Depending on the number of bass shakers in the setup, you will need to wire the shakers in a way that matches the impedance to fit whatever your amplifier is capable of. Each bass shaker is typically 4ohms. If you just have one, the wiring is going to be super simple. Adding more does make things complicated.
When you are setting up multiple bass shakers, you should first read the documentation that came with the bass shaker. I am writing this guide having set up the Dayton Audio bass shakers. If these are the same ones that you are setting up, you shouldn’t have much trouble and can stick with this tutorial. While it will more than likely be the same for them all, just read the documentation first to be safe before coming back to the wiring diagrams here.
Wiring up multiple shakers all comes down to using a combination of series and parallel wiring to ensure that the impedance matches whatever your amplifier is capable of. For example, Wiring two in series will increase it to 8ohms. If your amplifier can handle this, happy days, if not, you are in a bit of a pickle.
Wiring Diagram for One Bass Shaker
Wiring a single bass shaker is quite easy. Some shakers are going to be 8ohms, these will work fine with a 4ohm amp but you will not be able to use a 4ohm shaker with an 8omp amp. If you are using a dedicated subwoofer amplifier, you won’t have any issues with impedance as subwoofers and bass shakers are very similar from the amp’s point of view and have similar requirements.
Wiring Diagram For Two Bass Shakers
Wiring two bass shakers are relatively simple but you will need to be sure you have looked up the impedance on your shakers. If you have two 4ohm shakers and wire them in parallel, this will drop it down to 2 ohms which is likely going to get you into some trouble. If you have two 8ohm shakers, parallel will drop this down to 4 which will work quite well. It is all about making sure you are setting things up correctly for your specific needs.
Wiring Diagram for Four Bass Shakers
Four bass shakers is the go-to setup for most people wanting to install onto a sofa or a bed. It is quite easy to wire these up and it isn’t difficult to find an amplifier that can drive the shakers. You should be able to get this all set up more cheaply than you think and without having to jump through hoops. The wiring is a little daunting for those who have never done it before but it isn’t all that bad once you get stuck in.
Can You Wire Six Bass Shakers?
This is technically possible but you will be opening yourself to a rather complicated setup. You will end up where one loop will have 2 or 8ohms impedance and the other side will be 4. This makes things a little more difficult to pair up with the amplifier. I am sure someone who is sharp when it comes to wiring speakers could make this work by adding some additional wiring tech but It is quite uncommon to go with six. If you want more than four, it is best to jump to eight.
