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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Cass Lake, Michigan
    Posts
    36

    Default Amp Wiring Kit and subwoofer recommendation!

    Just got my tower speakers, amp, and subwoofer to beef up the audio system in my 2008 Outback V (see below for details). I'm hoping to get some help figuring out if there are any good off-the-shelf wiring kits available that I can pick up for a reasonable $ value.
    As always, the fantastic advice from everybody on the forum would be GREAT! Thanks in advance!

    Head Unit: Stock
    Amplifier: WetSounds HT-6 bridged to 300Wx3 channels (4 ohms)
    Tower Speakers: Wetsounds Pro-80's
    Subwoofer: Kicker Solo-Baric 12L72
    - This is actually a 2 ohm subwoofer where as the amp is meant to deliver 4ohm load. I am planning on getting a new subwoofer if there is no way I can accommodate this. Any recommendations?
    - Any 12"woofers that can handle the 300W RMS load with similar sealed volume requirements?
    - If at all possible I'd like to keep it cheaper than the JL 12W6v2-D4...but if you gotta you gotta right?

    Amp Wiring Kit: Any recommendations? Good place to buy?
    - Based on the amplifier draw I was planning on using a 4awg kit from automotive application.

    AGAIN...thanks for all the help.
    Tower Speakers: Check
    Subwoofer: Check
    Added Battery and ACR: In but needs a lil' fixing

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Lake Wylie NC Area
    Posts
    2,467

    Default

    The Kicker 12L72 is a dual 2 ohm voice coil sub, so wired in series, it will be a 4 ohm load on the amp. Did you just buy all this gear? If so, I would exchange the L7 for the L3 as it will be a much better match for the HT-6's available 300W rms. Or, exchange the Ht-6 for an HT-4 and HT-1. This option would be the same power to your Pro-80. Although I would like to see 750 to 1000 watts rms to an L7 12", 600W is far better then 300.

    You can scratch off the 12w6 from your list. They come in 4 ohm dvc only. You would have to wire it in series in order to bridge it on the HT-6 and it would only receive 220W. That sub deserves 500W or more.

    4ga cabling would be the correct size for the HT-6, but the issue with an automotive amp install kit is the 2ft of ground cable they provide. This wont cut it in a boat because both the POS and GND need to terminate at the battery/switch. In a car, the whole chassis is a ground plane, hence the short ground cable. You are better off buying the cable in bulk. Also, buy the RCA cable based on the length needed.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Cass Lake, Michigan
    Posts
    36

    Default

    I was thinking the sub would be a good choice in the case I wanted to move the 6 channel to the in boat speaker next year, and replace the amps for the sub and towers.
    Is there really any danger for using the sub under powered? Will it sound terrible?
    Tower Speakers: Check
    Subwoofer: Check
    Added Battery and ACR: In but needs a lil' fixing

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Dallas, TX
    Posts
    887

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by OutbackV2008 View Post
    I was thinking the sub would be a good choice in the case I wanted to move the 6 channel to the in boat speaker next year, and replace the amps for the sub and towers.
    Is there really any danger for using the sub under powered? Will it sound terrible?
    Only too much power and too much abuse hurts speakers. While you could possibly do damage to a tweeter or fullrange speaker by over-driving an under-sized amplifier into more of a compressed/continuous mode, it is very unlikely that you would hurt a subwoofer with that voice coil capacity by under-powering it to that degree. The sub simply will not come close to its potential and a smaller amplifier can reach its limit earlier when driving a woofer like the L7 which is pretty darn demanding.

    David

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Pacific NW USA
    Posts
    578

    Default

    Distortion is what hurts speakers. And this can happen regardless of what amplifier you have on the sub. Keep your system cleanly powered at whatever level you choose and your gains setup appropriately for your amplifier and you'll be just fine.

    -Brian @ Exile

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Dallas, TX
    Posts
    887

    Default

    It depends on how you define distortion.
    A woofer cannot recognize high levels of various types of distortion and distortion does not necessarily create more heat. Over-driving a guitar tube amplifier input for example is a common technique to create a specific effect. The woofer may not recognize this as distortion although we can clearly hear the signal distortion.
    Hard compression and clipping directly translate to more continuous power and that is precisely what creates the heat that damages speakers. Power KILLS woofers. Period. If you drive a smaller amplifier into hard clipping you have created more continuous power and the result is more heat.

    David

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