20

Quality, extremely flexible, small footprint jacket, OFC copper, it's all you should need for any of your amplifiers to active crossed components and then some.

And because of its low cross-section, you won't strain to get into small-ish areas or have to drill large holes to run it.

18-20 gauge is likely fine for the tweezers, but depending on the length, it might be less than optimal, so grab some 16 gauge and do it once, do it right.

 

[Old_Slapper]

If you're using too small of a wire, your mid-bass will suffer. You can use 16g, but if you're running new wire, you might as well do it right. 14g being a waste is not an accurate assumption.

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

Yeah, it kind of is.

It's not an opinion, it's just math, really.

Signal loss or degradation of 150 watts on a 15 ft run of quality 16 gauge OFC wire is minuscule and will not come close to impeding the signal transfer, so yeah, anything that exceeds the absolute maximum current transfer needed at a given length of wire is a waste overkill.

Even at 250 watts, on a 15-foot run, it may pull about 8 amps, at which time an upgrade to 14 gauge would be advised, but still unnecessary when you're playing from 70-80Hz and up.

If you got it lying around, great; if you're putting it in a new one or replacing an old wire, it's not necessary and will not provide any benefit.

You can save money without compromise in some areas, and this is one area where people tend to err a bit too heavily on (heavy) wire gauge.

Spend the money on the quality of the wire, not the gauge, where you won't utilize its potential.

16-gauge OFC wire will sustain a 150-watt full-range music program signal up to 24ft on a 4 ohm load, with insignificant signal loss.

Most aftermarket car audio runs are 15 ft or less.

But if you buy (literally) the hype on huge wire for anything other than subwoofers, and if it gives you peace of mind, then by all means, wire away!