Car Subs to Home Stereo

[bbarnes]

EDIT: Scroll Down for New Question


Alright, I have 2 10" subs with amp hooked up in my car. (I did not install it...)

How can I hook these up to my computer? - Is it even possible?

 

[RSI]

It's possible. Will it likely be easy? No. Do I know how, and can I help you? Sorry

 

[phatcow]

you just need an amp... a typical home reciever is fine, but if you want balls and boom,


get a car amp thats around 600 -100 watts (rms)

then get a power inverter that can handle that much current

then hook everything up via an rca out from a crossover or directly from your computer...

then enjoy your sound.. BUT you have to understand that you might need a RCA preamp.

 

[bbarnes]

OK, I have the car amp

Where can I get a power inverter, what does this do, and how much will it cost?

So then your saying hook up the RCA from the amp directly to the PC...

 

[Viperoni]

You need an amp.

For tons of cheap power, I recommend the Parts Express 300-794 275watt RMS @ 4ohm plate amp

I use one in my HT sub (see sig)

 

[bbarnes]

<< you just need an amp .................................... You need an amp >>





<< with amp ...................................... I have the car amp >>




then get a power inverter that can handle that much current
......... where can i get one of these for a 150w amp

then hook everything up via an rca out from a crossover or directly from your computer
......... what is a crossover, and if I understand right, you are saying that I can plug the amp's RCA directly into my comp?

you might need a RCA preamp
......... what would this do

 

[Static911]

can't you just use your comp powersupply? Or something like that.

My friend did his system real ghetto....Somehow he used the comp powersupply cuz it uses DC?

I'm not too sure

Static911

 

[bbarnes]

I'm afraid to put one more thing on my PS right now, I got a bunch of stuff on it and I need a new one bad...

So thats out of the question - what else...

BTW Static911, how would I do that, might want to when I get new PS

 

[Colt45]

<< I'm afraid to put one more thing on my PS right now, I got a bunch of stuff on it and I need a new one bad...

So thats out of the question - what else...

BTW Static911, how would I do that, might want to when I get new PS >>




from one of the 4pin molex plugs take GND and +12V, connect them to the car amp.

if the PSU is ATX (most likely) you have to short 2 of the wires on the ATX plug (i dont remember which one right now)

BUT.. if your amp has balls, it will most likely smoke your PSU.

 

[bbarnes]

OK, so how else can I do this?

 

[Viperoni]

<< OK, so how else can I do this? >>



sorry i misread.

Aside from the plate amp method, the only way is with a power invertor, taking you from 120vac to 12vdc.

A comp PS will do this, but you may hear the PS's switching noise through the amp....maybe, maybe not.

 

[bbarnes]

<< from one of the 4pin molex plugs take GND and +12V, connect them to the car amp.

if the PSU is ATX (most likely) you have to short 2 of the wires on the ATX plug (i dont remember which one right now)

BUT.. if your amp has balls, it will most likely smoke your PSU. >>



If I take an extra PS that is laying around (200W most likely, maybe less) and use this method will it work?

If so, can someone fill in the wholes he left like shorting out the wires (which ones/what for)

EDIT: How do you turn the PS on if it is not in a comp, I thought that it has to be connected to the mobo don't it?

 

[bbarnes]

Falling fast.

Bump for Answers

 

[RanDum72]

And make sure not to put the speaker near the PC, monitor or any floppy disk.

 

[Spike]

if you do get the hooked up you have to post some pics, I bet it will look awesome

 

[Viperoni]

Lemme put it this way, my 250watt ATX PS that puts out 8amps on the 12v line can't even give enough power to my Carver m2040i (a TRUE 40x2/80x1 watts RMS)......

A large power supply to power the amp is expensive, in the $100+ range.
you'd be better off with the plate amp I linked to, for $130, and have more power at the same time.

 

[bbarnes]

OK, if I plug an old PS into the wall,

How would I connect the amp to to the PS, and

Would the PS work without being plugged into a motherboard?

 

[bbarnes]

<< Lemme put it this way, my 250watt ATX PS that puts out 8amps on the 12v line can't even give enough power to my Carver m2040i (a TRUE 40x2/80x1 watts RMS)...... >>



Well I want to set it up and see how it would work like that...

 

[Colt45]

okay, from one of the 4 pin connectors, you hook the yellow line to +12V on the amp.
from one of the black lines, hook that up to ground on the amp.

if it is an AT PSU, just hit the switch.

if it is ATX, you have to short two of the wires (PS_ON and 5v IIRC)

 

[bbarnes]

<< if it is an AT PSU, just hit the switch.

if it is ATX, you have to short two of the wires (PS_ON and 5v IIRC) >>



Would you happen to know which two wires that is, or how I can figure it out?

 

[JohnCU]

Connect the green wire on the big cable that hooks the motheboard up to the power supply to one of the black wires on that same cable.

 

[MichaelD]

*Falls out of chair, clutching belly, laughing so hard, he can't breathe!*

I can't BELIEVE all the misinformation in this thread! And I'm surprised at Viperoni...I thought he'd know better/more than this! :Q

There is no way in hell you will get a car audio amplifier to run, steadily, off a PC power supply. The amperage draw is far too high. I mean, "YES", it will turn on, but the moment you crank the volume, you'll blow the PS that the amp is powered by.

Look at the gauge of the wires coming out of the PC PS. Those are 18-gauge wires...tops. Ever notice how the minimum gauge wire that car audio amps are hooked up w/is 8-gauge? There's a reason for that. It's called "amperage draw."

I happen to own a 25-amp, 10-15 volt (variable) powersupply. It's made by Pyramid and it weighs about 20 pounds (the weight should tell you something)

I've hooked up a 300-watt RMS caraudio amp to this PS and at 3/4 full gain it draws approximately 20 amps, as shown by the VU Meter on the front of the PS.

If you want to use a car audio amplifier in your home (I have used one as a Home Theater subwoofer amp) you'll need a REAL 12V ps. Using a PC powersupply will not work, as it's designed for a completely differnet use.

 

[jcovercash]

OHHH I Might want to do this, can someone help me

I HAVE
THE SUB
AMP
WIRES
and a Car battery

Can i make this work, if so how. DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS PLEASE

Josh

 

[bbarnes]

OK, so where can I get this 'REAL' PS at?

How much will it cost me?


MichaelD, I do believe that Viperoni said it would not work:

Lemme put it this way, my 250watt ATX PS that puts out 8amps on the 12v line can't even give enough power to my Carver m2040i (a TRUE 40x2/80x1 watts RMS)......

 

[jcovercash]

cant you just use a car battery to power it
?

Josh