I have a dual 2 ohm sub so I can wire it so my amp sees either a 4 or a 1 ohm load. Some people would say that SQ is better and there is less chance of damaging a sub with a 4ohm load compared to a 1 ohm load (all else being equal).

I am trying to decide if I should by an amp that is 1 ohm stable to produce my desired 1000 watts as opposed to buying an amp that will give me 1000 watts at 4 ohm. Generally speaking, I can find a 1 ohm amp producing 1000 watts and a better price than a 4 ohm amp - so I ask all you educated SQ folk... is it really worth it to spend extra and keep my sub wired to show 4 ohm?? Will I really notice a difference in quality and will my sub be in less danger of frying??

Thanks

yes

IR losses will be greater with the 1ohm setup.. but I don't think it's going to make a very significant difference....

I'm not a car audio guru, I know a little more than the average Joe, nothing like the SQ pros around here, but I can relay my personal experience.

4, 2, and 1 ohms, makes a HUGE difference! MONDO! COLLOSAL!!!

When I upgraded a few years ago to a high end sub setup, I bought a 1 ohm stable Orion 1200D, and a 2ohm DVC sub.

Wanting serious boom, I hooked 'er up at 1200w @ 1 ohm and never gave it a second thought. Then ran it through my first DbDrag just for curiosity.

135Db, on the windshield. Not bad, for a single sub in a sealed box in a big empty van.

Then I got my hands on a new box, applied a few other knowledges I had gained, and then hit 144-145. Nice.

But with music, it seemed to lack the nice in-your-chest bass. It was way louder, yes, but didn't have the oomph my old 300w sub had. Hard to explain, but true.

So then recently I ended up getting a second 1200d amp. Hooked one amp to each 2 ohm coil, output is 725 @ 2 (each, 1450 total). Sounded a lot better, slightly louder, but a lot better.

Next was to bridge the two amps, and hook the sub up at 850w @ 4 ohms final.

Well holy crap... "Only" 850 watts... but WOW, SQ is up so high it gives ya wood... SPL is slightly reduced, hardly enough to notice during normal use, you have to "try" to notice that it's not as loud.

I ain't going back... 4 ohms is awesome. Maybe I'll try 2 again just to see if I can notice the SPL difference, but 4 is now my fave [img]smile.gif[/img]

For competition next season, I'll switch them down to 1 ohm, 2400w, but not for music, just for competition. After the show, I'll switch her back to 4 ohms for daily.

I would guess you were clipping the hell out of the amps with the lower impedences to notice that huge of a difference?

I might be wrong, but it was always my understanding that the difference between running an amp at 1 ohm, opposed to running it at 4 ohm would yeild very different results as far as your electrical system in the vehicle was concerned. Let me elaborate.

A 1 ohm system requires more amps but less voltage, where as a 4 ohm system requires more volts but less amps. now for me I would rather run an amp at 4 ohm, (if it can give me the power I want) rather than bridging it down to 1 ohm, and tax the electrical system more than I have to. On a stock electrical system, chances are that your Alt. isn't putting out nearly enough amps for your system to be wired to a 1 ohm connection.

but then again that's just my understanding..

regards, Mark

[ November 29, 2005, 01:05 AM: Message edited by: SQ Civic ]

4 ohm is better and less stress on your woofers and would draw less power
1 ohm i dont think u will blow your subs and would be alot louder and u would love it

thats my opinion

try them both out and keep whats good for U

there is no difference between 1,2,4, or 8 ohm connections as far as being any louder. 1000watts at 1 ohm is exactly the same as 1000 watts at 4 ohm.

The Ohm load he is refering to, is at the Amp, not on the sub(s) themselves

Mark

[ November 29, 2005, 02:41 AM: Message edited by: SQ Civic ]

Does this not come back to the same argument as to which amp sounds better? If a watt is a watt, then does it matter at what impedance the power is produced at?

I've used all configurations for long lengths of time and have found that I can NOT tell the difference in SQ as long as it's set up properly. I am currently running at 1.33 ohms and everything sounds clean and tight. The system was designed for this set up in advance and it has met all expectations. Personally, the most important thing to me is proper driver selection for the application and parameters of the system. I've had great sound from amplifiers from Pyramid to Fosgate (reliability, prestige, and just plain preference being the big difference). Again, my ears are mine, if you can hear a difference, by all means use what you like.

at 1 ohm, your current/voltage ratio that gives you your wattage is much more current heavy.

it's basic ohm's law.

4 ohms means more voltage, less current, less current = less heat, which is a good thing.

1000 watts @ 1 ohm = 31.6 amps, 31.6 volts.

1000 watts @ 4 ohms = 15.811 amps, 63.24 volts.