Capacitor for subwoofer: connection diagram and charging

A car subwoofer capacitor is becoming increasingly popular among car owners. Now the installation can be found not only in expensive audio systems, but also in simple sets of audio equipment that use external sound amplifiers.

Do you need a capacitor for a subwoofer? Drivers who understand the meaning and functionality of the device answer unequivocally: of course it is needed. Since this device significantly improves the performance of the amplifier, as well as the quality of the sounds produced.

Basic Concepts

First, you need to understand what a container is and why it is needed, and what types it comes in. Anyone who has connected a capacitor has encountered this problem. If you decide to connect the container without certain knowledge, then your system will not work correctly, and, accordingly, proper high-quality power will not be provided.

This electrical element consists of two metal plates that are rolled into a tube. A dielectric is laid between them. Externally, it looks like a cylindrical element with two terminals.

Let us list the tasks that are assigned to a capacitor in an electrical circuit:

1. Retaining charge for normal voltage.
2. Retention of potential charge for a long time.
3. In order to eliminate voltage surges, the current value must be within normal limits.

What to look for when purchasing?

The main thing that a car owner who wants to buy an electrolytic capacitor for a subwoofer should take into account is the ratio of its capacity and the power of the system. The rule is quite simple. The minimum limit is 650 to 850 µF per kilowatt. To simplify calculations, it is recommended to take 1F per 1 kW of sound system power.

It is ideal if a capacitor with a capacity exceeding the nominal values ​​is installed in the car. Other features of a good element are as follows:

• The delivery kit should include everything you need to install the electrolytic capacitor in the machine. These include the wires that connect the amplifier, and special protected brackets that prevent damage to the element shell and the occurrence of other emergency situations;
• The pulse voltage of the capacitor should be 24 V. This is a sufficient reserve (the corresponding operating parameter of the on-board network is from 12 to 18 V) so that the drive does not overheat during charging;
• for a sharp release of high power and the formation of large currents, the capacitor must have powerful connectors with thick leads and a large area. Responsible companies offer products with gold-plated contacts;
• Charge indicators are a huge help, including for the convenience of monitoring the status of the drive during operation. This could be a simple circuit with a row of LEDs or a digital display;
• If you need a drive that you can simply connect and count on long-term stable operation, it is recommended to buy products equipped with a charge and condition monitoring system. Such models must be equipped with an indicator.

The last, but one of the main, remark: you should not save on buying an electrolytic capacitor for a subwoofer. On specialized forums you can find many examples, videos and photos of disassembling cheap products. They clearly and accurately show the discrepancy between the actual characteristics and the declared ones, and also describe the dangers of using this type of drive.

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Before purchasing an electrolytic capacitor, you should definitely look for reviews on specialized resources. Or - look through the ratings and get acquainted with the characteristics of suitable products on the website of their manufacturers. Today, the mass market offers both electrolytic capacitors and ionistors that are quite sensitive to temperature fluctuations.

Installing a capacitor in the on-board network, in addition to purely utilitarian results in the form of stable operation of the speaker system, has several other advantages. In particular, current surges during operation of the ignition system are smoothed out. Also, the operating mode of the on-board generator improves, as it begins to experience less surges in consumption. And most importantly: the installed capacitor perfectly helps the starter work in winter, transferring power to the general network.

Processes that take place in a capacitor

It is known from the laws of physics that oppositely charged particles attract. If they are connected to each other, a discharge will occur. However, if they are not connected, but only brought as close to each other as possible, a greater force of attraction will arise. The capacitor uses this principle. Oppositely charged particles accumulate on the plates, which are separated by a dielectric, but due to the high resistance of the material, an instantaneous discharge does not occur.

Due to the fact that the dielectric allows them to discharge, it is possible to maximize the time during which the plates will remain at a given required voltage.

Each element is manufactured to operate within a specific voltage range. It all depends on the materials of manufacture, as well as on the design of the product. If the potential difference exceeds the maximum permissible, the dielectric will cease to perform its function and the capacitor will fail. Capacity is one of the most important parameters, since the entire design of the device depends on it. It directly depends on how the plates are located, as well as on their sizes.

Manufacturer Focal

For example, a well-known manufacturer of high-quality audio equipment and amplifiers from France, Focal, uses the following solution in its models:

• There is a place in them for the condensers, immediately after the power supply in the amplifier
• It is in them, according to experts, that the efficiency of using additional storage devices is many times higher

Features of the Conder Focal are as follows:

• It significantly improves sound performance
• The module consists of several condensers operating in parallel

• Connection is made via the supplied cable and a special connector
• Under difficult operating conditions, the stability of the amplifier is increased due to the built-in High-Cap technology
• Connection diagrams for the capacitor for the subwoofer are included
• As it becomes clear, a storage device is necessary in the system, it is more efficient than an ionistor, but it is also much more expensive, it is better to choose the same company as the amplifier so that there are no problems
• You need to connect with high-quality copper wires, with a good cross-section, so that there is no subsidence due to the wires
• Don’t forget about good contact, clean the terminals and a powerful battery
• Use a working generator
• Then the sound will be just great

It remains to wish you a successful connection and recommend a video for successful completion of the work.

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The need for capacitors in car audio

Short-term voltage surges often occur in a car's audio system. This is due to the fact that the power system is not capable of delivering the required power in a given period of time. This happens when playing music with pronounced bass. This is due to the fact that the consumer resistance for the power supply decreases sharply, due to the long-term opening of the transistors.

Professional audio installers recommend using a capacitor capacitance of at least 60,000 - 65,000 microfarads. For versatility, the formula is often used: 1 Farad of power = 1000 Watts of load.

Sub

Which amplifier to choose for a subwoofer

The most difficult speaker to artificially amplify is the sub. It is for this reason that so many large-sized subwoofer amplifiers are produced today. They are designed specifically for amplification of low frequencies. Here is what is recommended to know for those who are thinking about improving the sound of a subwoofer:

• 1-channel or mono amplifiers are capable of operating with a wide range of impedances. Such devices have a special tone setting, separate filters that help thunderous bass erupt at full power;
• 2 and 4-channel “amplifiers” are also capable of subwoofer amplifiers, but they are not able to cope with the effect of low impedance. They quickly overheat as soon as the sub starts playing at full power.

How to choose an amplifier for a subwoofer

The ideal amplifier option for a low-frequency driver, which will enable the subwoofer to produce an excellently balanced sound, is a device characterized by the following parameters: 50-200 watts.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=x2hMrOoDY_s

Connection

Connecting a capacitor to audio equipment is quite easy. It is connected next to the power consumer, the power polarity is straight. That is, the plus must be connected to the plus, and the minus to the minus. Remember that a car is a design solution with its own power supply system and wiring. It is necessary to exclude additional consumers from the circuit, except for audio equipment. To do this you need to install a diode. It is needed to limit the discharge from unnecessary consumers. This electrical element is installed on the positive wire between the power source and the consumer.

Conclusion

Now you have enough knowledge to go to a specialized store yourself and go through all the procedures: purchases, consultations, connections and settings - on your own. If you are not burdened with financial difficulties, it would be better to purchase an active type device, and then you will not have questions about how to connect a subwoofer to a computer. However, if you want to save money, or the hidden talents of radio electronics have awakened in you, you can safely purchase components at a reasonable price and create a full-fledged speaker system with your own hands. In any case, with a subwoofer you are guaranteed a life with rich bass, a lot of pleasure and the indignation of your neighbors.

How to eliminate additional load on car wiring

Autocapacitors have one serious drawback: the ability to self-discharge. This type of electrical devices is bad for your car battery. Especially if there are a lot of them and it’s cold winter outside. To solve this problem, there are many devices on the market that are connected only when voltage appears at one terminal.

Capacitors from popular companies are equipped with a very convenient function, for example, installing a voltmeter. This is necessary for visual instrumental monitoring of voltage sags.

When connecting to the starting system, be sure to check that there is no voltage on the starting wire when parked. If there is no potential on it, then the car's network will be blocked from the capacitor. It is very easy to perform manual switching yourself. To implement this, you just need to use a relay. The switch can be placed in any place where it is convenient.

Procedure for starting a car engine in cold weather

To ensure trouble-free starting of the engine, the car must be prepared for winter use before the onset of cold weather. It is necessary to fill the engine and gearbox with oil designed to operate at low temperatures. It is imperative to replace spark plugs and filters, oil, air and gasoline. And of course the most important thing is the technical condition of the battery. Even if the battery is new, it must be charged from an external charger. If all these requirements are met in advance, then there will be no problems starting the engine in the cold season.

It is recommended to start the car engine in the following order: ☞ It is necessary to insert the key into the ignition switch, turn it clockwise one sector and make sure that all electrical appliances are turned off. Although they should turn off automatically when the starter is running, it is nevertheless better to turn them off so as not to create additional load on the engine at the first moment after starting it. ☞ To bring a cold battery into working condition, you need to warm it up by turning on the headlights or side lights for 20-30 seconds. ☞ If the transmission is not automatic, be sure to depress the clutch pedal all the way. In this case, the gearbox will be disconnected from the engine, which will significantly reduce the load on the starter. Turn on the ignition for half a second so that the engine shaft moves from a dead center and the oil lubricates the rubbing surfaces of the engine. ☞ Turn on the ignition again for no more than 3 seconds. If the engine does not start, you must wait at least 15 seconds before restarting. During this time, the battery, warmed up due to an unsuccessful engine start, will gain strength. If after 5-6 attempts with pauses it was not possible to start the engine and the battery did not die, it means that either the water that got into the mechanisms froze and it is necessary to warm up the car by placing it in a warm garage. Or a malfunction has occurred and you need to contact service. ☞ If the car engine starts, you need to smoothly release the clutch pedal. After warming up, the car is ready to go.

Connection polarity

Another important point when connecting is maintaining polarity. Due to the characteristics of some models, the device only works with the correct polarity connected. If the polarity is violated, then such a capacitor will immediately fail. This is due to the fact that the dielectric instantly collapses, and the electrolyte boils inside the housing.

The capacitor charges instantly. This is directly related to the large current that passes through the electrical circuit in a short period of time. During normal operation, the device discharges slowly. Therefore, it is almost impossible to completely discharge the capacity.

Top 5 devices of 2022

Based on consumer reviews, the 5 best capacitors for a subwoofer have been selected, showing good results and a long service life. These include products from well-known brands, suitable for use by both novice and experienced car audio engineers.

Kicx flc 1.5

pros

• good equipment
• contacts for ring terminals
• reverse polarity protection
• charge level indication

Minuses

• weight, dimensions
• capacity is only 1.5F
• low operating voltage margin

The main advantage of this capacitor is its complete ease of installation. Convenient complete brackets and a reliable contact group are provided. The product shows excellent service life thanks to electronic protection and a special mesh.

MD.Lab PC-E1.0

pros

• 1F capacity with small measurement error
• compact aluminum housing
• built-in voltmeter

Minuses

• no reverse polarity protection
• small margin for maximum voltage
• poor equipment (only capacitor)

This drive can only provide 18 V pulse voltage. If this is enough, the device will appeal to experienced audio system designers. The capacitor can operate at temperatures from -40 to 60 degrees Celsius and has low leakage currents.

ACV CAP-5.0F

pros

• overload protection
• protection against incorrect activation
• amplifier integration option
• possibility of connecting several series-connected load units
• advanced electronic parameter control system
• indicator light and built-in voltmeter

Minuses

• dimensions
• low pulse voltage value
• own connection diagram
• awkward terminal blocks

The most complete control of voltage and operating parameters available today, as well as the possibility of direct control from the amplifier are two striking features that distinguish this capacitor model. It will appeal to users who want to create a truly powerful system. A capacity of 5F is enough for acoustics of 5 kW.

Kicx DPC 2.0F

pros

• excellent power to size ratio
• built-in charge indicator
• Built-in shutdown relay in standby mode
• good surge voltage reserve

Minuses

• small area terminals
• poor equipment (only capacitor)
• low operating voltage 12V

This capacitor is very unpretentious. With some drawbacks, it allows overheating up to 95 degrees Celsius and will retain the charge when parked without the use of special connection circuits. The device will appeal to beginners; it is capable of delivering a 24V pulse.