Fitting amp to standard HU?????

[weemzer]

This is driving me absolutely mad!! is there any way of fitting an amp to the standard hu? i've heard some talk of rca adaptors but to be honest this ice stuff goes pretty much straight over my head!!

any help/info would be appreciated!!!!

 

[chris999]

as fare as i am aware you can get the rca converter/adapter but it isn't recomended as you could blow the standard head unit and you are looking at rather big bucks for a new one, why not install an after market cd player under the steering wheel then run the amp of that, or what alot of people do is just get some decent 6x9's in a stealth shelf and get some decent components which is what i have done and people think i have subs in my boot! it sounds awesome really! also you wont blow anything up this way!lol

 

[gavthelad]

this would help me too actually.......im useless with the electrical techno on cars, ive had a sub + amp sat in the house from my last car just waiting patiently for attention.

Which adaptors are people using for this??

 

[jonesya3]

im sure one of these would work but not had the chance to try it yet

http://www.autoleads.co.uk/head_unit_adaptor.html

its the Mini ISO to RCA Connector second one in from the top

anyone got any pics of the back of the radio

here's a better pic of it

http://www.lowcostcaraudio.co.uk/sh...isoZZsearchMethodJJproductNameZZproductJJ1747

 

[roly]

im using an Alpine RCA convertor on mine (not sure on correct name but i've got a part number somewhere)

works a treat and haven't had any probs with it as yet

Pete (icecavern) is the person to talk to as he done this to a few mk3's back in the early days

 

[David_smith_909]

i 'used' to use a converter from back speakers to RCA outputs, connected 2 amps, 1 for subs and 1 for back speakers, replaced back speakers with decent ones and front and had NO problems at all, its all out and sold now but i might still have the converter knocking about somewhere if you want me to see if i can dig it out

 

[Barry.L]

why not just get an amp with a line input? itll take the speaker wires as an input instead of rca's. seems alot easier and safer than using a converter.

 

[merlin051]

I'm using a DLS CA30 and a RE8" sub and new 6x4's for the back, running off High level input, works a treat. (Standard HU)

There is a wire on the back of the head unit that you can tap into and use as remote wire to turn the amp on when the HU is switched on. Although teh CA30 doesnt require this as it can turn on by checking for a signal on the High level input

 

[cla55y19]

i use inline inputs and the remote turn on from the standard head unit and it works fine for me pretty much the same way as merlin

 

[gavthelad]

all this high level, low level, medium level stuff has gone so far over the top of my head i dont know where its gone???lol...

David.....any chance you could pm me if you still have it?? ta mate.

 

[David_smith_909]

all this high level, low level, medium level stuff has gone so far over the top of my head i dont know where its gone???lol...

David.....any chance you could pm me if you still have it?? ta mate.

will do, but their only about £7 anyway from your local car audio place
you can just have it if i find it, no good to me these days

 

[gavthelad]

will do, but their only about £7 anyway from your local car audio place
you can just have it if i find it, no good to me these days

oh nice one mate, cheers.......i didnt realise they were that cheap???

 

[David_smith_909]

yeah , its literally a little box same size as a fag box, back speakers go in 1 side, plug RCA's into other side (acting as HU) from their you run it to your amp as you normally would

 

[gavthelad]

cool.......makes life a whole world easier then!!

 

[tbc]

yeah , its literally a little box same size as a fag box, back speakers go in 1 side, plug RCA's into other side (acting as HU) from their you run it to your amp as you normally would

Digging up an old thread here I know, but can you use the back speakers to get the RCA feed even if it's only the front speakers you're connecting to the amp?

 

[p34ch3y]

i thought this when i did mine

id gess so, its the same wires ant it

 

[tbc]

How did you do it?

 

[Adam R]

i really really need to post a FAQ about ICE problems. will do it after my holiday though.

basically buy 1 big 4/5 channel amp that has high inputs (speaker level)
or buy2 smaller 2/3 channel amps that have high level input.

if they are not too big they can be fitter in so many places, if you dont use your glove box take the glove box out and mount them in that huge space behind.

doing it this way means to can have the direct speaker leads comming out of the HU and in to the 1 or 2 amps depending on your setup. then re connect to the standard factory wiring (unless you want to beef them up a little) this means:
1) standard HU with 25WRMS
2) 1 or 2 AMPS than take the signal off your HU then to your speakers.
3) nearly maintain standard wiring
4) its not difficult to do
5) not that expensive


if you chose to run the converter from speaker input to RCA (as i have done untill i find a decent 4 channel amp)

basically from your standard rear wiring (assuming you have installed new speakers in the back)
1) splice off from both left and right rear speakers
2) run them in the boot to where the amp is (presuming its in the boot)
3) solder or crimp connections together with the RCA converter (as per instructions given in the pack)
4)hide the speaker cables (i ran mine under the boot carpet, in to the tyre well then up to where my cd changer is)
5) plug it in to your amp

if you need any pictures, get back to me before 5pm this evening and i will take some pictures of what i have done.

 

[p34ch3y]

RIGHT we realy realy realy need some sort of sticky on ways how to do this

 

[tbc]

I'm using the convertor, and putting my amp in the boot, just wondered if RCA from the back speakers would be the same as the front, as I was told if I'm only amping up my front speakers then there'd be no point taking the RCA feed from the 6x4s in the rear.