Can I Use a Car Subwoofer for Home Theater?

Can I Use a Car Subwoofer for Home Theater?

As I have mentioned above, Yes, you can power a car subwoofer at home. However, car subwoofers are designed to support different impedance power requirements than home. The car subwoofer can only support 12V (low voltage) input.

Therefore, you would need to get a power supply or power inverter that can convert the car subwoofer’s ability to handle 230 volts. It will damage your sub if you directly power the subwoofer without installing an inverter or supply in the middle.

Furthermore, you’ll also need to ensure that your home amplifier supports enough impedance that matches the car subwoofer. The sub will not work (Like it should do) if you connect it to the weak sound system. So it would require a lot of stuff for a successful connection.

If you don’t have those required components to play your car subwoofer at home, consider buying the home theater subwoofer rather than installing the car sub there. In my opinion, that’s the cheapest way to get the desired bass out of your home theater system.

Things That You’ll Need to Run Car Subwoofer at Home Theater:

Before you make the connections, ensure you have the right tools and equipment to run your car sub at home theater system:

• Car subwoofer
• Power Inverter
• 12V to 240 power supply
• External amp (If the sub is passive)
• AV Receiver
• AWG wire gauge cables (Positive to negative)
• RCA to male converter (3.5mm adapter)
• RCA cables
• Car battery (not recommended)

That’s not finished! You should keep reading below for more amazing things to connect your car subwoofer at home.

Use a 12V DC Power Supply:

As we all know, a home theater system runs on 240V alternating current, which is incompatible with car sub. Therefore, you must arrange a 12V DC power supply that can convert that 230V into 12V so that it won’t blow up your subwoofer.

Remember, by using the DC supply, you are preventing the AC power from your home outlet from frying your car subwoofer (through DC). Moreover, you would not also need a car battery in your home. You can also use old power supplies (from PCs) or power bricks (by stripping the wires) to plug your vehicle subwoofer.

Why Don’t You Use a Power Brick From Xbox 360:

I’ve also tried to connect my car subwoofer using the power brick (that I use for my Xbox 360). These power bricks work like 12V inverters (But they are a lot easier method for setup). So, I’ll suggest you the power brick from your Xbox 360 if you can’t afford a new power supply or power inverter but ensure you read the description carefully to determine the color-coded wires.

Steps to Power a Car Subwoofer at Home Through Power Supply:

You can quickly use a car subwoofer for home theater by connecting it to the supply. Here are the easy steps that will allow for a successful connection:

1. Choose a suitable power supply: Get a supply that has enough capability to convert the 240V (from an AC outlet) to 12V (DC) to power the subwoofer. You can also use an old PC power supply. Choose a supply with positive and negative power output at the back, which you can use to connect to the subwoofer input.
2. Connect the power supply: Through recommended power wires, connect the positive and negative terminals of the supply with the subwoofer. Follow the positive (+) and negative (-) connection types with your subwoofer.
3. Connect the sub with the home theater amp: If you have an active subwoofer, you can use the RCA cables to connect the built-in amp inputs with the home theater amplifier’s output terminals. Ensure you follow the same color code for the connection.
4. For passive sub-users: If you have a passive subwoofer, you would need to connect it to the external car amplifier (it should support the home theater amp). First, connect the passive subwoofer with the external amplifier (In most cases, the passive subs car draws power from the external amp). Second, connect the external amplifier to the power supply by following the proper terminals connections. Third, connect the external amplifier with the home theater amplifier.
5. Ground the amp: If using an external car amplifier, you must ground it to prevent ground loops. Ground loops can cause unpleasant sounds from the subwoofer.
6. Use an RCA to male 3.5mm converter: If your home theater amplifier doesn’t have subwoofer outputs but a 3.5mm jack. You can use a y splitter to connect your car subwoofer. Plug in the two male ends to the external amplifier or subwoofer while the single male end into the home sound system.
7. Turn on the power supply: In the end, turn it on by plugging it into the AC wall outlet. Ensure you use a separate wall outlet for your home theater system. It means you should avoid using outlets that are used to turn on the other appliances.

Steps to Connect Car Subwoofer to TV:

Here are the straightforward points that will let you connect your car subwoofer to the TV:

1. Ensure your subwoofer has high-level RCA input that you want to connect with the TV. If not, use a subwoofer that has a built-in amplifier (Active subwoofers).
2. You must also ensure your TV has a sound output that you will use later to connect your active subwoofer to the TV. Most advanced TVs contain RCA output or a 3.5mm jack.
3. You must arrange the required cables after determining the TV output options. You’ll need an optical cable if your TV has an optical output. On the other hand, if your TV has RCA outputs, use the regular RCAs. Or, if your TV has a 3.5mm jack, use the RCA adapter.
4. Connect the supply with the active subwoofer to convert the 240V into 12V so your subwoofer won’t blow up.
5. After the power supply connection, connect the subwoofer to the TV according to the cables I mentioned above.

Difference Between Car Subwoofer and Home Subwoofer:

Car subwoofers are designed to be installed in the boot of a vehicle and require power (12 Volt current) from the car’s electrical system, while home subwoofers need 220 Volt current at least to work. Home subwoofers have more features than car subwoofers and can come with larger speaker units and broader frequency ranges.

Car subwoofers have cones that need protection. Hence they often use heavier enclosures than home subwoofers, even with similar size configurations. Home theater subwoofer systems also provide better sound quality because they produce more excellent bass extension and higher volume levels than a smaller speaker in a care setting.

These are some of the significant differences between car subwoofers and home subwoofers.