Bridging a stereo amplifier to mono means using the two amplifier channels to drive a common load. For the two-channel amplifier, a left and a right signal are used to drive the load of the mono speaker.
Abridged amp thus provides higher output, as the power of the two stereo channels, i.e., the right and left channel, is combined and driven to the speaker. Some people like to do this to get the most out of their audio equipment.
If you want to bridge a stereo amplifier to mono, you need to check if it is capable of being bridged. Some do not have the in-built system required for the stereo amp to be in bridge mode.
However, despite this limitation, if you want to bridge mono mode in an amplifier that lacks the bridging capability, it can be done by dividing the signal powering both amp inputs and then reversing the polarity of one signal.
In any case, the bridge mode in an amplifier provides twice the power to the speaker resulting in a higher output.
How to bridge a stereo amplifier to mono; stepwise process
When you have established that you have the right amplifier capable of being in bridged mode, you need to check your speaker to assess if it can bear the output load. When the amplifier is in bridged mode, the output will be double, and the speaker load will be double, so it must be able to cater to the increased power output.
Now that you have made the necessary checks, it is time to proceed with the process.
- Before you connect the amplifier to the speaker, turn off its power supply.
- Now connect one end of the speaker cable to the +ve out of one stereo channel and connect the other end of the speaker cable to the positive terminal of the single speaker.
- Take another speaker cable and connect it's one end to the -ve of the other stereo channel and the other end to the negative terminal of the speaker cabinet. Your amplifier is in bridged mono mode.
- Turn your amplifier back on and send a signal to the speaker to check if it is working. If it is not working, turn off the amplifier and check the wiring to see if anything needs to be adjusted.
