L.O.C, any good??

Hi guys,

Have been doing a bit of searching through what stereo setup some of you with the Accord Euro are using on here, and there are alot of people with the stock headunit, but just using a LOC. I was wondering if these are actually any good??

Seeing as they are tapping into the rear speakers (for subwoofers, correct??) wouldn't the subs get signals that they cannot do, that are being sent to the rear speakers?? Do they tend to be 'quieter' using a LOC, how does distortion go??

Just wondering if they are actually any good, and can make subwoofers sound good without distorting and such? Or is it better to buy one of those Single/Double DIN kits and install an aftermarket unit?

Just thought I would get some opinions from people who have experience in this.

And yes, I do have no idea when it comes to electrical/wiring stuff, I can do engine, suspension, etc etc but just not electrical (**ugghhh, shudders**)

Dave

My Amp accepts high level inputs and I am using the rear speaker wires to run the rear speakers and sub, the bass is normal, which means the rear speaker wires are not filtered out or anything, they supply the whole range of frequencies.

The sound quality is surprisingly good (generally; some people argue that high level inputs sound better than low level RCA inputs due to the extra voltage spread).

The only problem is that between volume 1 and 7, you can hear a slight hissing sound (different to the common amp gain hiss!) from the honda head unit due to the BTL (balanced tied load) system used. A BTL Head unit sends both positive and negative voltage to the speakers to increase output, compared to a normal Head Unit which only sends signals via the positive wire, whereas the negative wire stays at 0v.

You will also hear this hiss when using a LOC, but if you adjust the gains on the LOC, you can minimize the hiss. However you may lose sound quality if you use a LOC. You can also minimize the hiss by turning down the Gain on your Amp, but then you will lose overall volume.

For some reason, you cannot hear the hiss with the stock speakers running straight of the rear speaker wires. Its only evident when you add aftermarket Speakers or an Amp. So it seems like Honda paired up the speakers with the Amp to avoid the HU hiss.

The hiss is only audible if:
1) the HU volume is above 0 and no music is playing
2) the HU volume is between 0 and 7 when music is playing

So basically to avoid the hiss, turn the volume to 0 when no music is being played or if the volume is very low.

The Acura TSX guys in the US made a filter than removes the hiss from the stock amp, but I doubt it will work with our Euro's since ours doesn't come with a factory amp. From what ive gathered, the TSX using a slightly different Balanced signal system.

Nice euro dude, i have been wondering my stock headunit hiss when paired with aftermarket amp and speakers. i dont know why but when the volume is 0 i still get the hiss and a little bit of clicking noise do you know anything about that?

David Navone LOC

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Originally Posted by sitta

Nice euro dude, i have been wondering my stock headunit hiss when paired with aftermarket amp and speakers. i dont know why but when the volume is 0 i still get the hiss and a little bit of clicking noise do you know anything about that?

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your floor noise is probably too high.... (SNR-signal to noise ratio)

Try reducing amp gains. if you turn your amp gains more then 70% you probably get a hiss.

Other then that, route your RCA away from power or speakers cables.

This hiss you speak of, is that just from the converter you are using, or a combination of both the headunit and converter? Could it possibly be eliminated using a high quality LOC, if that makes sense?

In other words, not an el cheapo one?

sorry ill fix my words before, i have stinger hi/lo converter. When the volume is at 0 i dont get hiss instead the clicking noise, so i think its from the alternator. when i turn the volume than i get the hiss.

If you are trying to keep the stock headunit, i would say get a sound processor. Like the 3sixty.1 or some LC6. Those could tune your audio pretty well, as it gives extra equalization controls. Although it is worth much more than a LOC, but from my opinion, it is worth it. lol. Just an opinion dont worry. I got 1 on my car and it is definitely miraculous. lol.

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Originally Posted by davidrotheray

Hi guys,

Seeing as they are tapping into the rear speakers (for subwoofers, correct??) wouldn't the subs get signals that they cannot do, that are being sent to the rear speakers??

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when you tap into your speaker wires the signal first goes to the amp. your amp would have a LPF, filtering out all the higher frequencies so dont worry about your sub getting fed frequencies "that they cannot do".

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Just wondering if they are actually any good, and can make subwoofers sound good without distorting and such? Or is it better to buy one of those Single/Double DIN kits and install an aftermarket unit?

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as long as you dont clip the signal then there wont be any distortion. having said that, an aftermarket head unit is always best. up to you if you wanna fork out more money and time for a fascia kit + h.u, which a loc basically saves you from. im sure you'd be happy enough with a loc. up to you




i mightve repeated someone cus i didnt read everyones input, meh

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Originally Posted by adylim

If you are trying to keep the stock headunit, i would say get a sound processor. Like the 3sixty.1 or some LC6. Those could tune your audio pretty well, as it gives extra equalization controls. Although it is worth much more than a LOC, but from my opinion, it is worth it. lol. Just an opinion dont worry. I got 1 on my car and it is definitely miraculous. lol.

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Isn't a 360, even the cheap one, still quite exp compared to using LOCs? Like.. 5x the price? I'm under the impression that unless the rest of ur setup can benefit from the signal processing significantly, u're better off just using that money to buy decent amp, splits and sub. That being said I would probably go the route of the 360 if I was driving something like a BMW/Benz and wanted a great sound system but didn't want to swap out the stock HU and wanted the best sound quality.

Note: My setup is using 2 LOCs. Works quite well. I ended up setting the fader to be a bit biased to the rear since it tones down the front speakers a bit which would otherwise be a tad too loud/shrill?

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Originally Posted by tron07

David Navone LOC

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any way of getting those besides directly from their website?

If you are trying to stop the buzz by changing your LOC to a Navone, don't bother. I changed mine from a Rockford Fosgate to the Navone on the weekend and it made absolutely no difference whatsoever. Maybe that is a little harsh, as I think my bass is a little tighter.
I have tried plenty of different things (earth leads, changing cables etc), and I have had no luck. I am thinking of a couple of line filters (they are cheap), but apparantly they diminish sound quality. I am sick of spending money on my stereo, so I may go to Jaycar and try a couple of theirs.
I have been unable to get hold of a Pivot Raison but I am not sure it would do the trick. Perhaps a couple of Navone Line drivers may fix it but they are not cheap.
The Processor option is there, but once again, it is an expensive route.

Any more suggestions anybody?