A subwoofer is an indispensable item for those who want to fully enjoy listening to music. But the trouble is that the power of the radio is not enough for its normal operation. You have to connect an amplifier. And editing is only half the battle. You need to know how to set up your amplifier correctly. We will talk about this and not only in our today's article.

How to connect?

Let's see how to connect an amplifier in a car:

• First, the subwoofer and other speakers are connected to the corresponding connectors on the amplifier.
• Next, the device is connected to the radio tape recorder.
• The amplifier will then distribute the signal automatically. Some will go to the subwoofer, and some will go to the tweeters and midrange speakers.

Understanding the design

There is a connector panel on the back of any amplifier. It has two separate blocks. The first block - "Front" - is intended for the front channels. The second - "Rear" - is used to connect the rear speakers or a subwoofer. This is the block we will be setting up.

Acoustic amplifier controls

The tuning process of the car amplifier is to change the parameters, each of which has a separate function. There are controls for tuning even the simplest amplifier:

• So, the Crossover Selector is nothing more than a filter switch.
• In the LP position, the amplifier operates in the
• When the regulator is set to the NR position, the operation is in the HPF mode.
• In the AP position, the filters are disabled and do not work.

In addition, there is a switch on the rear panel that adjusts the cutoff frequency of the filters. Level is a regulator for adjusting the power level. And with the help of "Bass Boost" you can enhance the low frequencies, but you should not be too zealous.

If this is a high-power device, then experts recommend installing a capacitor before that.

The starting point of the acoustics setting

At the entry level, anything beyond adjusting crossovers and gain levels is irrelevant. In addition, it doesn't matter how the amplifying part is implemented. The basic principle is always the same.

Here's how to set up your amplifier:

• To begin with, turn off any sound correction circuits.
• If this is not possible, then the correction is set to zero. It is worth remembering that this is not the same thing - in the first variant, the signal will not go through the correction chains. This means that its path will be less and the level of distortion is lower.
• In passive crossovers, the RF control is set to about medium, even if it is not zero. A value of -3 dB should be chosen.
• In the case of active crossovers, the crossover frequency of the low-pass filter and the high-pass ones is first made the same. The level should be around 75-80 Hertz.

The gain level on any channels is set to the position of the very minimum. If all of these conditions are met, the optimal base settings can be achieved.

Gain setting

Adjusting the amplifier's input sensitivity is an important step. Any amplifier manual will tell you how to adjust this ratio. But in practice, you can find out that the level is set incorrectly. In the most innocuous case, these errors can only lead to inconsistent sound. At worst, there will be significant distortions (perhaps even some system components will fail).

If the tweeters are constantly on in the car, the wrong gain is to blame. Subwoofers are also lit, even if they are well and correctly matched in power with the amplifier. This sometimes happens to those who do not know how to set up an amplifier in a car, and are trying to squeeze everything out of the device. But good sound isn't necessarily loud. The main parameter is its purity.

If the goal is not to achieve maximum volume, then the main thing in adjusting the gain is not to be greedy. You do not need to squeeze everything that it can out of the device. It is intended for other purposes. Column, amplifier - everything should sound clean. Better to make a mistake and underestimate the coefficient. This will reduce the volume headroom, but the sound will be of better quality. Considering the power reserve that most low-end amplifiers have, losses in maximum loudness do not lead to quiet sound.

The gain setting is very closely related to the crossover control. There is a simple rule of thumb - the narrower the crossover range for an individual speaker system and the higher the roll-off steepness, the more power can be delivered to the speaker. Hence, the gain can be higher. This is important to know before setting up your amplifier for the speakers in your car.

The basic principles of adjusting the named ratio are simple - while listening to certain tracks, the level is gradually raised until distortion appears. When the distortion point appears, the level is lowered.

Before setting the amplifier to a high coefficient, you should decide at what volume the distortion appears on the radio tape recorder. This is often about half of the audio range, and sometimes even lower. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the coefficient on the amplifier within this undistorted range. So, if the scale of the radio tape recorder has 60 units, then the range from 30 to 60 does not fit, it is better to forget about it. These losses will be compensated by the amplifier.

The first step is to adjust the described coefficient for the front speakers. In their most basic case, they can operate through a passive crossover. Then they move on to the subwoofer channels. But here it is necessary to watch out not for possible distortions, but for tonal even balance. It is necessary that the sound is not "thin" or excessively "fat". If there is a big difference between the power of the channels, then it is very difficult to get distortion in the subwoofer channel.

Setting up for subwoofer operation

Let's take a simple example to see how to set up an amplifier for a subwoofer. Let it be connected to Rear on the amplifier and the front speakers connected to Front respectively. Experts recommend the following settings:

1. Bass boost is set to zero for both channels. The gain or gain is also set to zero.
2. The crossover for the Front channel is set to the HP position.
3. For the Rear channel, the crossover is set to LP.
4. Then it remains only to adjust the sensitivity, by adjusting the gain, so that the sound is as harmonious as possible. It is adjusted as desired for the front and rear channels.

Here's how to set up an amplifier for a subwoofer in practice. As you can see, there is nothing complicated about it. All you need is good ear, acoustic tracks and enough free time.

DIY setup without a subwoofer

In this case, the speaker system consists of four speakers. In this version, the settings will be the simplest. With this setup, the amplifier filters are disabled. All parameters are set to zero, and the crossover selector is set to the “Flat” position. With these settings, the speaker, amplifier, and all other components will produce high-quality sound without distortion.

It remains only to set it. This can be done by choosing from the ready-made equalizer settings. The volume is output to 90 percent and the track starts. In the process of sounding, the gain is adjusted until the sound is loud and clear, without distortion. This is how you can set up a simple amplifier for the average music lover.

Setting up consumer amplifiers

The principles of adjusting home amplifiers are practically the same as the above technique. But there is an exception - if this is an amplifier, not a receiver, then it often has two channels and an equalizer.

First, everything is set to zero, and then by ear and taste, the desired frequency response is adjusted on the equalizer. Also adjust the input sensitivity so that there is no distortion at the output.

Conclusion

Here's how to set up an amplifier in your car or at home with your own hands. With high-quality audio recordings, you can adjust the sound so that everything is balanced, and the sound is clear and without distortion.

Amplifier
Roughly speaking, loudness (although this is not entirely true). Twisting the regulator from a larger number to a smaller one, we increase it.

For example, by setting the low-pass filter to 50 Hz, the speaker will receive frequencies up to 50 Hz.

Attention: options are possible on different amplifiers - either it will be a selector with a choice of the type of filters and one regulator, or separate regulators for the high-pass filter and low-pass filter.
in some amplifiers, it is possible to turn on both filters, thus turning on the low-pass filter and high-pass filter, we can get a band-pass filter. For example, by setting the low-pass filter at 200 Hz and the high-pass filter at 50 Hz, the acoustics will reproduce a signal in the range from 50 to 200 Hertz, respectively.

Some older amp models have fixed filters. The choice of filtration is made by the selector.

3. Subsonic.
Mostly necessary for subwoofers (in a bass-reflex design) But it can also be used as a high-pass filter.

There are also subsonics with a fixed filtering frequency.

4.Bass Boost
Allows you to increase the volume at a specific frequency

Note: the bass boost frequency is usually fixed, but some amplifiers have an additional control that allows you to select the desired frequency.

There are also fixed gain bass boosts.

5.Phase regulator
Serves for matching the work of the subwoofer with the front and, in general, for its more precise adjustment.
There are also fixed phase regulators.

The subwoofer is a good addition to your car's sound system. But it is worth considering that buying an expensive subwoofer does not guarantee high-quality sound, since this device needs proper tuning. To connect and set up a subwoofer properly, you need not only to have good hearing, but also to have a deep knowledge of the theory of car audio.

Of course, before setting up a subwoofer in a car, it is best to seek help from specialists, and for those motorists who want to do this on their own, this article will be useful.

How to start setting up your subwoofer?

Setting up a subwoofer begins from the moment the box is manufactured. By changing the characteristics of the box (volume, port length), you can achieve different sounds. In this case, you need to know in advance which audio files will be predominantly played in the car, as well as which amplifier will be connected to the audio system. When the subwoofer is already supplied in the manufacturer's case, the flexibility of setting is, of course, limited, although with the necessary knowledge it is quite possible to achieve the desired sound quality.

One of the important factors affecting the sound quality is the amplifier, we advise you to read the article "".

LPF (lowpassfilter) filter setting

First you need to adjust the Low Pass Filter (LPF). Every subwoofer today has a built-in LPF filter. The filter allows you to select the threshold at which it begins to block high frequencies, which allows the subwoofer signal to blend naturally with the signal from other speakers.

Installing a filter, like tuning an active subwoofer, involves many experiments - there is simply no definite correct "formula".

The subwoofer is designed to reproduce low frequencies, it does not know how to sing, this is the task of the speakers. Thanks to the low LPF filter, we can make the subwoofer play the bass current. You need to make sure the filter value is not set too high and the subwoofer does not overlap the woofers of your full range speakers. This can lead to over-emphasis on one frequency range (say, around 120 Hz) and the sound of the speaker system being unclear. On the other hand, if you set the filter too low, there may be too much difference between the signal from the subwoofer and the signal from the speakers.

The subwoofer's reproduction range is usually 60 to 120. Try first setting the LPF filter at 80 Hz, and then test the sound. If you don't like it, adjust the switch until the speakers sound the way you want.
On the radio itself, the filter must be turned off.

Setting up subsonics

Next, it is necessary to activate the subsonic filter, which is called "subsonic". Subsonic blocks the ultra-low frequencies that naturally occur in some songs. You cannot hear these frequencies as they exist below the human hearing threshold.
But if they are not cut, the subwoofer will waste additional energy to reproduce them. By blocking infra-low frequencies, the device can more effectively reproduce precisely those frequencies that are within the audible range. Moreover, in this case, the failure of the subwoofer coil due to the accelerated movement of the diffuser is excluded.

What is Bassboost for?

Many amplifiers also include a Bassboost switch that can increase the power of the subwoofer by setting a specific frequency. Some motorists use a switch to make the sound more "rich", although it is usually used to distribute bass evenly. If you set the switch to the maximum value, the subwoofer may burn out, however, turning off Bassboost is also not worth it completely, since in this case the bass may be completely inaudible.

Adjusting Input Gain (GAIN)

Some motorists do not understand how to properly adjust the input sensitivity. The input sensitivity indicates which signal can be applied to the input to obtain the rated output power. It needs to be adjusted to normalize the input voltage.

It is very important to properly adjust the input sensitivity to avoid signal distortion, poor sound quality, or damage to your speakers.

To set up "GAIN", you need

1. a digital voltmeter that can measure AC voltage values;
2. a test CD or file that contains a sinusoid with a reference level of 0 dB (it is very important not to use an attenuated test signal);
3. instructions for the subwoofer, which indicates the permissible output voltage.

First you need to disconnect the speaker wires from the subwoofer. Far away, you need to make sure that bass, equalizers and other parameters are turned off on the head unit in order to get clear sound. In this case, the input sensitivity level should be minimal.

Make sure the DVM can read AC voltage and connect it to the speaker terminals on the speakers (you can secure it with a screwdriver). After that, you will have to turn the sensitivity "twist" until the voltmeter shows the required voltage value, which was indicated in the characteristics.

Next, a recorded audio file with a sine wave must be fed to the subwoofer, from time to time changing the volume of the audio system until interference appears. If noise appears, the volume must be restored to its previous value. The sensitivity adjustment is carried out in the same way. You can use an oscilloscope to get the most accurate data.

Acoustic phase

Most subwoofers have a switch on the back called "Phase" that can be set to either 0 or 180 degrees. From an electrical point of view, this is the second easiest thing after an on / off switch.
If you set the power switch to one side, the two wires will carry the signal from the output to the rest of the electronics in one direction. It is enough to flip a switch and the two conductors change positions. This means that the shape of the sound will be reversed (which is what engineers mean when they talk about reversing a phase, or switching it 180 degrees).

But what does an ordinary listener get as a result of adjusting the phase?

The fact is that by manipulating the phase switch, you can achieve the highest perception of the middle and upper bass during listening. It is thanks to the phase shifter that you can achieve all the bass you paid for.

In addition, the phase adjustment of the monoblock helps to achieve precisely the front sound. It often happens that the sound is unevenly distributed throughout the cabin (the music can only be heard from the trunk).

Delays

Subwoofers tend to have small delays, and they are directly proportional to the size of the distance. For example, the speakers of the American manufacturer Audissey deliberately set the distance to prevent this delay.
It should be noted that manual tuning of the amplifier under the subwoofer is possible only if there is an external processor, or an integrated processor. Lagging bass, which sometimes spoils the sound, can be considered a sign that the subwoofer is causing delays. The purpose of setting the delay is to achieve simultaneous playback of the subwoofer and front speakers (you must not allow the sound to lag even for a couple of seconds).

Why is it important to dock the subwoofers and midbass correctly?

If the subwoofer is poorly docked with the midbass, then the sound will be of poor quality and defective. This is especially noticeable at low frequencies, when instead of pure bass, some kind of absurdity turns out. Sometimes such deplorable variants are possible, when the sound from the subwoofer will play independently.
In fact, this applies to all types of music, and not just, say, classical or rock music, where the play of "live" musical instruments is observed.

For example, in the tracks that belong to the EDM genre that is so popular among young people, the brightest basses are located exactly at the junction with midbass. If you dock them incorrectly, then low-frequency loud bass at best will not be so impressive, and at worst it will be barely audible.
Since the amplifier must be tuned to the same frequency, it is recommended to use an audio spectrum analyzer to obtain the most accurate data.

How do you know that you have set up your subwoofer correctly?

If the subwoofer is connected correctly, then people in the car will simply be inaudible, since it should not interfere with the main signal.
If you listen to music at low volume, it may seem that there is not enough bass. Lack of bass at low volume is a sure sign that the subwoofer has been connected correctly.
Of course, there should be no noise, distortion or delays in the audio signal, and it doesn't matter what type of design is used.
The percentage of bass in each track should be different, that is, the playback should completely coincide with the original track recorded by the producer.

Video how to set up a subwoofer

We hope this article helped you figure out how to do it. setting up the amplifier for a subwoofer... Rate the article on a 5-point scale, if you have any comments, suggestions, or you know something that is not indicated in this article, let us know! Leave your comment below. This will help make the information on the site even more useful.

How to connect a subwoofer to a 4 channel amplifier

How to connect a subwoofer to a 4 channel amplifier without affecting the power? What should be done in order for the subwoofer connection to the 4-channel amplifier to be fully and correctly implemented?
All these questions require answers, which we will try to give in the article.

What is an amplifier for?

The audio system, as you know, has long been of interest to the driver. If earlier more attention was paid to the chassis or the technical serviceability of the vehicle, today, on the contrary, to the comfort.
And car audio in this regard occupies one of the leading positions. In order for the audio system to play at full power, recently they have become - a separate speaker that reproduces low frequencies.
Connecting it goes through an amplifier. Today there are three types of amplifiers installed in the car.

Note. The amplifier is installed in the car so that the driver and his passengers can fully enjoy the sound of music or watching a movie or video. For this reason, a properly selected and wired amplifier is of great benefit.

Of the above types of amplifier, the 4-channel is considered the most popular, because it can be used for both 4 and 2 speakers, as well as a subwoofer. In addition, the 4-channel amplifier can also be used to connect 2 subwoofers.

Note. The best and most common manufacturers of high-quality 4-channel amplifiers are models of the brands Alpin, Blaupunkt, Magnat, etc.

The 4-channel amplifier can be of two more classes:

• AV amplifier (see), that is, analog, with high amplification quality, but low efficiency and low power;
• D amplifier is digital, already with high efficiency and high power, but low quality.

Connector groups

The 4-channel amplifier has not one but several groups of outputs.
Let's consider them in more detail:

• Power connectors or power supply outputs.
• Outputs for 12 V, which are powered by the battery. When connecting a wire to these contacts, it is recommended to also put a fuse at a remote distance from the battery.
• REM output, where the control cable from the head unit is connected.
• Output 1.3 GND or simply ground. Designed for connection to the mass of the machine.
• Speaker and subwoofer inputs, with plus / minus contacts.
• Lineinput and line output for RCA or just tulip wire.

Instructions for setting up a 4-channel amplifier

Generally, there are three types of amplifier tuning you need to know. All of them are listed below.

Amplifier setup for four speakers, but no subwoofer

So:

• The amplifier's filter / crossover is turned off, and only the speakers reproduce the entire frequency range.
• Put the Crossover Selector switch in the Flat position.
• The level is set to 8V.
• Bass Boost is set to 0dB.
• Now on the car radio you will need to increase the volume, but no more than 90%.
• Equalizer, if it is not configured, set to 0 according to music styles.
• We connect the amplifier and slowly turn the Level clockwise to the end.

Setting up the amplifier for subwoofer and speakers

So:

• Crossover Amplifier Front Selector is set to HP.
• Phi Pass is set to 60Hz-80Hz.
• Crossover Rear selector set to LP.
• Love Pass is adjustable in the frequency range 65Hz-85Hz.
• Level is set to 0.
• Bass Boost is also 0dB.
• As with the above-described Level setting, rotate to the end, but with adjusting the sensitivity.

Tuning for local gain

So:

• Crossover The selector is placed in the Flat position.
• Turn on HP for the buzzer.
• Turn the Hi PASS knob to the 250Hz position.
• We adjust the amplifier with the Level rotator.

Note. If the car radio is in a new version of the car, the amplifier setting may not be necessary. In such radio tape recorders, the automatic Bass Boost settings are already set. If this is the case, then you just need to adjust the Level rotator.

Connection diagram of a passive subwoofer to an amplifier for 4 channels

To connect this type of speaker to a 4-channel amplifier, you will have to use a standard circuit.

So:

• First, the subwoofer and the rest of the speakers are connected to the amplifier.
• Then the amplifier is connected to the car radio.
• Having received the signal directly from the car radio, the amplifier distributes it. Part of the signal is sent to the sub, part to the high-frequency speakers.

Note. The subwoofer is often placed in the trunk of a car. In view of this, cables have to be pulled through the entire cabin. In this case, the path from the battery to the trunk is meant, and so much cable must be calculated.

• When routing cables, make sure that the positive wire is necessarily protected by something, for example, a corrugation. Basically, this means protecting the part that is in the engine compartment, as close to the battery as possible.

Features of connecting a subwoofer to an amplifier

So:

• The power cable must be connected to the amplifier, before preparing the technological hole. Often this very hole already occurs in cars. It is either closed with a rubber plug, or, as in domestic cars, remains open.
  If it was not possible to find the hole, then you can make it yourself using the necessary drill and drill. It is recommended to insert the rubber grommet into the hole to prevent the wire from chafing at this point.

• Route the wiring in the engine compartment, finding the standard wiring harness. The required wire should be brought out to the passenger compartment.
• The amplifier will be located in the trunk of your car.

• 2 wires must be connected to the amplifier: plus and minus.
• After that, as soon as the amplifier receives power from the battery, we run the cable to the head unit (car radio). Used as a cable are standard tulips and a special wire - thin and single-core, which is responsible for controlling the power of the amplifier (in many cases, the blue wire).
• The tulips and the wire are connected to the back of the car radio, which must be removed in advance.

• We stretch the cable through the salon and connect the RCA connectors to the amplifier.
• Now all that remains is to connect the subwoofer. The amplifier is 4-channel and therefore you can connect a subwoofer, depending on which one is used.

The instructions given above will help many times more if, in addition, you watch a video review and photo materials. If you do this whole operation with your own hands, you will be able to save a lot on costs, because the price of such a service in a service station is very high.

How do I set up an amplifier?

In this article, we will not solve global problems with setting the correct sound, drawing graphics, but we will try to set up the amplifier so that nothing burns out and plays what is needed.

Let's start with the fact that a person who has installed an auto amplifier in his car on his own can hardly be called a beginner in car audio! But one way or another, the choice is made, the amplifier is installed, connected! What to do next?

AMPLIFIER FOR SUBWOOFER.

Before the first switching on, we return all regulators to their original position - this is either "0" or "min", set the switches to the desired value. The figure shows a typical single-channel bass amplifier. The upper "PHASE" switch is needed to match the phase of the subwoofer with the front speakers, it has two positions in this amplifier, when turned on, the speaker changes its phase by 180 degrees. In the absence of this function, you can simply reverse the polarity on the speaker.

The lower switch is needed to select work in bridge mode, when you connect two amplifiers at once, the communication between the amplifiers is carried out via the bus and the filter settings are made only on the main amplifier, which is called "MASTER". When using only one amplifier, check this switch, it should be in the "master" position, if you switch it, nothing terrible will happen, but you will not hear the sound.

If you are using a two-channel amplifier, most likely, it can operate in the full bandwidth of the reproduced frequencies, another switch is used to select the band: HP -FULL- LP

HP F-cuts anything below the selected frequency

Full-full range

LPF- everything that is higher is cut off - what the doctor ordered for our subic.

If all connections are made correctly, you can apply voltage and make the first turn-on. On your head unit, set the minimum volume at which you can hear noise from the speakers and you can understand if everything is working, including the subwoofer.

We adjust the tuning on musical material, it is better to choose from the old one, what we know how it sounds. We select the volume on the H / Y so that the front speakers do not overload, this is especially audible on fast tracks. We set the value "LEVEL" on the amplifier so that the subwoofer is heard, while watching the progress of the speaker. It is not worth testing a subwoofer with an open trunk, with proper design, when opening the trunk, the stroke should increase and at high powers it can become fatal for the speaker itself, so you do not need to immediately make the maximum volume, you need to let the dynamics play for a while, so that the sub will warm up! Warming up the sub is generally a separate topic, how long the speaker will delight you depends on how this is done.

We will assume that the preliminary setting for the volume of the subwoofer has been made, check the radio settings, turn on the level in the middle position: for PIONEER, this is a subwoofer at zero, for ALPINE - +5. After that, you need to set the frequency corridor in which the subwoofer will play. For different types of subwoofer design, the frequency in which the speaker will operate is of great importance. The most common type of subwoofer design is a Bass Reflex, less often a Closed Box, and even less often a CW and a Horn.

For: ЗЯ ......... 20-73 Hz

Phi ............ 30-50 Hz

I warn you right away that these are the initial values ​​that you will set when you first turn on, in the future you can select other values, but from experience, they will not differ much from those indicated.

For ZJ, there is an opinion that this design does not require a "subsonic" (cut of infra-low frequencies),this is how it is, but recently the music has changed, and artificial bass can reach infra-low frequencies, while the speaker will not reproduce sound, but the coil will receive the full program, which will lead to its overheating and failure. So it won't bother you, if you have one, turn it on!

The height of the upper cutoff of the ZP is slightly higher than that of the FI, this is due to the ability to match this sub with the front, at a higher frequency level, to the possible localization of sound.