Wiring Amps and Subs and Speakers * Help Please*

tcawley29

Hey guys,
got the idea in my head that i would like to upgrade the sound system in my car. im one of those people that likes his music the same way it sounds in a nightclub, loud with plenty of base. The car is a 2006 corolla hatchback with stock non jbl sound system. For now i just want to connect an edge 300 watt rms sub via an amp. So far i know the sub wires into the amp i am looking at very easily. my problem is with wiring the amp to the car. I know how to wire the power cables, i just need to find out how to wire it to the stock head unit. Can i just disconnect one of the rear speakers and plug those wires into the amp and will that set up work well or do i have wire it somewhere else. I would rather not change the head unit. I plan to keep all the stock speakers for now, however if i want more after i install the sub, i may install a second amp and replace the 4 stock speakers. I think, but am not certain that my head unit outputs around 4 x 50 watts.
Help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

tcawley29

tcawley29 wrote: »

Hey guys,
got the idea in my head that i would like to upgrade the sound system in my car. im one of those people that likes his music the same way it sounds in a nightclub, loud with plenty of base. The car is a 2006 corolla hatchback with stock non jbl sound system. For now i just want to connect an edge 300 watt rms sub via an amp. So far i know the sub wires into the amp i am looking at very easily. my problem is with wiring the amp to the car. I know how to wire the power cables, i just need to find out how to wire it to the stock head unit. Can i just disconnect one of the rear speakers and plug those wires into the amp and will that set up work well or do i have wire it somewhere else. I would rather not change the head unit. I plan to keep all the stock speakers for now, however if i want more after i install the sub, i may install a second amp and replace the 4 stock speakers. I think, but am not certain that my head unit outputs around 4 x 50 watts.
Help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

No.
You need a new headunit. The headunit connects to the amp using rca cables these carry the audio, then the amp will either connect to a sub and power that or it will connect to the speakers or both.

I dont know of any stock headunit with rca out and I very much doubt your car has them.

vectra

I gather from your post you don't know much at all about this?
I would be wary if I were you or get someone else to do it for you.

For example. If your power wire to the amp is not the correct type you could possibly cause your car to go on fire.!!

Have a read of this and see if it makes sense to you first.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-WSCRO5vJOXO/learn/learningcenter/car/amplifiers_install_tips.html

tcawley29

thanks for ye're help, it is greatly appreciated. The information from your link makes perfect sense and i do have a basic knowledge of what i should do. I'm by no means an expert but i think i can get the job done. I will see if the amp i was looking at has speaker level input however knowing my luck it most likely won't. if it doesn't then i have another head unit picked out anyways.
Thanks again,
Tommy

tcawley29

luckily the amp i was looking at does support speaker input. jut out of curosity, how heavy would an amp be on my battery. thanks

mullingar

Ashlyn Weak Martinet wrote: »

No.
You need a new headunit. The headunit connects to the amp using rca cables these carry the audio, then the amp will either connect to a sub and power that or it will connect to the speakers or both..

You are 90% wrong.

Nearly all budget to mid-range amplifiers also have a high level input that you simply connect to the speaker-out of the head unit. (RCA is better, digital is best)

Make sure you use the correct gauge power leads and put in a fuse as near to the battery as you can.

vectra

tcawley29 wrote: »

luckily the amp i was looking at does support speaker input. jut out of curosity, how heavy would an amp be on my battery. thanks

Fill us in on a few details.
What cat?
What amp?
what headunit?

dgt

tcawley29 wrote: »

just out of curosity, how heavy would an amp be on my battery

Very when the car is off. It won't crank with it working

Voodoomelon

If you want to keep it simple, get a half decent amplifier from Halfords or the likes, with high level inputs. These amplifiers include a small cable that allows you to tap into one of your existing speaker cables and extract a high level input for the amplifier.

This is then internally converted into a low level signal which the unit then amplifies and outputs to either speakers or a sub. For a sub, make sure you have the amplifier set to low pass and bridge the stereo speaker ouput connectors as shown in the manual.

tcawley29

vectra wrote: »

Fill us in on a few details.
What cat?
What amp?
what headunit?

whats a cat?
this amp for now http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_723203_langId_-1_categoryId_261854#tab1
the stock toyota head unit

tcawley29

dgt wrote: »

Very when the car is off. It won't crank with it working

didin't think it would be quite that heavy however that doesn't really matter because i usually only listen to music while the engine is running. i also plan on installing a switch on the ignition line running to the amp. if its this heavy on electricity would i even be able to run two amps at once. only planning one for now but was thinking about getting a second later on.

tcawley29

Voodoomelon wrote: »

If you want to keep it simple, get a half decent amplifier from Halfords or the likes, with high level inputs. These amplifiers include a small cable that allows you to tap into one of your existing speaker cables and extract a high level input for the amplifier.

This is then internally converted into a low level signal which the unit then amplifies and outputs to either speakers or a sub. For a sub, make sure you have the amplifier set to low pass and bridge the stereo speaker ouput connectors as shown in the manual.

i knew all of that except the low pass bit so thank you. what does the low pass setting do. the amp will be powering a sub.

vectra

tcawley29 wrote: »

whats a cat?
this amp for now http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_723203_langId_-1_categoryId_261854#tab1
the stock toyota head unit

Sorry,
That should have said "CAR" but I see it is toyota

tcawley29 wrote: »

didin't think it would be quite that heavy however that doesn't really matter because i usually only listen to music while the engine is running. i also plan on installing a switch on the ignition line running to the amp. if its this heavy on electricity would i even be able to run two amps at once. only planning one for now but was thinking about getting a second later on.

Wouldn't worry about having it running for a while with the engine off, That kit should not be too heavy on power.

You will have the following.

1 Red wire to Constant 12v supply > Battery with fuse right next to battery connection..

Short Black wire > Earth

Speakers connections, > to your rear speaker(s)

one light wire ( possibly blue )> this goes to yuor headunit, One most headunits there could be a blue wire left idle to power an electric ariel, This is whare you would connect to. If no spare wire on your headunit then you will have to locate the one that comes live when the key is switched on. > Connect to this one. This is the switch wire for your amp so as it comes on with the ignition and off when key is removed.;)

Voodoomelon

tcawley29 wrote: »

i knew all of that except the low pass bit so thank you. what does the low pass setting do. the amp will be powering a sub.

Most amplifiers have a switch that controls a frequency filter. They have a high, low and off setting. If you are connecting a subwoofer, you want to set the switch to low, as you only want low frequencies sent to the sub. If its a 2 channel amplifier, you connect the + and - cables as normal to the subwoofer.
If its a four channel amplifier, you typically bridge the two outer most speaker connections, so the outer + and - terminals.

tcawley29

vectra wrote: »

Sorry,
That should have said "CAR" but I see it is toyota



Wouldn't worry about having it running for a while with the engine off, That kit should not be too heavy on power.

You will have the following.

1 Red wire to Constant 12v supply > Battery with fuse right next to battery connection..

Short Black wire > Earth

Speakers connections, > to your rear speaker(s)

one light wire ( possibly blue )> this goes to yuor headunit, One most headunits there could be a blue wire left idle to power an electric ariel, This is whare you would connect to. If no spare wire on your headunit then you will have to locate the one that comes live when the key is switched on. > Connect to this one. This is the switch wire for your amp so as it comes on with the ignition and off when key is removed.;)

thanks dude, can't see it being too hard of a job. the hardest part i can see is running the cables but that shouldn't be too bad as for finding the switched live wire, that should be handy enough. i have an old cd player that just happens to require the same loom that i used in my previous car. therefore i can just get the wiring diagram of the cd player and trace back the wires on my head unit
many thanks for all ye're help, just trying to decide whether the sub i have picked is really powerfull enough or not :P either way, whatever i buy i shall make sure it supports high level input.
thanks again

vectra

tcawley29 wrote: »

many thanks for all ye're help, just trying to decide whether the sub i have picked is really powerfull enough or not :P either way, whatever i buy i shall make sure it supports high level input.
thanks again

If it is a hatch then that sub is a good starting point until the bug kicks in :P

If it is just an improvement over the standard around then I can see it being spot on for you.
A saloon car needs more to "push" the bass into the cabin.

Just as a matter of interest, what is your approx budget?

tcawley29

vectra wrote: »

If it is a hatch then that sub is a good starting point until the bug kicks in :P

If it is just an improvement over the standard around then I can see it being spot on for you.
A saloon car needs more to "push" the bass into the cabin.

Just as a matter of interest, what is your approx budget?

can't fault the speakers in the car at all never seen a stock system as good just want that extra bit of bass.
my budget would be roughly around the 100 euro mark :P