Stock headunits +aftermarket drivers...

[arsonbob 10+ year member]

I'm getting a mazda 6 wagon today and want to throw a nice system in there. I had a low budget one where I simply used the stock headunit and throw my subs in there with better door speakers (non amplified).

My question is, is it a bad idea to simply drop the rear fill for the subwoofers inputs and run it off that headunit? (technically off the amplifier's power of course.) Will I run into SQ issues, clipping, etc of any type? I also want to know if I would run into this same problem if I threw in some components and an amplifier for the front fill too.

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[kross 10+ year member]

Your post is confusing. Are you wanting to power your subwoofer from your headunit? You can't do that, not anywhere near enough power. HU's put out about 22wrms, no more. Subwoofers need a few hundred watts.

 

[arsonbob 10+ year member]

I was actually talking about simply using the audio outs of the headunit to put into the amp (the sound signal itself). Then from the amplifier to the subwoofer of course.

I have done this before, but want to make this a permanent setup. Only reason I am asking is I like the stock headunit/faceplate/controls of the mazda 6 as it is (6 disc changer and all).

 

[IamDeMan 5,000+ posts]

You need top use either a line out converter, cleansweep or 3sixty

 

[kross 10+ year member]

I've heard that you can get pretty decent SQ with LOC's. Most amps have a built-in one (the high-level speaker inputs on the amp, as opposed to the RCA inputs). I don't know if an external LOC would be better SQ than the ones built into most amps.

I've read on http://www.bcae1.com that many HU's will begin clipping the speaker outputs as low as 1/2 volume, whereas the RCA outputs will usually not start clipping until much higher on the volume knob.

 

[youngfu 10+ year member]

For some time I used LOC in Mazda 3 and I didn't like it.

The sound from the subwoofer stayed in the back. I just couldn't make it sound in the front stage without external processing.

Now I have 880prs in the glove box and the difference is day and night.