luthier

I am narrowing my ideas for upgrading the factory audio system in my non-Navi TSX and wanted to invite everyone to chime in.

What I want to do is use the existing HU to drive a new component amp and components, use the existing amp to drive new rear door speakers and use the existing amp to line-drive a Basslink in the trunk. The 6X9's would be pulled. All this would be run through an Audiocontrol in-dash EQ which would also act as the master volume, fader and sub control.

I have the factory wiring diagrams and part #s for the existing stuff. The HU puts out four (RF,LF,RR,LR) leads into the amp. The amp puts out eight separate pairs for speakers but the fronts and tweets are controlled by one side and the rear doors and deck speakers and controlled by the other. The type and effectiveness of the crossovers for the tweets and 6X9's has been debated here before so I plan to avoid those outs in my plan.

The way I have it drawn now, the front outs from the HU would go to the EQ. The front outs on the EQ (RCA) will drive the component amp. This network has its own crossover and I would install heavier speaker wire. The rear outs will go through an LOC into the stock amp and drive the rear door speakers with the existing wire. The sub outs will also go through an LOC into the unused front channel and connect to the existing deck speaker wires. With the 6X9's gone the wires will go to the Basslink inputs. The Basslink will be pointed up at the empty speakers holes.

My thinking (a charitable description) is that even though running the sub signal through speaker-level wires invites EMF, this would save an awful lot of work. Since the inputs are being driven by the amp, there is enough juice to not need a separate 12v remote turn-on. All I need to get back there is an 8 gauge hot and ground. Using a trick I learned a while back, I'll just use a HD twist-lock plug and socket for quick disconnects when I need the trunk space.

If anyone has any comments or suggestions, fire away.

Thanks, Skip