upgrading my audio

[hemi08bighorn]

hey guys! im wanting to upgrade my audio by putting a subbox under the back seat of my truck im looking at getting this box http://www.amazon.com/Package-2002-...m_sbs_e_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1FPHKM1QXK0SJ0HWTW4D and 10 inch kicker subs. i guess my real question is i dont wanna get rid of the original radio since i like it i have the infinity sound system so is there a amp in the truck already that i can plug the speakers into? or would i have to go with a whole system? i know alot about engines and transmissions and that area of vehicles but not very much of the audio aspect so any assistance is appreciated!

 

[NWRQC]

There is an amp powering the Infinity speakers in the truck, but you don't want to mess with that.
The easiest way to add a sub to your existing system is to install a line converter such as the AC LC2i AudioControl LC2i 2-channel line output converter for adding amps to your factory system at Crutchfield.com

Then run your amp off of that to power the sub.
I am in the same boat and I am in the process of adding a 10" sub to my stereo....as soon as it arrives tomorrow.

The other option (which I know you stated that you want to keep the infinity stereo) is to replace the receiver, bypass the infinity amp and run your own amp(s) to power new speakers.

 

[justin13703]

Like the guy above me said, if you want to leave all your factory stuff in there and just add a sub, just get a line output converter and use that. But DONT spend 100+ dollars on one like the one in that link. You don't need anything that high end. Best buy sells them for 15, or you can get them on Amazon for 10.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001E...words=line+output+converters&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

I've installed hundreds of these when I was an installer. Never had an issue with a single one.

Now the biggest issues are going to be getting to the wires to hook up the line output converter, since they're at the amp behind the glovebox, and that there are no pre-amp lines to hook into. The signal is carried from the factory radio to the factory amp through the can bus system, then amplified, frequencies are separated, and sent out to each speaker. Basically there is no good or easy way to do it. I got fed up with trying to work with my factory infinity system and ended up just bypassing the whole damn thing and replacing the entire audio system.

 

[hemi08bighorn]

ok thanks for the input guys! i think i might call best buy tomorrow and see if they will be able to set something up for me cause ive never messed with car audio before and i would rather not learn on my new to me truck haha! thanks for the advice though now i wont sound like a complete knuckle head when im talking to the guy!

 

[NWRQC]

Like the guy above me said, if you want to leave all your factory stuff in there and just add a sub, just get a line output converter and use that. But DONT spend 100+ dollars on one like the one in that link. You don't need anything that high end. Best buy sells them for 15, or you can get them on Amazon for 10.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001E...words=line+output+converters&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

I've installed hundreds of these when I was an installer. Never had an issue with a single one.

Now the biggest issues are going to be getting to the wires to hook up the line output converter, since they're at the amp behind the glovebox, and that there are no pre-amp lines to hook into. The signal is carried from the factory radio to the factory amp through the can bus system, then amplified, frequencies are separated, and sent out to each speaker. Basically there is no good or easy way to do it. I got fed up with trying to work with my factory infinity system and ended up just bypassing the whole damn thing and replacing the entire audio system.

I haven't installed hundreds of these but I have installed the one I linked in my previous reply (which you can get for quite a bit less than $100).

There is no need to access the factory amp or receiver to hook up the line converter ( AudioControl LC2i ) you just tie into the rear door speaker and your set. If you can replace a battery you can wire this line converter. It acts as the remote turn-on as well. All you have to wire is the power wire and source (rear door speaker) all of the other wiring is at the amp and line converter.
You can spend less than $100 on the LC and under an hour to wire everything up, or spend $15 and spend so much time and efforst that you get frustrated and you eventually give up and replace your entire stereo system ($1,000+).
You get what you pay for and I am happy with my purchase.

 

[justin13703]

I haven't installed hundreds of these but I have installed the one I linked in my previous reply (which you can get for quite a bit less than $100).

There is no need to access the factory amp or receiver to hook up the line converter ( AudioControl LC2i ) you just tie into the rear door speaker and your set. If you can replace a battery you can wire this line converter. It acts as the remote turn-on as well. All you have to wire is the power wire and source (rear door speaker) all of the other wiring is at the amp and line converter.
You can spend less than $100 on the LC and under an hour to wire everything up, or spend $15 and spend so much time and efforst that you get frustrated and you eventually give up and replace your entire stereo system ($1,000+).
You get what you pay for and I am happy with my purchase.

The 10 dollar converter and the 100 dollar converter will connect to the truck the exact same way. The cheap one will take the same amount of work as the expensive one. The only difference is that the expensive one gives a remote turn on, so if you'd rather pay 90 extra dollars than take 5 minutes to grab power at the cig lighter that's fine. Personally that one you linked has waaay more features than you need for a simple subwoofer setup. I'm not knocking your purchase or saying it won't work, but why pay nearly 100 dollars for something when you can spend 10 and get the exact same result? The one you have is made for connecting 4 channel amps that will put out full range sound. That is complete overkill when the OP only wants to add a sub that only requires 2 channels and only will be using low frequencies. I am a firm believer of you get what you pay for, but that doesn't necessarily mean spending 10x the money is going to get you anything more.

Oh and yes, you can hook up a loc to one speaker for signal, but some people like to change the balance/fade of their radio. So if you connect the left and right inputs of the loc to the rear drivers door for example, if the fader is ever moved at all towards the front, or the balance is moved at all toward the pass side, it will change the volume of the subwoofer. The best way to do it is to hook up the loc to the rear left and right speakers, so that if the balance is changed, the sub will retain the same volume level. That's why I brought up getting the connections at the factory amp.

 

[justin13703]

ok thanks for the input guys! i think i might call best buy tomorrow and see if they will be able to set something up for me cause ive never messed with car audio before and i would rather not learn on my new to me truck haha! thanks for the advice though now i wont sound like a complete knuckle head when im talking to the guy!

Did you talk to them yet? Or are you going to do it yourself?

 

[NWRQC]

The 10 dollar converter and the 100 dollar converter will connect to the truck the exact same way. The cheap one will take the same amount of work as the expensive one. The only difference is that the expensive one gives a remote turn on, so if you'd rather pay 90 extra dollars than take 5 minutes to grab power at the cig lighter that's fine. Personally that one you linked has waaay more features than you need for a simple subwoofer setup. I'm not knocking your purchase or saying it won't work, but why pay nearly 100 dollars for something when you can spend 10 and get the exact same result? The one you have is made for connecting 4 channel amps that will put out full range sound. That is complete overkill when the OP only wants to add a sub that only requires 2 channels and only will be using low frequencies. I am a firm believer of you get what you pay for, but that doesn't necessarily mean spending 10x the money is going to get you anything more.

Oh and yes, you can hook up a loc to one speaker for signal, but some people like to change the balance/fade of their radio. So if you connect the left and right inputs of the loc to the rear drivers door for example, if the fader is ever moved at all towards the front, or the balance is moved at all toward the pass side, it will change the volume of the subwoofer. The best way to do it is to hook up the loc to the rear left and right speakers, so that if the balance is changed, the sub will retain the same volume level. That's why I brought up getting the connections at the factory amp.

The LC2i is a 2 channel LC.
Never in my life have I ever needed or wanted to balance my stereo more to the left or right for continued listening. I opted to tie into one speaker for that reason. If I want to fade front to rear I still can just as before. If I ever decide that I want to balance my speakers more to the right (because my passenger is annoying or my hearing in my right ear is suddenly 1/2 of what it is in the left ear??) I can spend 5 min and run a speaker wired from that door. I don't see that happening ever, but the option is there.
There are more differences between the two LC's but no sense going into that. So.... lets get back on track here.

OP. You now know that you will need a LC to hook up an amp and sub. To echo Justin13703's question, any update on your quest to add some more bass to your stereo.

 

[justin13703]

It's not really getting off track because people reading this may have questions about LOC's and which ones to get. We may disagree but neither of us are getting out of hand. From what I can see, the reasons the lc2i isn't needed, in my opinion, is that it is made to convert up to a 400w amped input into a preamp. This is a nice feature, but even the infinity system puts out less than 50w per channel, which any loc can handle. And the non infinity systems are about 12w. Also, it looks like you have to provide power and ground to it for it to provide the remote output, which at that point it's just easier to grab a remote from the cig lighter or fuse box and run it to the amp and be done, with 75 extra dollars in your pocket. The balance/fade issue is specific to how you do the install, not which loc you use, so we will forget about that. I was just pointing out that it is possible, and yes some people, while its a small amount, do have hearing issues and want to change the balance of their radio.

Which brings me to my question. I'm assuming that the lc2i uses a signal sense from your speaker wire inputs to switch the remote line to your amp on and off. As in when it sees a certain voltage on your inputs, it thinks that your radio is on, and turns your remote on to your amp. My experience with signal sensing equipment, is that below a certain volume level, they will turn off. Some of them have actually needed the volume to be up relatively high before it would provide a remote signal to turn the amp on. I'm curious what kind of sensitivity this thing has in this respect, and if you've ever noticed it turning off your amp at lower volumes.

Which gets me to thinking. That could be one advantage of using the lc2i over another one, because of the RAP for the radio. The RAP is data controlled, so you can't tap into it at all for a remote line. Meaning, anywhere you tap for a remote line, will shut off when the key is turned off, because it will be either accessory or ignition powered. So basically, the key goes off, amp turns off because the remote just lost power, yet the radio will stay on until he opens a door because of the RAP function. Since the lc2i uses audio signal to provide the remote, it will keep the amp on all the way until the door is opened and the radio shuts off.

 

[NWRQC]

I do agree, healthy disagreements are beneficial to all.
Grounds for both the amp and LC are right there next to them so the wiring of those takes 2 seconds. Power is ran to the amp, then jumped to the LC. Running a separate power to each active is ideal, but I am not to concerned. The main power is fused, the amp has an external fuse and I am fusing the bridge between the amp and LC. Remote is just a short jumper from the LC to the amp.
Correct the balance/fade is specific to the install and not the LC used, I just mentioned that because you made mention of it.
You are correct about the signal sensing aspect, before I balanced the LC it did switch the amp off/on at low volumes. Once I balanced the LC (matching the output of the factory receiver to the input of the LC using the main input adjustment) I haven't experienced that since. It's a very easy adjustment using the light on the front of the LC.
I chose the LC2i after doing some research and reading reviews. I have never used the cheap LC's so I can't speak on their functionality, only what I have. I have opened up my dash in the past to hook up gauges and personally it's not my favorite thing to do. So the time and effort saved going with the LC2i was well worth the little extra money I spent. Plus if I have to do any troubleshooting everything is easily accessible and I can pinpoint the problem in minutes. For me, I hate wiring so the little extra I spent on the LC is well worth it, esp if I have to troubleshoot an issue. I am all about saving money, trust me, but my time is also valuable so that factors into the equation. I went used on the amp and saved about $150 so it all worked out in the end.

 

[justin13703]

Ok good deal. So basically, other than some differences in the way they are wired, the main difference that most people will notice is this: the cheaper loc will work just fine, but your amp(s) will turn off in the time between removing your key and opening your door (the Retained Accessory Power function), due to where you get a remote line for your amp. While the more expensive loc will keep your amp(s) on while the radio is in the RAP function. Obviously the pre-06 trucks (no RAP in them I believe) or anyone who is going to swap the factory radio out doesn't have to worry about this.

Some good information came of this lol

 

[hemi08bighorn]

sorry guys didnt mean to leave you hanging! i ended up opting to get the body fixed first. just got the truck back had all the dents and little rust spots completely taken care of and then had rhino liner sprayed on the bare metal then factory paint color sprayed overtop of it. it looks great! and it better too for 3500 bucks!