subwoofer rca to regular 18 gauge
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=108413
Printed Date: April 20, 2024 at 1:59 AM
Topic: subwoofer rca to regular 18 gauge
Posted By: thxlinc
Subject: subwoofer rca to regular 18 gauge
Date Posted: October 25, 2008 at 8:11 PM
- Vehicle: 2007 Lincoln MKZ
- Radio: THX Nav sound system (Pioneer)
- Speakers: 14 speakers
- 12 channel amp, 600 watts located in trunk
Desire: To replace BOTH factory installed 2 ohm 6x9 rear deck "woofers" with two new Kicker "subs" (size 6.5 or 8), using existing wire connections. Exisiting "woofers" are 2 ohms (50 watts), want to replace with 2 ohm as well (Kicker size 6.5 or 8 round not oval shaped). The factory thx rear deck speakers (woofers) are wired with regular 18 gauge wires clipping into speakers. I see no RCA jacks at all, just the clip into the speakers and the two color coded wires tracing back to amp. I want to put two Kicker "subs" in place of the 2 rears there now. This large factory amplifier is located in the trunk and has 3 large "clips" , each having bundles of speaker and voltage wires leading into the large square clips. No RCA input or outputs noted. I see most if not all "subs" for sale have RCA jacks and all instructions have these jacks plugging into radio or amp etc via RCA jacks as well. But the factory large amp in my car has no rca jacks. Is there a way I can use the original color coded "woofer" speaker wires to "splice" into RCA speaker wire and connect to the Kicker speakers with one end being RCA jack into speaker and the other end soldered to regular 18 gauge wire going to the amp? So I want to use this 2 ohm amp wire coming from the thx amplifier and somehow connect it to new Kicker Subwoofers that only have RCA jack connections? I have looked over many forums here and havfe not found the actual answers and if I have missed this, I apologize.
Replies:
Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: October 25, 2008 at 9:02 PM
Are you talking about Kicker amplifier that only has RCA inputs? Or are you just wanting to change the woofers?
Posted By: megaman
Date Posted: October 25, 2008 at 9:38 PM
It's the spring loaded 5-way binding posts that look like RCA jacks but are not really RCA jacks. lol.
Posted By: thxlinc
Date Posted: October 25, 2008 at 11:13 PM
i am an idiot wrote:
Are you talking about Kicker amplifier that only has RCA inputs? Or are you just wanting to change the woofers?
I want to take new Kicker series subwoofers (kicker cvr8 8" 2-ohm subwoofer) and replace each of the old factory woofer speakers with the Kickers. Swapping out the factories pair with a pair of the Kickers. I am not using a new Kicker amp, want to keep the 600 watt amp that comes with the car's THX sound system yet it does not have RCA jacks on it. So I want to wire the existing rear deck woofer wires coming from the amp to the new Kicker subwoofers by "soldering" them to an RCA wire so the RCA wire can be plugged into the Kickers which have an RCA jack connection. Possible? Practical?
So basically one part of the 18 gauge wire wires into the amp as it already is, the other end is "soldered" to another RCA jack wire which is plugged into the Kicker speakers. So I will have 2 Kicker subs, each connected to the old wiring from each of the old "woofers".
I want to keep the 2 ohms rating in the subs which match the 2 ohms rating of the original woofers, but I see there are more 4 ohm subs then 2 ohm's.
Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: October 26, 2008 at 7:00 AM
megaman wrote:
It's the spring loaded 5-way binding posts that look like RCA jacks but are not really RCA jacks. lol.
There are no RCA jacks on the speakers. There are 2 terminals that when pushed towards the frame of the speaker, expose a hole on the side of the terminal, this is where you insert your stripped speaker wire. Release the button you pressed and the connector grabs the wire. Move to the next terminal.
If you use 4 ohm subs you will not be happy with the end result, a noticeable decrease in bass output.
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: October 26, 2008 at 10:59 AM
Ha, so Lincoln is still using the 2-ohm Onkyo 6X9 subs in the THX system. Interesting, I wonder who specified those> Ten years later and not much has changed.  Those woofers in the rear deck are genuine subs, and pretty high quality ones by automotive OEM system standards. They are powered by a 50 WPC amplifier, which used to be mounted in the trunk of some Lincolns, but I have no idea where it is in the MKZ. That car is based on the Mazda 6, so perhaps if someone has experience with a Mazda OEM subwoofer system it will give you a place to start. My best advice to you if you keep the OEM head unit is to not replace anything in the THX system at all... but if you really want to, you should upgrade ALL the speakers and amps. The easiest way to upgrade the subwoofer system while using the stock head is to attach an LOC to the speaker wires now connected to the OEM subs and use a new subwoofer amplifier and speakers of your choosing.. ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: megaman
Date Posted: October 26, 2008 at 11:42 AM
DYohn, how is your experience in adding subwoofers to factory sub'ed systems? I always have to do extensive tuning to make them sound half-way decent. It seems the factory subs always end up 'fighting' with the aftermarket subs. In my experience, its much better to disconnect the factory subs when adding new subwoofers. Yours and anyone else's thoughts?
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: October 26, 2008 at 3:17 PM
Yes, disconnect the factory subs but use the factory amplifier output to drive the LOC - or grab the line-level input to the amp and take it out of the system altogether. ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: thxlinc
Date Posted: October 26, 2008 at 7:10 PM
DYohn] wrote:
Ha, so Lincoln is still using the 2-ohm Onkyo 6X9 subs in the THX system...My best advice to you if you keep the OEM head unit is to not replace anything in the THX system at all... but if you really want to, you should upgrade ALL the speakers and amps. The easiest way to upgrade the subwoofer system while using the stock head is to attach an LOC to the speaker wires now connected to the OEM subs and use a new subwoofer amplifier and speakers of your choosing..
DYohn,
Wow, thanks for the information and to the two others who earlier explained to this novice, what look like RCA jacks on the subs is really not. I feel kind of "egg on my face" for not knowing this but hey, I am learning and am appreciative of people who know, letting us who do not know, learn. Thanks again!
Now, what is and what does an LOC look like and do? Not sure what LOC stands for. I am likely going your way with you suggestions DYohn because it kind of makes sense.
I will be sticking with the 2 ohm speakers not a 4 ohm.
I know the amplifier is located in the trunk, right side panel behind the trunk lining. I have already located it and am kind of understanding how it is connected.
Thanks again guys and I will keep you posted on the final results.
Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: October 26, 2008 at 7:20 PM
| | SNI-35 converts 2 to 40 watts per channel speaker level output into a pre-amp signal. Perfect when adding an amplifier to a factory or aftermarket radio. Great for getting an additional set of pre-amps outputs from a head unit equipped with only one set. | • Fixed 10:1 conversion.
• Linear from 20-20,000Hz at +/- 5 dB, while maintaining signal phase.
• Isolates input and output circuits to prevent ground loop noise. | White: Left(+) speaker
WHITE/ Black: Left(-) speaker
Grey: Right(+) speaker
Grey/Black: Right(-) speaker | | LOC= Line Output Converter. Converts speaker level audio to a level suitable for the input of an amplifier |
|
Posted By: thxlinc
Date Posted: October 27, 2008 at 8:34 AM
Thanks for the LOC info. I see I have some learning to do and because there is more to SUBS then plug and play, I will research more of what is filed on this site. Great information!!!!
Posted By: thxlinc
Date Posted: October 27, 2008 at 2:31 PM
My sub mounted will be the following type (as taken from 12 volts own sub library)...
..."In any free air application, the back seat and surrounding panels should be removed to seal any possible areas where energy could be lost. It is crucial to separate (seal) the back wave of the loudspeaker (woofer) from the front wave of the loudspeaker. If not, bass cancellation will occur. This is also a good time to rid and deaden the trunk and surrounding areas of any unwanted noises and rattles."...
Can someone please clarify what is meant on how one SEALS or separates back wave from the front wave? I am having a hard time visualizing what is described. If the sub is mounted on the rear deck, in a traditional speaker mount, with opening facing the back seats rear deck and the back facing the inside of the trunk, how can one "seal"?
Posted By: klctexas
Date Posted: October 28, 2008 at 8:25 AM
In the rear deck like that, that is your 'seal'. What they mean is that you want to have no possible air escaping from anywhere that it could then reach the front side of the speaker. In your chosen location, your rear deck acts like this, you will just need to deaden the rear deck and entire trunk with sound deadener. This is what is sometimes calle 'IB' or infinite baffle setup. When the sound coming from the front of the speaker and the sound coming from the back of the speaker reach each other, they cancel out most of the bass.
-------------
Soldier: This is the worst part. The calm before the battle.
Fry: And then the battle is not so bad?
Soldier: Oh, right. I forgot about the battle.
Posted By: thxlinc
Date Posted: October 28, 2008 at 10:03 AM
klctexas wrote:
In the rear deck like that, that is your 'seal'. What they mean is that you want to have no possible air escaping from anywhere that it could then reach the front side of the speaker. In your chosen location, your rear deck acts like this, you will just need to deaden the rear deck and entire trunk with sound deadener. This is what is sometimes calle 'IB' or infinite baffle setup. When the sound coming from the front of the speaker and the sound coming from the back of the speaker reach each other, they cancel out most of the bass.
Sound deadening...you mean like dynamatting the rear deck, assurring no air leaks where speakers are attached to deck, tightening down any deck attachments etc....correct? Thanks for the 'IB" note, that is easy to understand now. I have to say to all who have been commenting and helping me out, THANKS!!!!!!!! Between what I read from the comments and what is in the library here, I am really learning alot. This is sweet!
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: October 28, 2008 at 10:24 AM
When we originally designed the Lincoln THX system for the Lincoln LS, the subwoofers were mounted in an enclosure shaped like a tray that attached to the underside of the rear deck. Does the MKZ version use that same arrangement, or are the woofers hanging in the air, visible from the trunk? If they are already mounted 'free air," your trunk is probably already properly sealed from the cabin. ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: thxlinc
Date Posted: October 28, 2008 at 12:14 PM
DYohn, The MKZ has them visible from the trunk, but the MKS has the "tray" lining you talk about. The "cloth like lining" inside the MKS trunk hides the underbelly of the speakers. Not so in the MKZ. I would love to find similiar "cloth" that I can pre-form to cover the trunk side of MKS rear deck where the speakers are. You said "we" in the THX system design. So you were part of the THX team? EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted By: whadupdoe
Date Posted: February 18, 2009 at 12:59 PM
I am trying to hook up an amp and my subs but my rear deck bass speakers blown and you wrote use the factory amp output to drive the loc or grab the line-level input to the amp and take it out of the system altogether. so i dont really grasp what that means. I have an loc so my question is i am just splicing those wires on the fact. amp to hook up my loc to right? and how do i know which wires to hook it up to and know which is negative and positive and my loc has 4 wires. 2 for each rear just how do i know which ones to hook it up to? thanks for your help. sorry im terrible with this stuff
Posted By: whadupdoe
Date Posted: February 18, 2009 at 1:30 PM
cars an 06 lincoln zephyr with navi and thx audios ystem
Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: February 18, 2009 at 8:40 PM
Does the factory sub still play? It does not matter if it sounds bad, I just need to know if it still produces sound.
Posted By: whadupdoe
Date Posted: February 19, 2009 at 2:07 PM
yes it plays put pops and rattles like crazy. so should i just disconnect or how shouldd i hook it up? thanks
Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: February 19, 2009 at 8:16 PM
When you disconnect it, cut the wire a few inches from the speaker. Strip the ends of the wire that go to the woofer. Now touch and hold one wire to one terminal of a 9 volt battery. Now touch the other wire to the other terminal of the battery and notice which way the woofer moves. If it moves toward the cabin of the vehicle, the wires are in phase with the battery. This means that the positive terminal of the battery is connected to the positive wire of the woofer. Notice which wire is positive and connect both of the solid color wires of the LOC to the positive wire that comes from the car. Not to the woofer. Now connect both stiped wires to the other wire coming from the car.
|
