Wiring up an amp
#1
Wiring up an amp
I've got a n 02 XLT with the six disc changer and I'm pretty sure the former owner never touched it, so I'm just going to keep the stock deck and add my amp and sub.
First, is there an easy wire to tap into for the remote on? It just needs a 12v source that's only on when the cab or dash is powered so there shouldn't be any reason to have to pull the deck.
Second, how have you guys run the power cable to your amps? My last vehicle had a grommet with wires going through that I just slipped the power line through, battery-fuse-wire-amp... I looked and didn't see anything easy and premade going through the firewall area of the engine comp in my Ranger.
Third.. and this is just idiot checking myself, but I'll be splicing off the back speakers and using the speaker level inputs on the amp. That doesn't usually change the impedance by any dangerous amount does it?
First, is there an easy wire to tap into for the remote on? It just needs a 12v source that's only on when the cab or dash is powered so there shouldn't be any reason to have to pull the deck.
Second, how have you guys run the power cable to your amps? My last vehicle had a grommet with wires going through that I just slipped the power line through, battery-fuse-wire-amp... I looked and didn't see anything easy and premade going through the firewall area of the engine comp in my Ranger.
Third.. and this is just idiot checking myself, but I'll be splicing off the back speakers and using the speaker level inputs on the amp. That doesn't usually change the impedance by any dangerous amount does it?
#3
Sure you can. I did in my focus. The amp had line level inputs. Or you can get a line level converter. It can be done. As for the remote wire, I pulled the deck and found the keyed source to the radio and tapped into it.
#6
#7
Its true I won't have any control of the amp through the head unit, but luckily for me I have speaker level inputs as well as low pass and gain controls on the amp. The main disadvantage to running things this way is that if I want the quad speakers to cut off where the sub kicks in I'll have to run separate high pass filters in line to the speakers. But.. since according to the 'if it's too loud, you're too old' philosophy I'm like 87 and a half, I'm not worried about blowing speakers
As for sound quality, I'd rate the lack of clear bass as top offender, then quad speaker quality, then the stock deck. Installing better speakers really takes a load off the deck's internal amp capacity so I'll try that long before spending a few hundred on a deck with sub out. Also, at some point the fact that its a truck cab negates any sound quality gains :D
As for sound quality, I'd rate the lack of clear bass as top offender, then quad speaker quality, then the stock deck. Installing better speakers really takes a load off the deck's internal amp capacity so I'll try that long before spending a few hundred on a deck with sub out. Also, at some point the fact that its a truck cab negates any sound quality gains :D
Last edited by Boomzilla; 07-04-2010 at 05:30 PM.
#9
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Hey there your approach is dead on as far as the line level converter , it wont harm the speakers or stock headunit, if you have a dmm or testlight you can find and tap power behind the radio or tap any safe ignition fuse also if your amplifier doesnt have a seperate volume **** i can show how to make an easy one for just a few bucks if you need a little more control over the bass.
#10
#12
That would be a great idea, but my 02 outlets stay hot as well. I guess I'll have to poke around my fuse box to find a good source.
#14
Amp is an Alpine MRV-100M, I don't remember the sub off hand but it's just a good quality little 8" in a truck box. I don't need a ghetto thumper or anything. I just like hearing all the music!
I did decide to swap out the quad speakers as well... figure if I'm digging into the wiring already I may as well do it all at once :D
I did decide to swap out the quad speakers as well... figure if I'm digging into the wiring already I may as well do it all at once :D
#15
Its true I won't have any control of the amp through the head unit, but luckily for me I have speaker level inputs as well as low pass and gain controls on the amp. The main disadvantage to running things this way is that if I want the quad speakers to cut off where the sub kicks in I'll have to run separate high pass filters in line to the speakers. But.. since according to the 'if it's too loud, you're too old' philosophy I'm like 87 and a half, I'm not worried about blowing speakers
As for sound quality, I'd rate the lack of clear bass as top offender, then quad speaker quality, then the stock deck. Installing better speakers really takes a load off the deck's internal amp capacity so I'll try that long before spending a few hundred on a deck with sub out. Also, at some point the fact that its a truck cab negates any sound quality gains :D
As for sound quality, I'd rate the lack of clear bass as top offender, then quad speaker quality, then the stock deck. Installing better speakers really takes a load off the deck's internal amp capacity so I'll try that long before spending a few hundred on a deck with sub out. Also, at some point the fact that its a truck cab negates any sound quality gains :D
#16
I can't say that I've ever replaced just the deck without touching anything else, so you might be right about the head unit being a limiting factor. I can say that after adding an amp and sub to cover the lows and upgrading the door speakers to improve the highs I've ended up with a really nice full sound.
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..but a stock headunit, with stock speakers will always sound better with an amplifier as opposed to just replacing the headunit to stock speakers because a separate amplifier has a much better crossover and higher power output capabilities
#19
Not true. If you amplify the stock speakers you will blow them. The RMS output of the amp should match the RMS of the speakers. The amp might have a better crossover, but you won't getto hear it because your speakers will be toasted as soon as you turn it up. I've seen many customers do tuis. The head unit puts out more power, but not enough to damage the speakers, and unless you get a really bad head unit, the crossovers and preamps in it are going to be wayyyyyy better then the stock HU. And that gives you your extra power and quality. And if you're worried about a crossover, why not just get a stand-alone crossover and put it in?
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Sorry sir, you are false, the overactive finger of the customers clippy distorted listening habits is the ultimate cause of blowing speakers which is done quite frequently with the stock head unit and stock speakers... not amplifying them, stay within the reasonable limits and use some common sense and youll see it works just fine. not everybody wants to have there music heard by the half mile radius of neighboring people, your "customers" must have some unrealistic expectations if there doing that.
and again.. just to recap, a stock head unit and stock speakers would ALWAYS sound better with an amplifier, as opposed to comparing to just powering by an aftermarket head unit, the cleaner, higher powered and better crossover will take care of the rest, even if it was just a small quality 25 watt per channel amplifier.
and again.. just to recap, a stock head unit and stock speakers would ALWAYS sound better with an amplifier, as opposed to comparing to just powering by an aftermarket head unit, the cleaner, higher powered and better crossover will take care of the rest, even if it was just a small quality 25 watt per channel amplifier.
#21
This is true, ithkight you were talking about an amp with like 200 watts per channel. I do agree with this, but instead of spending the extra money on an amp, why not just buy a stand-alone crossover? And if you coupled an aftermarket head unit with a stand-alone crossover unit, it should sound very close to the way it would sound with an amp. That's just my 2 cents, coming from the Mobile Electronics Certified Professional.
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This is true, ithkight you were talking about an amp with like 200 watts per channel. I do agree with this, but instead of spending the extra money on an amp, why not just buy a stand-alone crossover? And if you coupled an aftermarket head unit with a stand-alone crossover unit, it should sound very close to the way it would sound with an amp. That's just my 2 cents, coming from the Mobile Electronics Certified Professional.
Using an active crossover eliminates most of the problems associated with a passive crossover networks, a good example being... when you add more resistance to the outputs impedance of the amplifier...(ohms) =P, you can loose some of the ability for you to keep the drivers cone under control and in turn can give you crappy... muffly sounding... low end garble. Also.. i know another big thing believed about passive crossovers is that they dampen power and serve to reduce some of the energy being sent into the driver, and that just isnt true... therefore in my opinion at least it would be more efficient and easier to add an amplifier with a much better active crossover that filters the signal before the audio has been amplified then to try and hope the passive crossovers being added are even filtering the right frequencies for you musical tastes... unless you enjoy calculating all the technical hoopla and taking the time to build your own crossover.
Anyway.. this isnt my thread, or is this really on topic and i dont want to turn it into some long drawn out discussion on the differences and comparison between the two or turn this into a right or wrong thing since id say at least 95% of the people in here just dont care lol, iv been through the mecp certification course its not a big deal, and iv had enough professional experience in mobile and commercial audio/video to have learned a few things along the way.
Last edited by edge2k; 07-12-2010 at 11:13 AM. Reason: Grammer nazi squad fail =(
#24
Edge i do agree with you there about the active/passive crossovers. and i also agree with you about the ending of this argument. haha it has gone on too far. obviously we both agree and we are both of the same qualification so i feel like we have provided good information in our random argument. lol truce?
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STAY OUT OF THIS BOOMZILLA!! lol just kidding, Conroman, i have no quarry with you i just like to keep things factual with information to back it up and to show different options to do something, i believe the only way to ultimately settle this is to host a private modern warfare 2 throwing knife/t bagging match that is to be judged and a winner to be selected by a hand chosen group of ranger forum members for best throw and most creative tbagging maneuver