5 channel amp + mono driving CENTER speakers?

**vettejock99** · 01-18-2006, 09:10 PM

Sorry if this is obvious, but virtually everywhere else I've looked including search) it seems that people trying a "6 channel" or dual amp config is driving 4 speakers and a sub, with the sub on the mono or bridged channel.

Anyway, my car has 6 speakers and a sub. I've been running the dash speakers off one channel (since they act as "center" in my arrangement for audio and 5.1 DVD and mono is fine) and my sub off of channel 6. That caused a few headaches, including the need to put inline filters on the center speakers because I can't do a pass filter effectively with the small high-freq dash centers pairing with the sub on channels 5/6.

Anyway, my amp seems to be questionable these days, and I was thinking I should just do a 5 channel amp, using the 5th channel to drive my centers instead of the more traditional thinking of a sub. Then use a mono amp to drive the sub. Thoughts?

**Genesisfactor** · 01-19-2006, 08:13 AM

There is another girl with a thrunderbird doing what you're doing. I can't tell you exactly why the are doing it that way other than teh seemingly obvious 1) their car came with 4 speakers adn they didn't want to add more, and 2) it was an easier set up than a multiamp one.
You have 6 speakres. I'm not sure about your audio card, but if you have a 6.1 sound option, i'd say go for it for the hell of it. I'm not sure if it can hurt. Get a 6 channel amp at 6.1 surround if your dash speakers are spread apart, or a 5 channel at 5.1 surround if they are close together, and a seperate sub amp and call it a day after wiring it up. IMO, that seems like a decent approach to it

**Dogo** · 01-19-2006, 08:32 AM

no reason it wouldnt work. Using a monoblock means you've got a bigger selection of good powerful amps to run the sub.

only concerns are

With 5 channel amps the 5th tends to have a low pass filter - you'll need to make sure you can switch this off and then add an external high-pass on the signal

THey also are usually a more powerful than the other 4. You'll just need to be careful you dont overpower the centre speaker.