However, one of the best options is to use a desktop computer power supply (“ATX” power supply) as they’re easy to find and have pretty good power output. Very high current power supplies are around $100 and above for 30 amps or more. When it comes to much bigger supplies that will let you drive a subwoofer with heavy bass things tend to get expensive. 10A and 15A supplies are fairly popular so they’re usually under $30-$35 dollars or so. You can find a 5A supply for under $15-$20 if you shop around. If you’d like to have more power, consider getting 15A or above. When not driving an amp & speakers hard, I recommend at least a 2.5A supply for small amps (under 50W/channel). Option #1: Getting a “good enough” power supply for casual listening A good ATX power supply will have enough power output for the average person. They’re available in a variety of power ratings such as 150W to 500W or more. Quick tip: Computer power supplies can offer 15 amps or even more current output making them a great solution. Desktop computer ATX power supplies are cheap, easy to find, and range in power ratings up to 500W or even more. You can find bigger power supplies like a 5 amp model for under $15 if you shop smart. Standard wall adapters won’t work as they’re very weak (0.5 to 1A, usually). Powering a car amp in your home requires a power supply with a decent amp rating. When shopping most of the higher-current supplies you’ll see are 12V anyhow.Īt around 11V or so car amps and other car stereo equipment may shut off so it’s important to have enough voltage available. In fact, as a vehicle’s engine runs the alternator charges the battery and the voltage can range from near 12V to about 14.4V.įor home use, choose a power supply with a DC output from 12V to 13.8V, with 12V being perfectly fine to use. What voltage does a car amp need?Ĭar amps normally work off of a range of voltages, not just 12 volts, although that’s used as a general reference. You may be able to use a DC supply you’ve already got handy or a leftover computer power supply (sometimes called an ATX power supply). Estimating the amp’s current draw based on its power rating (useful for when you want serious amp power).Getting a “good enough” power supply if you’re not driving the amp hard (fine for casual listening).For casual listening, you can get by with a lot less.īasically, there are 2 ways to go about choosing a power supply for a car amp: However, the truth is that’s only if you need a lot of power. You can estimate how much electrical current (amperage, “amps”) your amp will draw based on its maximum power given in watts RMS. You can find many affordably priced parts on Amazon, eBay, and from electronic part suppliers. Retail stores are pretty bad about not having the parts you may need, so you might want to plan ahead and order parts online.The good news is that most of it is affordable and you can even make use of some power supplies like a computer DC supply you may left over. Unless you have all the parts already, you may need to spend a little bit of money to get what you need & get it working.However, there are some easy ways to deal with this, too. Turning the amp on/off (remote wire): Home stereos or other audio devices don’t have a remote wire output to switch your amp on and off.Not just any AC/DC 12V adapter will do – I’ll cover this below. You’ll need a +12V AC-DC power supply with enough current to run the amp. Power source: Unlike home stereos powered by an alternating current (AC) electrical outlet, car amps work from a +12V direct current (DC) supply.You can also connect a car amp to nearly any smartphone or external Bluetooth receiver. Signal inputs: Not all home stereos have RCA line-level jacks, so if you’d like to connect an amp to your home stereo it may require a workaround I’ll show you.Here’s a list of what we’ll need to cover: Not only that, but they use a remote-on wire to turn the amp on & off to avoid draining a car battery – meaning that needs to be dealt with too. Because car amps use a different power source than home stereos the biggest problem is getting them the power they need. You can also connect a car amp to any home stereo, your smartphone, and more as an audio source. Yes, it’s possible to use a car amplifier in your house. What to do if you have ground loop noise (humming)įirst facts: Can I use a car amplifier in my house?.What is a line level (RCA) converter and how do they work?.How to connect a car amp to a home stereo (diagram & options).How to connect a smartphone or other device to a car amp (diagram & options).How to connect a home stereo, smartphone, or other audio sources to an amp.Remote wire options for turning the car amp on.DIAGRAM – How to wire a computer power supply to a car amp.Choosing a power supply for car amp use.First facts: Can I use a car amplifier in my house?.
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