help! pc to amp connection question

bongta029 · 10-22-2009, 07:27 PM

I just sold my oem stereo that has aux input. Until I buy another stereo I want to hook up my netbook straight to amp and speakers. I have old alpine 4channel amp and I looked at faq section for connection, but how do i connect the amp to the speaker? do i need wiring harness? and I do I bring power to the amp? any answers to these would help.

kross · 10-22-2009, 07:56 PM

Here are some articles and videos on amplifier installation you may find helpful:

http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Learn...x?g=120&tp=115

bongta029 · 10-22-2009, 09:33 PM

thanks for the information, but how do i hook up the amp to the car speakers without stereo?

kross · 10-22-2009, 09:49 PM

If you want to use the factory wiring, run speaker wire from the amp to the place where the radio used to be. Then use a Metra wiring harness to hook the wires into the factory wiring.

You could also run the speaker wires directly from the amp to the speakers, using higher quality speaker wires than the factory wires.

vijainair · 10-22-2009, 11:12 PM

kross pretty much said it. Think of it like installing an aftermarket headunit (except with longer wires and no headunit :-D)

bongta029 · 10-22-2009, 11:58 PM

thanks kross.
my car is actually is pre-wired from the previous owner. So All I needed was a terminal for the battery, and figure out how to hook up the wires from the amp.
so metra wiring harness is what I need. but how do i hook up the audio cable(output from the amp) to the wiring harness? i'm little confused on that. little more explanation would help. sorry i'm such a newb

kross · 10-23-2009, 05:08 PM

Metra makes harnesses specific to each vehicle. It will look similar to this:

The plug end plugs into the wiring harness that's already in your car, which used to plug into the back of the stock radio. The other end with the bare wires you splice into your amp's output.

The Metra harness has each wire labeled, like "left front speaker +" and "left front speaker -", which you would splice to the wires coming from your amp.

rickhigginshtbr · 10-24-2009, 06:03 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by kross

Metra makes harnesses specific to each vehicle. It will look similar to this:

The plug end plugs into the wiring harness that's already in your car, which used to plug into the back of the stock radio. The other end with the bare wires you splice into your amp's output.

The Metra harness has each wire labeled, like "left front speaker +" and "left front speaker -", which you would splice to the wires coming from your amp.

and you would need a sound card with RCA outputs to go into the input on the amp.