Wiring can be very intimidating. Sometimes we just want the professionals to handle it.
BUT it’s good practice to DIY wiring speakers to a 4-channel amp.
If a professional can do it, you absolutely can, too!
Enjoy a better sound quality as you play music with our wiring tutorial below:
Wire a 4-Channel Amp to 6 Speakers: Two Ways
An amplifier IS A MUST to make music listening much better. Quality sound comes out without a very high volume!
People purchase amps so the sound will get more power and have a better boost.
Materials You’ll Need:
Here are some materials to keep in mind before starting to connect the four-channel amp to 6 speakers:
- Negative terminal
- Positive terminal
- Speakers
- Amplifier
- RCA Adapter cables
- Electrical tape
- Zip ties
- Fuse and fuse holder
- Crimp tool
1. Wiring in Series
- Connect the first two speakers to the first two channels. The negative terminal of channel #1 should connect to the negative terminal of speaker #1.
- Connect the positive terminal of the channel to another positive terminal of the speaker. (Speaker #2 should be connected to channel #1.)
- Alternate connecting negative ones and positive channels until the first four speakers are connected.
- Connect these four speakers to the channels.
- Connect the last two speakers to the remaining two channels.
Keep in mind that this method has a higher impedance.
Impedance is the restriction in the flow of music through the speakers.
While series wiring evenly distributes power when you play music, it still has a higher tendency to have impedance.
The higher your impedance, the less power you have. The less power you have, the less chance you’ve got for quality sound.
The Benefits of Wiring in Series
However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any pros to series wiring!
It’s the safest method to connect your 6 speakers to a 4-channel amp. You can replace your speakers easily, too.
Additionally, there is no more added equipment you need for this kind of audio system.
2. Wiring in Parallel
- Connect two speakers to one channel.
- Connect the remaining speakers to the rest of the channels.
The Benefits of Parallel Wiring
You can enjoy high–quality sound at full power!
However, there are some risks with this method as well.
Tou won’t be able to listen to it on six speakers at a high volume for a long time. If you do listen to it on a high volume for a long time, it will get the six speakers and amp hot.
As a result of the speaker load not being able to handle it, the amp could die in your car!
So here we are with a disclaimer, too: it may be good practice to know how to do this on your own, but connecting a 4-channel amp to 6 speakers isn’t!
There is a high chance that the heavy load will be too much. The amp will run hot, die, and then it will be a waste of car equipment.
Why is Wiring a 4-Channel Amp to All the Speakers Not Good Practice?
This kind of connection will increase the load of the amp. For the best results in sound quality, wire 6 speakers to a 6-channel amp instead.
How Many Speakers Can a 4-Channel Amp Handle?
Ideally, you should only wire a 4-channel amp to 4 speakers.
However, you can obviously wire a 4-channel amp to 6 speakers. You can even take it a step further with your amplifier and wire a 4-channel amp to 8 speakers!
Surprisingly, the channels on your amp can handle extra speakers and harness high power!
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve got you a guide, but you may have more questions about wiring a four-channel amp to 6 speakers.
If your questions range from a double load to why you can wire 6 speakers at once, we’ve got you!
Why Is The Sound Quality Better With More Speakers on An Amplifier?
An amplifier definitely increases the quality of your audio input and output.
In a vehicle, an amplifier makes the sound on a normal volume more boosted and with better clarity.
The headroom can also be without distortion.
What is the Load on a Head Unit?
Let’s start with some definitions.
The head unit is basically your car stereo or speaker.
The load that we’re referring to is the load from the amplifier.
It’s a type of device that boosts audio signals, so its primary role is to be the main function behind your 6 speakers’ amplification.
It’s important to keep the speaker load in mind if you want to connect six speakers and 4-channel amps together.
While they may be successfully connected, the speaker might not be able to take it for long at full volume.
As a result, once you do connect the amp and channels together, the load may break. Your speaker – and amplifiers – may break, too!
Remember to be careful!
Can I Run 6 Speakers on a 4-Channel Amps?
Yes, you can!
You can run even more six rear speakers, even, by pushing it to at most eight.
While it’s not the best strategy for most amps – it can run the stereo hot and you can probably use it for only a short time – it is possible.
However, if one speaker fails, take it as a sign to connect a 6-channel amp to 6 speakers instead.
The electrical current force increases load and may be too much for your car sound equipment to handle! Not to mention when that happens, you risk having to pay extra expenses.
Keep your car SAFE – and relatively affordable – by being careful when you wire a 4-channel amp to 6 speakers.
Can You Combine Amp Channels?
Yes, you can definitely combine amp channels. You can do so by bridging the amplifier.
As a result, your audio system will combine the amp channels together with half an ohm.
However, you have to make sure that your amplifier CAN bridge channels. If it doesn’t, then it can only handle a single channel at a time.
How Do I Hook Up Multiple Speakers To My Amp?
To connect more speakers to your amplifier, you just need to follow the two kinds of wire systems we stated above, namely parallel or series wiring.
When you wire speakers to a single channel, you may have to choose between your two options of wiring it in series or parallel.
- If you want to wire it in series, the speakers must be less than 8 ohms.
- If you want to wire it in parallel, the speakers must be more than 8 ohms.
Just connect positive and negative terminals together according to your wire system. Then, you’re all connected and ready to use multiple speakers at full volume!
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our guide on how to wire a 4-channel amp to six speakers.
Keep in mind: Wiring 6 speakers to a 4-channel amplifier can be dangerous as the increased load makes your amp hot.
Be careful when you try to connect!
