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I've read through many posts and have seen where people have used both methods. The big question is...which one will provide a better signal path?

I have some pretty high-end products on the way (DLS A7 amp, Rainbow Germanium comps (bi-amping with 4 channels of the A7), and a Rainbow Vanadium sub), and I want to make sure that I am able to reproduce the best signal possible.

I'm not sure if the oem equalization is being handled by the HU or the amp...can somebody verify this?

The fewer components and processing in the signal path is generally the better way to go, so given this one should be able to take the pre-amp signal from the stock HU and use a line driver such as the Audiocontrol Matrix, or one of the David Navone products (or other similar products).

The other alternative is obviously going post-amp, and using LOC's, or a more sophisticated product like the Audiocontrol LC6. This is a very simple method, but if there is any funky EQ processing going on in the oem amp, you're simply going to pass this on.

Given the amount I am dropping on the DLS and Rainbow products, I do not wish to go the 3sixty.2 route.

So...any takers on this?

Thanks.

csmeance

I would use the signal after the AMP due to a few reasons. The Signal coming before the amp will not be good enoguh for the aftermarket amps and will require a line driver, which might not make it sound as good. Also the Amp manages some of the Handsfree link settings so you can hear it. I would just take the singal after the amp, put an daivd nelone(not speeled right) LOC and send that to the amps. just my

csmeance

alsao heres a thread for a guy asking the same thing, it might help:
https://acurazine.com/forums/ramblings-12/lindsay-lohan-music-video-157544/

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Actually the HFL and nav are all handled through the HU. Everybody who has done away with the stock amp still have complete use of all HFL and nav functions.

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For now at least I'm just going to connect everything with a couple of David Navone LOC's, and see how it sounds.

I'll plot the frequency response (using the Rives Audio test CD), and if it has too many peaks and valleys I'll switch over to a 3sixty later on to flatten it out.

foxdmd

I tried both pre and post amp and found the post amp to better suited for our needs ( and no line driver either). I ended up using Zapcos stock HU to aftermarket LOC's and found the sound quality much better than with Navone's. You do have to float the grounds on those things to get the best SQ (That took a while to figure out with the installer calling Zapco all the time). I have an Audison 6 channel surround amp so my SQ is not as good as it could be if I used Zapco's amps. You have probaly already seen his car, but if you haven't you should see Kirk Profitt's Zapco system in his TL. He has won best SQ in just about everything he's entered and that is with the stock HU. Good luck.

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I haven't seen his system...will need to look it up (what's his user name?). I'd imagine that he's also running signal processing in that equation somewhere.

I'd argue the point about getting better SQ by switching from Audison to Zapco...Audison makes some pretty impressive gear...they should be pretty close in SQ. I used to have a Zapco Reference 650.6 in my RSX, and it was a good amp. I wasn't very impressed with the build quality of it however.

As for the Zapco LOC's...I couldn't find them on their website. Do you have model numbers for these? I'd like to look into them.

Thanks.

foxdmd

His username is Kirk3272. The model of the units I used are the SLD.BTL-F. The reason it would work better with zapco amps is that their signal is balanced (aka firewire) and the balanced signal can be sent straight to their amps with no rcas (non balanced). So in my system the signal is not balanced when it gets to the amp because I had to switch back to rcas. You can probaly get a better understanding of the concept by visiting their website www.zapco.com instead of me blabbing about it. You can also see Kirk's car there as he is a member of their team. And I think he runs a DSP-6 processor from zapco. Cheers!

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OK, I see what you're saying now...not that the SQ of the Zapco is better than the Audison, just that the Zapco would be better IF hooked up to the SLD.BTL-F because of the balanced inputs you'd be able to utilize.

Thanks for the info.