Help - Search - Members - Calendar
Full Version: 4 channel running splits. degraded sq?
Mobile Electronics Australia > Mobile Electronics Discussion > Sound Quality Discussion
Shieldsy
ok well i don't seem to see in my reasoning that there wuld be much of a problem running splts off a 4 channel amp in 2 ohm stereo? ii kno it will work fine.. but would there be any degraded sq from doing so? and if in theory yes.. would the degredation be an audible reason to not do so?
basically in an sq side of things would using a 4 channel amp in 2ohm stereo be bad?
thnx in advance for ur help all u sq junkies out there
Damon
On paper, at least, there will be an increase in damping factor - which is said to reveal some audible anomalies in some instances depending on the amplifier's design. I have yet to prove to myself either way whether or not this is true.

Go ahead and try it. If you think you hear a difference then try something else. Half the fun opf car audio is getting in your garage and fiddling around to see what happens! That's how I've learned just about everything I know!

Damon
Shieldsy
ok i wuld love to just go and try it but i'm looking for a higher end sq driver to drive my front stage and am thinking about purchasing a 4 channel amp to do this has anyone done this and produced good results?
i'm very much looking for real world examples here but any help would be much apreciated
shieldsy
east_bay_punk
i have run splits of amps both bi-wired, full active and bridged, i didn't really notice any "in-your face" differences, but i was not doin it to compare between the ways of wiring it up, just the easiest ways to install.
Shieldsy
ok thnx... common someone out there must be running a 4 channel amp for there front stage!
EDZ
Yeah, im running fully active my front Pioneer splits of 4 channel amp (earthquake amp)after i've try couples of 2 channel amps eg Kicker ZR 240, alpine, rockford and pioneer, the problem is that, Engine Whinning if i turn on Air cond and headlight. Im not blame to the amps or installation, but i found out the pioneer passive X/Over produce noise in my system, so i throw away that X/over and bingo!!! the engine noise gone. In my opinion, the spilts now sound clearer with the built in X/over from the amp. Much better in SQ term and i never think to bridge 4 channel amp for running splits is good idea as people says you would double the power as well as the distortion (noise).
Shieldsy
the thing is that i don't plan on running fully active front stage... i plan on running the amp in 2ohm stereo and am wondering if otha ppl are doing the same and what results they have found .. the diffrence in sq.. but thnx for ur input anyone running there setup in 2 ohm stereo? using a 4 channel?

[ May 22, 2003, 11:32: Message edited by: shieldsy ]
Poida
I run my fronts bridged off a 4 channel, more power is better as far as i'm concerned and it certainly didnt negatively effect SQ.

Then again i dont have 'golden ears'
ix
yeah after poida told me to bridge the channels and run the fronts, it definately sound better with the extra overhead

i guess just gotta make sure the gains are set right on both the bridged channels
[white lie]
isnt it a decrease in damping factor Damon?

the increase in power outweighs all the negative aspects associated with bridging IMO...you wont hear an increase in distortion or anything like that...i'll be running a bridged 2 channel per side for my fronts soon and have run bridged 4 channel amps in the past and not had a problem
VL Commy
Also setting the high pass on each channel might be hard to match em exactly. Meh, go full range buddy
Macca
Wilf also runs a bridge 4 channel for his fronts.

VL commy is a bit wrong i think as the one crossover should do both channels (left and right)

i just cant remember.

When bridging your amp does it state a stereo output?

i know when i bridge my amps 4 channels it give specific terminals for left and right bridged outputs, wilfs was different, we had to swap rcas around to keep the stereo image

eg Front imputs were 2 left side rcas and rear were 2 right side rcas
harris_r31
THD on paper is increased, however in reality, ur gonna have the gains abit lower, so the amp wont be as close to its rated power, thus the THD wont be as high as that of its rated power. and i seriously doubt it would b audible anyway, unless it was like over 1%.
normally if the THD was 0.05% at its rated 40hm stereo, at 20hm it would be about 0.3% at its rated power.( thats just an example, not based on any "real-life amp)
i run my boston's bridged off my 4 channel amp, giving them 160wrms each, and they love it. sounds fantastic in my opinon.
if ur amp has seperate high/low pass filters for each pair of channels, as someone said earlier, take care in setting ur HPs and gains.
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.
Invision Power Board © 2001-2008 Invision Power Services, Inc.