Do you know the difference between 2 ohm and 4 ohm subwoofers? If not, then this blog post is for you! We will discuss what they are, the benefits of each one and which is better.
This blog post will help you decide which type of subwoofer to buy for your car stereo system. And you can use this guide to pick subs for your home theater as well as we’ll go into the basics.
What is Ohm?
Before we get into the difference between a two ohm and four ohm subwoofer, let’s first discuss what Ohm is. In simple terms, Ohm is a unit of measurement for electrical resistance.
When it comes to car audio, Ohm is important because it determines how much power your amplifier will put out to your subwoofer.
The electrical resistance in simple terms means how easy or hard it is for the current to flow through a circuit. The lower the Ohm rating, the lower the electrical resistance that makes it easier for the current to flow and vice versa.
2 Ohm vs 4 Ohm Car Subwoofer: Which Subwoofer is Better?
So should you get a two ohm or four-ohm subwoofer? This depends on your system and what you want to achieve.
If you are looking for louder bass, then go with the two Ohm model because it can handle more power than the four-ohm model.
However, if deep and accurate bass is what you are looking for, then the four-ohm subwoofer would be a better option.
To give you a clear picture of what to expect from each of these types, we will go over the differences on the basis of different factors-
Power Handling
A two ohm subwoofer will offer more power than a four ohm sub. This is because the amplifier will push out more power when there is not much resistance.
For example, let’s say you own a two ohm subwoofer and an amplifier that is rated at 100 watts RMS per channel into four Ohms. This same amplifier will put out 200 watts RMS for each channel if the impedance of your load goes down to two ohms.
Two-ohm subwoofers usually require more power than four-ohm models, but this is because they can handle the power that an amplifier outputs very well.
Bass Quality
A four ohm sub would be easier to control the bass because they are less sensitive than two ohm subs.
The current that goes through them will not be as much since it has four times more resistance, meaning there’s less power being pushed out at a time by your amplifier to generate finer low-frequency sound.
This means your bass will be deeper and hit harder compared to a two ohm model. And the sound quality will also be better in 4 Ohm subwoofers than that of the 2-ohm subs.
This makes these types of subwoofers ideal for background listening levels or long listening sessions.
Loudness
As we mentioned earlier, a two-ohm subwoofer will be louder than a four-ohm model. This is because it can handle more power and has less resistance.
If you are looking for loud bass on the road to cancel the road-noise, then go for the two ohm subwoofer as it will give you more bang for your buck.
However, if you are looking for accurate and deep bass, then the four-ohm subwoofer would be a better option as it will not distort at high volumes.
To be precise, the difference in loudness is 2.5dB between these two subwoofers. While you may think that the difference is negligible, music fanatics go mad to cover up any lacunas in their audio system. So, this can be a thing of real significance for some people.
Cost of the Subs
In terms of price, there is not much of a difference between the two types. You can find both subwoofers at different price points.
So, it really comes down to what you are looking for in your car audio system and how much power you want to put out. If louder bass is what you crave, then the two-ohm subwoofer is your best bet. But if you want accurate and deep bass, go for the four-ohm model.
Just remember that a four ohm sub will not offer as much power as a two ohm subwoofer.
For your reference, we have researched some great quality subs, and here is one from the famous brand Skar Audio-
You’ll have an idea about how much of a difference in terms of price is in between 4 ohm and 2 ohm subwoofer models.
Durability
Both 2 ohm and 4 ohm subs are durable when they are made with quality materials and designs.
Being heavier than the 2 ohm subwoofers, some people have some misconception that the 4 ohm subwoofers are more durable than the 2 ohm counterparts. But that’s not the case.
You better check the quality of the sub and the brand marketing it to find out the durability and longevity of a model.
While the weight difference doesn’t make one superior to the other, this is a great way to identify whether the unit is a 2 ohm or 4 ohm subwoofer.
Since 2 ohm subs are made with fewer voice coil windings, they are lightweight than the 4 ohm subs.
Dual Voice Coil vs Single Voice Coil Subwoofers
You must have heard about the dual and single voice coil subwoofers. So, what is exactly a voice coil?
The voice coil is a cylinder or bobbin wrapped with copper wire that carries electrical current to the speaker.
It works by carrying an electromagnet through the center of it, which gets energized when you send electric signals to it. This makes your subwoofer cone move forward and backward in different amounts based on how much power is sent to it.
So, what’s the difference?
Dual voice coils have two of these coiled wires, while single voice coils have one. This means that a dual voice coil subwoofer can handle more power and can have good resistance than a single voice coil model, at the same time.
It also offers more wiring options for those who want to get creative with their sound system.
When you have two coils in a sub, they can be wired in series to the amplifier. This doubles the impedance of the speaker (e.g., from four to eight ohms) and gives your amp twice as much resistance.
On the other hand, you can utilize a parallel connection as well to wire two coils. This will halve the impedance (e.g., from four to two ohms) and give your amp twice as much power at half the resistance.
However, you must make sure that your amplifier can deliver enough power to run both coils at the same time and not blow out one of them!
In simple words,
With parallel wiring, 2 four ohm subwoofers will have 2 ohm impedance and with series connection, 2 four ohm subwoofers will have 8 ohm impedance.
If you install and connect multiple subwoofers, the parallel and series connection will have the same effect on those as well. While this may sound confusing, this is a great way to have your sound system according to your desire.
Can I Install 2 Ohm Subwoofer with 4 Ohm Subwoofer?
Technically, yes. But it is not recommended as this has a risk of blowing out your amplifier and can damage the subwoofer.
If you want to install a four ohm in place of two ohm, then it will require an adapter for this purpose. This is because when two different impedance speakers are wired together without proper wiring process, they may lead to unnecessary load on the amplifier which can result in blowing it.
Since there is no added benefit of using a 2 ohm sub with a 4 ohm one, we don’t recommend this.
However, if you still want to do it then make sure that your amplifier can handle the added resistance and has enough power to drive two subs at once.
You should also wire them in series or parallel accordingly so that they have proper impedance matching with the car amplifier output.
If not done right, there are chances that your subwoofer or car speakers might blow.
Conclusion
The 2-ohm and 4-ohm subwoofer is a common topic among audiophiles. The truth of the matter is that both have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it really comes down to your needs.
If you’re looking for deep bass with great sound quality, then a 4 ohm sub is what you need. For a louder sound and more powerful audio experience with a compromise in the sound quality and deep bass, 2 ohm is perfect.
So? 4 ohm = not so loud but higher quality bass due to higher resistance
2 ohm = louder but lower sound quality due to lower resistance