Okay,
I have spent tons and tons of time reading and I still have a couple questions for the those who know more than me.
I purchased a JVC head unit from Crutchfield which came today. It has RCA front, rear, and subwoofer pre amp outputs on it.
Also coming in the mail are a set of Boston Acoustics components for the front and BA coaxials for the rear.
I want to run these off the new headunit because, as far as I can find, the factory amp is only pushing about 18 watts RMS while my new JVC is pushing 20 RMS. I would just assume us the more powerful amplification system.
But, I want to still use the factory sub and amp in my EX. How do I do this?
Do I just connect the normal speaker connections from the Element to the headunit and then use soldered RCA connections to the stock amp?
Will this hurt anything?
So, to put is shortly, how do I use my new HU to power the door speakers and the stock amp to power the stock sub?
Thanks in advance.
Carl

I also forgot to ask.
On an RCA plug, is the post positive or negative? Obviously the outer ring will be the opposite.
Thanks everyone.

Post is positive, but I'd ohm it out to make sure. I wouldn't be soldering anything is I were you though.

you have to run the preouts to the stock amp connections via the RCAs. If you hook up the speaker outs on the radio you'll be running an amp with another amp and that would be bad. You'd essentially be push 20watts RMS directly to the stock amp. In order to run aftermarket speakers directly off the HU, Id imagine you have to run wire over to the stock amp outputs and splice there to bypass the stock amp. Make sure you unhook from the stock amp the front/rear and then splice it. The subwoofer out (RCA) on your HU would go into the wires that feed the amp to continue using the stock sub/amp.

HU-->AMP-->SUB
HU-->Aftermarket speakers

Im assuming thats what your trying to do?

I think this is your goal.
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/9949/huon8.jpg

Honestly, your not going to gain alot by running off the HU amp btw. It would be easier to just splice in the rca's behind the HU than to go to the trouble of running speakerwire down to the stock amp.

My $.02

Im done posting now.. lol.

Thanks Edpsx. If I have to run extra wires, I will just solder in RCA using Emass's and Outpost's wiring diagrams from their stickies and use the stock amp for everything.
I am sure it will sound fine. If not, well, time for an aftermarket amp then.
Thanks again,
Carl

No prob bob.

Got it up and working with the stock amp and stock sub. Lot more power from the sub now.
Now just got to get my Boston Acoustics in the mail in the next couple days and get them in.

Got it up and working with the stock amp and stock sub. Lot more power from the sub now.
Now just got to get my Boston Acoustics in the mail in the next couple days and get them in.

CMS...did you splice RCA's onto all stock speaker wires for this install or did you harness the speaker wires and splice RCA's onto the sub?

I only ask because my installer harnessed the speakers(thus losing the sub), so I spliced the sub and now the sub works, but is barely audible...I'm concerned that the harnessed speaker wires(that are amped) are the reason I can barely hear the sub and that prolonged use at this setup is going to damage my amp or my speakers.

for more on my concerns...here's is my rant: http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34035

I put RCAs on all the speaker wires. The wires that come out from the car, not the HU obviously.
My sub works great and is kicking harder than before. Maybe it is just my imagination or maybe it is because of the fact that the factory amp is getting a stronger signal now, I don't know. All I know is that there is decent bass for now.
I would pull out the headunit and solder on RCAs to the speaker leads from the harness and plug those into the RCA pre amps on the back of the HU (if you have them, if you don't, I think you need to get an LOC-not sure on this).
Good luck.
Carl

I think a complete RCA splice is the fix and will probably happen this weekend (3 day!!!). I think whats happened (correct me on this people, I suffer from verbal diahrrea :-o )...is that the stock amp is amplifying an already powered source for the speakers, and thus, the sound coming out of the door speakers is at a higher level than that of the sub.

I say this only because I've noticed that at extremely loud volume levels, the sub is actually working quite well... 'course at those levels, the stock speakers are trying to escape the door panels by jumping through the space-time continuum.. :lol:

I don't know what your problem is but I do know that you will be pleased if you go the RCA route. I am.
Good luck.