Cant get much output from amp/sub wired from hi-level input.

[bigblackdodge]

Have a situation with my girlfriends 2004 honda accord guys so help me if you can. I DO NOT want to replace her factory headunit bc no one makes a install kit to install a radio in the factory place. I dont know why, but the only kit i can find is the one where you have to remove the cupholders down by the gear shifter which ***** bc you will still have the factory unit up top and a another radio down below it and its in an awkward place behind the shifter.

So I have a old RF 800a2 and its pretty strong. I had it in my work truck bridged on a 12" jbl sub and it got down pretty good, but in this car i have it wired off the 6x9s in the rear deck. It plays fine and clear but not loud at all. I mean you cant hear it over the 6x9's. I even left it hooked up and removed the hi level input and ran a headphone to rca cable adapter from my laptop to the amps rca inputs and it beat the hell outa this 10. I mean it sounded dang good. But playing off the high level it cant be heard inside the car.

Any suggestions on what to do? I never wired any amp using high level inputs but im pretty sure i did this one correctly. It seems to be almost idiot proof. So it shouldn't be a wiring problem.

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[1stgen]

There might be a high pass filter on that speaker signal

 

[bbeljefe]

Double check that you didn't wire one input out of phase.

 

[bigblackdodge]

wire out of phase? Meaning L+ L- R+ R- wired to the wrong leads. saying L+ is wired to L- and/or R+ is wired to R- perhaps? Any way to check which is - or +? Would only the + be hot or have voltage if I meter it through a cab/chassis ground like in a standard 12v +/- setup?

 

[bigblackdodge]

Cant find what wire is - or + so i just swapped the wires around and still sounds the same. Believe that the headunit may have a hpf or something..... But what if i were to get a bass processor like a SOUNDSTREAM BX-20Z car epicenter bass processor off ebay for like 70 bux new? Hook up the high levels, run rc cables to amp and see what it does? Or waste of time and money? This is killing me riding round in her car with no bass. Opinions and options please

 

[bbeljefe]

Cant find what wire is - or + so i just swapped the wires around and still sounds the same. Believe that the headunit may have a hpf or something..... But what if i were to get a bass processor like a SOUNDSTREAM BX-20Z car epicenter bass processor off ebay for like 70 bux new? Hook up the high levels, run rc cables to amp and see what it does? Or waste of time and money? This is killing me riding round in her car with no bass. Opinions and options please

If you'll quote me in your response I will see a notification and that will make me aware of your response. ;-)

Out of phase would mean that positive and negative are reversed on one side and no, speaker wiring is not similar to power wiring. It's an AC signal and there is no permanent reference to ground.

And you mentioned that you swapped the wires around. All of them? Because if one side is out of phase and you reversed both sides, you're still out of phase. You only need to reverse one side, if that's not what you did.

If your head unit is crossing the output to high pass, adding a bass boosting device will do no good because there will be no bass to boost. You need to verify that there is no high pass filter activated on the head unit.

 

[bigblackdodge]

If you'll quote me in your response I will see a notification and that will make me aware of your response. ;-)
Out of phase would mean that positive and negative are reversed on one side and no, speaker wiring is not similar to power wiring. It's an AC signal and there is no permanent reference to ground.

And you mentioned that you swapped the wires around. All of them? Because if one side is out of phase and you reversed both sides, you're still out of phase. You only need to reverse one side, if that's not what you did.

If your head unit is crossing the output to high pass, adding a bass boosting device will do no good because there will be no bass to boost. You need to verify that there is no high pass filter activated on the head unit.

Sorry man im still new this forum and working the kinks out. And thankyou for clearing that up. Yes, I did swap all the wires around and didn't see a difference in anything unfortunately. And yeah i kinda figured the epicenter wouldnt do a whole lot if the headunit was killing the signal. Ill have to try something different.

Considered leaving factory radio in, BUT running a I-Phone to RCA cord to the trunk, hook up a 5 channel amp with a couple RCA Splitters, and wire all speakers and sub to it bc she only uses pandora on her i-phone. The radio would serve no purpose other than as a clock but this is what i have done to my Polaris i have no headunit, only a phone, cord, amp, speakers, and subwoofer.

 

[bbeljefe]

Sorry man im still new this forum and working the kinks out. And thankyou for clearing that up. Yes, I did swap all the wires around and didn't see a difference in anything unfortunately. And yeah i kinda figured the epicenter wouldnt do a whole lot if the headunit was killing the signal. Ill have to try something different.
Considered leaving factory radio in, BUT running a I-Phone to RCA cord to the trunk, hook up a 5 channel amp with a couple RCA Splitters, and wire all speakers and sub to it bc she only uses pandora on her i-phone. The radio would serve no purpose other than as a clock but this is what i have done to my Polaris i have no headunit, only a phone, cord, amp, speakers, and subwoofer.

No worries bro, just offering a way to get a quicker response.

Go ahead and try reversing only one side of the speaker inputs and see how that works. Also, if you plan to go iPhone direct there's a better solution than running a cable. Parts Express sells this blue tooth module for $18.00 and you can install it at the amp so she can connect hands free and so you don't have to run more wiring. ;-)

 

[bigblackdodge]

No worries bro, just offering a way to get a quicker response.
Go ahead and try reversing only one side of the speaker inputs and see how that works. Also, if you plan to go iPhone direct there's a better solution than running a cable. Parts Express sells this blue tooth module for $18.00 and you can install it at the amp so she can connect hands free and so you don't have to run more wiring. ;-)

Heck yeah! Bought the bluetooth adapter so that is so much easier. im sure it will 10x clearer than the fm transmitter thing she was using. Those things are terrible on clarity. I wish i had seen these before i wired up my Razr with 3 sets of rca's. Oh well. Ever get a short or something i know what ill be getting! Thanks