EQ bypass revisited
04-03-2002, 11:51 AM
#1
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
EQ bypass revisited
Ok I’m starting to get serious about upgrading my system. I’m fairly good with electrical stuff , but Kind of new to car audio so please bear with me. I’ve got a few questions perhaps some of you can elaborate on.
Here’s the general plan:
-Polk DX6 speakers in the rear
-Possibly JL XR650CS in the front
-Bypass the factory equalizer
-4x50w channel amp to drive them (not sure which one yet)
1- EQ bypass ; As I understand it, the pins 1&3, 7&9 need to be connected to each other off the HU between the black harness and the EQ. Does this mean clipping those four wires behind the black harness and then solder 1-3,7-9? If so, that would leave 4 exposed leads on the EQ side, would they just be capped?
2- Sub fading ; someone had posted that after doing the bypass, the sub would fade out as the fader was adjusted to the front speakers. The stock system uses bass control only to control the sub (at least that is what I think after playing with it). If all this is true, is there a workaround, or is it just not that much of a problem?
3- Amp input signal; what’s the best way? Would it be best to get an amp that accepts speaker level inputs and just run the 4 channels off the HU directly back to the amp……OR get a 4 Channel LOC and convert the signal just after the HU and then run RCA wires back to the amp.
4- Tweeter placement; An audio shop I visited to get a quote for the job(too expensive), suggested he would place the tweets about 6 inches up from the dash on the A pillar and point them towards the windshield. Also he would wrap them with matching beige fabric to blend them to the interior. That would certainly be more difficult than mounting them to the sail panels, but would it improve soundstaging enough to go outweigh the hassle?
I’ve read many posts from Allanc, Brewboy, Austin, Street, and many others(Kudos to you all). These questions may seem a little redundant to some, but I really want to get my ducks lined up before I attack this project.
Just a note, This site was the final selling point when I bought my car and without it I would certainly never considered doing something like this. My hat’s off to everyone……especially Snook.
Thanks in advance,
Loren
Here’s the general plan:
-Polk DX6 speakers in the rear
-Possibly JL XR650CS in the front
-Bypass the factory equalizer
-4x50w channel amp to drive them (not sure which one yet)
1- EQ bypass ; As I understand it, the pins 1&3, 7&9 need to be connected to each other off the HU between the black harness and the EQ. Does this mean clipping those four wires behind the black harness and then solder 1-3,7-9? If so, that would leave 4 exposed leads on the EQ side, would they just be capped?
2- Sub fading ; someone had posted that after doing the bypass, the sub would fade out as the fader was adjusted to the front speakers. The stock system uses bass control only to control the sub (at least that is what I think after playing with it). If all this is true, is there a workaround, or is it just not that much of a problem?
3- Amp input signal; what’s the best way? Would it be best to get an amp that accepts speaker level inputs and just run the 4 channels off the HU directly back to the amp……OR get a 4 Channel LOC and convert the signal just after the HU and then run RCA wires back to the amp.
4- Tweeter placement; An audio shop I visited to get a quote for the job(too expensive), suggested he would place the tweets about 6 inches up from the dash on the A pillar and point them towards the windshield. Also he would wrap them with matching beige fabric to blend them to the interior. That would certainly be more difficult than mounting them to the sail panels, but would it improve soundstaging enough to go outweigh the hassle?
I’ve read many posts from Allanc, Brewboy, Austin, Street, and many others(Kudos to you all). These questions may seem a little redundant to some, but I really want to get my ducks lined up before I attack this project.
Just a note, This site was the final selling point when I bought my car and without it I would certainly never considered doing something like this. My hat’s off to everyone……especially Snook.
Thanks in advance,
Loren
04-03-2002, 01:29 PM
#2
1. I believe the exposed leads should be grounded as to not pick up any noise. I think either AllanC or djsteve determined this.
2. It would all depend on where exactly you are getting your input signal to you amp.
3. If you want fader control, you'll need both front and rear signals to your amp, unless your amp can fade just one stereo signal between front/back. As far as LOC vs speaker-level amp, it should be a secondary consideration. Most common is using a good LOC and most likely it would be better quality then built into an amp.
4. As far a tweeter placement, no one can tell you the best place to put a set of tweeters except YOU. There are too many factors involved. Your best bet is to try out different positions until you come across one that you like. People have surfaced mounted tweeters with velcro in different postions and aiming locations moving them around every couple of days until thay have found the sweet spot, then permantantly mount them.
good luck
2. It would all depend on where exactly you are getting your input signal to you amp.
3. If you want fader control, you'll need both front and rear signals to your amp, unless your amp can fade just one stereo signal between front/back. As far as LOC vs speaker-level amp, it should be a secondary consideration. Most common is using a good LOC and most likely it would be better quality then built into an amp.
4. As far a tweeter placement, no one can tell you the best place to put a set of tweeters except YOU. There are too many factors involved. Your best bet is to try out different positions until you come across one that you like. People have surfaced mounted tweeters with velcro in different postions and aiming locations moving them around every couple of days until thay have found the sweet spot, then permantantly mount them.
good luck
04-03-2002, 01:38 PM
#3
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Brewboy,
Thanks for the input. Here's some more for ya.
1) by grounding the leads, do you mean connecting them all together and grounding them to the frame?
2) what are the other possible amp input signals other than speaker outs from the HU?
Loren
Thanks for the input. Here's some more for ya.
1) by grounding the leads, do you mean connecting them all together and grounding them to the frame?
2) what are the other possible amp input signals other than speaker outs from the HU?
Loren
04-03-2002, 05:09 PM
#4
1. Yes
2. I don't remember how the stock radio was in terms of sub fade with respect to the fronts. If you were to go with a 4 or 5 channel amp, then you would want to use a 4-channel LOC for your input signal to retain the same front/rear fade control versus using a 2channel amp for fronts and picking up the pre-EQ'd low-level signal before the HU and leave the rears powered from HU via EQ. This allows you to only fade the rears. I guess it depends on how much control you want and what you like. The latter is how I am hooked up. A sweet 5-channel amp is Helix Precision HXA500Q, ask NSXNEXT about it. Shares 80% of its components with Brax and has a 5 year warranty not to mention a top notch SQ amp.
2. I don't remember how the stock radio was in terms of sub fade with respect to the fronts. If you were to go with a 4 or 5 channel amp, then you would want to use a 4-channel LOC for your input signal to retain the same front/rear fade control versus using a 2channel amp for fronts and picking up the pre-EQ'd low-level signal before the HU and leave the rears powered from HU via EQ. This allows you to only fade the rears. I guess it depends on how much control you want and what you like. The latter is how I am hooked up. A sweet 5-channel amp is Helix Precision HXA500Q, ask NSXNEXT about it. Shares 80% of its components with Brax and has a 5 year warranty not to mention a top notch SQ amp.
04-04-2002, 04:44 AM
#5
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Another opinion
Iggy,
I hope I can help a bit here. I am not going to begin to compete with the system designs that some of the guys have gone through here. They know a lot more about comtemporary car audio than I currently do.
However, I do really understand component level discrete electronic theory.
MY OPINIONS TO YOUR QUESTIONS...
First I think you have a good plan in front of you.
1. Ground loops can become a real problem in multiple level audio systems. I agree that I would not want to leave the cut EQ input wires open to pick up noise and crosstalk. However, I wouldn't short them all together with the cut output wires either. Their are two issues here, first the EQ input and output use separate shielded cables (according to the schematic, I haven't actually been there yet. You will have to tell me how hard it is to get to these bypass connectors after you have done it.) I would short the two EQ input wires together with their corresponding shield. I'm not sure that I would be comfortable with shorting the output of anything to ground... Especially when it's also tied back to the input... IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE FACT THAT THEY WERE GROUNDED, THE EQUALIZER WOULD OSCILLATE FROM THE FEEDBACK! So instead it might just cause squeals and hum, etc through the possible created ground loop system. Who would ever tie the output of an active electronic amp back to the input????? That is what you would be doing if you tied all four leads together... Think about it! If the EQ is an active EQ than it has electronics involved which may not like to see its output totally shorted either. Perhaps there is a build out resisitor or coupling cap, perhaps not. If there is not, the shorted outputs could cause you more trouble than benefit. The excessive current draw could talk back through the power supply and bleed into the subwoofer sections unless there is serious decoupling and regulation between power supply stages, and with what I've seen of this system, I would highly doubt it. You would probably be better off here to put a 600ohm resistor across the two output lines to their respective shield. In a well designed typcial preamp, the input and output grounds are isolated and carefully laid out to prevent ground loops and oscillations, So I wouldn't want to simply tie all inputs and outputs to the same ground point. It might work fine, but it could also create a serious ground loop depending upon the gain of the EQ. After all, if the EQ isn't receiveing any signal to amplify, and it's output isn't feeding anything, then the only thing that you are worried about with respect to the open EQ OUTPUT wires is that they could possibly self oscillate and crosstalk into some adjacent wires. If you terminate them in a relatively low impedance load with a shielded cable on short leads, this should elminate that concern without causing a possible ground loop by causing the EQ to purposely oscillate by tying its output back to its input and then just shunting it all to ground, and then hoping that none of it talks back through the common power supply or poor grounding paths, etc. That's essentially what you're doing by tying all four wires together and then to ground. That's just poor engineering practice... Again if the EQ inputs are shorted there shouldn't be anything on the output to cause crosstalk.
2. I'm not sure about the fading issue, but I'm not sure how critical that is anyway. You could adjust the gain of the sub amp to match your system the way that you think sounds best, and just track with the volume once you have done this.
3. The best way to feed the signal to your new amp would be if you didn't have to use the factory speaker amp at all. I'm sure that it sucks. It has some sort of a soft clipping circuit employed to help keep from blowing speakers up from its hobby 20Watt constantly overdriven clipped signal. I'm sure it's a circuit similar to the old Dynaco "dynaguard" circuit in the old Dynaco 400Watt home stereo power amp. It has sort of an automatic gain reduction circuitry (compression) as well. This will help to protect speakers when you would otherwise drive an amp into clipping, but it's hell on dynamic range and has a constant attack time artifact distortion componenent to deal with. If it wasn't for the fading issue, you could just run the line level signals from the Head unit (that you cut from feeding the EQ) back to your new power amp. With its REAL power you wouldn't have to worry about clipping with it. In other words you wouldn't need BOSE trying to protect you from yourself. You would know when you had reached clipping and would simply be smart enough to back off the volume pot! But again, you only have two channels not four at this point to feed back to the new amp, so you would have no fader control at all. But maybe you don't need it. If you want to keep the fader control capability in the system, then like other people have said you will need to run four channels back to your new amp. In that case, you will HAVE to use the speaker outputs of the existing Head unit:yack: If you do that, it probably doesn't matter if you get an amp that accepts line level or speaker level. I guess an amp that accepts line level might be best for giving you the most flexibility in the future in case you end up replacing the stock head unit with a four channel preamp line output type of unit. Meanwhile, It is always best to run higher level signals down longer runs for noise and crosstalk purposes. I don't know anything about these LOCs, but they just sound like attenuators to me. If it were me, I'd save the money on them and run the speaker level back to the new amp and put a couple of good quality 1% metal film resisitors as a voltage divider across the new power amp inputs to attentuate the signal. Since you are feeding a low impedance speaker signal back to the trunk, you could use fairly low value resistors to keep the noise immunity down. In any case, I'd run the low impedance speaker line outputs from the head unit back to the trunk before attentuating them through any kind of LOC. IF YOU DO THIS BE SURE *NOT* TO USE SHIELDED CABLE ON A SPEAKER LINE!!! Speaker amps cannot take the capacitance of shielded cable and will cause an excessive gain phase shift which will cause the output devices to work into a highly reactive load which will make them see a much lower impedance than they are designed to handle. This issue is not as critical when they are not actually driving a speaker (such as in this case) but it is still a poor practice. USE A TWISTED PAIR OF WIRES WHEN FEEDING FROM A SPEAKER AMP, AND USE SHIELDED CABLE WHEN GOING BETWEEN LINE LEVEL AMPS. This again, is standard engineering practice, especially with unbalanced lines. Unless these LOCs also convert an unbalanced line to a balanced one for the long, low level, high impedance run? BUT it doesn't sound like they are high-end enough to do that... NOT with RCA connectors. To provide a professional balanced signal, it would need to incorporate some form of 3 pin connector like an XLR. SO if you choose to use LOCs, I'd stick em in the trunk right next to the new power amp inputs... But for a couple of bucks I would think that you could accomplish the same thing with a couple of resistors.
4. Tweeter placement... like other people have said, it's very subjective. The idea of velcroing them around until you find the sweet spot sounds like a good one. But you've got to remember, this is no anechoic chamber that you will be listening in. It will never be good enough... I'd stick to putting them on the sail panels. That is near your ear level where all of the high frequency directivity should be and they won't look like sh!t in that location. They will also be a lot easier to install there. Pointing them at the windshield????? Hasn't this guy ever heard of "soundsoak" or "room-tunes" before... or at least egg-crates? Give me a break...
Still it sounds like you have a great system planned, no matter how you go about it, I'm sure that it will be a monumental improvment over the stock system. You're on the right track... Don't obsess too much about it and just move ahead with it. Leave the OCD problems with me....lololol
You'll be happy as soon as you make any progress from the stock system... GOOD LUCK!
I hope I can help a bit here. I am not going to begin to compete with the system designs that some of the guys have gone through here. They know a lot more about comtemporary car audio than I currently do.
However, I do really understand component level discrete electronic theory.
MY OPINIONS TO YOUR QUESTIONS...
First I think you have a good plan in front of you.
1. Ground loops can become a real problem in multiple level audio systems. I agree that I would not want to leave the cut EQ input wires open to pick up noise and crosstalk. However, I wouldn't short them all together with the cut output wires either. Their are two issues here, first the EQ input and output use separate shielded cables (according to the schematic, I haven't actually been there yet. You will have to tell me how hard it is to get to these bypass connectors after you have done it.) I would short the two EQ input wires together with their corresponding shield. I'm not sure that I would be comfortable with shorting the output of anything to ground... Especially when it's also tied back to the input... IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE FACT THAT THEY WERE GROUNDED, THE EQUALIZER WOULD OSCILLATE FROM THE FEEDBACK! So instead it might just cause squeals and hum, etc through the possible created ground loop system. Who would ever tie the output of an active electronic amp back to the input????? That is what you would be doing if you tied all four leads together... Think about it! If the EQ is an active EQ than it has electronics involved which may not like to see its output totally shorted either. Perhaps there is a build out resisitor or coupling cap, perhaps not. If there is not, the shorted outputs could cause you more trouble than benefit. The excessive current draw could talk back through the power supply and bleed into the subwoofer sections unless there is serious decoupling and regulation between power supply stages, and with what I've seen of this system, I would highly doubt it. You would probably be better off here to put a 600ohm resistor across the two output lines to their respective shield. In a well designed typcial preamp, the input and output grounds are isolated and carefully laid out to prevent ground loops and oscillations, So I wouldn't want to simply tie all inputs and outputs to the same ground point. It might work fine, but it could also create a serious ground loop depending upon the gain of the EQ. After all, if the EQ isn't receiveing any signal to amplify, and it's output isn't feeding anything, then the only thing that you are worried about with respect to the open EQ OUTPUT wires is that they could possibly self oscillate and crosstalk into some adjacent wires. If you terminate them in a relatively low impedance load with a shielded cable on short leads, this should elminate that concern without causing a possible ground loop by causing the EQ to purposely oscillate by tying its output back to its input and then just shunting it all to ground, and then hoping that none of it talks back through the common power supply or poor grounding paths, etc. That's essentially what you're doing by tying all four wires together and then to ground. That's just poor engineering practice... Again if the EQ inputs are shorted there shouldn't be anything on the output to cause crosstalk.
2. I'm not sure about the fading issue, but I'm not sure how critical that is anyway. You could adjust the gain of the sub amp to match your system the way that you think sounds best, and just track with the volume once you have done this.
3. The best way to feed the signal to your new amp would be if you didn't have to use the factory speaker amp at all. I'm sure that it sucks. It has some sort of a soft clipping circuit employed to help keep from blowing speakers up from its hobby 20Watt constantly overdriven clipped signal. I'm sure it's a circuit similar to the old Dynaco "dynaguard" circuit in the old Dynaco 400Watt home stereo power amp. It has sort of an automatic gain reduction circuitry (compression) as well. This will help to protect speakers when you would otherwise drive an amp into clipping, but it's hell on dynamic range and has a constant attack time artifact distortion componenent to deal with. If it wasn't for the fading issue, you could just run the line level signals from the Head unit (that you cut from feeding the EQ) back to your new power amp. With its REAL power you wouldn't have to worry about clipping with it. In other words you wouldn't need BOSE trying to protect you from yourself. You would know when you had reached clipping and would simply be smart enough to back off the volume pot! But again, you only have two channels not four at this point to feed back to the new amp, so you would have no fader control at all. But maybe you don't need it. If you want to keep the fader control capability in the system, then like other people have said you will need to run four channels back to your new amp. In that case, you will HAVE to use the speaker outputs of the existing Head unit:yack: If you do that, it probably doesn't matter if you get an amp that accepts line level or speaker level. I guess an amp that accepts line level might be best for giving you the most flexibility in the future in case you end up replacing the stock head unit with a four channel preamp line output type of unit. Meanwhile, It is always best to run higher level signals down longer runs for noise and crosstalk purposes. I don't know anything about these LOCs, but they just sound like attenuators to me. If it were me, I'd save the money on them and run the speaker level back to the new amp and put a couple of good quality 1% metal film resisitors as a voltage divider across the new power amp inputs to attentuate the signal. Since you are feeding a low impedance speaker signal back to the trunk, you could use fairly low value resistors to keep the noise immunity down. In any case, I'd run the low impedance speaker line outputs from the head unit back to the trunk before attentuating them through any kind of LOC. IF YOU DO THIS BE SURE *NOT* TO USE SHIELDED CABLE ON A SPEAKER LINE!!! Speaker amps cannot take the capacitance of shielded cable and will cause an excessive gain phase shift which will cause the output devices to work into a highly reactive load which will make them see a much lower impedance than they are designed to handle. This issue is not as critical when they are not actually driving a speaker (such as in this case) but it is still a poor practice. USE A TWISTED PAIR OF WIRES WHEN FEEDING FROM A SPEAKER AMP, AND USE SHIELDED CABLE WHEN GOING BETWEEN LINE LEVEL AMPS. This again, is standard engineering practice, especially with unbalanced lines. Unless these LOCs also convert an unbalanced line to a balanced one for the long, low level, high impedance run? BUT it doesn't sound like they are high-end enough to do that... NOT with RCA connectors. To provide a professional balanced signal, it would need to incorporate some form of 3 pin connector like an XLR. SO if you choose to use LOCs, I'd stick em in the trunk right next to the new power amp inputs... But for a couple of bucks I would think that you could accomplish the same thing with a couple of resistors.
4. Tweeter placement... like other people have said, it's very subjective. The idea of velcroing them around until you find the sweet spot sounds like a good one. But you've got to remember, this is no anechoic chamber that you will be listening in. It will never be good enough... I'd stick to putting them on the sail panels. That is near your ear level where all of the high frequency directivity should be and they won't look like sh!t in that location. They will also be a lot easier to install there. Pointing them at the windshield????? Hasn't this guy ever heard of "soundsoak" or "room-tunes" before... or at least egg-crates? Give me a break...
Still it sounds like you have a great system planned, no matter how you go about it, I'm sure that it will be a monumental improvment over the stock system. You're on the right track... Don't obsess too much about it and just move ahead with it. Leave the OCD problems with me....lololol
You'll be happy as soon as you make any progress from the stock system... GOOD LUCK!
04-04-2002, 10:20 PM
#6
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Well I took a little 40 mile ride today and bought a set of Polk DX6's for 90 bucks. They were the last ones Circuit City had in southern NH or northern MA. I guess I lucked out. :p
Now I gotta get hold of some JL xr650cs for the fronts. Wish me luck.
Now I gotta get hold of some JL xr650cs for the fronts. Wish me luck.
04-05-2002, 05:11 AM
#7
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You got it!
Iggy,
GOOD LUCK! You should have a really nice sounding system when you are done. Just be careful not to make the mistake that happened to 03TLTYPES...
Be sure to insulate everything REALLY well, watch your clearances with the speaker terminals on the back of the new POLKS and follow my directions in the *speakers* thread.
The more I think about it, with regard to your rear amp hookup and these LOCs. They may have a valid purpose afterall. Since the speaker outputs are bridged outputs, you want to keep them floating from ground. A resistive divider would not provide this isolation and could cause you to blow up your amp by tieing one side to ground. You could probably come up with a balanced "H-Pad" to accomplish the attentuation, but Why go re-inventing the wheel? You can't have perfection in car audio... I'm sure that is why the LOCs use transformers. The transformer inputs would keep the speaker leads floating from ground and would also isolate the grounds between amplifier stages. This could be very helpful in preventing ground loops. I would still think that technically the best place to put them would be in the trunk next to the power amp and thus keep the long signal run as high level as possible. BUT on a practical note, if somehow this long speaker run gets stepped on or kinked or cut somehow, it would short out the head unit's output and end up frying it again. So I've just got to realize that cars call for different types of installations and mind my own business. Sometimes the best technical thing to do is not the best practical or safe thing to do.
So never mind me... Sorry for the confusion... I would go ahead and use these LOC devices as they have been designed to be used. and again GOOD LUCK! Keep us posted as to your progress...
GOOD LUCK! You should have a really nice sounding system when you are done. Just be careful not to make the mistake that happened to 03TLTYPES...
Be sure to insulate everything REALLY well, watch your clearances with the speaker terminals on the back of the new POLKS and follow my directions in the *speakers* thread.
The more I think about it, with regard to your rear amp hookup and these LOCs. They may have a valid purpose afterall. Since the speaker outputs are bridged outputs, you want to keep them floating from ground. A resistive divider would not provide this isolation and could cause you to blow up your amp by tieing one side to ground. You could probably come up with a balanced "H-Pad" to accomplish the attentuation, but Why go re-inventing the wheel? You can't have perfection in car audio... I'm sure that is why the LOCs use transformers. The transformer inputs would keep the speaker leads floating from ground and would also isolate the grounds between amplifier stages. This could be very helpful in preventing ground loops. I would still think that technically the best place to put them would be in the trunk next to the power amp and thus keep the long signal run as high level as possible. BUT on a practical note, if somehow this long speaker run gets stepped on or kinked or cut somehow, it would short out the head unit's output and end up frying it again. So I've just got to realize that cars call for different types of installations and mind my own business. Sometimes the best technical thing to do is not the best practical or safe thing to do.
So never mind me... Sorry for the confusion... I would go ahead and use these LOC devices as they have been designed to be used. and again GOOD LUCK! Keep us posted as to your progress...
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11-05-2002, 07:14 PM
#8
I just did this project myself, and i took a different approach than Iggy or Southy recommended... I used the lineouts from the HU, before the EQ, so I didn’t need a Hi to Low converter... Sure, I loose fading ability, but who REALLY uses it anyway? Thanks SO MUCH to Iggy and Southbound, as if I didn’t find their posts, this would have been 10 times harder.
In the end heres what I did:
2 JL 10w3's in Sealed box
Boston Z6 Component in front
Boston Pro Component Bridged in rear
JL 500/1 for the subs
JL 300/4 for the Z6's and the Pro's
Full farad Monster Cap
All monster cable
I wish I had pics of the install, it was a real learning experience. FIRST, I installed the subs. We mounted the 500/1, ran the lines, tapped the input for the stock sub. BIG MISTAKE. The bass was muffled, almost sounded like it was double hitting or echoing... Very weird side effects, couldn’t figure out why. Then I though it had to be the factory amp causing it. I popped the back seat off and yanked the cheap Blose 100W sub amp and tapped the lines BEFORE entering the factory amp. BOOM!!!! 10 times better... God I don’t know what that thing did, but now the bass was SO clean.
Then we decided to swap the speakers, but not the head unit.... I kept the head unit because the only HU I would ever replace it with is the Kenwood 911, and I didn’t have the extra 2K to drop on a HU at the time. We tapped the low level outputs from the HU instead of using Iggy's EQ bypass idea. The Boston Z6's are the best in the world IMO, even better than the QSD MB's. I wanted the best sound I could get.
After it was all said and done, the system cost me about 3K, and sounded SO fantastic. BUT! I get the engine whine. I may try the bypass, when I get the ballz to take apart my dash again.
thanks again iggy and south, ill let ya know how long it takes to put out the fire in my dash after i start playing with the wires again...
-shear
In the end heres what I did:
2 JL 10w3's in Sealed box
Boston Z6 Component in front
Boston Pro Component Bridged in rear
JL 500/1 for the subs
JL 300/4 for the Z6's and the Pro's
Full farad Monster Cap
All monster cable
I wish I had pics of the install, it was a real learning experience. FIRST, I installed the subs. We mounted the 500/1, ran the lines, tapped the input for the stock sub. BIG MISTAKE. The bass was muffled, almost sounded like it was double hitting or echoing... Very weird side effects, couldn’t figure out why. Then I though it had to be the factory amp causing it. I popped the back seat off and yanked the cheap Blose 100W sub amp and tapped the lines BEFORE entering the factory amp. BOOM!!!! 10 times better... God I don’t know what that thing did, but now the bass was SO clean.
Then we decided to swap the speakers, but not the head unit.... I kept the head unit because the only HU I would ever replace it with is the Kenwood 911, and I didn’t have the extra 2K to drop on a HU at the time. We tapped the low level outputs from the HU instead of using Iggy's EQ bypass idea. The Boston Z6's are the best in the world IMO, even better than the QSD MB's. I wanted the best sound I could get.
After it was all said and done, the system cost me about 3K, and sounded SO fantastic. BUT! I get the engine whine. I may try the bypass, when I get the ballz to take apart my dash again.
thanks again iggy and south, ill let ya know how long it takes to put out the fire in my dash after i start playing with the wires again...
-shear
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