embarrassed to ask: subwoofer wiring?

telekineticfool · 03-22-2004, 11:53 PM

Hey guys, I'm embarrassed to have to ask this, but a friend of mine wants help installing a subwoofer in her jeep.

I know how to do most of it, but how would you go about wiring it to a stock radio that has no subwoofer out?

I wired my carputer and my subwoofer, but my HU has sub-out, so I can do all of the rest of the wiring just fine once I figure out where to pick up a signal from.

Thanks guys!

PS. I tried to

and

for a few minutes before I posted. If anyone can slip me some better google keywords I'll happily try some more.

gospeed.racer · 03-23-2004, 12:05 AM

Umm...I am thinking high to low level converter to make Rca out of a stock deck.....then an Amp...then the subs. Or maybe a cheap amp that has high level inputs. Best go to the local stereo shop and ask them what they use to do the same, they may have a cheap answer.

http://www.caraudiohelp.com/car_audi...dio_system.htm
on this page, look at the second pic down..that is an exapmle of a low level convertor....from this you will do the install just like your car pc

allenruble · 03-23-2004, 05:49 AM

Does the jeep have seperate amp from the head unit ? This how I do it for new car owener's that won't to keep their stock head unit . If it doesn't have seperate amp you can just find the wires that goto the rear speaker's and splice in to the wires . I have seen this in a car audio were they just put rca cable ends on the end of the wire plug right in to the amp and turn down gain . I have tried this and works good.

I did a google search with (amp to stock headunit ) (amp to stock head unit)

galileo8 · 04-12-2004, 11:39 AM

I used one of these when I needed to do that in my old truck

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-uHPGvt5...=1&cc=01&avf=Y

ashbosh · 04-12-2004, 12:19 PM

Although all of the above info is correct, I'd recommend you buy a mono or dual channel amp to drive the subwoofer. Ain't no fun using sub without amp.

sfay93 · 04-12-2004, 12:33 PM

Like gospeed said, use the high level to low level converter then just run RCAs to your amp or buy a cheap amp that has high level inputs. I would also make sure that the amp has a built in crossover because it will sound pretty terrible with you mids and highs coming out of it.

pimpJ · 04-14-2004, 08:26 AM

yah, my friend tried this without a crossover and it sucked horribly. Make sure U get that

terrastudios · 04-14-2004, 08:31 AM

hi,
if the headunits got rca output (check for phono sockets on the back of it) then run a rca lead between the headunit and youll need to invest in a amp (make sure its got a low pass filter on it), enable the low pass filter on the amp - youll want it set to about 85hz - and hook the subwoofer to the amp. this should do you, if your head unit doesnt have rca output then youll need either a high level -> low level converter or an amp with high level inputs. either way just hook into one of your speaker outputs (say front left) and run them to either the high level -> low level converter or the high level inputs on the amp (depending which way you do it). again make sure the amp has a low pass filter on it, and enable this and set it to 85hz. then hook the subwoofer up to the amp output, and your away! most head units wont have a subwoofer out because it takes a hell of a lot of power to drive a large subwoofer (in my car ive got a 900 watt peek amp just for the subwoofer) - my head unit was 4x 45w, so no where near enough power!

hope this helps,

matt.

slushieken · 04-16-2004, 05:05 PM

agreeing with previous poster... electronic crossover is a must. It may cost a bit, but when you hear the difference you will be amazed. Plus, you can get by with a lesser amp and subwoofer since your stripping out the unintended sounds from the signal.

And skip the passive crossovers. They barely work.

When I was younger and poorer I bought a $80 electronic crossover that took speaker level in from both a left and right channel, combined it to a single channel sub output (important too, unless you just want to hear the bass from the left channel only) and a pair of high/middle out, all at line level.

Made my $40 amps and $150 sub sound about ten times better. I was about to throw it all out until I tried this. Got rid of all the distortion, since the mid/high speakers no longer had all that bass overloading them, and the sub only had to play what it was built for - low notes. Good luck!

port20 · 04-16-2004, 10:12 PM

use the high level in on the amp if it has one it will sound better and cost less

LESLIEx317537 · 04-17-2004, 10:38 AM

Use the speaker level inputs on the amp if it has them. Otherwise you need to convert the speaker levels to RCA's.
If your amp has speaker level inputs, you just tap into the rear left or right + and - speaker wire. (Only need one if you run single mono sub)
If the amp has a built in sub crossover you can trun that on so no high frequencies go to the sub.

port20 · 04-18-2004, 12:31 AM

LESLIEx317537 don't say something stupid just right or just left is not mono right and left combined is mono if only use one side you will only get half of the sound

LESLIEx317537 · 04-18-2004, 01:34 AM

What are you talking about?

I didn't say somthing stupid. Lets look at the facts.

I have a Kenwood amp that is stereo (2ch) and it says to hook up the left rca to the left rca in on the amp, the right rca is not used for a mono amp setup.

Bass is not directional. What is int he left channel will be in the right channel. Most people do not make music with bass balance.

So please, unless you wanna get flamed, don't say I said somehting stupid. I was trying to help and I hate when I see a post like yours above.

I have a Audigy 2 NX 5.1 digital setup going in my car with 2 amps. Any questions?

LESLIEx317537 · 04-18-2004, 01:38 AM

#1 rule. n00bs should not say that old school members say stupid things.

Half the sound is the dumbest thing I heard so far. What's that mean?
Bass is encoded in both channels fool.

Pokey · 04-19-2004, 09:45 AM

An inductor will pass low frequencies and block high frequencies, a capacitor will pass high frenquency and block low frequency.