SD 800.4 Connection Question
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Road Warrior
Joined: May 2012
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From: Baltimore, MD
SD 800.4 Connection Question
So I've been reading up on the Soundigital amps. Specifically the SD 800.4 amp. And I have a couple of questions about the speaker wiring.
The amp has four channels. But each pair of output channels only have 3 connections. So: 1+, 1-/2+, 2- and 3+,3-/4+, 4- That is, the ch 1- shares a physically connection with ch 2+. Likewise, 3- and 4+ share a physical connection. Maybe this is common but I've never seen this before. So looking at the connection diagrams, I'm wondering some things:
In the 2 channel diagram they use ch 1+ and ch 2- for one speaker and 3+ and 4- for the other:
This seems to imply they are bridging the channels to get max power out to the speakers in the two channel configuration. Is that correct? This is how I'd likely use the amp (fairing speakers only) for now, but I don't want to box myself in from being able to add two more speakers down the road. And this is where the shared terminals makes it confusing.
If I expanded to a 4 speaker application (two more in the tour pack), I'd use their 4 channel diagram.
What is going on here with the shared connection? Is this the same as arranging channels 1 and 2 in parallel? Or would they still be considered independent channels when figuring each channel's load impedance? Also, does this sharing of +/- terminals between speakers mean I can't independently control channels 1 and 2 (like for fading)?
Sorry if these are basic questions. I understand audio connecting, but I've never run into shared +/- speaker connections before. So I don't understand the implications or limitations of this on my system.
The amp has four channels. But each pair of output channels only have 3 connections. So: 1+, 1-/2+, 2- and 3+,3-/4+, 4- That is, the ch 1- shares a physically connection with ch 2+. Likewise, 3- and 4+ share a physical connection. Maybe this is common but I've never seen this before. So looking at the connection diagrams, I'm wondering some things:
In the 2 channel diagram they use ch 1+ and ch 2- for one speaker and 3+ and 4- for the other:
This seems to imply they are bridging the channels to get max power out to the speakers in the two channel configuration. Is that correct? This is how I'd likely use the amp (fairing speakers only) for now, but I don't want to box myself in from being able to add two more speakers down the road. And this is where the shared terminals makes it confusing.
If I expanded to a 4 speaker application (two more in the tour pack), I'd use their 4 channel diagram.
What is going on here with the shared connection? Is this the same as arranging channels 1 and 2 in parallel? Or would they still be considered independent channels when figuring each channel's load impedance? Also, does this sharing of +/- terminals between speakers mean I can't independently control channels 1 and 2 (like for fading)?
Sorry if these are basic questions. I understand audio connecting, but I've never run into shared +/- speaker connections before. So I don't understand the implications or limitations of this on my system.
Last edited by scooper321; Apr 28, 2020 at 12:08 PM.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 308
Likes: 26
From: Greenwood, SC
I remember hearing the reasoning for this and Ive forgotten, I remember one thing that they said was it was to save space. I've put in a few of these already bridged or on separate channels I just ferrule the +/- of separate speakers together and it works as it should.
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Road Warrior
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,385
Likes: 132
From: Baltimore, MD
I actually emailed Soundigital to ask them this question. They responded very quickly.
In the two channel configuration this setup iS bridging the amp. So I was on the right track there.
In a 4 channel configuration, it is not parallel or series wiring, they said it is traditional 4 channel wiring. And you were right. SD said that due to the size of the amplifier, there isn't room for a traditional terminal, so they share them externally like this. They said this is how traditional amps are connected internally, they just do it externally. This is interesting. I didn't know that amps were designed this way inside.
In the two channel configuration this setup iS bridging the amp. So I was on the right track there.
In a 4 channel configuration, it is not parallel or series wiring, they said it is traditional 4 channel wiring. And you were right. SD said that due to the size of the amplifier, there isn't room for a traditional terminal, so they share them externally like this. They said this is how traditional amps are connected internally, they just do it externally. This is interesting. I didn't know that amps were designed this way inside.
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