Line Driver or not?

[btdickey99 5,000+ posts]

I am using my standard deck in my 2005 Volvo S40. Should I get a line driver to help my output?

Would there be enough advantage to spend $60shipped for one?

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[btdickey99 5,000+ posts]

anyone please???

 

[vehementSPL 10+ year member]

Well.... (this is just what I have heard so don't flame me cause I am by far no expert in LLCs) Honestly signal wise would there be an advantage ... I would say yes. I know I tested my llc and it is putting out about 1volt per RCA on tones. Now I hear a lot of llc's blow stuff like radios line drivers and amplifiers.... whether this is true or not I do not know. But as far as getting louder with a line driver... I would say yes PLUS if there was a weird spike from the LLC (line level converter) it would take out the line driver and save your amplifier as with no line driver would fry your amp

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

Line level converters and line drivers can differ.A line driver actually ups the voltage where-as a line level converter just turns it from a high level speaker output to a low level RCA output.But some more expensive line level conerters(hi/low converter) will also give you boosted pre-out voltage.This will give you a stronger signal to the amp from the deck.

 

[btdickey99 5,000+ posts]

The particular line driver I got is the Memphis VBF1 9volt, any good?>

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

Memphis is a good product.You should be all right.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

Is there some particular issue you are attempting to fix with the line driver ?

The line driver shouldn't affect the output of your stereo as your amplifiers can produce full power with as little as 200mV. So you generally shouldn't have any issues being able to obtain full power from the amplifier with your current setup......if that's what you were asking.

 

[singlefordrange 10+ year member]

Is there some particular issue you are attempting to fix with the line driver ?
The line driver shouldn't affect the output of your stereo as your amplifiers can produce full power with as little as 200mV. So you generally shouldn't have any issues being able to obtain full power from the amplifier with your current setup......if that's what you were asking.

Not saying you are wrong or trying to disprove you or anything i just want to know how it works for common knowledge. Doesn't a line driver up the voltage going into the amp and the purpose of that amp is to amplifiy that signal to go to your speakers; if you have a higher pre amp then you should have a higher post amp correct? Would this just make it easier to obtain full power from the amp or actually up the output of the amp?

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

An amp takes an input signal and uses it to modulate a pair of fixed high voltage rails to mimic the input signal. The final modulation is done by the output stage of the amp. The output stage is a fixed gain stage. This means that the output is a fixed multiple of the input to that stage. The voltage rails (of a conventional amp) are fixed as well. The rail voltage is the peak output voltage of hte amplifier. If the input voltage to the output stage times the fixed multiplier exceeds this voltage, the excess is simply "clipped" off. The amp runs at its max for that period where the input signal is too high. The sound is hugely distorted during that time and this is what is referred to as clipping.

Since there is a max voltage that the output stage can handle and there is no standard for signal voltage from source units and processors, for the maximum intercompatibility between source units, processors and amplifiers, there has to be a way to match the voltages from the sources to the required voltage of the output stage to keep it from clipping and still get full output from the amp. This is the job of the preamp, or input, stage of the amp. It simply takes the range of input voltages and reduces (or increases) them to the level needed by the output stage for full unclipped power. The input stage uses almost no current since it's driving a very high impedance load so sending it higher voltage doesn't make it work any less hard. The full range of gain should be usable on every amp but some amps have noisy input stages that start to distort or introduce noise with higher gain settings. With a good amp the full range of gain settings are usable so if your source has really weak preouts, the amp can still make full noie free power with the weak signal. Sending it higher voltage won't make it louder though. It will only mean you need to use a lower gain setting to make full power.

 

[singlefordrange 10+ year member]

An amp takes an input signal and uses it to modulate a pair of fixed high voltage rails to mimic the input signal. The final modulation is done by the output stage of the amp. The output stage is a fixed gain stage. This means that the output is a fixed multiple of the input to that stage. The voltage rails (of a conventional amp) are fixed as well. The rail voltage is the peak output voltage of hte amplifier. If the input voltage to the output stage times the fixed multiplier exceeds this voltage, the excess is simply "clipped" off. The amp runs at its max for that period where the input signal is too high. The sound is hugely distorted during that time and this is what is referred to as clipping.
Since there is a max voltage that the output stage can handle and there is no standard for signal voltage from source units and processors, for the maximum intercompatibility between source units, processors and amplifiers, there has to be a way to match the voltages from the sources to the required voltage of the output stage to keep it from clipping and still get full output from the amp. This is the job of the preamp, or input, stage of the amp. It simply takes the range of input voltages and reduces (or increases) them to the level needed by the output stage for full unclipped power. The input stage uses almost no current since it's driving a very high impedance load so sending it higher voltage doesn't make it work any less hard. The full range of gain should be usable on every amp but some amps have noisy input stages that start to distort or introduce noise with higher gain settings. With a good amp the full range of gain settings are usable so if your source has really weak preouts, the amp can still make full noie free power with the weak signal. Sending it higher voltage won't make it louder though. It will only mean you need to use a lower gain setting to make full power.

Very nice my friend! I learned a lot right there! Very informative! I have truly been educated today.