How to wire 4 subs....

[goryu]

Not sure where to post this so please move if inappropriate here...

So I will soon have 2 AE Dipole 18 subs in h-frames and 2 CSS SDX12 subs in sealed cabinets. I would like to put the dipole subs on the front wall near my Accoustat 6600's, and the sealed subs either on the side or back walls. I will use dsp, an Okto 8 channel dac, and several 2 channel amps. I have a few questions regarding how best to wire the subs:

1. wire a pair per side of the dipole and sealed subs in parallel, then connect the pair to each left and right amp channels in stereo? ( would be a 2 ohm load per channel, which my amps are fine with)?

2. wire each pair of subs to their own amp channel, meaning 4 amp channels instead of 2, in stereo?

3. wire as in 1 but feed the two amp channels the same signal (mono)?

4. wire as in 2 but feed the 4 amp channels the same signal (mono)?

5. Something else?

I should add that the AE dipoles have dual voice coils, 8 ohms each, the CSS sub drivers have dual voice coils, 2 ohms each. If I wire the 2 dipole voice coils in parallel, I get a 4 ohm load, if I wire the CSS voice coils in series, I get a 4 ohm load as well. I could then put the dipole and css drivers in parallel for 2 ohm load, or in series for an 8 ohm load, if I understand things correctly.

Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[Speedskater]

You can wire a pair of identical subs in series or parallel to the same amp output channel. But in parallel the low total impedance may be hard on the amplifier.
Do not wire different types of subs to the same amp output channel.

 

[goryu]

You can wire a pair of identical subs in series or parallel to the same amp output channel. But in parallel the low total impedance may be hard on the amplifier.
Do not wire different types of subs to the same amp output channel.

so either 4 amp channels for stereo or 2 for mono.....

 

[Duke]

Imo you will probably want to EQ the dipole subs and the sealed subs differently, in which case you'd want to drive them with different channels of amplification.

 

[goryu]

Imo you will probably want to EQ the dipole subs and the sealed subs differently, in which case you'd want to drive them with different channels of amplification.

True!

So would it be better to go with mono and feed both dipole 18's from one channel, and the css subs from the other channel of a stereo amp, or go stereo with each sub getting its own channel with 4 channels of amplification?

 

[Duke]

True!

So would it be better to go with mono and feed both dipole 18's from one channel, and the css subs from the other channel of a stereo amp, or go stereo with each sub getting its own channel with 4 channels of amplification?

Seems to me you'd have more flexibility in optimizing the bass region with a separate channel of DSP and amplification for each individual sub, as long as that doesn't take away from your flexibility across the rest of the spectrum.

It sounds to me like you're well on your way to having a superb system. I'm an advocate of using a distributed multi-sub system particularly with dipole main speakers, such as your Acoustats. I suggest asymmetrical placement of the sealed subs, maybe one on a side wall and one on the rear wall but closer to the other side of the room.

 

[goryu]

No doubt but I would have to buy another amp! Thanks for your help!

 

[Duke]

No doubt but I would have to buy another amp! Thanks for your help!

In that case, I would drive the two front (dipole subs) in parallel with a mono signal, and the two rear (sealed) subs in parallel also with a mono signal. My understanding is that true stereo bass south of 100 Hz or so in recordings is extremely rare. The standard version of the four-piece subwoofer system I make only has one channel of amplification driving all four subs, so I think in your case two mono channels (one EQ'd for the dipoles and one for the sealed subs) should work well.

 

[goryu]

thanks for your input!