Moksha

I've tried running multiple search queries in the forums, but failed to obtain any useful information regarding the factory head unit and amplifier in the 2005 Acura TSX.

I'm in the process of upgrading the factory audio system. I'll be installing a 5-channel amp, two-way components up front (300 WRMS), two midwoofers in the rear doors (160 WRMS) and one 12" subwoofer (600 WRMS).

The amp I'm installing is a Phoenix Gold TI2 1600.5. It's more than sufficient to run my setup. It has a Low Level Input Range of 200 millivolts to 8 volts and balanced differential inputs.

1) I want to completely remove the factory amplifier out of the equation. So, is it possible to directly wire the head unit to my new amp?

2) What is the voltage of the output from the head unit?

3) An installer was telling me that the head unit puts out separate level outputs for the lows, mids, and highs respectively? This didn't make sense according to my deductive reasoning. I would think the head unit puts out one full-range stereo signal to the factory amp and then this amp separates the signal. Am I wrong is assuming that?

4) From what I've gathered it's not possible to completely do away with the factory head unit unless I were to drop a large sum of money on customization of the media dash. Is that correct?

5) How many amperes does the OEM alternator crank out around normal driving conditions (lets say between 30 to 60 MPH in reasonable weather at sea level)? If I'll be driving a system pushing around 1200 WRMS should I be concerned about getting a better battery or a better alternator? If so, is it more important to change the battery or the alternator first? Both, my battery and alternator, are about a year old, but they are just OEM replacements (nothing special). Yes, I am aware of the 'Big three", but I'm not concerned with that at the moment.

Is there anything else I should be aware of when doing this upgrade? I did see past posts about people doing this upgrade and got some useful pointers, but I could not find answers to the aforementioned questions so your help will be much appreciated! I will try to post before and after photos in order to help others in the future.

Thanks!

Moksha

Well, I dug around some more and found the answers for questions 1 and 3. I'd appreciate it if someone can help me with the other questions. :-)

FYI for others wanting to replace the factory amplifier in the first generation TSX:

You can purchase the AOEM-HON20 manufactured by Pac Audio. This harness is said to connect directly to the factory stereo and supply proper outputs and voltage to an aftermarket amplifier of your choice. I just ordered one so I'll find out how well this works in a week or two. If it doesn't work or if it has noise issues then I will report back here. Otherwise, it is safe to assume that it works well for most similar applications.

Moksha

It looks like there is a whole different forum outside of the TSX sub-forum dedicated to TSX audio. No wonder my search within the TSX sub-forum was not yielding any useful results!

Moderator, please move or delete this topic. Thanks.