Connecting Subwoofers to a Monoblock Amplifier with 4 Speaker Terminals (2024)

FAQs

Can you wire 4 speakers to a monoblock amp? ›

Up to 4 subwoofers can be connected to a single Signature Series monoblock amplifier by wiring each pair in parallel before connecting them in parallel configuration to the amplifier. This is done by connecting each pair of subwoofers in parallel, and then connecting the wires in the configuration shown above.

You can run as many as you want as long as you don't drop below the amps minimum ohm load.

Some volume control units also have impedance matching. This means they have a switch (normally on the back panel – but sometimes inside) which allows you to tell it you are connecting 2, 4 or 8 pairs of speakers to the one amplifier. Once this switch is set, you don't need to worry about overloading the amplifier.

For example: a 4-channel amp could drive two speakers and a subwoofer wired to a bridged channel, combining two channels for a single more powerful channel. If you're thinking of pairing with four speakers and one or two subwoofers, a 5-channel amp would be ideal.

The benefits of using a 4-conductor wire include cleaner setup with fewer cables, the potential for better sound quality through bi-amping or bi-wiring, and the convenience of having a single cable that can serve multiple purposes.

The optimal connection for a standard powered subwoofer is to use the RCA (Phono) "sub" or "woofer" line out found on home theater receivers and pre-amps. Some subwoofers offer "High Level inputs" (speaker wire connections) for use with a receiver or pre-amp without a sub RCA connection.

Series wiring leads to more impedance and thus less voltage per speaker which translates to less volume per speaker. A parallel circuit reduces the resistance and impedance on each speaker and equates to more volume.

However adding more than two speakers will normally overload the amplifier. Similar to the motor bike example: it can cope with two passengers, but starts to struggle with 3 or more passengers. Most modern amplifiers have some sort of limiting circuit to stop the amplifier working if it is overloaded.

As previously mentioned, mono sound is preferable when the focus is on clarity of a single voice or instrument. So, if you primarily listen to podcasts, mono sound is great. Mono sound is also better for background music, particularly when you have multiple speakers (like in-ceiling speakers) covering a large area.

Wiring four speakers to a two-channel amplifier can be a bit tricky, but with the right knowledge and tools, it can be done with ease. Here are some tips to help you wire your speakers correctly and get the best sound quality possible.

Should I wire my speakers in series or parallel? ›

Parallel wiring is the most popular of the two because it's simpler than series wiring and doesn't require you to loop cables back to the amplifier. Another benefit of parallel wiring is that it reduces impedance, which means the speakers draw more power from the amplifier, making them louder.

Parallel wiring is very simple. You will simply wire all the positive voice coil connections to the amplifier's positive terminal and wire all of the negative voice coil connections to the negative amplifier terminal.

For 4-speaker systems, you'd need to make eight connections — a positive and negative wire for each speaker. This means, you just need to run the eight speaker wires from the dash to the amplifier, just like you do the RCA cables.

There are only really two ways to connect 2 speakers to one amplifier – either in parallel or series. If each speaker has an impedance of 8 ohms or more, then you can generally connect them in parallel. If each speaker has an impedance below 8 ohms, you should wire them in series.