Amp question...

kissimmeetiger · Dec 9, 2016

So I purchased all of this new speaker equipment to get installed in my 16 Ram Crew Cab with a Kenwood 5 channel amp and the installer writes back and tells me its something like $300 PLUS whatever problems they meet for installing the amp alone because of problems they've had with it in these trucks.

I've found several posts about it being hard but honestly I'd have thought there'd be all kinds of posts of people discussing it. I have an LC7i and have asked Crutchfield about it and they've never said it was physics hard. Do I just need to find a new installer?

Thanks,

Tom

dev199505 · Dec 9, 2016

Are you using a stock hu?

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Etroze86 · Dec 9, 2016

Using high level inputs for the install? The installer probably lost his Ass in that amp before so I guess I wouldn't blame them to much. Ask if the audio control unit would help.

adrianp89 · Dec 9, 2016

He probably did it before and didn't have sound. I would find an installer that has experience with new Chryslers. He should give you one set price and that is it. Charging a customer for his lack of experience is a very poor tactic.

Of course $300 in labor for all four speakers and an amp is in the ball park of a fair price. If he is including wiring that is a great price.

BadHabit2Break · Dec 9, 2016

I did my own install and found out I did not need the resistors, but have read that others needed them.

I say save yourself the money and do it yourself. Its not hard if you have the 8.4A with basic 6 speakers. I did it in a couple of hours.

kissimmeetiger · Dec 11, 2016

dev199505 said:
Are you using a stock hu?

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Yes I want to keep the HU as it is. The guy at Crutchfield said he didn't see an issue and that the amp would be easy to get to and the LC7i would do its business.

Thanks,

Tom

kissimmeetiger · Dec 11, 2016

adrianp89 said:
He probably did it before and didn't have sound. I would find an installer that has experience with new Chryslers. He should give you one set price and that is it. Charging a customer for his lack of experience is a very poor tactic.

Of course $300 in labor for all four speakers and an amp is in the ball park of a fair price. If he is including wiring that is a great price.

His message said the $300 would be simply for the amp and not speakers. "Plus it could be much more because of problems we've run into with these trucks and their systems." I was just curious because I read where people are updating their Alpine systems with amps, speakers, subs like me and I've only read where there were a few problems here and there.

Tom

kissimmeetiger · Dec 11, 2016

Etroze86 said:
Using high level inputs for the install? The installer probably lost his Ass in that amp before so I guess I wouldn't blame them to much. Ask if the audio control unit would help.

Using RCA interconnect cables. I asked Crutchfield about the audiocontrol and they made it sound like it was perfect for the job. This guy owns a car audio shop that sells equipment so I assumed he already knew about the audiocontrol. What I was sweating was that this process of upgrading amp, speakers, sub was akin to rocket surgery.

And that, if installed, it would never quite sound right. But I've also read a lot of posts on here with no one mentioning problems with the amp or getting a good signal.

Thanks,

Tom

kissimmeetiger · Dec 12, 2016

BadHabit2Break said:
I did my own install and found out I did not need the resistors, but have read that others needed them.

I say save yourself the money and do it yourself. Its not hard if you have the 8.4A with basic 6 speakers. I did it in a couple of hours.

Been a home stereo type of guy all of my life and tinkered a lot with it but never in my cars/trucks. It appears it's a whole new bird. I have a house full of everything I need, from truck to wire, and I'm trying to grab onto all of the info I can. Hearing this installer and reading through a few posts on this site... well I was afraid this was going to be a bug-a-boo even for an installer. I just wanted to check with you all to see if Ram had sold us a system, Alpine, that is a tough nut to crack when upgrading everything. Crutchfield advisors make it sound as if the LC7i will do the trick with the amp and signal.

Thanks,

Tom

dev199505 · Dec 12, 2016

kissimmeetiger said:
Yes I want to keep the HU as it is. The guy at Crutchfield said he didn't see an issue and that the amp would be easy to get to and the LC7i would do its business.

Thanks,

Tom

As long as you can run the wire and get a good Line output converter it shouldn't be issues delete the stock amp and run all the wiring back to your amp , may or may not require drilling holes depending on how the stock wire is ran

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kissimmeetiger · Dec 12, 2016

dev199505 said:
As long as you can run the wire and get a good Line output converter it shouldn't be issues delete the stock amp and run all the wiring back to your amp , may or may not require drilling holes depending on how the stock wire is ran

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Thank you Dev. I believe I caught up with an installer who is either not familiar with Ram trucks or wants to take me for a ride. It's good to hear that the Alpine system/amp does not take a physics degree to get around.

Tom

dev199505 · Dec 12, 2016

kissimmeetiger said:
Thank you Dev. I believe I caught up with an installer who is either not familiar with Ram trucks or wants to take me for a ride. It's good to hear that the Alpine system/amp does not take a physics degree to get around.

Tom

All you have to do is find where factory amp is and tap into the input signals for the loc, you can even use the factory remote turn in wire

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adrianp89 · Dec 12, 2016

dev199505 said:
As long as you can run the wire and get a good Line output converter it shouldn't be issues delete the stock amp and run all the wiring back to your amp , may or may not require drilling holes depending on how the stock wire is ran

Sent from my Coolpad 3622A using Tapatalk

Ugh. I guess I get tired of saying this. You cannot get rid of the stock amp. LOC most go after the factory amplifier. Also 50% chance you will need to put resistors on the speakers lines. I don't think we have figured out exactly what needs them and what doesn't. Last one I dealt with was a facotry 8.4 without Alpine in a Jeep Cherokee and it DID need the resistors. Also the factory amp turn-on wire is CAN. You need to tag switched 12v from a cig plug or somewhere else. Also a high end LOC can compensate for the resistance, the Pac LP7-4 will do this.

kissimmeetiger · Dec 13, 2016

adrianp89 said:
Ugh. I guess I get tired of saying this. You cannot get rid of the stock amp. LOC most go after the factory amplifier. Also 50% chance you will need to put resistors on the speakers lines. I don't think we have figured out exactly what needs them and what doesn't. Last one I dealt with was a facotry 8.4 without Alpine in a Jeep Cherokee and it DID need the resistors. Also the factory amp turn-on wire is CAN. You need to tag switched 12v from a cig plug or somewhere else. Also a high end LOC can compensate for the resistance, the Pac LP7-4 will do this.

The audiocontrol lc7i is an LOC that I purchased to go after the factory amplifier. I have Metra 20' multiconductor cable that is a 4 channel speaker wire and remote turn on wire in one. As I've been asking won't this LOC do the trick with stock alpine amp/signal? Outside of that I was not sure what the local installer saw as a "Problem" with installing an aftermarket amp in a Ram 1500.

Tom

adrianp89 · Dec 13, 2016

Try it out, if you don't get sound, put in the resistors.

TomT · Dec 18, 2016

The Alpine system can be a pain to get working nicely with an aftermarket system.

Instead of a LOC I wound up going with an Audison Bit One processor using all 8 input channels coming off of the Alpine amp. Even with that high end DSP we wound up having to add resistors right before the Bit One in order to keep a solid voltage coming from the amp.

So my guess is that your installer has fought with these before and knows what a pain it can be.

Amp question...

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