Anyone ever try to bridge the Alpine sub outputs to mono?

[corneileous]

My OEM battery (in my 17) went out at a bit less than 3 years, so it could possibly be the battery.

I guess maybe it could, I just got off the phone with a tech-support guy at Crutchfield who said the same thing that even though it’s a brand new truck it could have a weak battery but the thing he also told me was that since my amp was pushing 600 watts, that I probably wouldn’t wanna be trying to run this system without the motor running anyways, that also maybe the protection system in this JL audio amp is just doing its job really well trying not to run the battery down.

But I did ask about the connection to my amp and he said he didn’t think it would change anything if I went from how I’m connected now, to only using one rca cable to a “Y” splitter into both inputs of the amp. He pretty much said that how I have the amp hooked up is how it’s sposed to be, even after he verified what everybody said about the factory sub being a dual voice coil for just more power with not essentially a left and a right circuit.


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[bigred90gt]

I guess maybe it could, I just got off the phone with a tech-support guy at Crutchfield who said the same thing that even though it’s a brand new truck it could have a weak battery but the thing he also told me was that since my amp was pushing 600 watts, that I probably wouldn’t wanna be trying to run this system without the motor running anyways, that also maybe the protection system in this JL audio amp is just doing its job really well trying not to run the battery down.

But I did ask about the connection to my amp and he said he didn’t think it would change anything if I went from how I’m connected now, to only using one rca cable to a “Y” splitter into both inputs of the amp. He pretty much said that how I have the amp hooked up is how it’s sposed to be, even after he verified what everybody said about the factory sub being a dual voice coil for just more power with not essentially a left and a right circuit.


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I wouldnt be running the stereo without the engine running with any aftermarket amps. That's just unnecessary taxing on the electrical system.

If you already have it hooked up to both sub channels, I would just leave it. It's not going to change anything if you hook it to only one. It's not "stereo", it's just dual voice coil with two inputs from the factory.

Here is the wiring diagram for the OEM alpine system. The sub channels are not "left/right" they are "sub 1 and sub 2). One channel feeds one voice coil, the other channel feeds the other voice coil. The way you have it hooked to your amp is fine. Output from the amp wont change if you drop one of the channels and use a splitter into the amp, so there's no sense in messing with it.

 

[Cableman]

I don’t think it’s a bad regulator or battery; the truck’s only less than three years old.


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Definitely not a regulator cause it only happens while not running, mine was shutting off while running. I ended up hooking up an external regulator which fixed it, just had to deal with a dash light lol but thats not your issue.

Not sure what voltage the amp shut off is on the low side. When it shuts off is there a status light on the amp?

 

[corneileous]

Not sure what voltage the amp shut off is on the low side. When it shuts off is there a status light on the amp?

I’ve never looked so I’m unsure if there is or not. I’ll have to look this weekend.


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[Cableman]

I wonder what high level voltage the factory sub wires are giving your amp without an loc. Im thinking its more then the 8v its specked at.

 

[corneileous]

I wonder what high level voltage the factory sub wires are giving your amp without an loc. Im thinking its more then the 8v its specked at.

When I tested mine when I hooked it all up, my input voltage from the factory sub wiring while the rca plugs were not hooked to the amp, peaked at 9 volts at volume level 32, which is about where the bass roll-off protection starts to kick in on the factory amp while playing a 50mhz sine-wave audio file. Max volume level on the radio is 38.

When testing voltage with the rca plugs plugged into the amp while playing that 50 MHz sine wave audio file, I had 6 volts at volume level 28 which is about three-quarters volume. 8 volts at max volume of volume level 38 and the voltage didn’t start to drop from 8 volts once the volume level got down to 31 so as you can see, this was why the JL Audio rep said I didn’t need a line-out converter or even that pac 4 Audio thing.


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[Cableman]

When I tested mine when I hooked it all up, my input voltage from the factory sub wiring while the rca plugs were not hooked to the amp, peaked at 9 volts at volume level 32, which is about where the bass roll-off protection starts to kick in on the factory amp while playing a 50mhz sine-wave audio file. Max volume level on the radio is 38.

When testing voltage with the rca plugs plugged into the amp while playing that 50 MHz sine wave audio file, I had 6 volts at volume level 28 which is about three-quarters volume. 8 volts at max volume of volume level 38 and the voltage didn’t start to drop from 8 volts once the volume level got down to 31 so as you can see, this was why the JL Audio rep said I didn’t need a line-out converter or even that pac 4 Audio thing.


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Nice. Do you notice the base roll-off much? Did you need a remote turn on lead also?

 

[corneileous]

Nice. Do you notice the base roll-off much? Did you need a remote turn on lead also?

Well quite honestly, if I play something that’s loud and has a **** ton of bass in it, I don’t have the stereo turned all the way up anyway so the loudest it’s ever been for that kind of song is just before that three-quarter volume mark on the radio which at that point it still hits as hard as anything I’ve ever had, before the bass rolloff would start to occur and as far as like, listening to an older song that’s not as loud as a newer song, I don’t have any bass roll off with like an old song because I’m assuming the song is just not loud enough for that voltage to have to be pumped up higher than eight or nine volts. But one thing also that I did notice, was that by using the remote bass control knob that I got from JL Audio that controls my amp volume, using that and having the base level on the stereo turned down to about half helps to control that bass roll off also. I could almost get some seriously earth-shattering bass- maybe if I turn the base level on the stereo up but to your most probable surprise, if I do that, the base rolloff might occur a lot sooner before I hit 3/4 volume.

But then again, whether setting the bass level on the radio up to three-quarter or leaving it at half, I really don’t think that’s going to change just how much bass comes out of my stealthbox. I think that’s going to be the same, it’ll just make the roll-off occur sooner because of the protection towards the other speakers, I’m assuming.

But as far as the remote turn on, there’s a switch on the amp that allows the RCA cables to be the remote power on and off.

I’m assuming maybe that pac audio amp 4 device might make my stealthbox hit even harder but you know, for as much as what that thing costs and the job that it takes to rip the dash apart to install it, I really am happy with the amount of bass comes out of my truck; I mean, it’s plenty powerful for me.

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[Cableman]

Well quite honestly, if I play something that’s loud and has a **** ton of bass in it, I don’t have the stereo turned all the way up anyway so the loudest it’s ever been for that kind of song is just before that three-quarter volume mark on the radio which at that point it still hits as hard as anything I’ve ever had, before the bass rolloff would start to occur and as far as like, listening to an older song that’s not as loud as a newer song, I don’t have any bass roll off with like an old song because I’m assuming the song is just not loud enough for that voltage to have to be pumped up higher than eight or nine volts. But one thing also that I did notice, was that by using the remote bass control knob that I got from JL Audio that controls my amp volume, using that and having the base level on the stereo turned down to about half helps to control that bass roll off also. I could almost get some seriously earth-shattering bass- maybe if I turn the base level on the stereo up but to your most probable surprise, if I do that, the base rolloff might occur a lot sooner before I hit 3/4 volume.

But then again, whether setting the bass level on the radio up to three-quarter or leaving it at half, I really don’t think that’s going to change just how much bass comes out of my stealthbox. I think that’s going to be the same, it’ll just make the roll-off occur sooner because of the protection towards the other speakers, I’m assuming.

But as far as the remote turn on, there’s a switch on the amp that allows the RCA cables to be the remote power on and off.

I’m assuming maybe that pac audio amp 4 device might make my stealthbox hit even harder but you know, for as much as what that thing costs and the job that it takes to rip the dash apart to install it, I really am happy with the amount of bass comes out of my truck; I mean, it’s plenty powerful for me.

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Cool info thanks.
I still have a remote wire from my previous jl amp, i may just have to pickup a jd500-1 and try it like you are, definitely easier and cheaper this way.
I very rarely go above 30 on the volume, i do have my bass up fairly high tho.
You have the metra harness part #?

 

[corneileous]

Cool info thanks.
I still have a remote wire from my previous jl amp, i may just have to pickup a jd500-1 and try it like you are, definitely easier and cheaper this way.

I’m glad it worked out this way because I’m not even sure where I’d hook the remote power on wire to if my amp didn’t have that function.

I very rarely go above 30 on the volume, i do have my bass up fairly high tho.

After replacing all my speakers except for the front door speakers, I have no need to, even while playing older songs that aren’t as loud as new stuff is today.

You have the metra harness part #?

That’s right, lol, it’s Metra, not Mantra. Lol. But anyhoo, here’s the connectors I used to convert the two factory sub outputs to bare wire.


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[BWL]

I guess maybe it could, I just got off the phone with a tech-support guy at Crutchfield who said the same thing that even though it’s a brand new truck it could have a weak battery but the thing he also told me was that since my amp was pushing 600 watts, that I probably wouldn’t wanna be trying to run this system without the motor running anyways, that also maybe the protection system in this JL audio amp is just doing its job really well trying not to run the battery down.

But I did ask about the connection to my amp and he said he didn’t think it would change anything if I went from how I’m connected now, to only using one rca cable to a “Y” splitter into both inputs of the amp. He pretty much said that how I have the amp hooked up is how it’s sposed to be, even after he verified what everybody said about the factory sub being a dual voice coil for just more power with not essentially a left and a right circuit.


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I'm not saying this is the solution, but it may lower the voltage input. What about running 1 positive to both positives on your line level adapter and 1 negative to both negatives. Use one pair of source wires for both inputs. You'd be halving the input technically, but that may or may not effect the signal voltage. My system runs full tilt, truck off no problem and I'm running more than double the power you are. My factory amp is disconnected though and all the wires that went to it plug into my dsr1.

 

[corneileous]

I'm not saying this is the solution, but it may lower the voltage input. What about running 1 positive to both positives on your line level adapter and 1 negative to both negatives. Use one pair of source wires for both inputs. You'd be halving the input technically, but that may or may not effect the signal voltage.

I see what you’re saying, which actually would seem like it would make better sense but on the other hand, it’s just awful strange that the Crutchfield guy said that wouldn’t change anything.

But what has me baffled, is that the input on the amp is a left and a right; if the factory subwoofer output is just a dual voice coil meaning that there is no left or right, just two of the same signal, how would that be affecting my amp if you’ve got basically the same signal going into the left and the right of the amp?

But then again, what he’s talking about is not necessarily the same thing as to what I’m not exactly sure that you’re talking about with just using one wire for one of the dual voice coil’s on the factory sub to my amp…?

My system runs full tilt, truck off no problem and I’m running more than double the power you are. My factory amp is disconnected though and all the wires that went to it plug into my dsr1.

If I remember correctly, you do have the stealthbox just like I do, but you’re not using that JL600 W amp that JL audio says to use with the stealthbox, correct, and that you’re actually using one amp per sub, right?

But yeah, I don’t really know what to believe after you said that because at first, I was kind of believing in the notion that with that much amperage that my amp is putting out, that’s really not the best idea to do, to run that system with the motor not idling.

But if yours on your set up doesn’t do that then what are you doing differently, that I’m assuming is allowing you to play and bump to your music with only the ignition turned on and the motor not idling?


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[BWL]

I see what you’re saying, which actually would seem like it would make better sense but on the other hand, it’s just awful strange that the Crutchfield guy said that wouldn’t change anything.

But what has me baffled, is that the input on the amp is a left and a right; if the factory subwoofer output is just a dual voice coil meaning that there is no left or right, just two of the same signal, how would that be affecting my amp if you’ve got basically the same signal going into the left and the right of the amp?

But then again, what he’s talking about is not necessarily the same thing as to what I’m not exactly sure that you’re talking about with just using one wire for one of the dual voice coil’s on the factory sub to my amp…?



If I remember correctly, you do have the stealthbox just like I do, but you’re not using that JL600 W amp that JL audio says to use with the stealthbox, correct, and that you’re actually using one amp per sub, right?

But yeah, I don’t really know what to believe after you said that because at first, I was kind of believing in the notion that with that much amperage that my amp is putting out, that’s really not the best idea to do, to run that system with the motor not idling.

But if yours on your set up doesn’t do that then what are you doing differently, that I’m assuming is allowing you to play and bump to your music with only the ignition turned on and the motor not idling?


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I'm running a jl audio 6001 for both subs and a jl audio 8008 for the rest of the truck speakers. My amp and subs are the same as yours I believe and apart from the signal input wired the same.

 

[corneileous]

I'm running a jl audio 6001 for both subs and a jl audio 8008 for the rest of the truck speakers. My amp and subs are the same as yours I believe and apart from the signal input wired the same.

So you’re running the same amplifier I got to power both your subs? I mean, apart from you not getting your sores from your factory subwoofer like I am, how was your powered doubles over mine?

But seriously though, how are you talking about the way you were describing on using my subwoofer output to go to my amp that’s different from how I have it connected?


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[Cableman]

Does signal to noise matter much for subs? You guys running the jd series amp?

 

[BWL]

So you’re running the same amplifier I got to power both your subs? I mean, apart from you not getting your sores from your factory subwoofer like I am, how was your powered doubles over mine?

But seriously though, how are you talking about the way you were describing on using my subwoofer output to go to my amp that’s different from how I have it connected?


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I'm running the same power as you for subs and the same box/speaker combo, but I also have an 800w 8 channel running the rest of my system so my power draw is bigger and there's no shut down under load when the truck is off. @Cableman we're both running xd series. Signal to noise matters less on subs, but it still matters.

 

[corneileous]

I'm running the same power as you for subs and the same box/speaker combo, but I also have an 800w 8 channel running the rest of my system so my power draw is bigger and there's no shut down under load when the truck is off. @Cableman we're both running xd series. Signal to noise matters less on subs, but it still matters.

Ah, ok. Do you still have your stock battery? But yeah, that 800 watt system that you have running everything else is pretty powerful but the bass drops on the really heavy bass is what I don’t understand why you’re not having the temporary shut offs of your 600-watt amp like I am unless it’s different because of how we have ours hooked up.

Which brings me to another question- when they say that amp has an 8-volt threshold, is that 8 volts combined between the left and the right rca inputs on the amp or is that 8 volts each terminal? Because if it’s combined, I’ve been giving each input up to 8, 8 and a half volts of input voltage when I crank it.


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[BWL]

Ah, ok. Do you still have your stock battery? But yeah, that 800 watt system that you have running everything else is pretty powerful but the bass drops on the really heavy bass is what I don’t understand why you’re not having the temporary shut offs of your 600-watt amp like I am unless it’s different because of how we have ours hooked up.

Which brings me to another question- when they say that amp has an 8-volt threshold, is that 8 volts combined between the left and the right rca inputs on the amp or is that 8 volts each terminal? Because if it’s combined, I’ve been giving each input up to 8, 8 and a half volts of input voltage when I crank it.


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Stock battery. It's per channel, not sure how sensitive the protection circuitry is, but if you're going over then it makes sense it would shut down briefly. The why it only does it when the engine is off that I don't understand.Only theory I have is that the input reads the incoming signal just a slight bit different when running at 12v vs 14.4 when running and you're right on the edge.

 

[Cableman]

I think im gonna try the mx series 500/1, i had the 600/3 in my 2008, removed all the infinity amp stuff and it kicked some butt!
The 500/1 can handle 16v high level input also, 70 sns at 1watt, little higher then the jd amps.

@corneileous can you use jumper cables to another car battery to see if that does anything? Also try unplugging one rca, who knows! Trial and error.

 

[corneileous]

Stock battery. It's per channel, not sure how sensitive the protection circuitry is, but if you're going over then it makes sense it would shut down briefly. The why it only does it when the engine is off that I don't understand.Only theory I have is that the input reads the incoming signal just a slight bit different when running at 12v vs 14.4 when running and you're right on the edge.

Well, the only thing I wonder is if maybe if I could reduce the voltage going into the inputs, could I lower something on the amp so it isn’t working as hard? I can’t remember what I have my amp gain set to, I wanna say it’s somewhere around 37.5 volts going through the speaker wire from the amp to the box at full volume just before the factory amp starts rolling the bass off. But yeah, I’m at a loss too for why I can’t bump with just the ignition on. It’s funny how the crutchfield guy said that I could have a battery issue and it’s even funnier how he said he didn’t even think this Big 3 kit would work either.


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