Um help.... Car audio wiring question

[RTFM]

OK I popped in an older Alpine head unit and 4 Phoenix Gold [FONT=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]RSd 6.5" speakers this weekend.
I wired them up to an old ADS PQ10 (Love this old girl) not powerful but real musical.

My two questions are this.

On the new PG speakers they are not marked + and - for the signal wiring, though one terminal is "normal" sized to fit a standard female spade terminal and the other is 1/2 width of the other.

The larger one has what looks like an inductor or filter coming off the "normal" sized wiring terminal. I designated these terminals as + just to make them all alike.
So does it not matter with new speakers where I place my + amp signal anymore? As long as they are all wired alike?
Owners manual says nothing about speaker wiring.

Second question:
Later when adding a sub box from SubThump.com the MB Quart amp and Dayton sub will be standalone but with no sub output from the older Alpine (Just 2 front 2 rear outputs) How will I get the full range signal to split or is the subs amp a pass through device?
I really want to keep the PG's powered by my ADS PQ10 and just the Dayton sub powered by the MB Quart.

Help.

See link: http://subthump.com/edeals.htm

And a better connection picture of the amp: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/pictures.php?id=13494

:repair:



[/FONT]

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

It would be better if you wired them all alike and all + to +. however, if they are all wired alike you should be fine. The audiophiles will come in here and tell you the right answer I am sure.

audiophile - one who claims to be able to hear the inaudible.

I got one of my wifes subs backwards and they made close to no sound. It was pretty interesting to see 2 12's hitting with no sound resulting.

 

[bfred]

As for question #2, you can use a low to high impedance filter to hook up your subs

 

[RTFM]

You mean Low and high pass filter?
Impedance relates to resistance - filter is frequency (right?)

 

[bfred]

Pretty sure I got the name right, but could be wrong though. What it does is filter out the signal from the radios internal amp converting it back the signal you would get from the pre amp outputs.

 

[Slip Kid]

As long as all + and - are the same it should be ok(it could be said that if all +and- were opposite of intended, all your speakers would be trying to cancel the sub, but you will be fine). The wide terminal is definitely + on mine, narrow is - and connects to the included wire with the tracer. Use the rear RCA outputs for the sub, the amp most likely has a low pass filter on it. If the amp does not, you will probably not be able to tell, but it would indeed be possible to get a standalone crossover to either put on the RCA lines, or a passive crossover between amp and driver. As you are actually using rear speakers as well, you will have to remember that any bal/fade affecting the rear speakers will also affect the subs if they are connected to the rear line-level outputs.

 

[Mr.Shrek]

Like Slip Kid said you have the wiring on the speakers correct. If your speaker wire was not clearly marked or you can't remember which side you used, take a double or triple A battery and you can touch the ends of the speaker wire to the batter ends. If the speaker pops out you have the right positive and negative. If it pops in they are wired in reverse polarity, simply swap the wires.

I did a search for your amp and didn't find any tech information on it. Here are a few options.
1) Check you amp to see if the input can be switched from 4 channel input to 2. Then you could just take your rear RCA's and run them to your sub amp like Slip Kid said.
2) Use a line output converter. If you wire it properly, tapping into your front left and your rear right speaker output, it will keep you sub input from being as effected from fad and balance as it would be if you use option 1.

3) Check your amp to see if it has a line out also. Then you could just run a short rca from that amp to your sub amp.
Hope that helps. If you need anymore help feel free to PM me.