Sound Level help ... just making sure

**hailrazer** · 09-05-2009, 11:20 AM

I'm installing my carputer right now in my 2007 Kia Sorento.

It has a factory amp running the 6 speakers. I'm pretty sure it has speaker level inputs because I had an aftermarket radio hooked up and all I had to do was hook up the speaker wires from the aftermarket radio to the speaker wires going to the factory amp and then hook up the amp remote turn-on from the aftermarket radio to the amp turn-on for the factory amp and everything worked just fine, nice and loud.

But now I have the RCA outputs of my Creative External going to the factory amp. I have just cut the RCA's and wired them to the speaker wires going to the am. And of course low volume and not to good sound.

So if I buy a pre-amp line driver, this will help right? And just run the Rca's from the Creative External to the line driver and then out of the line driver, I run the Rca's and then cut them and attach them back to the speaker wires into the amp. Right? This should fix the low and muted sounding volume?

Thanks for the help guys

**PaulF** · 09-05-2009, 03:17 PM

No, a pre-amp line driver definitely won't help. RCA/3.5mm is all line level, speakers are... speaker level.

Voltage on a line level can be from 0-15 volts depending on the volume and the capability of the device putting out the sound. A line driver might be able to boost line level volts from a low voltage source at like 3 volts to 15 volts, but it doesn't convert from line to speaker level.

What you could do...
- get a head unit with aux in and speaker level out
- get an amplifier and feed it the RCA and have it feed the speakers
- get an amplifier and feed it the RCA and have it feed the stock amp

**hailrazer** · 09-05-2009, 04:05 PM

OK but if a pre-amp line driver boosts the signal how could it not help to boost the volume at all?

**Machinehead** · 09-05-2009, 04:42 PM

Because there's a huge difference between a line level output and a speaker level output. You're already at line level coming out of your sound card. You need to amplify the signal to speaker level for that factory amp.

**hailrazer** · 09-05-2009, 04:48 PM

OK how about something like this :
http://www.pylestore.com/pyle-ple702..._store=default

It has the required inputs , it will change it to speaker level for the amplifier, and it will hide behind the dash. Or would it just ruin the sound?

What I'm trying to avoid is running another power/ground/remote turn on and 6 sets of speaker wires. This project is taking to long already.

**PaulF** · 09-05-2009, 04:49 PM

And regardless of whether or not it will help, which it probably will, just not very much at all, these are two different types of signals. Line level is not designed for speakers, speaker level is not designed for line level equipment. Putting line level into something that is expecting speaker level will eventually cause the output device (the computer) to fail.

**PaulF** · 09-05-2009, 04:51 PM

Missed that link, sorry. That right there is just an extremely cheap amplifier that also combines an even cheaper equalizer. With sound products, a device that cheap, will definitely not have good sound quality. Do you already have an after market head unit?

**hailrazer** · 09-05-2009, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by PaulF

Missed that link, sorry. That right there is just an extremely cheap amplifier that also combines an even cheaper equalizer. With sound products, a device that cheap, will definitely not have good sound quality. Do you already have an after market head unit?

No I have a 2007 Kia Sorento. I am putting in a Car Pc. I have no room for an aftermarket head unit.

Apparently I have on of those crazy vehicles where the factory head unit amplifies the signal and then the amplifier, amplifies it some more.

Looks like I will just have to buy a 4 channel amp and install it. I really wanted to keep it simple on this one though.

**PaulF** · 09-05-2009, 05:00 PM

The head unit doesn't necessarily need to be visible. If you already have one, you can just stick it somewhere like behind the screen or in the trunk.

**hailrazer** · 09-05-2009, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by PaulF

The head unit doesn't necessarily need to be visible. If you already have one, you can just stick it somewhere like behind the screen or in the trunk.

How would a cheapo headunit with aux inputs be any better than the Pyle eq?