OEM system enhancement

Hi, I have a vehicle with a factory "premium" sound system which is anything but. It's a ford / alpine system with the proprietary optical interconnects that you can't do anything with. The car is an '05 Jaguar S-Type R.

I need to preserve the stock headunit, because it's nav / phone / climate integrated.

My goal is to add additional inputs, as well as to improve overall system performance. I'm looking very hard at the JL Audio cleansweep, but it seems to me that there are a number of products, actually shipping, that would let me do the same thing (notably the AudioControl DQXS).

So, here are my questions:

1) The current system has a crossover. I was planning on using somethign like the AudioControl LC6 to convert from speaker level to line level, but how do I "un-do" the crossovers? Basically I'd like to move the bass channel back into the front and rear channels, and then run the DQXS in 4 channel mode, so that I can select a different crossover point from whatever the stock unit has set.

2) I also need a way of remotely selecting sources. My preference would be to have an automatic switch -- the stock system takes preference, and when it is silent it cuts over to the iPod or sat radio. This would allow me to preserve my audible navigaion alerts, phone integration, etc. When I want to listen to the iPod, I just turn the factory radio volume to 0. Any suggestions for a device that would do this? And once that is in place, I need something upstream of it to control the volume and select the source of the upstream non-oem items.

If I can get this worked out I will put in a killer system!

Well, it looks like I answered my own question, and I would appreciate any additional  guidance that this forum may have.

Basically, what I'm planning on doing is something like this:

Factory Amp Out -> AudioControl LC6.

From the LC6 I'll then sum the FR and the BASS lines with a Radio Design Labs 10k ohm passive audio combiner, and another for the factory FL and BASS. At that point, I will have a full spectrum signal, albeit with a 3db loss (and will have to do level matching at the LC6, of course).

The full spectrum left front signal will go into a Radio Design Labs ST-ACR1 (with a ST-LCR1 slave) automatic relay, along with the iPod input. It will be set up so that if there is a signal from the factory unit (ie, nav voice prompts, phone call) that will be the sound, otherwise it will be the ipod.

From there I will feed into an AudioControl DQT EQ, with the remote head control, so I can adjust the EQ curves for either the iPod or the factory system.

The output of the DQT will feed into an ARC 4150 bridged which will feed Morel (USA, not IL) SR-6.2 in the front, with a second ARC 4150 feeding two IDQ10 subs in a sealed enclosure.

Any suggestions / alternatives I should look at?

My main concern is that going from CD-> crossover -> amp -> line level converter-> uncrossover -> dsp -> amp -> speaker will sound like crap. I console myself with the notion that I'll only be using that for AM/FM, phone, voice nav, and rarely CD's. The ipod / sat will be the main source, and they will have the relatively clean path of source-> dsp ->amp -> speaker.

Dang, realize I still need a pre-amp for the ipod and other components.

You might want to use an audiocontrol four.1i instead of the DQT eq. It has an auxillary input and a volume control which would be perfect for you ipod. There is a switch on front that lets you switch between the auxiallary source (your Ipod) and main preamp inputs (the rca's from the LC6 or cleen sweep connected to your factory amp).

The only downside is that it only accepts one set of main preamp inputs. You would only be able to send two channels of full range signal to it. It then gives you front and rear outputs. (it has a built in fader control). If you use this you might just want to save money and buy the 6XS (which is a crossover) instead of the LC6. It would allow you to turn the two outputs from the four.1i into front, rear, and sub outputs. The 6XS also gives you a remote bass control for the sub which is handy. You could probobly just use a good LOC on two full range channels from your factory amp instead of the LC6.

so it'd go:    facotry amp > good line out convertor > four.1 (connect your Ipod to this also) > 6XS > amps

http://mobileaudiocontrol.com/product.asp?Product_Id=18487&d_Id=5248&l1=5248&l2=

http://mobileaudiocontrol.com/product.asp?Product_Id=14150&d_Id=5250&l1=5250&l2=#

Thanks. The four.1 does look cool -- the only thing I'm concerned about is that my factory head unit has a non-defeatable EQ, and I think I need the DQT in order to correct this.

What I really need is a remote controlled pre-amp. There are a ton in home audio world, but I haven't been able to find one yet for mobile.

Wouldn't it be better to use something like the Audiocontrol 6XS after the clean sweep, isntead of the LC6 before it? The 6XS gives you up to eight channels of output and a remote level control for the subwoofer channel.

http://mobileaudiocontrol.com/product.asp?Product_Id=18487&d_Id=5251&l1=5251&l2=

Ok, thanks for the advice everyone. Since the CleanSweep isn't actually shipping, and is really a [ line level converter | 30 band eq w/auto calibration | aux input | preamp / master volume control ] in one box, this is what I'm planning on doing. It'll cost a bit more, but have greater flexibility:

Speakers:

Morel WR6's woofers

Morel CR-103 tweets

Stock rear fill

2 IDQ 10's in a sealed box

Amps:

Zed Audio Gladius for tweets 2 x 75 -> 4 ohms

Zed Audio Deuce for fronts 2 x 200 -> 4 ohms

Zed Audio Deuce for subs (bridged) 1 x 800 -> 4 ohms

EQ: AudioControl DQX or Alto Mobile UCS-Pro

Main Switch-> Niles SAS-1(automatic voltage sensing switch)

LC6 speaker level -> line level adjuster

On the ipod side I'll use a Soundagte SNAVM2 for the volume.

The cool thing about this is that with the signal sensing switch, if the Navigation voice que triggers (or phone call) , it will turn off the iPod... and I have a "clean" iPod input. Both of the EQ's listed have remote controls so I can switch presets.  This means I can have ok sound from the factory head, and good sound from my aux input.

The only issue I see is getting the voltage on both sides of the auto switch to line up, but that's doable.