Compatibility question...

[WheelieBin]

Hey guys,

Disclaimer: I'm sure at least some of the answer to my question is in a thread here - I am however going to ask anyway, because I'd like someone who knows more than me to answer for my specific scenario.

I have a Kenwood DDX4038BT which I would like to install in my Gen4 (already emailed Phat re: facia kit). I don't want to change speakers at the moment. I've been told I would need to change amps to be able to keep centre channel and subwoofer and have been suggested this: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-FUSION-CADA51600-850W-CLASS-D-5-CH-CAR-AUDIO-AMPLIFIER-AMP-5-CHANNEL-/270963171700?pt=Car_Amplifiers&hash=item3f16a9e174#ht_3191wt_1170

Is this all going to play nicely together, or do I need to look at other stuff too?

[mihai]

Personally I wouldn't get a Fusion amp. But hey, thats just my personal preference.

Also, 5 channel amp will be enough to run the speakers in all 4 doors and either the sub or centre speaker.

You have a few options here.

1. Run all 4 doors + sub from 5 channel amp and not worry about centre speaker
2. Run all 4 doors + sub from 5 channel amp and connect centre speaker to headunit (there was a post on how to connect a centre speaker correctly somewhere)
3. Run all 4 doors + centre from 5 channel amp and install seperate amp for sub (this would allow for a more powerful, or bigger, sub to be installed)

Personally, I'd go with option 1 as you won't really benefit from having a centre channel.

[WheelieBin]

Cool, that all makes sense. Would you have any other recommendations for amp? (bearing in mind that other than an eventual sub replacement if I ever have the issues with the sub that others have been posting about, I'm very unlikely to do anything further to the car audio wise - I simply want to get the HU in and functional)

[Bear2230]

I'm really happy with my Hertz HDP5 and all I'm running is the front splits and a sub. The centre channel is no loss I can assure you.

[WheelieBin]

OK guys, need to take another crack at this with some more specific information and questions. Karl and I have been discussing, and neither of us are audio wizards and can't figure it out.

Disclaimer: I know very little about car audio. Yes, I know compared to a lot of other options out there, the head unit probably isn't that spectacular and is the source of most of the problems I'm having getting my head around how to get this all installed, however, it was a Christmas present (and when it was purchased it was going into a Gen3 with stock speakers, not an issue), and ultimately in terms of function it suits my needs. I'm not going to be an audiophile in the car, I have decent headphones, PC speakers and home theatre speakers at home, and very good in-ear noise cancelling earbuds for the office - to be honest I'd prefer to just hear the car anyway, this is just for entertainment purposes

So, the headunit I have is the Kenwood DDX4038BT (which Kenwood Australia's website now seems to deny ever existing which is awesome...), however, having looked beyond Kenwood's useless website, the two specifications I can find that seem relevant are Maximum Output Power : 50W x 4 and 2 Preout (4.0V), Rear/Subwoofer Switchable

Points I need clarification on:
- To my limited understanding, this then implies that only ONE of the preouts can be used at a time, which means I can basically just run a sub amp and then need to run the doors off the head unit?
- If running the doors off the head unit, what do I need to do about crossovers for the front doors? Are these built into the McIntosh amp or are they separate? Are there any after market bits I can get to fill that hole if required?
- Is there definitely absolutely 100% no way to put something between my headunit and the McIntosh amp to break out the (digital/optical?) signal into something that can be hooked up to my HU?

Help?

[zch91]

Points I need clarification on:
- To my limited understanding, this then implies that only ONE of the preouts can be used at a time, which means I can basically just run a sub amp and then need to run the doors off the head unit?
Yes.
- If running the doors off the head unit, what do I need to do about crossovers for the front doors? Are these built into the McIntosh amp or are they separate? Are there any after market bits I can get to fill that hole if required?
Are you talking about using the stock speakers? or aftermarket speakers? Either way, you only need the normal two wires (+ and -) running to the doors
- Is there definitely absolutely 100% no way to put something between my headunit and the McIntosh amp to break out the (digital/optical?) signal into something that can be hooked up to my HU?
Unless you fitted some kind of line converter from your current headunit (since you have no RCA out) and then managed to wire it into the DIN socket on the mcintosh.. then no not really (my opinion anyway)

[WheelieBin]

Thanks Zach - in answer to your question, yes, the intention is to keep stock speakers unless absolutely unavoidable, hence the question about the crossovers. Bear in mind that this is the "14 Speaker" McIntosh system - does your comment re: only needing + and - still apply?

This is sounding a lot simpler than we were thinking... (that's not a bad thing, I'm just not convinced LOL)

[mihai]

First of all, the headunit has 2 PAIRS of pre-outs. This will allow you to do a pair going to an amp for the front speakers and a pair going to an amp for rear OR subwoofer output. What REAR/SUB switchable means is that the RCA pairs that serve the rear or the subwoofer can be switched. If using the rear, the headunit will display a HPF setting for that particular RCA pair. If set to SUB, the headunit should display a LPF setting for that pair.

If the facelift McIntosh is wired anything like the pre-facelift McIntosh cars, then you will have 1 pair of wires entering the doors and then splitting off to each of the speakers in each door. This would therefore imply that each speaker has its own crossover setting (by means of a capacitor).

So all you would need to do is run a pair of wires from your headunit to each of the doors and then connect to the wire that was going to the amp. OR run wires from your headunit to the output of the McIntosh amp and connect the speaker wires into the correct wires there.(I'd go with this method as it would be easier than running individual wires to each door).

I don't think theres anyway to keep the stock amp with an aftermarket headunit. I know you can install an aftermarket amp with the stock headunit but yeah. That doesn't really help you.