Need help! Wiring RTI12's

Dimehead

Does anybody know how to wire the bottom three 7" woofers into 4ohms? I know that they are wired in series at 8ohms. I am by-amping both the left and right RTI12's on a Carver A-500x and I would like to have the impedance at 4ohms. The Carver is stable down to 2ohms so it should have no problem with 4 ohms. I thought maybe all I would have to do is just swap one of the speakers polarity around and that might do it, but I'm not sure. I sent Polk Audio an email asking how to do this but I haven't heard back from them yet and it's been over 5 days since I sent them the email. Any help would be much appreciated. thanks

deronb1

I wouldn't mess around with doing that. Could fry your xovers. Why 4 ohms?

Dimehead

Because my amp that I am running the bottom 3 woofers on will put out 400 watts a channel at 4 ohms. Hopefully polk will get back with me and tell me exactly how to do it.

tonyb

Dude, all amps put out more power into a 4 ohm speaker. A 4 ohm speaker is harder to drive first off, second, an amp doesn't just put out it's rated power when you turn it on. Third, the speakers were not designed to be run as a 4 ohm design. If you feel you need more power, look for a better amp. **** with the design will only result in disaster in my opinion.

Dimehead

The amp isn't the problem. Really nothing is the problem. I was just wondering if I could make a simple adjustment to the wiring on the three 7" speakers to get a 4ohm load, and by doing so they would now have close to the recommended power that polk say these speakers can handle and my amp at 4ohms is rated at 400wpc. Now would you rather have 400wpc than 250? Now if it's not possible to wire these up that way then ok. Actually my amp puts out more power on every ohm load, 8, 4, and 2 ohms, than it came rated with. Do you know for sure that they were not designed to run at 4 ohm loads? Guess I'll find out for sure when Polk gets back with me. Thanks for the advice.
The amp I am using is a Carver A-500x.

tonyb

It's not watts but current that controls the speaker my friend. The volume dial couple with what the speaker design is asking for, determines how much power your amp will put out, basically speaking. The 12's are an 8 ohm design, but need some current to sound their best. I'd rather have a 50 watt tube amp, would blow that carver out of the water with only 50 watts.

When the speaker asks for more juice, the amp will give it up to it's capabilities, but it doesn't, or won't put out 400 watts at normal even loud listening levels because the speaker maynot require it. It's not that hard of a speaker to drive, granted it's harder than some other 8 ohm speaker, but not as hard as some other 4 ohm ones like the LSI series. Just because an amp can put out 1000 watts doesn't mean that it will because it may not be needed. The amp you have is capable of driving them to their full potential. Don't read into manufacturers recommended watts too much, it means very little.

tommyt21

Dimehead wrote: »

The amp isn't the problem. Really nothing is the problem. I was just wondering if I could make a simple adjustment to the wiring on the three 7" speakers to get a 4ohm load, and by doing so they would now have close to the recommended power that polk say these speakers can handle and my amp at 4ohms is rated at 400wpc. Now would you rather have 400wpc than 250? Now if it's not possible to wire these up that way then ok. Actually my amp puts out more power on every ohm load, 8, 4, and 2 ohms, than it came rated with. Do you know for sure that they were not designed to run at 4 ohm loads? Guess I'll find out for sure when Polk gets back with me. Thanks for the advice.
The amp I am using is a Carver A-500x.

This is a recipe for disaste. Even if you pushed 400 watts what would you gain.. Sounds like you want to turn your speakers into firewood.

Dimehead

I'll say this I like tube amps better but I will disagree with you about a 50watt amp out preforming this carver. This is the first solid state I have owned. Funny thing is, it sounds like a tube amp. I think they ere built with that in mind. Anyway, I know that current controls the speaker...lol All I am wanting is for the speakers to sound as efficient as possible with the right amount of power hooked up to them. This Carver amp puts out 268 watts at 8ohms before distortion and 428 watts at 4ohms before distortion. I never read into the manufacture's spec's. Oh and TOMMYT21 I've had these RTI12's bridged on this Carver am getting well over 700watts of clean power for the last 2 and a half years and I haven't had to throw them out just yet. It's not enough power that kills these beauties. Most people buy these speakers because they look great and they do but they turn around and hook them up to a Sony 80watt receiver and and call it a day. So when they have a few friends over and try and show off their speakers, they end up frying them. I've seen it happen 2 times now, with people that have the RTI12's. Anyway as far as, what would I gain? Clean, efficient, nondistorted, awesomeness!!

devani

i don't need to crank volume to show my gear....

from what I read, I doubt polk will tell you how to wire RTi12 the way you want to....I know I wouldn't

jbooker82

Dimehead wrote: »

. Anyway as far as, what would I gain? Clean, efficient, nondistorted, awesomeness!!

No you wouldnt because a 4 ohm speaker is harder to drive. You cannot get somehting for nothing. Wiring the woofers in a 4 ohm load will cause you to burn the crosssovers up because the speakers hooked to them don't have enough resistance. Besides the 3 woofers in your speakers dont all act in sync. Each driver covers a different range in frequency. So you cannot simply wire them together to get what ever load want.