Theoretical question here. Vehicle has 2 pairs, front and rear. You need to add a 3rd set for a 3rd row seat and a sub. What would be the best way to do this with a standard aftermarket HU. Here's my idea. Hook up the front and second row speakers to the front and rear hi-level outputs. Use the front RCA's for the third row with a small amp and the rear RCA's for the sub and it's amp. Will this work and is it the best way? All ideas would be welcomed.
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Famous last words: Hey man, what's this wire do?
That sound like a fine solution to me, just make sure that you take some care as to setting the speaker level, as your fader is gonna be pretty much useless.
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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer
I assume you mean the 3rd row will not fade, only the front and 2nd row. Is there something I can use to control the volume level for the 3rd row independently? It would be nice to be able to control it from the front or rear but any control would be better than nothing.
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Famous last words: Hey man, what's this wire do?
You will be MUCH happier running the small amp to your front set of speakers and your speaker-outputs on the rear two rows.
The driver of the vehicle would get substantially better sound, and sonically, the soundstage *always* sounds better when it is in front of you... whether or not your in the back seats or driving.. You ought be able to tune your gains and such so meddling wouldn't really be neccesary.
Sub&Amp off the rear RCA's sounds perfect. A decent Four-Channel should do you really nicely.
fastone wrote:
Here's my idea. Hook up the front and second row speakers to the front and rear hi-level outputs. Use the front RCA's for the third row with a small amp and the rear RCA's for the sub and it's amp. Will this work and is it the best way?
Not the best way. The high level inputs on the amp are an inferior way to input the signal and is used only out of necessity. Use the RCA low level inputs on all the amps. There are some different solutions:
1. Use RCA splitters to send the deck signal to more than one amp. The second small amp that powers the third row can be adjusted independently of the first two rows through either the use of the amp's gain ( for a set level), or the third row speakers can be adjusted in volume through the use of potentiometers (L-pad). The best selection of L-pads can be found with a standard of 8 ohm impedance, so if you have 8 ohm speakers in the rear this solution will cost the least. I have found only 1 4 ohm potentiometer in searches earlier but there are a lot of cheap 8 ohm models ( see selection ). You can install these controls where the third seat passengers can adjust their relative volume or you can hide them where only you can adjust volume.
or 2. You can install a line driver to increase the number of signal outputs.
Of these I would choose the adjustment of the small amp's gain as a simple and effective solution. You want to be able to use the deck's fade control for adjustment of the second row speakers without affecting the relative volume of the sub, so the sub amp input should be from the deck's front preout, not the rear.
But my head is hurting today so anyone feel free to correct me if I blundered....:)
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Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.
I was talking about using the hi-level outputs directly to the front and 2nd row spkrs then RCA fronts to the 3rd row amp & spkrs and rear RCA to amp & sub.