[santacore]

Hey Guys,

I'm looking for help on how to properly wire a subwoofer. I picked up a Polk PSW1000 for less then $100 at a surplus sale because the plate amp had been removed. I happen to have a subwoofer plate amp from Parts Express sitting around that fits the sub perfectly. My question is what is the proper way to wire the unit? The unit has (2) 10" drivers, 1 on each side, back to back. Could anyone help me out with the proper wiring configuration.

Thanks,

John

[KS]

You want the cones to move the same direction at the same time.  You can connect some test wiring and a 1.5 volt dry cell battery for a very short time.  You'll see the cones move.

[Jazz and Baroque]

You also have the option of wiring them in series or in parallel.   In series, the amp will see an impedance that is the sum of the two drivers.  In parallel, if the drivers are identical, the impedance will be one-half the impedance of one of the drivers. 
In either case, if you don't get any sound, it means that you have to reverse the wires on one of the drivers.

[ctviggen]

That sounds like a push-pull type of driver system (one driver pulling outward while the other is pushing inward).

[opnly bafld]

Wire the drivers in parallel with both red (positive) wires from the drivers to the red wire (positive output) on the amp.

Lin

[santacore]

Thanks to everyone for the input. Right now they are wired like this:


Overall it sounds pretty bad, not tight and punchy at all. I'm not sure if the sound is because of the wiring, quality of the amp, or just sub design itself. Do you think replacing the old Parts Express sub amp with a more current "DASH" amp will really make a big difference? If not, what other suggestions do you guys have.



Thanks,

John

[opnly bafld]

You need to run 2 wires from the amp + (red), one to each sub + (red)
and run 2 wires from the amp - (gray wire in diagram), one to each sub - (gray wire in diagram)
This is called parallel wiring, in this case the amp will see a 4 ohm load.

What you have now is series wired which in this case will present the amp with a 16 ohm load which lowers the power and damping factor.

Lin

[richidoo]

You need current to get punch. Punch is well controlled driver cone, which requires lots of mechanical force, which IS provided only by high current.  As Lin said, wiring in series raises load impedance, thereby reducing current from the amp. An easier load is not always the best for an amplifier. They are designed to work within a band, and most require some incline to work against to sound their best. Pump it up by lowering the impedance through parallel wiring and the amp will be much happier, and you too! 

I didn't read this article, but linking just for the pics, but it might have more info worth reading...
http://www.termpro.com/articles/spkrz.html
Rich