# Series/Parallel best practices?



## aceinc (Oct 24, 2006)

I am building a center channel with a ludicrous amount of drivers. See post Inexpensive easy center channel. I will have three sets of four drivers, and wanted to use a series/parallel configuration on each set so as to maintain ~ 8 ohm load.

I would assume that if you were being picky (I am being cheap) you would buy drivers that had the lowest "le" so that their back emf wouldn't interfere with the other driver(s). So assuming that the drivers I am using have reasonably high "le" (that spec wasn't published) how would you configure the drivers?

(Driver 1 - Series - Driver 2) - Parallel - (Driver 3 - Series - Driver 4) 
or
(Driver 1 - Parallel - Driver 2) - Series- (Driver 3 - Parallel- Driver 4)

Does it make a difference?

The drivers are all 8 Ohm, and I want an 8 Ohm load to the crossover (actually the tweeters are 6 Ohm, but who's counting).

Comments like ":coocoo: You are out of your mind putting 12 drivers in a center channel..." while probably true, are not particularly helpful as I have the box about 75% done, and the drivers should arrive on Monday.

Paul


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## aceinc (Oct 24, 2006)

If that is the case, then whatever is easiest is the right way. I think the most expedient is;

(Driver 1 - Series - Driver 2) - Parallel - (Driver 3 - Series - Driver 4) 

I believe the wiring would be;

The two input wires Main+ and Main- split into 4 wires, A+, A-, B+, B-. 

The wire A+ goes to Driver 1+, a jumper goes from Driver 1- to Driver 2+, Driver 2- goes to A-.

The wire B+ goes to Driver 3+, a jumper goes from Driver 3- to Driver 4+, Driver 4- goes to B-.

Is this correct?

BTW, with my limited understanding of eletrical things in general, (drivers aren't really electronic,as they are electro-mechanical) I was thinking that the other way would be better. My reasoning:dizzy: is that the the back emf from the drivers in parallel might cancel each other out and not have as big an effect on the other pair in series. This of course was a WAG (kinda like a SWAG that doesn't put on airs).

Paul


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