truck audio -> home audio

[baxtej44]

How would I do this?


A friend wants to hook up his two kicker 10's and his dual amp (i didn't condone the purchase of his amp) in his bedroom and I'm not quite sure how to do this.


I would just need something to decrease the 120v to 12v for the power in to the amp, correct? and then after that it's just hooked up normally?

RCA's or what type of connection from a standard stereo or computer to his amp??



He might want to:
Hook them up with a surround sound system
Hook them up with his laptop/maybe an existing speaker set up
Hook them up with his head unit and spare speakers

 

[4.0B2]

use the high level input's on the amp?
rca's if possible. some radio's have rca's.. but the amp should have a high level input.
as far as car amp, i used a http://www.rightchannelradios.com/power-supplies-145/ just make sure you have enough amperage there to hold the load.

 

[baxtej44]

heard you can use computer power supplies also... do i take the amplifiers rms wattage and divide by 12 volts to get the amps I need?

 

[4.0B2]

i've never heard that.. the manual on the amp should tell you the amount of draw it has... or just check out the fuses in the amp and go a little bigger

and i'm sure you could use computer power supply if its 12 volts and enough amps

 

[deviant_illusion]

ohms law. But you will find the size of the transformer needed to convert powers is not even going to be close to cost effective. say the amp is 300 wats per channel so 600/12= 50 amps. now most of the power ratings for car stuff is bull shit. the easy way to look at it is to see what size fuse the amp has most 600 watt amps will only have like a 30 amp fuse. This tells you their is no way the amp can use the 50 amps needed before blowing the fuse. But to be fair when the car is running voltage is around 14.7 so it would be closer to 40 amps but you get the idea. anyways find a 30 amp 12 volt DC transformer and price it out and you will soon see why this is a bad idea.

 

[baxtej44]

i don't think ~$100 is that bad...

 

[deviant_illusion]

Cool I guess if $100 to use car speakers and a car amp in a house seems like a good way to go have at it. Just beware that a $100 power supply that can run that type of amperage more than likely will not have a large duty cycle. So dont be to disappointed when the you cant listen to music for more then a half hour at a time.

To be serious just look on ebay for a used crown comtec or QSC amp for not much more than what you will have into powering the car amp you can get a used professorial amp that will work much better for the application.

 

[COPPERHEAD85]

What he said.................Crown Microtech or QSC 1500 mx series would work great.

 

[feellnfroggy]

You can buy power converters at walmart. plug into the wall and spit out 12 volts and whatever wattage you need. Not power inverter, power converter.

 

[tylork92]

You can buy power converters at walmart. plug into the wall and spit out 12 volts and whatever wattage you need. Not power inverter, power converter.

link.....

I have seen computer power supplies used. the easiest way to do what he wants is to get a power supply and run a regular car headunit off it. make sure it has an AUX input so he can plug whatever into it. then just run everything normal. may need more than one power supply tho.

 

[4.0B2]

I used car audio stuff bc I already had what was needed to do so. If you buy anything, buy home eq and be done with it

 

[ranger07]

most amps dont draw near as much as their built in fuse either. i have an 800 watt amp, 30 amp built in fuse and a 15 amp fuse up front. cranked it all the way and have never blown that 15 amp fuse.

 

[06RangerXLT]

heard you can use computer power supplies also... do i take the amplifiers rms wattage and divide by 12 volts to get the amps I need?

yup.

when my xbox power supply fried, i made my own from a CPS and it worked like a charm. although on start up i often got rings from over draw.

 

[Daven]

I wouldnt do this... Just get some decent home speakers or a sub. I bought a pair of homemade speakers, each had a 12" boston sub in it. the subs pounded and you could hear it everywhere in the house quite easily... But you had to be in a specific (small) part for the room to actually hear the bass. Car speakers arent meant for vehicles and and made differently. I had to put my head against the wall to hear the bass well... Not that great... :/

I got a JBL 10" sub (not that great for power), but the bass was very deep and clear and i very much liked it over the car subs. I put the subs in my car and they sounded decent. They just arent set up for house use.

What i would do is sell the subs and amp online ina site based opff your area (Kijiji, etc). Then take that money, maybe save a bit more up, and get a nice JBL (or whatever brand you choose) subwoofer. It will make a world of difference.