Quick Line Converter Question

I know this is a simple question but I just want a second opinion.  Can anyone help me out before I go out the garage and start tearing apart the dash.    Once I start I generally like to finish in one fel swoop.

If your line out converter has four inputs then I would just tie into the rears or just the fronts.  Now most line out converters are only two channel in which case just wire it up to the rears.

Does that help?

Maybe a bit more info will help...

The factory HU doesn't have RCA output so I have to use a line level converter because my amp doesn't have line inputs (only RCA).

The amp is a 2 channel and I am going to install into a dakota w/ 4 drivers.  I just want to know if I have to connect both the front AND rear lines out of the HU to the line converter or if can use only the front OR rear.

Stereo is stereo right?  I just a simple left and right channel to input then i will connect the outputs so I will effectivly drive 4 channels from 2. I know I will lose "Fade" on the HU, but thats the price I pay for being to cheap to buy a new 4 Channel .

Any help would be nice.

Mobileworks  do you see what I am getting at.  Is it necessary to tie all four outputs from the HU to the 2 inputs of the line conv?  It is a 2 channel conv. I just don't want to overload it or "dirty" up the signal to the amp. 

It is my understanding that there is no diff. between the front and rear channels.  They are both "stereo"  so in theory either one would be enough to feed the conv. which will send to the amp (2 channel), which will be wired to all 4 drivers in my turck.

Use just one of either.  Front is better because you will still want to fade the rear speakers out some and this fading (attenuation) won't also attenuate what you have hooked up at the amp.  By tapping into the OEM speaker wires, you will pick up voltage for signal input to the amp.  If the OEM wires are still connected to the speakers, they will be powered with deck power.

A speaker load on an amp, be it the deck or the aftermarket amp, will cause the amp to produce power.  No load, no power.  If the speakers are powered by the new amp, the deck will still function as normal but will not produce power.

So what do you mean by saying you want to "boost" the stock head unit?  Either the head unit will be connected to speakers and provide the power...or the amp will be connected to speakers and provide the power.  Not both to the same speakers.

I am going to use the amp to drive all 4 drivers,  not the HU.  The amp has RCA input and the HU doesn't have RCA Output so the conv. is the only way to get the signal to the amp.

Since I am using a 2 channel amp to power fron the rear speakers I won't have Fade anyway, only Balance no?

I am assuming SQ is sound quality, and I see your point.   I just don't want to splurge on a new 4 channel  becuase I have the 2 ch. laying around collecting duet.

This no comp. stereo it just my daily driver... a dodge dakota.  I don't have any sups, just want to up the SQ.

Still advise the same approach.?  Will powering just the rears make the HU more effective for those drivers (probably).?

You want to be able to fade, especially in a truck cab.  You also want the front soundstage to be as high of quality as possible.  The best speakers should be in front, and lesser ones can take up the rear.  It is very common for a beginner to try to get as much as he can with starter gear and connect more speakers together than he should.  You might, too, and I did as well.  But when you do change it, as you will, to what I suggested...you will notice a great improvement in the quality of the overall sound.

And for the last question, no.  The deck will not produce more power into the rears because the fronts are disconnected.  It's still running two channels... the same two channels, to the rears.

Stevedart...

Although I have several installs under my belt, I am no pro, (just an avid jack of all trades... master off none) thats why I come to places like this before I attempt something.  So as both you and another have pointed out 4 ohms up front is far better than 2 front and rear.   That is something I totally forgot about when I planed this.

Again thanx to you and anyone else that replied to my post. 

Customsubub...

Thanks to you too, I had obviously forgt my parallel Ohms law.

I will leave enough wire in the dash to switch it when I get a 4 Ch.

Well got done with the install earlier today and have to say that I am pleased with the end result.

I did as suggested and ran the amp to the front channel and powered the rears off the HU.

The only complaint I have is the 100x2  is so strong that my gain is barely off the lowest setting maybe 1/32 off a turn.  If I put it to even a 1/4 it is so strong that I can't even hear the rear fill.  Although there is no distortion, like it would have been had I tied the rears into the front channel.

One more question for Stevdart (or anyone), if I were to have tied front and rear together @2 ohms, and my amp is 2 ohm stable,  would there have been that much distortion?

The distortion from running the fronts and rears together would be very little.  All this talk of 2 ohms and 4 ohms has little to do with a speaker when its actually working (playing music)

You see when a speaker is producing music (moving in and out) the impedance of the speaker changes with the frequency that its trying to play.  In some cases the impedance can reach a couple of hundred ohms, so even if you tied them together and added another 4 ohm speaker to the same channel, your amp is usually capable of playing with no problems.  This typically true of interior speakers and although the same rules apply to any speaker (even woofers) I would be a little more causious when doing it with your subs.

Run those rears of that amp and get some real sound pumping in that cab.

Just my 2 cents.

ajbringle wrote:

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would there have been that much distortion?

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I don't believe that I or anyone else used the word "distortion" in describing the difference of sound quality here.  Distortion would not have been an issue.  I know that when I first put 4 coaxials into my car and ran them off of two channels at 2 ohms I thought they sounded good.  But it always sounds better when you have installed new speakers and an amp. 

But when I upgraded to a separate amp for the sub and ran the 4 off of 4 channels, the higher quality of sound was immediately recognizable.  I attenuate the rears to such a level that the fronts are heard most even sitting in the rear seat.  In a truck, sound from behind should be almost nonexistant...there are no back seat passengers.

You're the captain.  Try it both ways.

Well, for now I will leave it be since I just got done battoning everything together.  Someday soon I will be replacing the stock speakers anyway, then mabe I will cutt the harness apart and splice the F and R together just to see how it sounds.

Anyway the point is to have better sound than when you started the project, AND IT IS...  in my opinion a win win sit.

Thanks again Stevedart, and Mobileworks.