Factory Amp Upgrade
03-25-2015, 01:35 PM
#61
This is great information! I have a Audi A6 Allroad 2013, with Audi Sound System (premium non bose).
I just installed a JL Audio XD200/2v2 (using it in bridge mode to get 200w @ 4 ohm), and using a JL Audio CP108LG-W3v3 8" woofer box.
Im also using a DLS HLC4 high>low converter (HLC4 - Hög / lågnivåomvandlare)
The problem i have with is is that when i play i high volumes it actually lowers the bass , but i assume thats because i've tapped in to the sub-channel, and since the original "woofer" is a joke, the system lowers the input to that channel on high volumes to prevent it from damage?
I'm going to tap in to the rear channels (both left and right) tomorrow to get full range input and in stereo.
Going forward i have a few questions
1: Should i ditch my amp and get a JL Audio XD600/6v2 (please recommend an other if its nog good!) to drive the whole system instead? Will that be enough for the sub and the rest of the system?
Will i benefit alot in sound quality even if its taking the original signals from the factory amp using high>low conversion?
2: If i should replace the rest of the speakers in the car, what "kit" do you recommend? JL Audio?
Sorry for a lot of text, thanks!
Regards,
Marcus from Sweden
I just installed a JL Audio XD200/2v2 (using it in bridge mode to get 200w @ 4 ohm), and using a JL Audio CP108LG-W3v3 8" woofer box.
Im also using a DLS HLC4 high>low converter (HLC4 - Hög / lågnivåomvandlare)
The problem i have with is is that when i play i high volumes it actually lowers the bass , but i assume thats because i've tapped in to the sub-channel, and since the original "woofer" is a joke, the system lowers the input to that channel on high volumes to prevent it from damage?
I'm going to tap in to the rear channels (both left and right) tomorrow to get full range input and in stereo.
Going forward i have a few questions
1: Should i ditch my amp and get a JL Audio XD600/6v2 (please recommend an other if its nog good!) to drive the whole system instead? Will that be enough for the sub and the rest of the system?
Will i benefit alot in sound quality even if its taking the original signals from the factory amp using high>low conversion?
2: If i should replace the rest of the speakers in the car, what "kit" do you recommend? JL Audio?
Sorry for a lot of text, thanks!
Regards,
Marcus from Sweden
03-26-2015, 01:13 AM
#62
AudiWorld Senior Member
The problem i have with is is that when i play i high volumes it actually lowers the bass , but i assume thats because i've tapped in to the sub-channel, and since the original "woofer" is a joke, the system lowers the input to that channel on high volumes to prevent it from damage?
I would not be surprised if your bass levels issue were caused by some type of Loudness control in the factory system.
One solution which I can think of would be to use a DSP with a separate volume controller instead of a simple Line Converter. Some examples of DSP with volume controls are: Mosconi, Audison, Helix. When you use a DSP like those, you can set your factory audio volume at the highest undistorted level, and then use the DSP volume control as the master. This will prevent any Loudness controls from changing the bass output.
Going forward i have a few questions
1: Should i ditch my amp and get a JL Audio XD600/6v2 (please recommend an other if its not good!) to drive the whole system instead? Will that be enough for the sub and the rest of the system?
Will i benefit alot in sound quality even if its taking the original signals from the factory amp using high>low conversion?
1: Should i ditch my amp and get a JL Audio XD600/6v2 (please recommend an other if its not good!) to drive the whole system instead? Will that be enough for the sub and the rest of the system?
Will i benefit alot in sound quality even if its taking the original signals from the factory amp using high>low conversion?
2: If i should replace the rest of the speakers in the car, what "kit" do you recommend? JL Audio?
I am very interested in trying the new Illusion Audio Carbon C4 CX point-source speakers. I will probably put those in my wife's SQ5 along with the Carbon 8 midbass, and run everything with a Mosconi D2 80.6 DSP. It's a DSP and amplifier combo. Very small.
03-26-2015, 07:08 AM
#63
I've re-connected the high->low using the rear speakers in stereo today, and the is a WORLD of difference.
Damn that JL small form factor sub rocks
Btw, its pin 1 and 5 for left, 4 and 5 for right
Damn that JL small form factor sub rocks
Btw, its pin 1 and 5 for left, 4 and 5 for right
02-01-2016, 10:21 AM
#64
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remote wire?
what is the color of the remote wire you tied into, or what do the number correspond too? I hooked up an Alpine M500 Mon amp and it has remote turn on line level inputs that are supposed to turn on and off the amp, but the amp doesn't seem to be turning off, so I guess I need to connect the remote wire of the amp to a switched source.
what did you use?
what did you use?
Hello All: Sorry for the delay in responding to some of the questions.
OK wires have been identified as under but some pre information first.
There are 5 speakers in Audi premium plus base model, and a subwoofer.
The speakers are
1. Driver side door - front left
2. Passenger side door - Front right
3,4. Rear passenger side doors - Rear Right and Left
5. A center speaker inside the front dashboard (right in the middle above the MMI screen)
Of course, subwoofer is on rear deck.
Procedure:
I did not want to cut any wires till I was sure of what goes where. There was a wiring diagram shared by one of the members here but was too confusing for my understanding (my IQ levels are on the lower side of the bell curve and outside it :-) ). So this is what I did.
1. Ensured the power leads are the one that I was assuming them to be using a multimeter (12V)
2. Ensured the remote turn on cable by measuring the voltage against the ground (12 V)
3. Measured resistance of each pair of wires till I got readings of 2 or 4 ohms. I did this to pair up the wires for all the speakers in the car. BTW, there are 3 speakers with 4 ohms and 2 speakers with 2 ohms. The driver side 2 speakers are 2 ohms (Make sure the amp that you are trying to install can handle 2 ohms). Subwoofer is 4 ohms.
4. I took 2 leed wires. I stuck them into the first pair of sockets representing the first speaker. I used a 3.7 volt battery and brushed the other end of the leads against battery to make the speaker make a slight popping sound. My son helped me in identifying the speakers as we repeated this procedure for all the pairs.
OK, now that I have told you what I did (you can do this too if you do not trust me. It is easy enough), let me document what I found out.
From earlier hand drawn diagram of the socket that goes into the factory amp,
41,42: Confirmed as the power/ground
13,9: Subwoofer
14,10: Center speaker in the dashboard
11: remote turn on with 12 volts when the car is on
1,5: Rear right
2,6: Front right
3,7: Front Left (driver side)
4,8: Rear right
Remember, all speakers are giving me 4 ohms except front left and front right which are 2 ohms. These 2 ohms speakers will draw more power from the amp and your amp should be able to support it. Amp channels are rated for impedance. You amp better be rated for 1.5 to 2 ohms per channel.
Next steps are:
1. Cut the following wires:
- 1,5: 4,8, use a speaker to RCA convertor, solder to the cut cables, and feed the rear input channel of the amp (i have a 6 channel amp, 2 channels for front speakers, 2 channels for rear speakers and 2 for subwoofer. my amp does accept SPEAKER level inputs. If yours does not you will have to buy a line input convertor like LC6i)
- 2,6 : 3,7, use another speaker to rca cable, solder to cut cables, and feed the front input channels of the amp
2. Tap into the subwoofer speaker level cables and feed the subwoofer channels on the amp.
3. Connect the wires going to the speakers (other part of the cut cable) to the amp output.
4. Turn on the setup
5. CROSS ALL YOU FINGERS :-)
I just figured out that I am missing some of the small things like the speaker to rca caables, solder, flux etc. Just ordered them should come by next weekend. Stay tuned for progress.
(Continued in the next post)
OK wires have been identified as under but some pre information first.
There are 5 speakers in Audi premium plus base model, and a subwoofer.
The speakers are
1. Driver side door - front left
2. Passenger side door - Front right
3,4. Rear passenger side doors - Rear Right and Left
5. A center speaker inside the front dashboard (right in the middle above the MMI screen)
Of course, subwoofer is on rear deck.
Procedure:
I did not want to cut any wires till I was sure of what goes where. There was a wiring diagram shared by one of the members here but was too confusing for my understanding (my IQ levels are on the lower side of the bell curve and outside it :-) ). So this is what I did.
1. Ensured the power leads are the one that I was assuming them to be using a multimeter (12V)
2. Ensured the remote turn on cable by measuring the voltage against the ground (12 V)
3. Measured resistance of each pair of wires till I got readings of 2 or 4 ohms. I did this to pair up the wires for all the speakers in the car. BTW, there are 3 speakers with 4 ohms and 2 speakers with 2 ohms. The driver side 2 speakers are 2 ohms (Make sure the amp that you are trying to install can handle 2 ohms). Subwoofer is 4 ohms.
4. I took 2 leed wires. I stuck them into the first pair of sockets representing the first speaker. I used a 3.7 volt battery and brushed the other end of the leads against battery to make the speaker make a slight popping sound. My son helped me in identifying the speakers as we repeated this procedure for all the pairs.
OK, now that I have told you what I did (you can do this too if you do not trust me. It is easy enough), let me document what I found out.
From earlier hand drawn diagram of the socket that goes into the factory amp,
41,42: Confirmed as the power/ground
13,9: Subwoofer
14,10: Center speaker in the dashboard
11: remote turn on with 12 volts when the car is on
1,5: Rear right
2,6: Front right
3,7: Front Left (driver side)
4,8: Rear right
Remember, all speakers are giving me 4 ohms except front left and front right which are 2 ohms. These 2 ohms speakers will draw more power from the amp and your amp should be able to support it. Amp channels are rated for impedance. You amp better be rated for 1.5 to 2 ohms per channel.
Next steps are:
1. Cut the following wires:
- 1,5: 4,8, use a speaker to RCA convertor, solder to the cut cables, and feed the rear input channel of the amp (i have a 6 channel amp, 2 channels for front speakers, 2 channels for rear speakers and 2 for subwoofer. my amp does accept SPEAKER level inputs. If yours does not you will have to buy a line input convertor like LC6i)
- 2,6 : 3,7, use another speaker to rca cable, solder to cut cables, and feed the front input channels of the amp
2. Tap into the subwoofer speaker level cables and feed the subwoofer channels on the amp.
3. Connect the wires going to the speakers (other part of the cut cable) to the amp output.
4. Turn on the setup
5. CROSS ALL YOU FINGERS :-)
I just figured out that I am missing some of the small things like the speaker to rca caables, solder, flux etc. Just ordered them should come by next weekend. Stay tuned for progress.
(Continued in the next post)
02-04-2016, 05:02 PM
#66
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02-05-2016, 02:46 AM
#67
AudiWorld Senior Member
Remote power
I tapped into the 12V power outlet in the trunk. It is near where my amp is located & it is switched power.
11-30-2016, 02:06 PM
#68
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I guess i can ask here.
Can someone help me troubleshoot my "system", I've did the sub upgrade a year ago and as of 3mo ago it stopped working! Thinking its the amp i send my amp for warranty work (rf r500x1d) came back a week ago and after instaling it still nothing. Blue LED is on power is a 4gauge with a fuse, ive tapped in to the sub wires at the sub plug in ( where you disconnect the sub on the rear shelf).
Tried using my phone as a line in (3mm to RCA ) still nothing!!
Any suggestions would help.
Can someone help me troubleshoot my "system", I've did the sub upgrade a year ago and as of 3mo ago it stopped working! Thinking its the amp i send my amp for warranty work (rf r500x1d) came back a week ago and after instaling it still nothing. Blue LED is on power is a 4gauge with a fuse, ive tapped in to the sub wires at the sub plug in ( where you disconnect the sub on the rear shelf).
Tried using my phone as a line in (3mm to RCA ) still nothing!!
Any suggestions would help.
06-05-2019, 06:10 AM
#70
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2016 base stereo
The cubby in trunk drivers side is empty, no amp at all, can anyone advise where it is now located ? Where can I tap into the full range multi channel signal to add amplifier?