Here’s How to Wire a 1 Ohm Sub

If you just bought a new 1-ohm subwoofer for your audio system, it is perfectly possible to wire the device by yourself if you have the proper equipment and take a few necessary precautions.

Although the process might initially seem complex, wiring a subwoofer to your amplifier is actually quite simple.

Today, we will guide you through the steps on how to wire a 1-ohm subwoofer, what you should and shouldn’t do while getting the job done, and give you a few tips and tricks to help you master the process. Let’s get started!

How to Wire a 1 Ohm Sub [Best Way]

The best way to wire a 1-ohm subwoofer is to consider the impedance of your amplifier to determine the impedance of the whole system.

With that information, it is easier to decide whether you should wire your sub in series or in parallel.

As you can see, there are a few specifications that we need to consider in order to wire a 1-ohm sub the right way and it is impossible to cover all cases in just a sentence.

That’s why, below, we will go through the step-by-step process of how to get the job done.

List of Equipment Needed

Before we start the process, let’s take a look at some of the equipment you might need.

Amp Wiring Kit (Recommended)

The easiest way to wire a 1-ohm sub is by using an amp wiring kit.

You can get one of these kits for as low as $20, and they will save you a lot of time you’d spend buying and gathering each component separately.

Amp wiring kits will generally provide you with enough wires and ring terminals for your whole audio system, some even included fuse holders for added protection to your circuit.

This option is best if you’re building your audio system from scratch.

If you already have an audio system that is up and running, with other components already installed, then it is a better idea to buy each component separately.

Here are a few amp wiring kits that we recommend for audio setups with 1 Ohm subwoofers:

BOSS Audio Systems KIT2 8 Gauge Amplifier Installation Wiring Kit

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TOPSTRONGGEAR 4 Gauge Amp Kit

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Speaker Wires

Of course, you will need a few meters of wire to install your 1-ohm subwoofer, but not just any wire.

It is extremely important that you take into account the RMS power wattage of your subwoofer in order to determine the best wire gauge for your particular use case.

Failing to do so could result in signal loss and even make your system overheat.

Here is a general rule of thumb to help you easier determine wire gauge:

Subwoofer RMS Power	Wire Run Length	Wire Gauge
Up to 500 Watts	Up to 4 Feet	12-Gauge Wire
Up to 1000 Watts	Up to 7 Feet	10-Gauge Wire
Up to 1500 Watts	Up to 10 Feet	8-Gauge Wire
Up to 2500 Watts	Up to 15 Feet	6-Gauge Wire
Up to 4000 Watts	Up to 20 Feet	4-Gauge Wire

Please consult your subwoofer’s user manual and the manufacturer website to make sure you’re using the correct wire gauge.

Choosing the appropriate gauge for your wiring will ensure your sub receives enough power and prevent any possible damage to your system.

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Ring Terminals (Optional)

Ring terminals are not strictly necessary, but they will help you create a better connection between your subwoofer and the wires.

Ring terminals are small metal connectors that you attach to the end of a wire. You can use the hole in the center to attach a screw or a post.

Here are a few benefits of using ring terminals in your subwoofer wiring:

1. Ring terminals can create a better connection and prevent signal loss.
2. These small connectors can also help you keep your wiring organized.
3. Ring terminals can ensure safety by preventing accidental contact with the wires.

You can get about 100 ring terminals for as low as $8 on Amazon, but if you don’t need that much, you can get individual connectors in your local electronics store for a few cents.

Make sure to consider your wire gauge before buying ring terminals, as you need to make sure the wiring will fit properly into the connector.

Safety Precautions to Take Before Wiring a 1-Ohm Sub

When wiring a 1-ohm subwoofer, you are dealing with electrical components that could potentially be dangerous.

Here are a few safety precautions to take to get the job done safely.

Make Sure your Subwoofer is Compatible with your Amplifier

Right off the bat, you must make sure your subwoofer is compatible with your amplifier. This is the single most important thing to do before you start wiring your circuit.

There are a few specifications to take into account, but the most important one in the context of this article is the impedance rating of your amplifier.

You can find this information in the owner’s manual or in the manufacturer’s website.

But why is this rating so important? The only way to ensure optimal performance from your system is to match it with your subwoofer’s impedance.

For example, if you have a 1-ohm subwoofer and a 1-ohm amplifier, connecting both using parallel wiring will result in a circuit with 1 ohm of total impedance.

If you have a 1-ohm subwoofer, but a 2-ohm amplifier, you will need to bridge and connect your subwoofer to your amplifier in parallel to create a total impedance load of 2 ohms.

The most important thing here is to make sure that the impedance of your subwoofer isn’t too low since this could make the amp overheat and potentially damage your equipment.

Turn Off the Power of your Audio System

First and foremost, turn every device in your audio system off. This includes the head unit and, most importantly, the amplifier.

It is best to disable this equipment completely by cutting the power from your battery to your amp.

Additionally, wait a few minutes after turning your system off to start working on the wiring of your subwoofer.

This is because electrical components inside your amplifier might still be charged even without an energy supply.

The measure will prevent any accidents and potential damage to your sub.

Wear Protective Gear

Wearing a pair of gloves and safety glasses is a good idea.

Not only will protective gear prevent potentially fatal accidents, you can easily find them at your local electronics/general store for a pretty cheap price.

Make Sure to Avoid Short Circuits

Short circuits are one of the most common causes of damage when dealing with electrical components and audio systems.

Luckily, there is a very simple guideline you can follow to prevent it from happening.

The most important rule is to not let any wire come into contact with other wires or metal surfaces.

This might be basic information for those with minimal experience with electrical components, but it is something worth remembering.

Double-Check your Wiring Before Turning your Audio System On

After you’re done wiring your subwoofer, it is important to double-check everything in the chain, including if each wire is connected to the right terminal. If you, for instance, wrongly connect your sub’s positive terminal to your amplifier’s negative terminal of your amp, the device will short and no longer work properly.

Be Mindful of Heat

It is common for amplifiers and wires to overheat when receiving power. That could result in serious damage to your audio system and even poses a fire hazard.

To prevent this, always select the right wire gauge and match your amplifier’s specifications to your subwoofer.

If you see that your amp is running hot, turn it off completely and allow it to cool down for a few minutes.

The Importance of Proper Subwoofer Wiring

Sound Quality and Efficiency

Proper subwoofer wiring will contribute to the sound quality of your system.

As subwoofers are designed to reproduce low frequencies (and everyone loves bass), feeding it with less power than necessary or using the wrong wire gauge, for example, will result in a less-than-ideal performance from the device.

Safety

Improper subwoofer wiring can lead to damage to your equipment, and even pose a fire and electrical shock hazard.

As we mentioned before, make sure you’re using the right wire gauge and not overpowering your subwoofer to ensure your safety and the others around you.

Durability

Did you know that improper subwoofer wiring could result in less durability from your device? Installing the device properly will maintain and even prolong the life cycle of your sub.

Warranty

Nearly all manufacturers require audio equipment to be wired properly to maintain their warranty. Failing to do so could not only damage your sub but also void its warranty.

How to Wire a 1 Ohm Subwoofer – Step by Step

Finally, it is time we go through the step-by-step on how to wire a 1-ohm subwoofer.

There are essentially two ways to do so: wiring your sub in series and wiring it in parallel. Let’s learn about both and decide which one is best for your particular case.

Wiring a 1-Ohm Sub in Series

What is Series Wiring?

Series wiring is used when connecting two or more subwoofers to your amplifier, or if your sub’s impedance is lower than your amp’s.

The signal will flow in and out of each sub, increasing the impedance of the circuit.

The most important factor to know about series wiring is its result on the impedance of the circuit.

When wiring multiple subwoofers in series or bridging a single sub, the total impedance will equal the sum of each sub’s individual impedance or double the impedance of a single DVC sub.

For example, in a circuit with two 1-ohm subwoofers wired in series, the total impedance of the circuit will be 2 Ohms.

If you have a 1-ohm DVC subwoofer and a 2-ohm amplifier, parallel wiring can be useful to increase the total impedance of the circuit and match it to the minimum impedance rating of your amplifier, for example, a bridged 1-ohm DVC subwoofer connected to a 2-Ohm amplifier will result in a 2-ohm load.

Like any method, series wiring has its pros and cons.

A series circuit can potentially reduce the overall power output of your amp since more impedance equals more power needed to produce the same volume level.

Keep in mind as well that not every amplifier is compatible with series wiring, and you should check the owner’s manual to confirm its compatibility.

Instructions – Bridged 1-Ohm DVC Subwoofer to 2-Ohm Amplifier

1. Determine the total impedance load of your system and ensure it is compatible with your amplifier’s minimum impedance rating.
2. Bridge the left negative terminal to the right positive terminal of your subwoofer.
3. Test your system with a multimeter.
4. Connect the left positive terminal of your subwoofer to the positive terminal of your amplifier.
5. Connect the right negative terminal of your subwoofer to the negative terminal of your amplifier.
6. Double-check your wiring and go through all the steps again to ensure you’ve done everything correctly.
7. With the volume of your system set to zero, turn it on and increase it gradually. Check if everything is working as expected.

Instructions – One or More 1-Ohm SVC Subwoofers

1. Determine the total impedance load of your system and ensure it is compatible with your amplifier’s minimum impedance rating.
2. Connect the positive terminal of your first subwoofer to the negative terminal of your second subwoofer.
3. If you’re installing more than two 1-ohm subwoofers, continue connecting each one’s positive terminal to the other’s negative terminal to create a series circuit.
4. Test your system with a multimeter.
5. Determine the first subwoofer in your circuit and connect its negative terminal to your amplifier’s negative terminal.
6. Determine the last subwoofer in your circuit and connect its positive terminal to your amplifier’s positive terminal.
7. Double-check to ensure you’ve done everything correctly.
8. Turn down the volume of your system and turn it on, gradually increasing the volume to check if the system is running properly.

Wiring a 1-Ohm Sub in Parallel

What is Parallel Wiring?

In a parallel wiring circuit, the positive and negative terminals of the subwoofer and the amplifier are connected together.

This is the best wiring option if you’re using a single 1-ohm subwoofer connected to a 1-ohm amplifier.

In a parallel circuit with one 1-ohm SVC subwoofer and a 1-ohm amplifier, the total impedance of the system will equal a 1-ohm load.

Instructions – 1-Ohm SVC Subwoofer to 1-Ohm Amplifier

1. Determine the total impedance load of your system and ensure it is compatible with your amplifier’s minimum impedance rating.
2. Test your system with a multimeter.
3. Connect the positive terminal of your subwoofer to the positive terminal of your amplifier.
4. Connect the negative terminal of your subwoofer to the negative terminal of your amplifier.
5. Double-check your wiring and go through all the steps again to ensure you’ve done everything correctly.
6. Turn down the volume of your amplifier and turn it on, gradually increasing the volume to check if the system is running properly.

Wiring Diagrams

Single DVC 1-ohm Subwoofer – Series Wiring

Multiple 1-ohm Subwoofers – Series Wiring

In a series circuit: 1st Subwoofer’s Impedance + 2nd Subwoofer’s Impedance = Circuit’s Total Impedance

Parallel Wiring

Testing the Connection with a Multimeter

It is important to test the connection of your subwoofer with a multimeter before you turn on your system for the first time to ensure everything is installed properly and the circuit has the total impedance you desire. Here is how to do it:

1. Set your multimeter to read resistance/Ohms.
2. Disconnect your subwoofer from your amplifier or do the test before you connect your sub to your amp.
3. Connect the multimeter probes with the positive and negative terminals of your subwoofer (the same terminals that go to the amplifier).
4. You should get the impedance in Ohms. For example, if you’re running a single 1-ohm subwoofer connected in parallel, the multimeter should read 1 ohm.
5. If the reading doesn’t match the rated impedance of your system, then there might be a problem with your wiring or with your subwoofer.

Take this opportunity to also test the continuity of your amplifier. Simply connect the positive and negative probes to your amp. It should read 0 ohms.

If the reading is higher than 0 ohms, it is not safe to connect the amp to your subwoofer and you should have the device serviced.

How to Wire a Subwoofer to an Amplifier

No matter if you’re wiring your circuit in series or in parallel, you should always connect the positive and negative terminal of your subwoofer to the positive and negative terminal of your amplifier.

Conclusion

Wiring a 1-ohm subwoofer is a simple process, but make sure to take all of the necessary safety precautions and go through the steps multiple times to ensure you don’t damage your equipment.

Also, take note that there are multiple ways to wire a 1-ohm subwoofer, and the best method for each case will depend on your amplifier’s impedance rating.

It is extremely important that you match the impedance of your sub to your amp to avoid overheating issues.

Last but not least, always consult the owner’s manual and the manufacturer’s website to find more information, since there are many different subwoofer models and it is impossible to cover each particular case in a single article.
We hope this guide was useful.

Make sure to check our related posts about car audio and feel free to contact us if you have any questions!