First build, rca and subwoofer question?

[Cornbreadxd 10+ year member]

Ok so i pieced together my system and am going through the install. I have everything removed and waiting for damplifier and spectrum to come and I noticed my avh-p5000dvd( http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=19542 ) headunit doesn't have a dedicated sub rca. I checked a few other threads when i searched this subject but im still kinda confused.

I have a Kicker 650.4 http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=17033 which has the setup for amp1 and amp2 on it and I want that to keep running my components and my 6x9's. I want to use my autotek 1000.1 to run my 12" CVX but because i used 1 rca input for the components(amp1) and the other input for the 6x9's(amp2) i don't have any rcas for the sub. So i read that rca splitters could be used in this thread ( http://www.caraudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=268985&highlight=rca+subwoofer+headunit ) but i was confused about the line level outputs. Anyone have any suggestions because i don't want to have to sacrifice any sound quality. So will I need a splitter and then a line driver booster or do i need to buy a line output converter?

it sounds really nice right now with just the Infinity 6x9's and i want to have rear fill because i have backseat passengers sometimes.

Thanks for any help!

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[boomzilla 10+ year member]

there should be hi level inputs on the amplifier. this is like an rca, only you wire the left and right wires to your speaker wires to get sound. i dunno about it effecting sound quality, i doubt it will, but again im not sure.

 

[Cornbreadxd 10+ year member]

you have any pics of that or how it should be wired cause my amp in the car and its too dark to work on it?

 

[FurbiesAndBeans 10+ year member]

Umm, does your amp have a set of RCA outputs? If it does, you can just use that.

 

[Cornbreadxd 10+ year member]

it has a set of rca outs (4 comps&6x9's) and the headunit has a set of 4. the problem is i don't have rcas open for the sub on the headunit. The kicker has those hi-level inputs but im not sure how those work and i don't have a harness to plug into them. is there a universal one or would something have to be made.

 

[andrewmoore13 10+ year member]

your amp should have 2 sets of inputs and 1 set of outputs... i think? thats how my 4-channel is anyway.

 

[Cornbreadxd 10+ year member]

Ok this is my sub amp which isn't hooked up cause I don't know what I need to do with the rca cables

And this is the 4ch which is wired up and runs great but uses all the rca jacks on the headunit

 

[Cornbreadxd 10+ year member]

so do I need to run one rca cable from the sub amp to the headunit plugged into the left input rear and one rca cable from the 4ch to the headunit into the right rear? or will that not solve my issue? cause the sub is gonna just play mono anyway right or will it matter(or make) if the 6x9's are in mono also

 

[Ugzz]

just take one set of rcas OUT of the 4 channel, run it into your 2 channel. Then use the Line out of your two channel and run that back into the 4 channel. That would be the easiest way to chain them together and not have to pick up any extra equipment, short of one more set of RCA's that is

 

[TurdFergueson2 5,000+ posts]

^^^^ try that.

 

[Cornbreadxd 10+ year member]

ok actually i got an rca piggyback adapter and so far it works out fine but its not shielded or anything special but it works.

but I do have an extra rca cable so if plugged it in like uggz suggests, will the kicker amp still control the rear 6x9's

 

[Ugzz]

it will be the same, just minus the adapter. actually it will be better IF the amp rebroadcasts a good 4v signal or something. if you have a 4v rca and you split it in half and send it two ways you are definitely getting some loss. if you go strait into an amp and then back out of the line out you are not losing anything, well, there is no loss IF the amp re-broadcasts the rca line. it might just have in internal splitter too, which would mean its exactly the same as your splitter you got there.

All your doing is taking your line (i assume its the rear line) and splitting it. So if you then hook up another amp to that same line and fade to it, its going to respond the same way.

So lets say you hook up a sub to that line out. then you fade to the front, your sub will get quieter along with your rears, its getting the exact same signal as the rears.

thats why people recommend to go with a head unit that has a dedicated sub line. If you use either front or rear, it acts just like the front or rear, that goes for anything like balance, fade, or even crossovers etc (if you HU supports those of course).

So i say if you are set of keeping this setup as is, set your fade and balance on the HU to dead center, run the rcas for the front to your 4 channel just as it is. Run the rear to the sub amp, then use the line out and go to the 4 channel. Now that line out is JUST A LINE OUT, it is not modified by the amp in any way, so if you use a x-over or gain etc, it has no effect on that line, its still just your standard rear out, just being re-sent out. when you take it to the 4 channel its just like the other amp wasnt there. So then use your 4 channel to setup the gain and bal/ volume of the rears and just do NOT use the head unit to change the volume of the rears. if you want them louder or softer just go back to the 4 channel and adjust it as needed. That way you wont be screwing with your sub sound.

I hope that made sense, lol, i didnt sleep much then i was out in the sun all day and now im tired as hell and running off of caffeine