Can You Hook Up Tweeters to the Same Amp As a Subwoofer?

By Mike Wallace

Subwoofers are the largest speakers in a cabinet.
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Subwoofer amplifiers provide your speakers with all the power they need to shake the earth. A subwoofer reproduces very deep, low-frequency bass sounds, from 20 to 200 hertz. They are usually 8 to 12 inches in diameter. A tweeter produces high-pitched noises and are usually about 2 inches in diameter. Both a tweeter and a subwoofer can be hooked up to the same amp. However, the sound quality will be lessened unless a passive crossover is used. A passive crossover sends high-pitched sounds to the tweeter and low-pitched sounds to the subwoofer, enhancing the clarity of music.

Disconnect the subwoofer from the amplifier by unscrewing or unlatching the speaker wire from the positive and negative terminals of the amplifier. If your subwoofer was not connected, skip this step.

Cut off three lengths of speaker wire: one approximately 6 inches long, and two that are approximately long enough to reach between the subwoofer and tweeter. You can reuse the speaker wire that connected the subwoofer to the amplifier.

Strip the insulation off the wires using the wire strippers. A wire stripper has several cutting edges inside grooves specially shaped for different gauges of wire. Speaker wire is usually 12 gauge. To strip 12 gauge speaker wire, place the wire into the groove marked A.W.G. 12, then close the wire stripper handle. By tugging on the wire, the insulation is stripped off and bare metal is exposed.

Twist the exposed ends of the wire into tight spirals.

Connect the 6-inch speaker wire to the amplifier's positive and negative terminals that were previously connected to the subwoofer. The speaker wire consists of two connected wires. One will have a white stripe or similar marking. Place this wire in the positive terminal and the negative into the other.

Connect the other ends of the speaker wire the input terminals of the crossover. Place the white wire in the positive terminal, and place the other wire in the negative terminal.

Connect the ends of the long speaker wires to the positive and negative output terminals of the crossover, placing the wire with the white stripe in the positive terminal as before. There will be two sets of terminals, with one set labeled "High Pass" and the other labeled "Low Pass."

Connect the wires that are connected to the "High Pass" terminal set to the tweeter. Place the white wire in the positive terminal, and place the other wire in the negative terminal.

Connect the wires that are connected to the "Low Pass" terminal set to the subwoofer. Place the white wire in the positive terminal, and place the other wire in the negative terminal.

Play some music. The high-pitched sounds are guided through the crossover to your tweeters, while the low-pitched sounds are guided into your subwoofer.

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