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whats the basic amp and subs setup?

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Old Mar 28, 2005 | 07:02 PM
  #1  
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Mackenzie C
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Default whats the basic amp and subs setup?

like how is the wiring and stuff. im bout to get a amp and some subs from my boy. what kind of wires do i need. do i just connect the subs to the rear speaker wires? i just need the basic setup.
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Old Mar 28, 2005 | 08:20 PM
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Illegal B16
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no,no,no,no,no.......you need a 4 guage amp kit from best buy made by rockford fosgate, and maybe some connectors for the amp depending on what kind it is. If you have a stock head unit you also need another part to get the rca's to wire into your stock radio for an output.
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Old Mar 28, 2005 | 08:47 PM
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You'll want to get an amp wiring kit (size depending on the size of your amp). The wires you'll need are: power/ground wire, remote wire, RCAs, and speaker wire. The power wire is run from your battery to the amp. The ground wire is attached to the metal frame of the vehicle somewhere near the amp. The remote wire is run from the head unit to the amp to give the amp a "turn on" signal. The RCAs are run from the head unit to the amp to provide the sound signals. The speaker wires are run from the amp to the subs.

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need a "Rockford Fosgate" wiring kit from Best Buy. You can obtain a good wiring kit made by Scosche from WalMart and it will perform just as well as the RF kit for half the price.

Also, if you have a factory deck, the device you'll need to run RCAs to the amp is called a line output converter.

Here's a link to a tutorial for installing your amp: http://www.mmxpress.com/technical/ampinstall.htm
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Old Mar 28, 2005 | 09:03 PM
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Illegal B16
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what guage wire is in the walmart brand kit?
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Old Mar 28, 2005 | 10:18 PM
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They have both 8 ga kits and 4 ga kits.
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Old Mar 29, 2005 | 07:19 AM
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Illegal B16
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wow, I still wont be shopping there. i didnt get to 155db's on walmart brand, no offense. I also sell this stuff for a living when I'm not doing security.
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Old Mar 29, 2005 | 07:23 AM
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Well, that's your decision, but MackenzieC shouldn't be told to go out and get an expensive kit when there are other options out there that are cheaper and do the same exact thing.
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Old Mar 29, 2005 | 07:32 AM
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Agreed, but there are differences between the kits. The rca's to start, but yes, why pay more. If it will do it, PERFECT. I strongly suggest that you use 4 guage though, whatever brand you choose doesnt matter, but please use 4 guage, O.K.

IMO 8 guage is only good enough for one 10 inch sub. You can blow a sub from underpowering it to. I like to be extra careful. So do you know what kind of subs/amp your friend is giving you yet?
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Old Mar 29, 2005 | 08:25 AM
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i see. i have a sony cd player in my car. i just hooked it up like 3 days ago. and i need some bass. im thinking of goin little first. my guy is sellin me his amp and his two 12s for 60. i dont know any of the specs yet. but i think i might just use one of the 12s cuz the box is to big for my hatchback. its like the whole hatch. so ima go get a one 12 box and use one of them and use the amp. so i just use the red and white wholes on my cd player to go to the amp, and get the ground, and the power and what not. then its amp to sub speaker wires. aite ima look into it some more. should the amp and the sub match watts? RCA are the red and white wires right?
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Old Mar 29, 2005 | 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by Illegal B16
IMO 8 guage is only good enough for one 10 inch sub. You can blow a sub from underpowering it to. I like to be extra careful. So do you know what kind of subs/amp your friend is giving you yet?
Underpowering a sub CAN NOT and WILL NOT cause the sub to blow. People using underpowered amps, turning the volume up to compensate for a lack of power and clipping the sub causes the sub to blow.
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