Quote: Originally Posted by
blk02si 
Most amps are only 2 ohm stable in mono. Meaning the channels are bridged to power 1 speaker. There are a limited number of very high end 2 channel amps that are 2 ohm stable on each channel in stereo (think $800+).
Id have to disagree, any amp worth buying will rate is stability on each independant channel. If your paying $800+ for an amp, it better be stable below one ohm. I paid $450 for my RF Power 650 and its rock solid running 2 Ohms per speaker. With the ribbon tweeters, Im sure it dips below one ohm at certain frequencies. Ill agree that you get what you pay for but an $800 car amp better have some serious specs.
Quote:
Do your speakers a favor to aviod blowing them via a clipped signal, wire them in series. Anyway, The real solution here is a 4 channel amp.
If you look at the crossover networks in almost any box speaker, youll find that the speakers are run in parallel. Running speakers in series will add harmonics and artifacts to the speakers behind the first driver caused by the inductance and resistance of the moving voice coil of the first driver. If you do this with a tweeter and a large woofer, youll hear the effect. Also, you have no reliable way to control the volume difference between the two speakers since they are not receiving power from the amplifier at the same impedance. Granted, you get the most control running a single speaker from a single channel, but careful planning and understanding of automotive acoustics will allow you to calculate the proper crossover levels to accomplish what you want with a minimum number of amplifier bricks.