What Does Subwoofer Do? Tips To Choose Right Subwoofer and Amp Combo

Last Updated on 1 year by On Trends Gear

Adding a subwoofer to your aftermarket vehicle entertainment system is a great way to upgrade the bass.

Anyone who enjoys listening to music will agree that subwoofers improve the listening experience by adding richness and depth to the low frequencies.

However, the quality of the bass produced by a subwoofer depends on the amplifier that is used with it. 

The sound quality and reliability of your car audio system will be greatly improved by using components that are a good match for each other.

If you want the best possible sound quality from your new vehicle audio, consider the following tips discussed in this article while shopping for a subwoofer and amplifier.

What is a Subwoofer and How Does it Work?

Because it reproduces bass in the range of 20 to 200 Hz, a subwoofer is an essential part of any high-quality audio system, as these low tones are not often reproduced by stereo or multi-channel surround sound systems. 

In reality, subwoofers are the ones responsible for the .1 in a 7.1 sound system, which means they’re in charge of producing all the low-frequency effects. 

Your subwoofers will blend in perfectly with the rest of your stereo system, so the music will never skip a beat.

To create low frequencies, a subwoofer speaker makes use of huge drivers known as woofers.

 These subwoofers have the same appearance as any other speaker since they are housed in a wooden or plastic enclosure.

 Finally, the subwoofer’s massive woofer and built-in amplifier take the signal and create a more powerful, cleaner bass.

However, they must address crossover and phasing to recreate the high-quality sound.  Phasing corrects for the temporal discrepancies between otherwise identical signals.

What Size Speakers Are in my Car 

It is possible that realizing that your particular car model is compatible with a large variety of speaker sizes might be extremely confusing. 

We are aware of the challenges you may have when attempting to choose the size of vehicle speakers that would be most suitable for meeting your requirements.

Take accurate measurements initially, since this will be the very first step in determining the most appropriate size for the speakers.

To accomplish this, the panel that is located inside the door of your vehicle will need to be removed.

 The speakers in your car are likely located on the inside of the door panel; if this is the case, you should search there for them. 

You can keep the panels installed whether your deck is located in either the front or the back of the house.

Get some accurate measurements of the space you have available on the wall as well as the height you want the speakers to be. 

The mounting depth may be easily determined by simply running a tape measure from the bottom of the mounting plane up to the magnet of the speaker.  Take into account the length of this sentence. 

You need to ensure that the new car speakers will fit correctly once they’ve been fitted and that doing so won’t be too challenging for you. The last step is to determine how wide your speakers are.

 As a result of this, you will be able to go shopping for a stereo or speaker system knowing exactly what to look for and how to make an informed choice.

Tips To Choose Right Subwoofer and Amp Combo

The key to excellent bass is having subwoofers and an amplifier that is compatible with one another.

 Here are some suggestions to help you pick the best sub and amp combo package pair.

Discovering the Perfect Amp for Your Subwoofer

Here’s how to choose an amplifier for your subwoofer. To avoid power imbalances, it is important to choose subwoofers of the same impedance and coil type if you intend to connect up many subs in your car audio system. 

It is necessary to use individual amplifiers for each subwoofer type.

Step #1: Determine the Sub’s RMS Rating

If you have more than one sub, add together their RMS values. 

Choose an amplifier that can handle between 75 and 150 per cent of the subwoofer system’s RMS rating.

Step 2: Determine the Total Impedance

Determine the combined impedance of the subwoofers you’ve wired together; 

this will vary depending on whether the subs have a single voice coil (SVC) and a single pair of terminals, or a dual voice coil (DVC) and two sets of terminals.

Step 3: Find an Amp to Match Power and Impedance

Select an amplifier with output power in the total RMS wattage range (step 1) and impedance load (step 2) that matches the subs’ wiring.

Amplification channels for car stereos can be anything between one to six. In most cases, a mono-channel amplifier is best suited for driving subwoofers due to its high power output and low impedance.

Discovering the Perfect Subwoofer for Your Amp

Step #1: Determine the Amp’s Power Range

Sound quality suffers if the subwoofer’s RMS watts rating isn’t within the amp’s power range. 

Determine the amp’s RMS power at 4, 2, and 1 ohm. Determine the desired RMS power level. The overall impedance of your sub will equal the load impedance (in ohms) of your amplifier.

Step #2: Decide on the Number of Subs

You may determine the optimal number of subwoofers for your car radio by dividing the RMS power rating you selected in Step 1 by that number.

 The final number is the required RMS rating for each sub. 

The lowest RMS rating that will work for each sub is obtained by dividing the target RMS rating by 1.5, and the maximum RMS rating is obtained by dividing the target number by 0.75. 

then, calculate coil designs by combining impedance and subs.

Step #3: Choose Subs that Suit Impedance and Power

Select subwoofers with an RMS power rating within the range determined in Step 2, then select SVC or DVC subwoofers depending on the system’s design and impedance.

Our Recommended Best 10-inch Subwoofer and Amp Combo

#1 kicker Subwoofer and Amp Combo

#2. 12” Subwoofer and Amp Combo

#3. 15 Inch Subwoofer and Amp combo

Conclusion 

If you pair your subwoofer with the appropriate amplifier, you may enjoy crisp, powerful sound without risking damage to either component. 

Matching the amp’s technical specs to the subwoofer’s is the first step in making a perfect choice, but there are other factors to think about, 

such as the subwoofer’s placement and the amp’s functions.

Last update on 2023-10-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API