Car HiFi DIY

Needed Hardware

Wires For the connection to the battery, audio signal and for connecting the subwoofer
Amplifier To amplify the music signal to the needed strength for driving strong basses
Subwoofer To create your wanted booom!

Description

The most basic components that you need to install a powerful bass system in your car are listed on the left. All components must be coordinated and match with each other. Here you can find out what you need to be aware of. You should also not buy a subwoofer with an already integrated amplifier, as they are often insufficiently dimensioned. For example, there are many examples where the subwoofer itself could deliver 500W RMS, but the amplifier built into it can only deliver up to 300W RMS. The average consumer probably doesn't notice this, but it is still wasted power.

Important notes

MOST IMPORTANT: Amplifiers are always connected directly to the battery of the car, using a separate cable with a short-circuit fuse. Depending on the amplifier, it can require up to 30 amps during power peaks and these can also not be drawn from the cigarette lighter. (max. 10 amps)
Choose an Amplifier that is powerful enough for your subwoofer. What we are interested in is the RMS power of the subwoofer. This is the average power that it can produce, so for a subwoofer with 500W RMS, the amplifier should also support 1x 500W output at the correct ohm level (4 Ω or 2 Ω)
4 Ω means that there are two coils (four connections) per speaker cone. This is often the standard nowadays.
If your loudspeaker also offers the option of 2 Ω, this should be used, as it allows more power to be achieved with your amplifier.
Low-level signals: Choose this if you directly attached your amplifier to your radio (no other amp. between) This setting is done on your amplifier.
high-level signals: Choose this if you attach your new amplifier on the already amplified bass output of the cars-build-in amp. If your amp has two levels here, start with Hi1, and only if you don’t hear something, switch to Hi2.