Finding the right wire for your amplifier is almost as important as finding the right amp. That is because the wire is responsible for carrying the signal to the amp and also providing the amp with power. If the amplifier is receiving poor signal, or if the amplifier is not receiving enough power, then it won’t be able to do its job well.
That is why in this article we are going to answer the question of what gauge wire to use with a 2000 watt amp. After reading this article you will know what to look for when picking out a wire, so you can get the best sound quality out of your amp.
So, before getting into what gauge power wire you need for your amp we will first explain what number you are going to be using to figure out the wire gauge. The number that you are going to be using to figure out what gauge wire you need is the amperes number. This number is how much draw the amp is putting onto the battery. This number is important because it is not the same as the total amps. Also, it is important because the most effective way to figure out what gauge of wire you need is to look at a chart and using this number and how long of wire you need, you can find the gauge. The farther you are running the wire, the bigger the wire you will need. Also, it is important to remember with wire gauge number is that the smaller the gauge the bigger diameter of the wire. That means that a 12-gauge wire isn’t as thick as a 10-gauge wire.Calculating Amperes
So, you may be wondering how you calculate the amperes number then since it is the number you are going to use to read a chart to find the wire gauge you need. Well, finding the amperes number is easy. All you have to do is double the number of watts you amp is and then divide that number by 13.8. The result you get is the amperes or draw that they amp will put on the battery. Now that you know the formula though you may be wondering why it is the way it is. Well, you double the watts of the amp because amps are not 100 percent efficient. Most amps are only about 50 percent efficient. That means a 2000 watt amp is going to draw about 4000 watts. Depending on the amp you get and how much you spend you might be able to get one more efficient, but in any case, it is better to have a too thick wire, then a too skinny one.
So, that explains why you double the watts, but where does the 13.8 come from. Well, it is the volts of the battery. You may be shouting stop, as you read this though, aren’t car batteries only 12 volts. Yes, they are when the car is off, but when running the alternator adds power to it and that increases the volts and the amp is mainly only going to be drawing power when the car is running. If you sit with the car not on, but the radio on, then the amp can drain the battery pretty quickly, so it isn’t a good idea to do that. So, for our 2000 watt amp, the amperes number is 290 with rounding. This means that on any chart you will look at that range and read it across based on how far the wire is going.
So, for a 2000 watt amp going by most charts you will need between 4 gauge wire to 00 gauge wire depending on how far you are going. If you are only going 0-4 feet that is when you can get away with the smaller wire, but anything beyond that you will need thicker wire. 2 gauge can be used for 4 feet to 10 feet. 0 Gauge wire can be used from 10 feet to 19 feet. Lastly, the 00 can be used from 19 feet 22 feet. In most wiring cases you should need to run power wire any farther than that.
The gauge of the sound wire will also depend on the watts of the amp. For a 2000 watt amp, you will need thicker wires than a smaller amp. This is important because you want good quality sound going into and out of the amp. Also, they make a variety of types of wire. They have NVX, Rival “A”, and Rival “C” so you want to make sure to do research and get the type of wire that meets your needs. Like with anything, the more research you do before buying, typically the better. It is important to be an informed customer. Since you are reading this article you probably know this. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help though when trying to figure out what sound wire to use and also what power wire to use.
So, outside of quality of the signal being carried or the power being carried, why else does wire gauge matter. Well, on outside of quality the number one reason using the right wire gauge matters is because of safety. If you are using a power wire that is not a thick enough gauge, then you could get fires or damage to your amp. That is because if the amp is trying to draw more power than the wire can handle, then the wire will get hot. This head can transfer to the amp. Also, if the wire builds up too much heat, then it can cause burning. This is not good, so safety is the number one reason why you want to use the right gauge wire and quality is second.
After reading this you now know what size wire you need for your 2000 watt amp. You know that you need 4 gauge to 00 gauge depending on how far you are running the wire. Also, you know now that the smaller the number the thicker the wire. On top of this, you know how to calculate the amperes of the amp so you can use a chart to figure out the wire you need for any amp. Lastly, you know why it is important to use quality wire and to use wire that is the proper gauge. Now you are ready to pick out the sound and power wire for your amp, so you can start wiring it up and enjoying the music from it.
We need to know the amplifier's efficiency and its distance from the battery in order to determine what gauge wire is required for a 2000 watt amp. Depending on how the amp is categorised, the cable can be anywhere from 6-gauge for short lengths to 2/0-gauge for 22 feet.