first ampifier hookup

Hello, I'm still new to the car audio world and im looking to install my first Amp. Ill start by describing what i got: Front speakers - http://www.crutchfield.com/p_2064CS54/Kicker-40CS54.html There 4 ohm speakers Rear speakers - http://www.crutchfield.com/p_130TSD6902/Pioneer-TS-D6902R.html They are also 4 ohm speakers The Amp - http://www.crutchfield.com/p_777M2100/Sound-Ordnance-M-2100.html?tp=115 2- channel Amp Now ive been doing research and i find that i want to run my amp on using the 2 ohm setting. I want the left side speakers to be in parallel and right side also to be. With 2 4ohm speakers being in parallel, that give me a 2 ohm impedance. So it okay right? Also, im keeping my factory radio/head unit, but it uses just the standard cables. I know the amp i have has the hookup for that but i think i will lose alot of power by doing that so i want to convert it to RCA cables. Whats the best way of doing this with a 2 channel amp? ive found a few line in converters but what type do i need? And how would i go about hooking things up? Any questions just ask. Im sure i missed something lol. Thank you!! TheKidInBuff

Oh by the way, see i forgot, i have a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix GT with just the basic stereo in it. Not the Bose. Here is the wiring diagram: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp~TID~12717

Okay, I'm not expert, but I'll try to answer your questions as best I can. I've been installing and messing with car stereos since the mid 70's, and I've experimented with a lot of different things. Like line out converters. I've installed them in my cars when I was in my late teens. Hated them! But I was poor and cheap, and they DID the job until I could GET a job. To begin with, I have never, ever heard of anyone running speakers of different brands and different power handling and different frequency response and different sensitivity ratings in parallel with each other. Sure, it's possible to do, I just haven't seen it done. It’s much better (if not best) to run all matching speakers with matching ratings in parallel. That way, you don’t rob one speaker of something while giving another speaker more of something than it can handle. Just something to think about. But it’s a little late, you already got your speakers. So now for your line out converter question: These are about as easy to hook up as a basic speaker is! You pretty much can NOT screw it up! All you have to do is connect your deck’s left speaker output to the left input on the converter and the same for the rights then hook the converter’s RIGHT red output to the amp’s red RIGHT input and the converter’s LEFT white output to the amp’s white LEFT input and you’re done! Oh, sure, then you have to make sure you disconnect your speakers from your stock radio and wire them to the amp’s speaker outputs of course. The first problem with line output converters is the cheap ones don't do very well with DC-biased head units or amps. If you really want to use one, I would go with the nicer, more expensive ones like Audio Control or at least something that has the amp remote turn-on lead AND has a ground wire of itself. You can read more about this at http://www.bcae1.com/loc.htm The problem with line output converters is sound quality more often than not really sucks. Seriously. Your stock deck will start to distort way before your amp and speakers start to come alive! I have never seen a line output connection in any car that sounded very good above a low volume. Most stock car stereos put out maybe around 10 watts per channel or so (max). So, when you crank up the volume, you’re going to be up in the end of your rms rating of the stereo before your amp really sings. Personally, I never recommend line out converters to anyone. Especially because of how cheap you can pick up brand new aftermarket decks with RCA outputs. You only need one pair technically for a 2-channel amp. Heck, you can find good working decks with RCA outputs on craigslist all day long for under $20. But since you paid $180 just for your 6x9’s, it seems money is not an issue. In that case, you can always pick up a decent aftermarket head unit with RCA outputs brand new for under $30 at Walmart that have RCA outputs. It would be a much better choice than running a line out converter. But for now, go ahead and hook it all up and let us know how much hissing and distortion you hear. Because line out converters will help your amp increase whatever sound comes into it from your deck. Hope this helps, but it probably won't. Let's wait to see what other members have to say. I have very little experience with line out converters only because I don't suggest them or use them myself (since the 70's). Again, I'm not expert on car audio but I've installed more decks and amps and speakers than I could begin to count, using these two books as my "Bibles": Just to give you an idea of a little of my past experience, this is my last car's sound system: http://s254.photobucket.com/user/Hairball98498/library/98%20Stratus%20stereo

since you only have a 2 channel amp you should be ok with running the speakers in parallel with each other but dont do anything permanent, wire each speaker like you were installing a 4 channel amp and just put two speakers on each terminal. there is nothing functionally wrong with using speakers with different specs, you might get some interesting results but unless you are looking for perfect sound then you will never notice those differences. the biggest problem is if you were mixing a nice set of speakers with a set of really low quality speakers, the low quality speakers will drag down your better ones. if your amp has speaker level inputs then there really is no need to use a converter because its basically redundant. the only way i could see using a line output converter is if you just wanted to run rca's to the front because you plan to change the radio eventually and just wanted to run them while you have everything taken apart.

Honestly i dont see anything wrong with mixing speaker brands.. you just seem to be a marketer or some sort to me. I did not pay $160 for those speakers.. i got them for like $60 so i do not know where you shop... and ive never seen a head unit for $30 lol. Ive chosen to exchange my 2 channel amp for a 4 channel. Therefore i dont need this thread anymore but thank you for the information.

Well that was about the rudest response to a guy who was just trying to be helpful! To begin with, I didn't tell you WHAT brand to go out and buy, so that little comment made you look like an idiot. Marketer? Yeah, I'm a marketer, a freakin' marketer of personal advice I like to share with those who appreicate it, based on past experience. I didn't say your speakers cost $160, I said $179! Why? Simple: I got that price directly from the link YOU provided, dude! Those Pioneer speakers are $179 at Crutchfield, so you're either making this stuff up or you did not buy them at Crutchfield, it's that simple. You easily could have explained up front that you got your speakers at some garage sale, thrift store or swap meet or craigslist instead of slamming ME for assuming you got them from the site whose link you posted. And if you don't believe there are head units for $30, go to Walmart.com and see for yourself! And why do you think that just because you got a 4 channel amp you suddenly have it all figured out? Dude, let me speak for everyone else here: If you are going to cop an attitude with those who offer advise when you ask for it, you will NOT last long in this forum, and I'll see to that. Don't make claims you can't back up, and don't doubt people who have been into car audio since before you were in diapers! THIS is a FORUM, and people use it to ask for help or advice. In doing so, they allow themselves to be open to whatever anyone might post for a reply. Good or bad. Whether they agree or not. They came to the forum for advice. More often than not, the people who post replies DO know what they are talking about! I've gained a LOT of knowledge from this forum, and I have a vast knowledge of car audio already. But I don't claim to know it all, and never will. I do my best to give an honest, unbiased opinion or offer members whatever I can. In over around 4 years in this forum, YOU are the FIRST person to get all bent out of shape from what I posted in a reply. I took my own personal time to stop what I was doing, type a big long response, and attempt to help you out. I've installed more car decks, amps and speakers in my 55 years on this planet than I could begin to count! But I don't go around slamming others who offer me advice with good intent. I thank them! So please do us ALL a favor and refrain from posting any more question in this forum until you're ready to get EVERY response from knowledgeable members, whether you believe them or not. If you don't believe their advice, don't heed it. But don't slam them or ridicule them! Oh, and by the way, it's "They're 4-ohm" not "There 4 ohm"! And amps don't have a 2-ohm "setting". Now enjoy your Kraco deck and Spark-o-matic speakers while the rest of us share knowledge among us.

AND FURTHERMORE... When I see a post that starts off with

thekidinbuff wrote: "Hello, I'm still new to the car audio world and im looking to install my first Amp."

I automatically assume that the person who posted it would appreciate getting honest, unbiased opinions from members who are NOT new to the car audio world and installed THEIR first amp in the late 70's! My previous post was not meant to slam you or criticize you as much as it was meant to simply let you know that when you ask us for help, be ready to not agree with every answer. We are not perfect! But we try! And most of us have better things to do than offer advice in a forum, but we chose to out of the kindness of our hearts. So we appreciate not being ridiculed for the advice or opinions we give.