The best wire for car audio amplifiers?

[@MrShaEK]

Congrats on 100k subs 🎉

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thank you!!

[@iGPR3]

what is it with these AI generated thumbnails? cmon man...

[@DIYAudioGuy]

You ever try taking a picture of a bundle of wires?

[@A6Legit]

They look cool, what's the problem?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@A6LegitI talk to a lot of people that don't like AI. Most AI images are so bad that I find them comical.

[@Thumper68]

Only use welding cable. It’s actually rated for hot,cold,wet and abrasion. It’s the best wire period. I drug the same 50 feet out everyday for over 10 years through the most extreme conditions drilling water wells in the pnw 6 miles from Canada. Never had to repair the wire or anything I had to redo the ground and electrode on the end once. Still one the set of cables today it’s been 20 years. And it’s true awg of course.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I have heard good things about welding cable.

[@Mauser1965]

Thirty years ago I didn't have a source or know where to get it, so I went to my local marine supply store to get some cabling as it was to resist diesel, gas and oil and was less than what my local audio shop wanted to charge.

[@Thumper68]

@ yeah just like welding cable. Good thinking on your part.

[@HashDogg06]

Also very flexible if you get the good stuff.

[@RecordnRtist]

I had already ordered some cheap Amazon CCA to install my system and by chance; on the way home from work, found some wire at a freeway intersection - hopped out and tossed it in the back of my truck. A perfect 17 ft of both positive/negative 4 gauge welding cable! Never used it before then but it's better than the junk I ordered on Amazon. Very tough and held up to stripping/flexing/terminating.

[@renaissanceman7145]

NEVER use CCA wire! It WILL harden over time due to the heat/cool cycles of high amp wire, become brittle and untimely crumble. When it crumbles it's a fire hazard. CCA is dangerous and not worth risking your vehicle or your life. Copper wire can be removed from 10:16 the vehicle when you sell it and reused in your new ride.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

OFC is always the better choice.

[@iGPR3]

@@renaissanceman7145 do you know what temp CCA is gonna become brittle like that? over here in the UK it probably won't be an issue but id rather be on the safe side.

[@kimokahikolekalihi]

After a few years, the CCA also turns green from corrosion and the resistance increases so I only use OFC now.

[@renaissanceman7145]

@iGPR3 it will become brittle over time with repeated cycles of heating and cooling. I have no idea the temps reached but obviously the higher the amps the hotter. I can also tell you that CCA will fail first at a sharp bend or where it will get stepped on repeatedly. A sharp bend is where it failed in my vehicle, under the carpet. Amps weren't working intermittently, the crumbled wire allowed current to flow here and there. The insulation was gone from the top, luckily it pooled under so it didn't ground out to the body. The paint was blistering and the carpet backing was black. I consider myself lucky to have found that when I did. Copper welding cable is the cheapest route these days. I run 00, it's very flexible and costs about $2-$2.50 +/- per foot. All the best.

[@commonsenseisdeadin2024]

​@@kimokahikolekalihiterminate better!

[@toolman9081]

Those two laws are applicable in all electric circuits. No matter ifnits your car or your house, AC or DC voltage.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

You are correct.

[@fusion82]

​​@@user-pd8zr7nf5iI argued with people over the tin coated copper too. They try to still say it's the same as pure copper 😂 I use 100% copper welding cable 2/0

[@nickstalhood5380]

​@user-pd8zr7nf5i hpw do you figure? There's literally probably a few dozen videos of people testing the resistance of tinned ofc wire, which is sufficient enough. What other testing are you even talking about? Furthermore even though there is some good welding cable out there in said videos tinned ofc did infact out perform the welding cable. Sky high for example was one that was tested an got some of the best ratings an was in the top 5 cables to be used. Granted these tests differ slightly from one to the next depending on overall length. Hell even video's with using adaptors an reducers show that even using cheap aluminum adaptors over other medals or copper doesn't make a substantial difference in resistance at least not enough to make a difference in return.

[@nickstalhood5380]

@user-pd8zr7nf5i Yes an there are several of those videos using different lengths. Furthermore the drop can be calculated using those measurements. Its not rocket science. If you have 0..02 drop in resistance over 1ft that can easily be calculated over several feet.

[@commonsenseisdeadin2024]

​​@@user-pd8zr7nf5icopper does NOT conduct 100%..... The "tinning" does not add nor take from the conductivity of the copper, it does however add corrosion prevention (hence why tinned wire is used/required in maritime applications..... 🤯) When you run adequate wire for your application you gain NOTHING by changing your wire! If you run adequate CCA wire, you will gain absolutely ZERO by changing to OFC... Without a doubt you're going to disagree with me because you been sold a bill of goods that is spoiled... It's called disinformation my friend! Don't EVER listen to those who have skin in the game and profits to gain with not just what they say positively about "their" products but even more so on what they say negatively about "others"/cheaper products! Anyway, considering the lack of knowledge of your post, no offense but you don't exactly have any ground to stand on to tell me otherwise so don't believe everything you hear, do your research until it makes sense, fuse your positive runs, execute and seal your terminations well and bass on! ✌️ (BTW, the loudest vehicle at one time had ALL CCA wiring and everyone hounded him saying switching to OFC would net him a gain on the meter.... When you are searching for every tiny bit he gave in and spent about a grand (this was like 2006 when wire was cheap.... Probably be 4gs plus now days) and it resulted him a gain of 0.0000000.... on a plus side it also resulted in 0.00000 loss.... On the meter of course.... 🤑😉)

[@CreamyCornCob]

Great video DIY Guy. Been in the industry for more then 2.5 decades, then out for 1.5 decades. Now, I'm getting ready to do guys audio system, 85 SS El Camino, ony 42K miles. Its minty. Doing roughly 2500 -3K watts. Machined battery terminals and 0 ot. Four separate 0 grounds for engine block, back of alternator, direct on-frame and body. Grounding is done. Now comes a 300A alternator upgrade and a AGM main battery. 0 for all hots. Enough headroom - if any dimming happens, adding a second AGM, $5K allowance to build - should be fun. Two 10's in a custom, in the smugglers box, all trimmed out. Keep up the great work @DIYAudioGuy

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Sounds like one badass ride!

[@gmcminitruck]

Thing with this online calculator thing is that the shown amperage draw is at absolute max. Oftentimes the amp will -even at very generous volume- will draw substantially less amperage. So, specing your cabling for always max power is something that's usually only done for SPL competition and/or demo vehicles.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

You can do what you want with your own system. As for me, I'm going to advise people to err on the side of caution.

[@Mauser1965]

@@DIYAudioGuy I will concur as all of this is done for safety as well as some might not know where or how to find this knowledge. Long ago I'd been in the novice 700+ wattage class thirty of so years ago I had to go to a library and actually read about things. But I digress, as I have two devices that I will be powering. Both being basically amplifiers, though one is usually referred to as an invertor. I'd even considered a stiffening cap, but that's just another element and discussion. Nah, I'd rather not "starve" my hardware and make their power rails work harder than need be and make even more heat depending on the design. I forgot to thank you for the topic coverage, though these might be my first comments/responses on your content. 😁✌

[@xavibrown7615]

I can attest to what you are saying. I did everything by the book, 320amp alt, zero gauge ofc , big 3+, 8 gauge speaker wire, additional 30ah battery. Wired to 1ohm nominal load on orion xtr2500. But in reality impedance rise keeps me at 3ohm average. So 10 gauge speaker wire and 2 gauge power wire would have been fine since I am not in the spl lanes. But yes if you are not experienced err on the safe side.

[@commonsenseisdeadin2024]

You'd be surprised.... You're not taking a very important factor into consideration... The amplifier isn't the only current flow... The alternator is ALSO sending current to cover said draw so the amp pulses 300A but then the alternator produces (ideally 300 plus what everything else in the vehicle is demanding ... Batteries don't really do much until voltage drops to their operating range (LA, SLA, AGM and LifePo4 batts being typically ~13.1v-11v otherwise above that is pretty much all the Alternators doing... Batteries will supplement and buffer some of course. That's why your voltage will go from 14v to 12v real quick but takes a bit more to drop to 11v and then to 10v... Then the amplifier SHOULD protect until voltage is back up.... At which point you should turn it off/down and let everything come back up and stabilize... As well as chill out but who does that?)

[@Grommet2007]

@@DIYAudioGuy Perhaps for your next video, put a clamp ammeter on the power cable to your amplifier, play the system as loud as you're prepared to play it, then use the meter to measure the peak amps drawn. I think you might be surprised at the result ...

[@The_Endo]

poor guy still getting destroyed by the word aluminum

[@DIYAudioGuy]

🤣

[@caughtafaygo]

😂

[@RodofAllTrades]

Awesome video Justin! I keep forgetting that we have the same two amplifiers! Interestingly, our power sources are worlds apart. I have a stock alternator, big 3, all Sky High 1/0 OFC, a XS Power D3400R under the hood, and a XS Power SB-630 51R super cap. Everybody's electrical needs will vary. I think what it really boils down to is what your average draw is. My system is capable of 3600 watt PEAKS and able to sustain 2250 watts RMS with no issues for several minutes, but realistically, I never do that while sitting in the car. I do compete in Bass Wars, Midwest SPL, and IASCA (for SQ) from time to time. I DO NOT however, have a BASS DEMO vehicle. It CAN do BASS demos for as long as I can stand it, but I prefer to protect my hearing. My setup works perfectly for my needs and I owe it to not going CHEAP. Also, the super cap I have performs like a BOSS! I've never seen my voltage go down below 13.7 at full tilt. I have what most would consider to be an "SQL" system because it can reach 143.79 dB on the bass side of things. (as of my recent competition at a BASS WARS event, which I won two 1st place awards, WHOO-HOO!) I typically enjoy the dynamic capability of my system, rather than high, long-term output. I will conclude that the needs of every system should be tailored to the power level and use case scenario. It takes power to make power and a system's performance is only as good as the weakest link/s. BASS ON, BE SAFE, and HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025!!!

[@likemegapolis]

Oh, by the way, when calculating the required cable cross-section, you need to take into account not only the length of the positive cable, but also the length of the negative cable from the amplifier to the car body, and from the car body to the battery ground! Since these wires also participate in the transmission of current, and in the overall resistance of the circuit! And they can easily add another 2-3 feet to the total length of the wires!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I need to add that to the calculator in the next update.

[@rajasekhar9840]

Next time try using EV battery power wires, they are shielded, use tougher materials and their operating temperature go up to 200degC. What it does is avoids noises to get in the system, will be less prone to cuts, will be much much Safer to use in engine bay and less risk in melting of the insulation. Share the experience with viewers, it’s good for the whole audio community.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That sounds interesting, I’ll have to look into that.

[@kimokahikolekalihi]

Sounds expensive. OFC wire is already quite expensive. Where do you buy it?

[@commonsenseisdeadin2024]

If you want that high of quality than buy GP wire..... Orrrrrr run your runs much better/neater and of course adequately sized! Use cable glands, bulkheads and of course fuse your wires leaving a source of power and also going into a source of power and you won't have any catastrophic failures that burn down! (Alternator wire IS fused from the factory in EVERY vehicle made in the last 30+ years anyway just FYI... I always love that argument.... It's called a fusible link!) If you run a rear battery, fuse as both ends or just don't fuse at all as it's the same thing! (Less current potential sure.... But does that really even matter at that point? 😉)

[@rajasekhar9840]

@@commonsenseisdeadin2024 Thanks for info and suggestions

[@frederickcrossley8303]

Congratulations on 100k sub

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thank you!

[@Pok-001]

Great video I would add (speaking from experience). The ground wire is the most neglected part of the wiring for car audio. Correct size obviously but also the connector. Seen so many ran to a bolt or to painted surfaces on the chassis 🤦‍♂️. Also if you plan on running 1000watts + with 2 ohm subs. Plan on big 3. Upgrades. Alt. Battery and cap. Unless you don’t use it much.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Yep!

[@bobbybyrkett7751]

Great video Justin 😁

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Uncle Bobby B! Thank you!

[@taxxzempt3576]

Always love these videos! Wanna share something that’s worked well for me! Battery banks if you have a hard time finding alternators. Running 4500 rms on 3 100ah solar batteries. Top them when needed via plug in 120v Tbh I don’t understand alternator fitment and when I tidied to learn it made my head spin!

[@taxxzempt3576]

Lithium cells with a 150a draw each 450ish amps plus the stock battery and alt covers it and keeps my headlights bright

[@DIYAudioGuy]

If you can't upgrade the alternator, that's your only choice.

[@gapyrodawg5181]

If your looking to make BIG Power/Watts & Get Loud/Low, then always Go 0gauge & Never Go CCA(OFC Only). Sometimes you may even need Dual Runs of 0gauge if your Amp or Amps are Really hungry. Your gonna need a Voltage meter to see how far your Drop Off is(14.4-10volts) Remember to low of Voltage will send a Amp in to Protect mode & too low of Voltage makes amps work harder thus Heating Up🔥. If voltage drop is Low your gonna need a Alternator upgrade (240-370amp), BIG3 Upgrade, & 2 batteries (1 under the Hood & 1 in the trunk). You wanna see as little voltage drop as possible when at Redlights(not in park). Always go bigger than you need to take in to account the different accessories you might be running while running your system on BLAST!!! About to run dual 0gauge runs off a 320amp JS Alternator to a JP23V2 (2800-3200watts) & feed a Single 12" in a 2.5cuft box. The speaker has No problem eating well over 2500watts & getting in to the upper 20hz range. I want zero lights dimming at red lights & with this set up my amp should never Get Hot(warm is OK) as it will have all the power it wants even while running multiple accessories at the same time.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Yep.

[@wally7856]

Problem with a high output alternator is that they need some RPM to get going. At idle your stock alternator probably puts out way more power. That means at traffic lights your HO alternator is probably letting you down unless you overdrive the pulleys.

[@gapyrodawg5181]

@@wally7856 that's why most hi output alternators come with a smaller pulley. You'll need a smaller belt than stock. The alternator I'm installing idols at 180+ amps & goes all the way up too 320 while driving.

[@gapyrodawg5181]

@@wally7856 plus if you wanna run your system at 16volts they come with the right regulator to do so. A friend of mine running 2 sundown X15's on 4000+ amp rarely sees his voltage drop below 12volts at stop lights and that's with the AC or heater going. He's got 2 XS Power AGM batteries in the trunk & that helps a little more than just running the upgraded alternator by itself. It takes Power to Make Power!!!

[@commonsenseisdeadin2024]

No, not at a red light.... If you're doing demos then bump your idle when not under load (for autos) I can't remember for sure the numbers but an alternators peak output is like 8000RPM (pretty sure that's wrong but it's TYPICALLY around 2000 engine RPM) and a HO really doesn't excite until let's say 3000rpm so THAT'S why the smaller pulley.... THAT also makes it easier to overspin your alternator so really you should be measuring your crank pulley and doing the maths to figure out what size alt pulley YOU should run.... Does anyone? Nope..... Maybe, I don't really know... I just keep rebuilding my HO alts whenever they 💩..... I keep one in my car and it takes 5 mins to swap out so 🤷 (I smoke something like every summer, I've had a brush pop out SOMEHOW and I just smoked a diode in the bridge rectifier this last time, regulators too.... But I run them HARD! ..... I'm sure my capacitors help shorten the life of the components when they deplete and I just jump the car and let the alt have at em 😂) And no, I'm not talking about the concrete filled cylinders with a voltage gauge and 3 small capacitors wired in series for 1-5 WHOLE farads..... When I say my capacitors..... I mean 1000+ farad depending on vehicle and what I'm doing to it...... Just FYI 😂

[@fredleeman8186]

As always, great content, thank you I knew there was a difference, but not that much of a difference. I have learned something today.😊

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks for watching!

[@Hz_Locker]

Great video!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks for watching!

[@Catdaddy4x]

I understand cca is inferior, but would two runs of 4 awg cca be ok temporarily until I purchase 1/0 ofc for a 1500w Stinger at 1ohm? (Temporary as in a month or two)

[@Catdaddy4x]

Congrats on 100k btw!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

THanks!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I have not run the numbers, but that should be ok. Remember to put a fuse on both of those 4 guage wires.

[@FrankBennett-kb7xs]

Some OFC is certainly a nice cable to go with to send juice to your amps, but often the overkill many people use with going 1/0 gauge is unneccessary. Today's class D amps are more efficient than they ever have been. People would be surprised that a quality high strand 4 awg OFC (10-15 ft) will send plenty of current to most amplifiers while playing MUSIC and driving your subs with anywhere from 1000-2000 watt rms amplifers . The key is MUSIC and not sine waves. Music is dynamic and lots of people think their amps are constantly pumping out the watts their amps are rated to output. They are wrong. Even a 2000 watt amp on a sub/subs while playing music will be all over the place wattage wise from 30, 500, 1500, 20, 500, etc watts all real time in split seconds depending on the content of the music and that goes for the current draw as well. If you are doing DB drags and burping sine waves 25-70 HZ then yes your 1/0 will make a difference because the wattage along with the current draw will be more continuous. Am I claiming that people should run 8 awg OFC to a 2000 watt amp? Well If the run is just 6 feet then yeah sure do it , but don't think that huge power wires are always necessary for up to 2000 watt amplifiers.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

You can do what you want with your money. But I'm going to advise people to err on the side of caution.

[@tomb9566]

Are you doing speaker wire next? Or have you done one already? Back at my father's shop, people would come in with with lamp wire, clock wire, had one guy come in and told me he had some Toro outdoor wire and it could hadel 240 volts. That always stuck with me. Does it make a difference?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Lamp cord actually works just fine. It doesn't look very cool, but it's stranded copper wire. It'll get the job done.

[@farmingthc3256]

Is 10 awg enough coming from the amp to the subs. 10 foot run (including inside the box) each sub has its own wire to the amp. Both subs are 2ohm 750rms and meet at the amp to make 1 ohm

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I need to do another calculator and a video just on the speaker wire. But there's some extra complications that I need to make sure I've got figured out before I can post the video. I've never run anything bigger than 12 gauge so far, but I've always kept my power under about 2,000 w.

[@AbideinChristSealed]

I bought 2 gauge welding cable for 1500 watts RMS amp plus 220 watts RMS amp...IF I decide to ever install it all. It was Windy Nation brand cable from home depot online. It looks like thinner cable than I expected, but it is supposed to be a reputable brand? Ironically the 4 gauge wire I have from DFS looks close to the size?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Hummmm, interesting.

[@adheeshb8874]

Every time i turn my volume up, my driving range begins to decrease. Electric vehicles are a double-edged sword.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Yep. Electric cars have come a long way in the last few years, but they still have issues.

[@DGGuaglianone]

I love a good wire video ❤

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks for watching.

[@99Duds]

Can you do batters next, not the fancy lipo but the entry level. I have a 2003 Malibu stock alt, added a 4GA ground to my alt and 34 amp hour lead mat battery. I have the JP 34ab and the JP 8 @ 2 ohms. I had a lot of trouble finding anything about how to fuse the system. I played it safe, in addition to the under hood fuse I have a fuse on every lead off the aux battery. Doing a video on it could help a lot of ppl just getting.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

As soon as I feel like I have enough expertise, I'll make a video advising people how to select a battery. As for the fuse, make sure that you have a fuse on every line coming from every battery. So you have a rear battery in the trunk, you'll want a fuse under the hood at the front battery and on that exact same line you'll need a fuse at the rear battery.

[@generalkickass6385]

I always use ofc

[@svt1483]

This is not to power a car audio, this is to power a concert audio system onboarded in a truck. To power a car system you don’t need the current capacity of a car traction system.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

What exactly do you think car audio is?

[@svt1483]

@ a sound system to enjoy high quality audio in the car. But looks like your more on outdoor audio fit into a car

[@benallbaugh]

Thx

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Glad you liked it.

[@mullinperformanceaudio5902]

My only rule when it comes to OFC and CCA wire. OFC from Alt to battery and CCA from battery to amps. The runs typically are so short in the back, I can't justify the cost. Just my personal opinion.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That sounds reasonable.

[@cndlpwr]

At the same time, if the runs are that short, do we really need to pinch the pennies and run inferior cable? We are talking maybe a few dollars in the grand scheme of the entire install cost.

[@MullinPerformance]

When you run 6x8000 watt amps with triple inputs, that gets to be a lot of wire. Double that wire if you use dual connectors. So yeah, I'll save that money and make a car payment or two. ​@@cndlpwr

[@DeeHermanson]

Lol. I've seen you use different wire than down for sound 😂. Nevertheless, good video. Good explanation 🤟

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I've used tons of different wire over the years. I still have a lot of scrap from several brands laying around. Haven't bought anything but down for soundwire and probably 2 maybe 3 years.

[@DeeHermanson]

@DIYAudioGuy I will have to look into there tinned wire next. I been using sky high ofc. Been decent. GP is super heavy

[@yulmerced4434]

With my standalone ecu I can set my alternator to make up to 19.6v on one of my map I have it to turn off the alternator for 30sec

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That's cool!

[@BrianWaller-qe7gr]

I have 3 runs of 2/0 ofc, two jp40 lithium and soon on getting a xs power xmax45. Two deaf bonce asa 6000.1 on two fi audio mt15’s.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Hell yeah!

[@mugsybonze968]

My car is 2 door i'm using 14 gauge wire ofc around my midss that good? And my 1 ohm amp i'm using 8 gauge wire ofc for subs that good too?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

It's a similar calculation for speaker wire, but the voltages are higher so you can get away with smaller wire. I'll start working on a speaker wire calculator at some point just because I know it's something people will need.

[@mugsybonze968]

Thank u, thank u thank u ,now I have to cry now , i had there 14 gauge wire for 2 years in my car that is was good, youtube people show u 18 to 12 gauge wire, which is the best and they say 12 gauge wire is the best, but i buy 14 gauge wires, 😭😭😭

[@mugsybonze968]

I show u a video of wires that 12 gauge wire is good

[@mugsybonze968]

When u ready tell me with was the loudest to u? And u see the review 80k , so people going to buy 12 gauge wire

[@mugsybonze968]

​i buy 8 gauge wire because i watch sundown about gauge for amp wire to subwoofer for bass

[@palledrengens]

The power/current is crawling on the surface of the wire, so if it is coated, you dont get the right resistance! And very important for all of you youtuber guys, when giving advice on instalment remember not all countries have the same rules!!😎 Here in Denmark if you install the fuse after 25cm (10") on any wire connected to the battery, your car will not pass inspection☝🏼

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Skin effect does not apply in this situation.

[@georgelujan1924]

Look for a video on two 10s L7 box extended cab Chevy pls thx

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I'll have to reach out to kicker and see if I can talk them into sending me a couple. If they do I'll make a box that'll fit in your truck.

[@EBMproductions1]

Interesting and informative.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks!

[@EBMproductions1]

@@DIYAudioGuy Hey i just wanted to make sure this applies to Speaker wire as well if i remember right?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@EBMproductions1 The math is the same but the voltages are different.

[@EBMproductions1]

@@DIYAudioGuy Yes i remember, your vid made me remember why i want below 10 feet long speaker wire and i never got round to it haha so i believe its time.

[@victimovtalent6036]

Use super conductor cables

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Tell me more about those?

[@BrianWaller-qe7gr]

It takes power to make power.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

True

[@Hayawasa]

You can use cca or ofc, but it always needs to be small strand. That stuff made for ac is not good for car audio.

[@firstlast7152]

All this massive wiring and then we use aluminum, nickel, and even brass distro blocks. How does that make sense? Does the SQL competition guys use copper distro blocks or are they fine with less conductive metals? What blows my mind though is that I have 0awg from battery to block, then the fuse is this TINY bit of material rated for 80A that then feeds a 4awg OFC final run to the amp. I know fuses are meant to blow before the wire but damn it's so little material, and our entire power feed is going through that thin strip of subpar material. I want to see voltage drop numbers for introducing different blocks and fuses. See if that has a notable effect.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I have often wondered the same thing about the terminals and distribution blocks. I see a lot of brass,, brass is a terrible conductor. For the fuse check out Glowe Voltage, he has been testing them on his channel: kzbin.info/aero/PL9Xue6ot0War860cWhdW1ZQ3tgqHmD96f

[@likemegapolis]

It's simple - the voltage drop depends not only on the resistance of the material, but also on the length of the conductor! Since the distributor itself transmits current over a very short distance (0.5-1 inch), the voltage drop on it is practically zero! Again - the length of the conductor is important - the shorter it is, the less resistance to current! This is perfectly shown in this video, when a 1-inch wire length was selected in the calculator - the voltage drop on it was very, very, veeeery small! So, theoretically, it was possible to use a wire with a smaller cross-section (or from a worse material). Therefore, distributor blocks, as well as terminals in an amplifier, can be made of almost any material, since the length to which they transmit current is very small! And of course, the voltage drop also depends on the cross-section of the conductor. For example, distributors with compression terminals have a fairly large cross-section, much larger than the cross-section of a 0GA cable! So even taking into account that the distributor material has greater resistance, but due to the larger cross-section, it transmits current better than 0GA OFC, and the voltage drop in it is less than in a 0GA wire of the same length (1-2 inches).

[@mujopasuljic6471]

90% off today's "audio" stuff is just big halabuka, as we call it TAX for fools. For power supply use quality welding cable it's designed for long high current DC flow. Also do minimum big 3 bicouse car companies are skimming on wire awg. Ewery MilAmp drop your body comp will go A wire and disrupt charging off the alternator. Also upgrade battery terminals. For speaker wire use wire design for AC (skin effect) for midrange and high frequency goes low Amp curet and will be noticeable in sound quality. For rest off knowledge do research in get good at knowing what you are doing. Have great new year, and lot of time enjoying in work off your hands. Sorry for the misspelled or different sentence composition, my English is not native language.

[@quevicular]

too bad they jump right from 4 gayge to 0 gayge. There should be a formula for 2 ga as a lot of people like myself run this because its common welding cable and high quality

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I will add that to the list when I do the next update.

[@quevicular]

@@DIYAudioGuy perfect

[@larrymontgomery4902]

Shit bro most cable especially from amp kits SUCK i use 04 direct bury 8 strand wire to my amps and have had absolutly no problems with the cable over heating melting or any that shit

[@daledale8431]

Second

[@Mauser1965]

For amusement I throw this into the mix. Delivery of AC compared to DC is different. If you have a small form factor amplifier install it close to the power source, in turn the signal is now AC basically which one can deliver that to the drivers. But those in the U.S. can feel free to go outside and many cases one see copper clad aluminum delivering power to their houses from power poles that's not even near the voltage what's being transmitted down high tension wires from power stations or hydroelectric dams. But this discussion will lead to ones system layout and design. The old Lanzar amp's would use unregulated power while others designs like Hifonics would have a strict regulated power stage, then Phoenix Gold were designed to be stable with low impedance but were not used in high wattage class vehicles commonly when I was younger from what I recall. This was also depending if one was competing in... wattage/sound Q But I digress, and that some might even be able to install an amp under the dash of a vehicle for example. But then head units I will assume are much better these days.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

AC electricity is fun stuff, most people have a DC mental model and thus don't understand how AC works.

[@midbass.maestro]

❤. First

[@BluemanArthur]

For gods sake, tell these idiots to not use welding cable!!

[@rickross368]

@Arthur-ke9vz Why not use welding cable? It's Cooper wire same thing as an amp kit with Cooper wire

[@fusion82]

I only use 100% copper welding cable

[@bradmeek]

Im running CCA from my 345a alt to my LTO bank then copper from the LTO to the amps

[@josephsaucedo8691]

That's why amplifier don't actually run on 12-14v this is just because vehicles run off that voltage half of a car amplifier is actually a transformer or power boost power supply because the amplifier board need a lot higher voltage than 12v -16v at that voltage I don't think more than 50w could be achieved . When you build a DIY amplifier you also have to do a power supply basically the same concept. Same for plate amplifier 💯🫡❄️☃️🌲👌✌️🎵🎶

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks for the information.