[BigAl205]

Okay...aparrently the facory amp does NOT have a built in crossover...or at least it's filtered at such a high frequency that it's useless IMO. After playing around with the crossover settings on my headunit, I think the factory sub sounds best filtered at either 80 or 100 HZ, with 80 Hertz being my choice. If an aftermarket radio doesn't have sub outs, then it would definately sound better with some sort of low-pass filter.

 

[NismoGriff]

Okay...aparrently the facory amp does NOT have a built in crossover...or at least it's filtered at such a high frequency that it's useless IMO. After playing around with the crossover settings on my headunit, I think the factory sub sounds best filtered at either 80 or 100 HZ, with 80 Hertz being my choice. If an aftermarket radio doesn't have sub outs, then it would definately sound better with some sort of low-pass filter.

With that being said, then OUZO Power may want to consider something like this PAC XOVER

 

[OUZO Power]

Wow, a $500 head unit that doesn't have a sub out on it I personally don't see the need to do what your diagram is suggesting. If your not using the RCA outs that come with the head unit to power the factory amp, why pay for another part to accomplish what is already provided. My only concern is whether or not there is a crossover built into the factory amp.

Well it's all in one with GPS and I got it for $220 new. Got 4 of them for all my cars.

They work great in all of them. But I have no sub function in the element.

 

[OUZO Power]

Okay...aparrently the facory amp does NOT have a built in crossover...or at least it's filtered at such a high frequency that it's useless IMO. After playing around with the crossover settings on my headunit, I think the factory sub sounds best filtered at either 80 or 100 HZ, with 80 Hertz being my choice. If an aftermarket radio doesn't have sub outs, then it would definately sound better with some sort of low-pass filter.

So get a 80 HZ Fmod.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

 

[BigAl205]

With that being said, then OUZO Power may want to consider something like this PAC XOVER

That would work to give frequency adjustment. I just think the F-Mod would be an easier 'no-wires' installation. Either way, you won't have any independent subwoofer volume control unless you went with a more expensive AudioControl or Rockford Fosgate. Try the F-Mod first, that way you're not out a whole lot of cash.

 

[BigAl205]

So get a 80 HZ Fmod.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

No problem...keep us posted.

 

[Built B16A]

thats my new hifonics amp, i bought for 1 10" sub in the back... i also have a diamond audio amp i will be using for my front door speakers, and the factory sub.

only problem.. the factory sub.. or "factory sub replacement" (kicker 6.5") won't take those really low freq... it hits really hard, but won't rock those low notes.. so im going to be using the subsonic filter..

subsonic filters are basically freq. baselines. for instance. this amp in particular will go down to 15hz. and i can set its low pass (high baseline) to 35hz. thats not much bass to hear. but with the subsonic.. i can raise my lowpass to 100hz, and raise my subsonic to 60hz... and i wont get all those low freq. and really heat up my voice coils on that tiny 6.5'' kicker.

so if your head units don't have EQ's.. you can still get away with using your amps crossovers.

 

[OUZO Power]

Well the good news is I got my sub to work.

- I went and bought a Crossover. Nada
- Tried different configurations. Nada

- Finally I went back to the original setup. Pluged the RCA into the Rear Right RCA Output. TADA

Now I only have to figure out why I have alternator whine when in GPS mode. It has to do with the external GPS HardDrive. Cause when I unplug it the whine goes away.

Thanks for your help guys.

 

[Built B16A]

alt. whine is always grounds.. end of story.

and when you unplug that GPS, your lowering the current usage. so its a ground issue.

 

[HockeyGuy21]

To hook up the radio to the factory sub, you will need a male RCA plug to splice into the small black subwoofer harness. The easiest way to do this is take an old RCA cable, cut off an end and strip back the wires. On most cables there is an outer shield which is the negative, and a center conductor which goes to the pin for positive.

The diagram pic shows how an aftermarket radio would be hooked up. Metra makes a harness (70-1725) which allows you to hook the radio's RCA outputs to the facory harness (more on this later). You will also need an antenna adapter.

ok, i have the metra with the RCAS. now, i plug the RCA's into the front and rear inputs, and the speaker wire on the harness that came with my kenwood is not used. then for the sub, i splice a RCA onto it with a splice and plug that into the other set of RCA's?

My 3 rows of RCA inputs are as follows

AV out W-R
Rear/SW W-R
Front W-R

now, with the Metra with the RCA's, does it matter what color goes into red or white? i know that white and grey and purple and green should go in the same rows since they are connected, but im not sure if it matters if "Green goes in red and Purple goes in White" etc.

thanks

 

[BigAl205]

Left is white, right is red. I just realized that in my drawing I drew them backwards...ooops. So whatever the instructions for the metra says, plug the left into white and the right into red.

Up until now I haven't looked up your particular radio but it looks like it has only front and rear OR front and sub outputs, depending on how you set it up in the menu. I think the A/V outputs are only to be hooked up to external devices such as wireless headsets, etc. I don't know if you could use it as a subwoofer output. You may have to wye off of one of the rear channels to run the sub.

 

[NismoGriff]

Left is white, right is red. I just realized that in my drawing I drew them backwards...ooops. So whatever the instructions for the metra says, plug the left into white and the right into red.

Up until now I haven't looked up your particular radio but it looks like it has only front and rear OR front and sub outputs, depending on how you set it up in the menu. I think the A/V outputs are only to be hooked up to external devices such as wireless headsets, etc. I don't know if you could use it as a subwoofer output. You may have to wye off of one of the rear channels to run the sub.

He might be better off to y-off of the front channels to run the 4 door speakers and use the rear to drive the subs so he can utilize the crossover portion of the headunit. Why don't companies just make them full equipped with F/R/S out, especiall on a head unit like that. WTF

 

[BigAl205]

He might be better off to y-off of the front channels to run the 4 door speakers and use the rear to drive the subs so he can utilize the crossover portion of the headunit. Why don't companies just make them full equipped with F/R/S out, especiall on a head unit like that. WTF

Good idea...you wouldn't have fader control but you would have control over the sub.

 

[HockeyGuy21]

would that be like this diagram you posted?
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=701631&postcount=18

 

[BigAl205]

would that be like this diagram you posted?
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=701631&postcount=18

What we're talking about is running the sub off of the Rear/SW output and running the rest with just the front outputs. You will need a couple of 2-Female to 1-Male Y-adapters (looks like a trip to the elecronics store). You will be running all of the Metra RCA's to just the front radio outputs. You will lose fader control from front to rear (which I leave centered, anyways) but you will have control of the subwoofer and it's crossover point :wink:

 

[HockeyGuy21]

What we're talking about is running the sub off of the Rear/SW output and running the rest with just the front outputs. You will need a couple of 2-Female to 1-Male Y-adapters (looks like a trip to the elecronics store). You will be running all of the Metra RCA's to just the front radio outputs. You will lose fader control from front to rear (which I leave centered, anyways) but you will have control of the subwoofer and it's crossover point :wink:

ahhhh i was just there to get the Metra and antenna pieces!!!! im going mad! :evil::evil::evil:

but what you said, is it like that picture that i linked to? sounds like it but i want to make sure

 

[BigAl205]

ahhhh i was just there to get the Metra and antenna pieces!!!! im going mad! :evil::evil::evil:

but what you said, is it like that picture that i linked to? sounds like it but i want to make sure

Not quite. You just had to make me draw another picture didn't you? :wink:

 

[BigAl205]

P.S. Don't blame me...blame Kenwood.

 

[HockeyGuy21]

sweet thanks

your good at drawing them, so im sure its ok haha

 

[NismoGriff]

We could make it more complicated and say to use a LOC on the rear speaker outputs to feed the OEM amp a line level signal for rear speakers, use the front rca outputs for the fronts and switch the rears to sub to run the sub Although I love to have control over the entire system, I am with BigAl, not having front/rear fad control is not as critical as having sub level and xover control. Don't make me drive down to Indiana to install this for you