i plan to do the deed this weekend. but i have one more question. if i remove the stock bose amp, will this affect anything else in the car. i was looking at the schematics, and there are wires for "dash lights brightness controller", "lights on signal", "radio remote switch". i plan to cut wires and totally remove the amp but if i need these connections, i'll just cut the wires i need then....like the amp speaker inputs and outputs and leave the bose amp where it is. also, the remote wire from the head unit is the ylw/wht, right? NOT the grn/red. just want to confirm!

------------------
CL-P....icy white!
moon roof visor: mud guards: genuine acura nose mask: genuine acura burlwood shift knob: polarg m-12 on blinkers: m-4s on internal lamps: m-4 on rear plate lamp: piaa bulbs on road lamps: K&N drop in filter: Catz XLO Driving lights: zaino polish
"i drive it like my grandma....j/k"

 

How many amps do you have? 2 or 1? Are you upgrading just the interior speakers, or are you adding a sub also?

Spiro

------------------
Black/Black 2001 CL-S
Random Technology Cat
RED AEM CAI
APEXi V-AFC
Polarg M6 Roadlamps

 

i already have a sub connected right now. 2 10 mtxs with an mtx amp. i decided to purchase the mb quartz components for the fronts( a little over my budget but i listened to them and many others and i thought they sounded the clearest). rears i have not purchased yet but will once i've completed the install. to power the fronts and rear, i have a clarion apx400.4. a buddy of mine is selling it to me for $200. crutchfield has it for $349. so i said i'll try it out. i went ahead and got a line out converter (scosche). i'd rather have less wires to deal with....i'm trying to avoid all those speaker wires running through the trunk. if the converters produce "hiss", then i'll remove them. i plan to install the front speakers and amp clarion amp this weekend. but the reason i asked that question is because i intend on removing the bose amp completely but will do otherwise if the removal of the amp will affect other functions inside and outside of the car ( of which i really doubt...but again, just wanna make sure!).



------------------
CL-P....icy white!
moon roof visor: mud guards: genuine acura nose mask: genuine acura burlwood shift knob: polarg m-12 on blinkers: m-4s on internal lamps: m-4 on rear plate lamp: piaa bulbs on road lamps: K&N drop in filter: Catz XLO Driving lights: zaino polish
"i drive it like my grandma....j/k"

 

The amp will only modify the speakers. What you need to do is connect the wires form the head unit to the LOC. From the LOC connect the RCAs to the amp. From the amp connect the speakers. You should be ok.

Spiro

------------------
Black/Black 2001 CL-S
Random Technology Cat
RED AEM CAI
APEXi V-AFC
Polarg M6 Roadlamps

 

I feel that the amp is already "out of the way" and with the other wires that are not stereo related being there, I would have to err with the side of caution and leave them there....IMO

------------------
'01 silver/black
NAVI
eibach springs
35% tint all around
some lighting upgrades!
Powerstop x-drilled rotors/ red calipers
AEM silver CAI

more to come slowly, waiting for $$$ for 1.8KW stereo

DOM 7/00

 

Spiroh, are you sure about connecting the LOC to the leads from the head unit? Those leads are already line level and can be spliced onto a rca connector and plugged directly into the amp... if he's planning on using the LOC he has to leave the stock amp running and tap the LOC into the speaker-side leads of the amp.

I tapped the leads coming from the head unit and plugged them into my amp to drive my sub without using any LOC.


------------------
White/Black 2001 CL-S (3rd sold in Austin)
- navigation, moonroof visor, upgraded cupholder, Acura spoiler
- Polarg m-6, tint 20% rear, 35% sides, Eibach springs
- 18" Racing Hart C2000 Evo's w/Pirelli P7000's, V1 hardwired
- Polk Momo 12" sub w/Precision Power amp, AudioControl Epicenter

 

Do you get any noise? What you are telling me is that from the lines from the head unit you spliced them, and just added rcas with no LOC?

Spiro



------------------
Black/Black 2001 CL-S
Random Technology Cat
RED AEM CAI
APEXi V-AFC
Polarg M6 Roadlamps

 

Yip, that's what I did. I made mine a little more complicated than that too... I completely spliced the input wires into the amp (all 8 of them, 4 front 4 rear), put RCA plugs on the pairs for each channel, and put an remote a-b switch in line so I can play my portable minidisc player through the stock amp. I then used a y-splitter out of the a-b switch to splice the rear leads to run to my sub amp. I did get some noise, but a $15 ground loop isolater from Radio Shack killed all the noise completely.

So now, I can play the stock radio/cd or switch to my minidisc player. With the low end quality my Polk adds, the systems sounds great.

Did you follow my confusing description?

------------------
White/Black 2001 CL-S (3rd sold in Austin)
- navigation, moonroof visor, upgraded cupholder, Acura spoiler
- Polarg m-6, tint 20% rear, 35% sides, Eibach springs
- 18" Racing Hart C2000 Evo's w/Pirelli P7000's, V1 hardwired
- Polk Momo 12" sub w/Precision Power amp, AudioControl Epicenter

[This message has been edited by mcdanjw (edited 06-15-2001).]

 

Yes I did. Where do yo connect the ground loop isolator? I have never seen one of those before. How is the sound quality of your setup? so what you did is add the rca's before the amp or after? Do you have pics of your ride? Is your minidisk in the trunk?

Spiro



------------------
Black/Black 2001 CL-S
Random Technology Cat
RED AEM CAI
APEXi V-AFC
Polarg M6 Roadlamps

 

Those ground loop isolators connect between the the headnunit's leads and the amp via rca connections.

My question for you guys who hook up your amp directly is...Don't you get that Thump when you turn off your radio??

------------------
'01 CL-S Black/Parchment
Spoiler and NAV.
Infinity Kappa 6.5" comps.
Kappa 2-way 6x9s
10" Kicker Solobaric sub.
Kicker IX405D 5-channel amp.

 

The sound quality of the stock speakers is EXACTLY the same as it was before I messed with it. Now it just has great, deep, accurate bass.

The minidisc is a portable player in the console. I have a cable that runs from there to the a-b switch in the trunk. The RCA's are before the stock amp. Just cut the line level input wires, and spiced them on, so now there are rca cables coming out of the stock deck and also out of the amp. The a-b switch connects them now and routes the signal from the minidisc instead of the stock deck when I flip a switch up under the dash. The ground loop isolater has rca's on either end of it and just goes in line. Couldn't be easier to install. The ground of my sub amp was causing the noise, so placing the isolater between the a-b switch and the sub amp and bye bye noise.

I think I added a link to some pics of my ride in my sig... I don't have any pics of the sub yet, it's got plexiglass windows and lights inside with the sub downward firing, but I have not finished the amp rack in the trunk yet. But I'll put up some pics when I'm done.

Following me?

------------------
White/Black 2001 CL-S (3rd sold in Austin)
- navigation, moonroof visor, upgraded cupholder, Acura spoiler
- Polarg m-6, tint 20% rear, 35% sides, Eibach springs
- 18" Racing Hart C2000 Evo's w/Pirelli P7000's, V1 hardwired
- Polk Momo 12" sub w/Precision Power amp, AudioControl Epicenter
Pics

[This message has been edited by mcdanjw (edited 06-15-2001).]

[This message has been edited by mcdanjw (edited 06-15-2001).]

 

Got it.

Thanks



------------------
Black/Black 2001 CL-S
Random Technology Cat
RED AEM CAI
APEXi V-AFC
Polarg M6 Roadlamps

 

Yes I had it. Make sure your connections are good. Certain amps make that noise, some dont. The one I presently have does not make that noise.

Spiro



------------------
Black/Black 2001 CL-S
Random Technology Cat
RED AEM CAI
APEXi V-AFC
Polarg M6 Roadlamps

 

you can get the ground loop isolator from Radio Shack for $15. Those should be the first choice if you have engine noise in your sound. They work nicely. I tried them before in my old system.

Icy, I tried to get rid of the Bose amp but the signal from the head unit is very week. If you increase gain on your amp, you'll get noise (noticable at low volumn). I keep the stock amp and use LOC. Sound quality improved a lot. Good luck.



------------------
'01 Silver CL-S
Painted Mud Guard
Silver Aluminum Pedals
Customed self-installed sound system with 5-channel Kenwood Amp and 10in. Pioneer sub. in Customized box.
(modified) CAI.
Meshed grill.
My Pride
DOM 01/2001 #31432

 

Icy, if you need help ... email me ... I'll give you my number ... give me a holler if you need help fast.

------------------
'01 Silver CL-S
Painted Mud Guard
Silver Aluminum Pedals
Customed self-installed sound system with 5-channel Kenwood Amp and 10in. Pioneer sub. in Customized box.
(modified) CAI.
Meshed grill.
My Pride
DOM 01/2001 #31432

 

So you used the LOCs before or after the Bose amp.

Spiro



------------------
Black/Black 2001 CL-S
Random Technology Cat
RED AEM CAI
APEXi V-AFC
Polarg M6 Roadlamps

 

Spiroh,
After the Bose amp.

About mcdanwj's comment about adding the RCAs without using LOC, I think there is a problem. It's not safe either for the head unit or the amp. From what I know, speaker level inputs are high impedance while RCAs are low impedance. And there is a reason (which I havent found out)why they distinguish the two and that's why LOCs exist.

------------------
'01 Silver CL-S
Painted Mud Guard
Silver Aluminum Pedals
Customed self-installed sound system with 5-channel Kenwood Amp and 10in. Pioneer sub. in Customized box.
(modified) CAI.
Meshed grill.
My Pride
DOM 01/2001 #31432

[This message has been edited by SilverKnight (edited 06-16-2001).]

 

Driven,
The thump is created by the amp. It's caused by sudden power removal. Most of today amps have special circuit that cut off audio feed before power down the amp itself to eliminate the thumb. When you turn the amp on, it also power the amp first then enable audio output. That's why with old amps (home stereo as well), you have a big thump when turning them on and off.



------------------
'01 Silver CL-S
Painted Mud Guard
Silver Aluminum Pedals
Customed self-installed sound system with 5-channel Kenwood Amp and 10in. Pioneer sub. in Customized box.
(modified) CAI.
Meshed grill.
My Pride
DOM 01/2001 #31432

 

SilverKnight,

The wires coming out of the stock deck leading into the Bose amp are LINE LEVEL!! They are designed to plug into the line level imputs of ANY amp, Bose or otherwise. It is not going to cause any problems. There have been many guys on this forum who have done what I have done and all work fine and none have had problems with either their stock deck or amps.

Is there anybody out there who has had problems that hasn't posted it here? It would be good to know.

You can buy the LOC converters if you like, but you are going to spend unnecessary money and get less sound quality.

------------------
White/Black 2001 CL-S (3rd sold in Austin)
- navigation, moonroof visor, upgraded cupholder, Acura spoiler
- Polarg m-6, tint 20% rear, 35% sides, Eibach springs
- 18" Racing Hart C2000 Evo's w/Pirelli P7000's, V1 hardwired
- Polk Momo 12" sub w/Precision Power amp, AudioControl Epicenter
Pics

[This message has been edited by mcdanjw (edited 06-17-2001).]

 

Ok .. that explains why I connected those outputs to speakers level inputs and it didnt work. I thought it would be like any aftermarket head unit but maybe I was wrong. If you know know that as a fact then I should take out the LOCs and use those so I can eliminate the stock amp and its amplified noise. Thanks for the info.

Peace.


------------------
'01 Silver CL-S
Silver Mud Guard
Silver Aluminum Sport Pedals
Customed self-installed sound system with 5-channel Kenwood Amp and 10in. Pioneer sub. in Customized box.
(modified) CAI.
Meshed grill.
My Pride
DOM 01/2001 #31432

 

I connected in through high level inouts with no problems. All I did was splice at the wire from the rear speakers.

Spiro


------------------
Black/Black 2001 CL-S
Random Technology Cat
RED AEM CAI
APEXi V-AFC
Polarg M6 Roadlamps

 

Spiro, I had no problem using high level inputs after the Bose amp. I tried to use the signal before the Bose amp so I can get rid of the Bose amp.



------------------
'01 Silver CL-S
Silver Mud Guard
Silver Aluminum Sport Pedals
Customed self-installed sound system with 5-channel Kenwood Amp and 10in. Pioneer sub. in Customized box.
(modified) CAI.
Meshed grill.
My Pride
DOM 01/2001 #31432

 

No problem with using High level from stock amp to LOC to new amp either. I tried the low level method but actually got too much noise. Used the LOC and it all went away.

------------------
'01 CL-S Black/Parchment
Spoiler and NAV.
Infinity Kappa 6.5" comps.
Kappa 2-way 6x9s
10" Kicker Solobaric sub.
Kicker IX405D 5-channel amp.
RAZO aluminum pedals
AEM cai on the way

 

my LOC has 2 ground wires on it. one going in and one coming out. driven you mentioned something about this on one of my posts. where do i connect these ground wires to. i think it's because i didn't connect these that's the reason why i'm getting all noise and no music.


------------------
CL-P....icy white!
moon roof visor: mud guards: genuine acura nose mask: genuine acura burlwood shift knob: polarg m-12 on blinkers: m-4s on internal lamps: m-4 on rear plate lamp: piaa bulbs on road lamps: K&N drop in filter: Catz XLO Driving lights: zaino polish
"i drive it like my grandma....j/k"

 

Hmm, well how are they labeled? Should be like a "chassis" ground and a "signal" ground. But my guess is it's the same....The ground you have going out is the Chassis, and the ground wire going in is for the signal or "shield" wire as it's labeled in the Helms diagram for the factory wire. This is the lite green wire.

------------------
'01 CL-S Black/Parchment
Spoiler and NAV.
Infinity Kappa 6.5" comps.
Kappa 2-way 6x9s
10" Kicker Solobaric sub.
Kicker IX405D 5-channel amp.
RAZO aluminum pedals
AEM cai
MOMO shift knob on the way

 

Can I add a question?

When you hook up a sub and amp, which speakers do you tap into? front or back? Also, do you pick one of the speakers? left or right?

With a new amp to replace the bose one, do you need a crossover somewhere to divert very low freq to the sub's amp only? If so, do you put that in front of all speakers?

Can you add an amp/sub only and how do you hook that up?

 

It really depends on whether you're going to use the factory amp output to LOC to new amp, or the factory head unit leads directly to the new amp. Most everyone here uses the rear outputs from what I've seen. If you're just adding the sub and amp then keep in mind that if you like to use the fader control on your stereo then the signal feeding the new amp will be affected as well. Also, you'd want to tap the signal from both left and right channels to feed the sub! One channel does not supply all the music information.

As for a crossover...Most amps have built in crossovers that you can set to send only low frequencies to your new sub. The crossover frequencies vary among among different amps so it may or may not be the perfect setting for you.

 

My plan was to replace the Bose amp with a Punch100 and add a Punch200 for my subs. After a frustrating day in the garage I gave up looking for the Bose amp. I instead tapped the rear speakers and ran them through a hi/lo converter to the amp I am using for my subs. it hits really hard, but my mids and highs are still stock so they could use some help. My question is then....Where is the Bose amp located? I had the car all taken apart and could not find it. any help is appreciated.

 

If you take out the lining of the trunk, you'll find that it is located in front of the car jack on the passenger side.

 

More info here