Tri-Mode Amp

[mitch_04]

Well, I wouldn't say it can't work, I would say it's not ideal. It is stated to have an 8 ohm minimum subwoofer, and 4-8 ohm speakers. Your speaker resistance wouldn't be the problem. The problem would be adjusting for sound quality.

You should post the model number and brand of your amp, we can tell you more about it that way. If it is 2 ohm stable in stereo, the using 2 channels for high end and 2 for low isn't the worst idea.

Never go by "max" ratings of subwoofers or amplifiers, always go by the RMS (continuous) rating. It is what the amp will run on most of the time, other than a few big bass hits or volume cranks.

Unless the amplifier is, IIRC, CEA-2006 compliant there is no way to know whether the power ratings are correct. CEA-2006 compliancy, which is voluntary, means the manufacturer sent their product in to be tested by an independent facility, paying for it themselves, to have their power claims verified. Just because it DOESN'T have this does not mean it won't be an accurate rating, but if it DOES have CEA-2006 you know the power is correct. More often than not, ones without CEA compliancy are not accurate.



To find out power the formula is P=EI. If you have a charging system putting out 14.7 when the vehicle is running, you have P=14.7I. If you have a 30 amp fuse in your amplifier you know the maximum allowable amperage is 30, so P=14.7 x 30. When we solve, we get 441 watts, assuming 100% efficiency which is not going to happen. If you have an 80% efficient amp, you would have 352.8 watts. Divide this by 4 channels and you have 88.2 watts per channel MAXIMUM. Generally, RMS tends to be 50% of the maximum (rule of thumb) so your are looking at 44.1 watts per channel RMS. This is for a imaginary 4 channel amplifier with a 30 amp fuse and a 80% efficiency. Efficiency can change depending on the class of the amplifier (A/B/BD/D etc etc) so it's just a rough way of figuring out things.

I'd either get a separate subwoofer amplifier or a 5.1 channel amplifier.