Speaker Wiring - Two Speaker - One Channel

[61hawk]

I have a kinda dumb speaker wiring question. I am running a RetroSound head unit with the LMC dual speaker in the dash, two speakers in the kick panels and two speakers in the rear.

I have the rears wired. One speaker to one channel.

I now want to wire the dash speakers and kickpanel speakers as the "front" speakers. I have read about wiring them in series and parallel... but could it be as simple as wiring them in a "Y"? As in twisting both speakers + wires together and both - wires together? To me this is kind of like wiring in parallel. My speakers don't have a second set of connectors on the speaker so I'll have to twist the wires together at the first speaker to go to the second if I do parallel... so I'm just wondering if I can save some wire and just connect the wires at the point where they connect to the head unit since the dash speaker wires are right there at the head unit.

Thanks.

[Warrens69GMC]

Retrosound should have wiring for 4 speakers.

[61hawk]

Originally Posted by Warrens69GMC

Retrosound should have wiring for 4 speakers.

It does, I'm working with six speakers. Have have the rear two on the rear two channels. Trying to figure out the best way to wire the remaining four into the front two channels.

[Warrens69GMC]

I would run parallel, add the extra wires

[61hawk]

Originally Posted by Warrens69GMC

I would run parallel, add the extra wires

Thanks. That's the direction I'm leaning. I just have to double up the connection to the first speaker since there isn't a second tab on the speaker to branch off of.

[61hawk]

Response from RetroSound:

"Out radio are not designed to run speakers wired paralleled . Each speaker output will run one four (4) ohm speaker only. Wiring the way you are suggesting would create a load the radio can not handle. "

2nd response:
"Our radio speaker wiring can not be run in parallel this will create a 2 ohm load the radio will see as a short and over heat and shut down. To run more than 4 speakers you would need and amp or run the speakers in series. The issue would be this would be an 8ohm load and would sound weak,"

[RustyPile]

Ohm's Law comes into play (no pun intended) here. The load has to be 4 ohms.. Two 8 ohm speakers in parallel will equal 4 ohms.

[bnorth]

I think it may be time for an amplifier. If you wire in parallel you end up with a 2ohm load which they say won't work or in series you end up at 8ohms which will drastically cut the wattage available to drive the speakers though your head unit probably would drive 8ohms.

[61hawk]

Originally Posted by bnorth

I think it may be time for an amplifier. If you wire in parallel you end up with a 2ohm load which they say won't work or in series you end up at 8ohms which will drastically cut the wattage available to drive the speakers though your head unit probably would drive 8ohms.

I'm just going to eliminate the dash speakers and go with the rear pair and the kickpanel pair... makes things a whole lot simpler.