2 channel amp and 3 "subs"* (not real "subs")

everpress

Before anyone goes bat-$#*! crazy on me, I've used Google and searched the forum, here and several others as well... But I'm looking for some final words of wisdom on this particular set-up, because I haven't found the answer to this particular question.

Backstory: I've been improving the sound system in my ol' car gradually. I have little to no budget (as we've heard a thousand times). I used to be a fairly decently paid art director in an advertising agency, and then a freelance illustrator... Then one day in my old age, I decided to join the Army. I have a wife and multiple dependents, so cash doesn't come easy, freely or in abundance.

I purchased some polk component speakers for my fronts and some polk coaxials for the rears (though I'm wondering if that was economical or just my need for symmetry. All of these are running off the head unit (which is cheap, but sounds clean even at moderately high levels).

But the Army moves people around like mad. My neighbor came over with a box of car audio stuff that wouldn't fit into his u-haul. New, it was about $500 in stuff, and he just gave it to me. I would never have purchased the items in that box, as saving up my money for some more worthwhile pieces would have been a priority in sound... But I peeked in, saw almost everything in its original packaging and took the box off his hands for the cash in my wallet (which was very little).

Don't judge me for using these things; I'm still saving up for improvements, but since I'm out very little money while I'm saving, I figure I'll make the most out of what I got. In the box i have:

One 1000w Sony 2 Channel Amp (really only 1000w max at 1 channel and 185w rated at 2 channels)
One 12" Sony Sub
Two Alpine Bass Engines (Butt-kickers or Tactile Transducers or whatever you want to call them; hence the parenthetical "subs" in the title of the post)

The 'speakers' are all 4ohm and the amp is 4ohm at 2 channels/2ohm at 1 channel.

I was hoping to get some safe options. I want to try these little shakers and the sub (the speakers I have are great at producing ear-bleeding highs and crisp, punchy mid-bass, but the lows are heavily missing) together, but spending more dough on another amp for this rather than a new headunit OR an amp to sufficiently power my speakers is not an option.

BUT everything I've read covers only power hungry subs (I'm powering one sub and 2 low, low power 'shakers) and wires everything bridged, which at 4ohms per sub always ends up being a 1.3333ohm or a 12ohm load is wired in a different way (but still bridged) and not in safe tolerance with the amplifier I have. But if I run the sub off one channel and run the alpines in series off the other channel, will this still read as a 1.3333ohm load or a 12ohm load?

I'm not in this "hobby" to spend money; I have an audiophile's ear, but I'm lacking the audiophile wallet. I just want some lows to balance out my music (sub) and maybe a bit of fun (alpine bass engines).

whgarrett1394

Hello,

I don't know much, but I wouldn't use the tactile transducers. You say the amp is 2ohm when bridged? That would
only work if the sony sub was a 4ohm dual voice coil ran in parallel. I don't know what you should do. Can you
manually wrap copper wire around sub and lower the resistance? I just thought I would reply to give you some input Good Luck.

MacLeod

This is the weirdest thread. 3 paragraphs of "I have no money so don't you F'ing judge me!"

Don't be so defensive brother. This isn't one of those juvenile car audio forums where you're flamed if you're not using "proper" brands of gear. You can be a car audio enthusiast even if you build your entire system off the Walmart showroom. Enthusiast doesn't mean "spends the most amount of money".

Now on to your question, if you're going for sound quality which I assume you are since you consider yourself an audiophile, I'm of the opinion that you should just use the 1 Sony sub and power it alone with the amp. This might not give you as much output but it'll almost certainly give you the best sound. This would also be the cheapest way. You'd be out the cost of wires to hook things up then run down to Walmart and buy one of their Scosche prefab boxes for a single 12 for like $35.

everpress

I apologize in earnest; I wasn't trying to come across as that defensive. I know that some people's mindset is that one only needs to throw more money at a problem to find a solution. If I had my druthers, I would not be rocking anything Sony-branded... Not because I'm a brand snob (maybe a little), but because I have heard stories of bad experiences from trusted individuals and I don't have the pockets to dribble any amount into the garbage can. That's all I was saying.

As far as being an audiophile, it's just I listen to music. Really listen to it. Being able to hear EVERYTHING clearly and preferably at any volume (low or high) is a blessing to me. It drives my wife crazy. She is deaf in one ear and has never placed an importance on music anyway, so any money I spend on this type of thing to her is 'waste'.

So back to the real subject. If it's consensus that I can't make this work with what I have, then I'll simply not try it! Easy! Yeah, I've already don't most of the wiring for the sub (just waiting to order my main power fuse and the box for the 12"). Running the amp single channel will be optimal anyway since it's powerhungry and fits in the imp rating that way.

Thanks guys- It's good to know that you guys are as helpful here in the car audio section as all the rest of the forums.

Should anyone want to chime in with any other advice, I'm still listening.

MacLeod

I think it can work pretty well with just the sub running off the amp and your speakers off the head unit. You'll also have a pretty good amount of sub output too. If you're liatening to music and not rap, you'll be very happy. It doesn't take a ton of subwooferage to have good sound quality. I competed for 2 years with a single 10 and 300 watts and never got dinged for lack of sub bass. Good sounding musical sub bass isn't the same thing that you hear when that idiot 18 year old drives thru your neighborhood at 2AM. Being a home audio guy, you already know this so slap that sub in there, sell those other things and enjoy.