[jhd]

I spent my younger years in the car audio scene. I've since transferred my energy to home audio. My question is whether (and how) car audio gear can be used in a home setting. I am mostly interested in using a 12v active crossover (since I have one sitting around, and home audio crossovers tend to be pretty expensive). But what about 12v amplifiers? Could those work?

Thanks for the help!

[kfr01]

Yes.  Back a few years ago I used some old MTX 12" subwoofers and some 300w car amps as my HT subwoofer system.  It wasn't exactly pretty bass... but they had some punch and actually sounded pretty low in room.

Buy something like this:

http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=pyrps36kx

and experiment at will.

Don't expect hi-fi results, but it'll work.

[Vinnie R.]

I spent my younger years in the car audio scene. I've since transferred my energy to home audio. My question is whether (and how) car audio gear can be used in a home setting. I am mostly interested in using a 12v active crossover (since I have one sitting around, and home audio crossovers tend to be pretty expensive). But what about 12v amplifiers? Could those work?

Thanks for the help!

Hi jhd,

Welcome to audiocircle!

Yes, if you obtain a 12Vdc power supply with sufficient amperage, you can power car audio gear in the home.  Keep in mind that most car audio amplifiers use built-in DC switching supplies to (dc-to-dc converters) to generate larger voltage rails required for their often high-power rating.  

Cheap, high powered car audio amps tend to sound sloppy and can be very bass heavy (that's what all the kids want....thumping, bloated bass   ), but you could give it a try and might find one that sounds good for your application.  

Regards,

[jhd]

Thanks for the replies. What about crossovers and similar electronics? Would a large power supply be required for those, or would a simpler method work?

[kfr01]

Thanks for the replies. What about crossovers and similar electronics? Would a large power supply be required for those, or would a simpler method work?

You can go with something pretty small.  You normally don't need a lot of current for those types of electronics.  Information about what kind of current you need should be listed on the device.

[JeffB]

I recently started using an MTX electronic crossover in my house.
It draws 250mA.  I connected it to a 12V 7Ah sealed led acid battery.
I bought the battery and 1000mA charger for it from BatteryMart.com.
It works fine, but there is a small amount of noise in the system.   I don't notice the noise with music playing.  I am wondering if the expected voltages and impedances match up between the car audio and home audio gear.