subwoofer into a stock euro deck

[lilwilliam]

just wondering does anyone know if i can hook a subwoofer up to my stock head unit? is there any adapters that go onto the stock headunit for the output?

[tony1234]

just wondering does anyone know if i can hook a subwoofer up to my stock head unit? is there any adapters that go onto the stock headunit for the output?
Yeah you can.You need to use LOCs.I'm running a 4 ch.amp(Alpine 50wRMS/ch)for the ft.splits(Bostons) and 6x9s rears(Alpine DDdrives),1x10''sub driven by a 120RMS bridged Kenwood amp.it sounds great!!:thumbsup:

[EUR003act]

you need to buy a high level to low level converter (available from jaycar electronics AA0480 $14.95). this basically piggy backs off your speaker wire outputs (i connected it to my rear outputs) and then drops the signal down to an adjustable 1v-5v RCA output suitable for going into any amplifier. alternatively can can purchase an amplifier with high level inputs (if you don't already have an amp)

hope that helps

link for the converter:
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AA0480&CATID=&keywords=low+level+conv&SPECIAL=&form=KEYWORD&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=

[kerim]

ey man, yeah all you would need is a high level to low level converter, which as EUR003act said, piggy backs off your speaker wire then drops the signal down to which you can run rcas to your amp from the convertor.

i have a stinger one if you want, exactly like this
http://stingerelectronics.com/prodDetail.asp?strID=175
PM me if interested

[EuroDude]

Just get an Amp that can accept the OEM speaker wires as Inputs.

Mount the Amp in the boot, and grab the speaker wires going into the rear 6x9's, and route them straight into the Amp.

[nEUROleptic]

yeah like everyone else says it can be done
i got an Alpine line level converter like this one:
www.goldcoastcarsound.com.au/index.cfm/location/productdetail/id/68

[sitta]

just do it with brand stuff and good quality so you can say money well spent other than should've got that one

[Chris_typer]

just do it with brand stuff and good quality so you can say money well spent other than should've got that one

yeah thats true..read my other post as I am inquiring about the same thing : http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70698

[Dru42]

chris u just linked it back to this thread

[lilwilliam]

Yeah i got the LOC(line out converter) now running my sub all working goods thanks people cost me 75 bucks for the alpine LOC thanks for everyones input. =]

[Chris_typer]

Yeah appologise about that here it is: http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71643

[Dru42]

with the loc does it have/make that whinning engine noise??

[kerim]

with the loc does it have/make that whinning engine noise??

nah man its all good, nice and clear sond

[euro77]

if it's done properly, you won't have any engine noise. Mine used LOC and no engine noise.

[Dru42]

any recomendations on LOC?? and if so roughly prices aswell, much help appriciated

[lilwilliam]

alpine was about 75 bucks. but they gave me an elcheapo one because the alpine one was faulty lol. cost about 50 bucks still does the job nice clean deep bass =]

[Dru42]

whats the elchepo called? i saw 1 at autobarn "areopro" think it was abt 50 aswell

i just wanna hook up a sub for now and stock speakers

[lilwilliam]

whats the elchepo called? i saw 1 at autobarn "areopro" think it was abt 50 aswell

i just wanna hook up a sub for now and stock speakers

Yeah that was the name Aeropro. or sumfing not 100% sure but yeah. u do have an amp etc. rite.? because this does not act as a amp this just allows signals to go into the amp.

*edit i mean amp*

[Dru42]

yeah i know its not a sub hehe, yes i have subs and gotta find my old cant remember which mate borrowed it. i need cables so i gotta get them too

[euro77]

I believe mine was stinger

[Dru42]

you dont need a LOC if your amp has a speaker input. my mates a audio fitter at autobarn. mite save you some $$ for not buying the loc

i found that out today, as im half way finsihing mine, gotta runt the remote wire.

[lilwilliam]

Yeah i got the LOC(line out converter) now running my sub all working goods thanks people cost me 75 bucks for the alpine LOC thanks for everyones input. =]


you dont need a LOC if your amp has a speaker input. my mates a audio fitter at autobarn. mite save you some $$ for not buying the loc

i found that out today, as im half way finsihing mine, gotta runt the remote wire.

just use ur cigarette lighter its alot easier then pulling everything apart to get to your headunit, i brought a LOC because i already had the amp and stuff previously from my other car. if i was to buy everything new i would of went for the amp that has a speaker input would of saved me abit of time

[EUR003act]

yeah when i installed my subs, just ran remote wire to the cig lighter fuse. that way they power up when i turn ACC on. i also put inline switches, so i can turn one (or both) of my amps off...

[Takenit2easy]

this thread is what i needed thanks very much for all the help

i have installed subs in my sisters car and girl friends car lately and thought that putting a sub in my euro would be too hard for me but this all makes sense thanks a million

[Adrian Euro]

Hi every with installing these did anyone have the problem of a consistent hisssiing noise at low level like say maybe when your stereo is only on the volume 2 level?

[lilwilliam]

Hi every with installing these did anyone have the problem of a consistent hisssiing noise at low level like say maybe when your stereo is only on the volume 2 level?

Nope. mines all fine.. mayb you should check if the gorund wire is grounded properly.?

[EUR003act]

Hi every with installing these did anyone have the problem of a consistent hisssiing noise at low level like say maybe when your stereo is only on the volume 2 level?

yeah happens in mine... if i have stereo below 4 you can hear a slight airy/hiss sound... i think im getting noise through the LOC... it doesnt bother me because i never have volume that low! :p

you can try putting in either noise suppressor or line filter

[sitta]

with the loc does it have/make that whinning engine noise??

well depends on the installation, you can always put in ground loop insulator and make sure that you dont run the rca and power cable on the same side of the car get them away from each other.

[lilwilliam]

well depends on the installation, you can always put in ground loop insulator and make sure that you dont run the rca and power cable on the same side of the car get them away from each other.

^ i was thinking about that too but u dont use rca cabes from the front of the stock euro unit cos i just bridged mine to my rear speakers and the LOC unit sits in my boot so there shouldnt be any rca cables running with power cables. unless he has installed the LOC with his headunit?

[Adrian Euro]

^ i was thinking about that too but u dont use rca cabes from the front of the stock euro unit cos i just bridged mine to my rear speakers and the LOC unit sits in my boot so there shouldnt be any rca cables running with power cables. unless he has installed the LOC with his headunit?

Yeah its installed under the front passenger seat carpet. Does that help? This sound really kills it when its on low sound or even the radio. i hate it.

[traumatized]

depending on how you have tuned the amp will also cause the hiss noise.

have you tired adjusting the amp to a lower setting?

[EuroDude]

My system hisses, and everything points to the Head Unit.

Setup:

HU -> Stock Rear Speaker wires -> Rear Amp (high level input) -> 6x9's
HU -> Upgraded Front Speaker wires -> Front Amp (high level input) -> 5.25" door speakers.


The Head Unit hiss is only audible from VOL 1 to about VOL 10. After that hiss, the common Gain/Volume hiss you normally get from Amplifiers takes over.

BOTH Amps have the exact same HU hiss. And both Amp's give a Gain/Volume hiss when the volume is high (with music paused).

The HU hiss is always the same volume when the Volume is above '0'
The HU hiss completely disappears when the HU Volume is set to '0'
The HU hiss was not there with the Stock Speakers.
The HU hiss was not there when the Stock 6x9's were running of the Rear Amp.
The HU hiss is audible from the Front and Rear speakers, no matter what the HU Fade is set to.
The HU hiss is audible from the Front and Rear speakers, no matter what the HU Balance is set to.
The HU hiss increases if the Amp's GAIN Screw is increased. But the Hiss is still audible if the GAIN Screw is at its lowest setting.
The HU hiss is heard from all speakers, if the engine is On or Off.



So Ive figured that the stock Honda/Pioneer Head Unit has a natural hiss. This hiss is hidden by the stock speakers. The stock speakers have been tuned to avoid the frequency of the hiss. As soon as you add decent speakers with tweeters, the hiss becomes unhidden and audible.


Solution? Replace the stock HU, or use a Line Filter.

[euro77]

your system may not be grounded properly, or the way the cable is runned is not correct, hence the engine noise (the "hiss"). It's true, a line filter will reduce (if not remove) the hiss, but a properly set up system shouldn't have engine noise.

[EuroDude]

But the Hiss happens even when the Engine is off, so its not engine noise.

I may try connecting the aftermarket 6x9's straight to the stock speaker wires and see if it still hisses, but I have doubts.

The fact that the hiss is completely elliminated when the Honda Deck volume is turned down to Zero, indicates that its not likely to be a grounding loop.

[EUR003act]

My system hisses, and everything points to the Head Unit.

Setup:

HU -> Stock Rear Speaker wires -> Rear Amp (high level input) -> 6x9's
HU -> Upgraded Front Speaker wires -> Front Amp (high level input) -> 5.25" door speakers.


The Head Unit hiss is only audible from VOL 1 to about VOL 10. After that hiss, the common Gain/Volume hiss you normally get from Amplifiers takes over.

BOTH Amps have the exact same HU hiss. And both Amp's give a Gain/Volume hiss when the volume is high (with music paused).

The HU hiss is always the same volume when the Volume is above '0'
The HU hiss completely disappears when the HU Volume is set to '0'
The HU hiss was not there with the Stock Speakers.
The HU hiss was not there when the Stock 6x9's were running of the Rear Amp.
The HU hiss is audible from the Front and Rear speakers, no matter what the HU Fade is set to.
The HU hiss is audible from the Front and Rear speakers, no matter what the HU Balance is set to.
The HU hiss increases if the Amp's GAIN Screw is increased. But the Hiss is still audible if the GAIN Screw is at its lowest setting.
The HU hiss is heard from all speakers, if the engine is On or Off.



So Ive figured that the stock Honda/Pioneer Head Unit has a natural hiss. This hiss is hidden by the stock speakers. The stock speakers have been tuned to avoid the frequency of the hiss. As soon as you add decent speakers with tweeters, the hiss becomes unhidden and audible.


Solution? Replace the stock HU, or use a Line Filter.

i agree with eurodude on this one, ive done alot of audio installs, both incar and home setups... there no way its interferrence through the alternator or grounding... thats easy to pick up because as you accelerate the hiss changing frequency or gets louder, its very noticable... but the hiss i have is there even with engine off, its not so much a hiss, but more of a constant sound... hard to explain... if anyone has ever working in the DJ/PA/club audio industry, youd know the sound an active speaker makes when there is no signal input? thats the sound thats present...

[lilwilliam]

what LOC are u guys running?

[EUR003act]

what LOC are u guys running?

im just using a cheap one (from jaycar) ive been meaning to disconnect it to find out whether its the LOC inducing the noise, but never really got around to it!

[lilwilliam]

could it be the input levels of the LOC??

[EuroDude]

I am using High Pass speaker inputs instead of a LOC and the hiss is there on both Amps. I tried a LOC (Stinger SALOC) and used RCA inputs but the hiss was still there, along with some dirty noise, popping when the engine fan cuts in, and bass distortion when the Honda HU volume is high, plus there's an electrical hum now. The Hiss is amplified if you turn up the Gain on the Amp, so if you use a LOC and increase its own Gain, then turn down the Amp's Gain, the hiss is minimized.


ps. I think I know why the Honda decks hiss, its because they are using a Balanced Tied Load (BTL) speaker output.

A normal Kenwood/Sony/Clarion/etc head unit sends audio signals through the Positive speaker wire, and an empty signal over the Negative Speaker wire.

A BTL Head Unit sends audio signals through the Positive speaker wire, but BTL sends the Negative Speaker wires the opposite of the Positive wire (180 degree phase). BTL increases the speakers power dramatically because the speaker is driven by the Positive AND Negative wires, instead of just the Positive. But can pose a problem due to the bridging/grounding system of the amplified channels.

To test for a BTL system, you get a multimeter and set it to AC voltage, then connect the Negative Probe to a Ground, and connect the Positive Probe to each speaker wire. A BTL system will give you fluctuating voltages on all the speaker wires, whereas a non-BTL system will only give you voltage on the Positive Speaker wires.

Some Amps may have a problem with BTL and produce noise.

[cutchorama]

I am using High Pass speaker inputs instead of a LOC and the hiss is there on both Amps. I tried a LOC (Stinger SALOC) and used RCA inputs but the hiss was still there, along with some dirty noise, popping when the engine fan cuts in, and bass distortion when the Honda HU volume is high, plus there's an electrical hum now. The Hiss is amplified if you turn up the Gain on the Amp, so if you use a LOC and increase its own Gain, then turn down the Amp's Gain, the hiss is minimized.


ps. I think I know why the Honda decks hiss, its because they are using a Balanced Tied Load (BTL) speaker output.

A normal Kenwood/Sony/Clarion/etc head unit sends audio signals through the Positive speaker wire, and an empty signal over the Negative Speaker wire.

A BTL Head Unit sends audio signals through the Positive speaker wire, but BTL sends the Negative Speaker wires the opposite of the Positive wire (180 degree phase). BTL increases the speakers power dramatically because the speaker is driven by the Positive AND Negative wires, instead of just the Positive. But can pose a problem due to the bridging/grounding system of the amplified channels.

To test for a BTL system, you get a multimeter and set it to AC voltage, then connect the Negative Probe to a Ground, and connect the Positive Probe to each speaker wire. A BTL system will give you fluctuating voltages on all the speaker wires, whereas a non-BTL system will only give you voltage on the Positive Speaker wires.

Some Amps may have a problem with BTL and produce noise.


So...

If it is BTL, what is the best way of having audio set up? Just keep +ve and -ve wires away from speaker cable/rca? Or is an after market HU the best way?

[EuroDude]

^ Well I am still looking into it, it may be caused by the BTL system being interrupted by aftermarket equipment. I am going to try filtering the noise by adding some 0.1uf Caps to the speaker wires. This will eliminate the HU wires from acting like antenna's.

[EUR003act]

your speaker wires shouldnt be showing ground to the cars chasis?!?!

[EuroDude]

Well thats the idea. But I tried connecting one of the speakers to ground (all other speakers were fully disconnected) and it just gave a loud static noise.

[EUR003act]

Well thats the idea. But I tried connecting one of the speakers to ground (all other speakers were fully disconnected) and it just gave a loud static noise.

dont connect speaker negative to the cars ground!! never! youll blow up the headunit/speaker!! same with RCAs (line audio) it should never be grounded to the car!

[EuroDude]

^ Thats correct for a normal car audio system, which is what Sony, kenwood, clarion, pioneer etc.. use.

If its a non-standard common grounded / BTL system, you can actually short the negative wire to ground. Speaker output wont be as powerful, but it should output sound.

[EUR003act]

^ Thats correct for a normal car audio system, which is what Sony, kenwood, clarion, pioneer etc.. use.

If its a non-standard common grounded / BTL system, you can actually short the negative wire to ground. Speaker output wont be as powerful, but it should output sound.

ive never tried it in a BTL system... but i know in a normal system if the headunits earthing isnt too crash hot, itll actually try and pull it negative ground through the speaker! not good...

[EuroDude]

ive never tried it in a BTL system... but i know in a normal system if the headunits earthing isnt too crash hot, itll actually try and pull it negative ground through the speaker! not good...

Yep Ive done that before in a Civic, doesnt sound to good lol

[cutchorama]

Just an idea...

Would a couple of diodes in the circuit help?

It will prevent current going both ways, not sure if this is healthy for the HU tho?

[JetLee]

Is it possible to merge/splice the speaker signals from the head unit (+ve and -ve) signals into a single positive input to the LOC, then use a commond ground for the -ve signals?

Could this emmulate a non-BTL signal - that the amplifier would be used to, and designed to, receiving?