Amplifier Switch?

[venoxcide]

Hello all,

This may be bit of a weird question.

I was walking around Best Buy the other day and noticed they have little switches to turn their amplifiers on display on and off.

You can play music with the amplifier off for the "regular" sound then press the button, and the amp kicks on and the music gets amplified (without stopping).

I was wondering how is this achieved because AFAIK if the amplifier is off, no sound gets passed through, or perhaps I am wrong?

I was interested since I frequently listen to music in my car with the ignition off, and for that I probably don't need my amplifier on draining my battery pushing my speakers and sub as it's a very low volume regardless.

Thanks!

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[What was that? 10+ year member]

Lots of people put their sub amps on switches, myself included. Just a toggle switch on the remote wire.

 

[big scott]

Lots of people put their sub amps on switches, myself included. Just a toggle switch on the remote wire.

thats not what he is talking about.

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

You'll need to run at least one set of speakers off deck power. Then a toggle switch on the remote wires as far as the deck running without the key on. You'll need to run the decks acc wire (red) to a Constance power source

 

[venoxcide]

Ok so, if I do that, then what I'm understanding is that when the amp is switched off, the two speakers hooked up to deck power will still play right?

I have two aftermarket speakers in my doors that will be amped. The two rear speakers won't be amped (yet, since they are factory).

Is there anyway to have the speakers that are connected to the amplifier still play if the amp is turned off, I guess is what I'm really asking.

Like I said, I've seen it in the stores where you can switch the amp on and off in real time and the speakers still play, but when I asked the Geek Squad guy how that was done he didn't have any clue.

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

they use relays. 5-pin relays have a normally closed position and a normally open position. relays can be controlled as a group.

i do this on boats so there is a low power mode where amps are powered by the head unit and then a high power mode where the speakers are powered by amplifiers. a flip of a switch can energize a bank of relays to switch state, turn amplifiers on/off, etc.

let me know if you need more info and have a specific project.

 

[big scott]

i was thinking thats how they did it but was not 100% sure. but makes perfect cents...

 

[venoxcide]

Hmm okay. I haven't heard of relays before.

I've been looking up a bit on them and it seems quite confusing, but I'm sure it's not once you understand how it works.

So, yeah essentially what I'd like to do is wire up my system with a accessible switch near the steering wheel so I can trigger the amplifier on/off.

When on, everything would function as normal, but if switched off, the amp (and sub) would go out but the interior speakers could continue to play using deck power.

I realize that this would be alot easier if I just ran my internal speakers off deck power alone (and just amp the sub) but I really want to get the most out of them so they will all be amped.

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

Relays

Relay Diagrams - Quick Reference

Special Applications with SPDT Relays, Diagrams

Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT), Single Pole Single Throw (SPST) Automotive Relays

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

best to get DIN mount relays and DPDT or 4PDT so you can mount them, wire to them, and have fewer of them. you need to switch both speaker wires (pos and neg) per speaker. get 12VDC coils.

relay

MY4 DC12(S) - OMRON INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION - POWER RELAY, 4PDT, 12VDC, 5A, PLUG IN | Newark element14 US

socket

PYF14A-E - OMRON INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION - RELAY SOCKET | Newark element14 US