Amplifier Wiring Kits
Skar Audio is happy to offer 3 separate gauge sizes in two different materials for their wiring kit selection. It is important to consider a few details about your set up:
What size power and ground terminals on the amplifier?
Skar Audio specifies for each amplifier in its product description the size of the power and ground terminals on the amplifier. When designing amplifiers, Skar Audio takes into account the power handling of the amplifier and what size wire will be needed when designing the terminal portion of the amplifier.
Important Note: Not all wiring kits are the same because they are the same size in gauge. Different materials allow for different power handling capabilities of the wiring. For more information on the different types of wiring Skar Audio offers, please see our article comparing OFC and CCA wiring.
How powerful is the amplifier?
It is important to know and compare the power handling of your amplifier and the power handling of the wiring. Let's compare two amplifiers that have similar terminal sizes, but would not necessarily have to use the same wiring kit:
RP-2000.1D
- Power and Ground Terminals: 0 Guage
- RMS Power: 2000W
- Recommended Wiring Kits: 1/0 Gauge CCA, 1/0 Guage OFC
The RP-2000.1D can use either the SKAR0ANL-CCA or SKAR0ANL-OFC as they are both 1/0 gauge wiring kits and both can handle 2000W RMS power.
SKv2-2500.1D
- Power and Ground Terminals: 0 Guage
- RMS Power: 2500W
- Recommended Wiring Kits: 1/0 Guage OFC
The RMS power of the SKv2-2500 is more than that of the RP-2000.1D by 500W. When comparing specifications on the SKAR0ANL-CCA, it is rated for an output of 2000W, while the SKAR0ANL-OFC is rated for 3000W. Since the RMS of the SKv2-2500 is greater than the recommended power handling of the CCA kit, the OFC is the only choice for this amplifier.
Can I run a bigger gauge than the terminals on the amplifier?
It is very common for individuals to run a larger gauge of wire for power and ground than what is needed for the amplifier. There are some advantages to running a larger gauge, however, there are also some associated costs:
- If you plan to upgrade in the future, it will save time to run a larger gauge wire for power and ground so that installation of larger power and ground wires is not needed for your next level up.
- Some people opt to run one larger gauge wire to a distribution block near their amplifier(s) and gauge down from the distribution block into the amplifier(s).
While it does not hurt to run larger gauge wire than the terminals require, it is important that you are not degrading the wiring by cutting strands to make it fit into the terminal (i.e. cutting 0 gauge down to fit in a 4 gauge terminal). Instead, it is better to use wire reducers to get to the proper size for your terminal and keep your setup safe.
