Hooking up an Amp to the Stock Radio. Whats needed?

[rickjamesbish 10+ year member]

I'm helping a buddy of mine order a pair of subs for his 2008 Dodge Nitro. He wants to keep the factory radio. We're planning on ordering two Alpine Type-R subs, with either a Pioneer Premier 2-channel amp which will be running 300 watts rms (2 Ohms) to each sub.

My question is what is needed to hook up the amp to the stock radio? I searched around and read that a line level input is needed, but I was also told something like this is needed instead.

http://cgi.ebay.com/MTX-AUDIO-re-Q-REQ-BASS-RESTORATION-SIGNAL-PROCESSOR_W0QQitemZ300232380383QQihZ020QQcategoryZ79842QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It's a bass restoration signal processor by MTX. I don't know a single thing about it except from whats in the description of the auction, so I'm assuming thats all there is to it. Does anyone know anything about this and/or if this is really needed?

Any help is appreciated.

Click to read more...

 

[scarolinablazin 10+ year member]

line level converter and with 300rms per sub i`d go with a type E

 

[rickjamesbish 10+ year member]

what do think about this converter then?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PAC-Trunk-LOC-Adj-2-Ch-Line-Output-Converter-SNI35-TR4_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ38636QQihZ008QQitemZ180253903076QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

 

[rickjamesbish 10+ year member]

I think i need to mention that I'm using this amp.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pioneer-Premier-PIONEER-PRS-D2000T-1200W-2-CHANNEL-AMP_W0QQitemZ130230213276QQihZ003QQcategoryZ39732QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Each channel is going to be running a sub, so is there a different kind of LOC needed?

Also, does anyone have any opinions on this LOC?

http://www.soundgate.com/index.php?request=product.details&categoryid=208&productid=546&usereferrer=1&

 

[rickjamesbish 10+ year member]

anyone??

 

[mil81 10+ year member]

I was thinking about doing the same thing to my dodge, but it was going to cost too much. I opted for the Alpine I already had.

The shitty thing is, Dodge's HU and Amp run co-dependant. So it's hard to run one without the other. And the amp really messes with the signal to make the crappy stock speakers sound better. So it's not just as easy as taking a speaker signal and converting it to the RCA level, because you would get a shitty signal going to the amp, and your subs would always sound horrible.

I know JL makes the signal converter you need, but I don't remember what they call it. I'm not sure if that MTX part is the same thing, but the JL one was going for over $500.

I hope that helped a little bit, though it's not what you wanted to hear.

Murray

 

[rickjamesbish 10+ year member]

Thanks for the input. I was completely unaware of the the stock radio having an amp to run its speakers. Apparently there is an LOC compatible with the Nitro.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-5RxA8VFibBq/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?I=127C2ACHY

Is this the one you were thinking of??