Expert: Cleggsan - 4/28/2009

Question
i have 3 kicker L7 "12" ..what kind of amp would you recommend to push these apeakers to the max??


Answer
You must know their impedance and decide what wiring configuration you want to use to match the maximum power transfer of the amp to its load.

Mostly these are dual voice coils with each coil being 4 ohms. So, if they are in parallel it will load to 2 ohms; in series each one will become 8 ohms.  Since you have three of them you must decide how to connect them; that will be the secret for matching properly to your chosen amplifier.  

For example:  If you wired each speaker in series  and them put the three speakers in parallel your final load impedance for the amplifier would become 8/3 =  2.7 ohms.  That is a good load for an amplifier with a 2 ohm stable delivery.  So, under this example you would choose a bridgeable stereo amp or mono block that will deliver the power into a 2 ohm load.   The 2.7 will give you a good, safe match and the units will play very loud if you have sufficient power to drive them.  Since these units are quite low in sensitivity you should have plenty of power.  But, the final selection is up to you; mounting space, looks, reliability, cost and installation are aspects to be considered in the final choice.

Good Luck. You should get awesome sound if they are mounted in the right kind of cabinets......


C