How to install a line driver?

[CarAudioNewbie9 10+ year member]

So I got a 4 volt head unit and I'm looking at installing a line driver. The phoenix gold tld22. I understand that you gotta have it right next to the head unit and all that blah blah. Now this will send a better signal to my amp. MB Quart 4125. Will the MB Quart pass the same signal on to another amp? MB Quart 200.1D. Also, what will I need to ground the line driver and how exactly do you do it? lol noob. Thanks guys.

Click to read more...

 

[CarAudioNewbie9 10+ year member]

LOVE the awesome insight I get on this site sometimes.

 

[CarAudioNewbie9 10+ year member]

....

 

[cebbeler7 10+ year member]

haha this forum ***** sometimes. Line drivers are f&cking awesome, I just put one on my buddies car. OK you got a decent line driver too (had to look it up). Whoever told you to put it up by your head unit is kinda dumb. I mean you could put it up there, but its 1000X easier to put it right by the amp. I don't know if you know exactly what a line driver does, but in case you don't it interrupts the path of the rcas and instead of getting 4 volts, in your case, it will bump it up to 8 volts before clipping. So now to get to the point of your post. I would put it right next to your amp. Next you need to get it power so get some wire and plug some wire into the +12 (power) and connect it to the power in the amp, do the same for the remote and the ground. Now that it turns on you need sound. Take your original RCA that was going into that amp and plug it into the 'input' part of your line driver. Next take another set of RCA's, preferably short ones since the line driver is by your amp and plug one end of the RCAs into the output of the line driver and the other end of those RCAs into the input of your amp. Here I'll draw it out in a picture if you're confused. Hope I helped man.

 

[pieper88 10+ year member]

yeah, hook up the power, ground and remote the same same you hook up your amps. I've got a planet audio line driver and it sits next to my amps.

 

[corrie32 10+ year member]

If you don't mind me asking, why do u think u need a line driver??? BTW great help cebbeler!!! everyone should be this helpfull

 

[cebbeler7 10+ year member]

you like my hella awesome drawing/paint skills? haha thank you sir

 

[blackgp2006 10+ year member]

so its doesnt matter,lets say i have a 1500d the amperage the amp is pulling wont effect the linedriver?

also how much will the voltage drop if i were to use one on a four channel amp? should i get two or one is suffeicent?

 

[cebbeler7 10+ year member]

There's really no point on a 4 channel

 

[blackgp2006 10+ year member]

so the linedriver is more for the sub amps?

 

[cebbeler7 10+ year member]

Well it's more for the sub not really for the amp. Now a line driver can help put less stress on the amp cause when the lone driver goes on you can turn your gain and bass boost down and turn the gain up on te line driver. Your subwoofer is a very large speaker and it starves for power. It's only getting as much power as the amplifier is getting it. It's the voltage that pushes that power to your amp. So the line driver boosts voltage which gives your sub more power to feed off of. This results in it being louder, cleaner, and it's easier on the sub beleive it or not. With the voltage being up it's not straining as much off of the amplifier. But as for a four channel? You're powering 6.5"s or 6x9s. They are small speakers and don't need to be pushed very hard to make them sound good so a line driver really isn't needed. I mean they make 6 channel line drivers for fanatics that want everything to sound absolutely perfect but in my opinion it is a waste unless you are entering a sound competition.

 

[Bass911 10+ year member]

It is supposed to technically be better closer to the head. Line drivers are supposed to be for long cable runs and are meant and designed to run the voltage through a longer than normal rca cable. So if you put it in the trunk, some will say that you are defeating the purpose of the line driver because it's too close to the amp. Most manuals will instruct you to install it as close to the head as possible.

 

[pieper88 10+ year member]

It is supposed to technically be better closer to the head. Line drivers are supposed to be for long cable runs and are meant and designed to run the voltage through a longer than normal rca cable. So if you put it in the trunk, some will say that you are defeating the purpose of the line driver because it's too close to the amp. Most manuals will instruct you to install it as close to the head as possible.

Look at a planet audio line driver though. There is not way to put that close to the headunit. Its the size of a small amp

 

[Bass911 10+ year member]

Look at a planet audio line driver though. There is not way to put that close to the headunit. Its the size of a small amp

Get a smaller one. I don't think Planet put that much thought in their design. I like the Audiocontrol stuff. You could get an EQX and put it by the amp. I know it's an EQ, but it has up to a 9.5v output. It is a awesome azz piece. I don't know how I ever lived without it. I always told myself that I didn't need it, but boy was I wrong! It made my system play louder, cleaner, and made the bass hit harder and deeper. People always ask what kind of speakers I have, but I tell them the EQX is making them shine. I have 2 sets of the PPI 356cs and they just sounded ok at first. The EQX made them sound so good and they don't lack any midbass and the tweeters go crazy. My midbass can be heard over my 2 15's. Just keep in mind no built in head unit Eq can compete with an Audiocontrol Eq. I learned this the hard way. I usually get bored of comp sets pretty quick, but have no desire to upgrade from the PPI's. Some say AC is expensive, but they are totally worth it. The only thing they overprice is that remote control thingy for their digital eq's.