The Car Audio System Planner
The CarsFM planner for designing a system on paper before you buy: loudness, subwoofer wiring, amplifier match, crossovers, box, power wiring and gain, in the order they lock each other in
The calculators on this site each answer one part of a car audio system. Buying in the wrong order is how good parts end up not fitting each other: subwoofers that can only be wired to a load the amplifier cannot use, an amplifier chosen by a number printed at the wrong impedance, a box built to the wrong volume. The Car Audio System Planner puts the decisions in order. Part 1 sets an honest loudness goal (doubling amplifier power adds only about 3 dB, the same as a speaker 3 dB more sensitive) and plans the crossover handoffs. Part 2 lists every load your subwoofers can be wired to before you buy them, matches the amplifier's RMS at that exact load, sizes the box to gross rather than net volume, covers safe power wiring with an install checklist, and sets gain to a target voltage. Worked example: two dual-voice-coil subwoofers in the 4 ohm version can only reach 1 or 4 ohms; the 2 ohm version reaches 2 ohms, where the example amplifier is matched. Planning arithmetic; power wiring follows the amplifier maker's manual or a qualified installer. Includes a system plan, wiring options sheet, install checklist, gain voltage table and a quickstart. With your purchase comes a personalised sheet worked on your own gear.
Look inside
Two full pages from the planner, exactly as printed. Click either to read it at full size before you decide.
What is in it
- An honest loudness goal: the 3 dB rule
- Planning the crossover handoffs
- Choosing the load before the subwoofers
- Matching the amplifier at your load
- Sizing the box to gross volume
- Safe power wiring and an install checklist
- Setting gain by voltage, and listening time
- A system plan and a wiring options sheet
- A gain voltage table and a quickstart
- A personalised sheet: your loudness, wiring options, amplifier match and box
- ✓ 23 printable pages
- ✓ 10 sections, worksheets and templates
- ✓ A second PDF worked out from the numbers you enter
- ✓ No account needed, just an email address
- ✓ Instant download; link valid 7 days
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The planner complements the free Speaker Impedance Calculator and the other CarsFM tools. Each answers one question; the planner puts them in the order the decisions lock each other in.