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pre-amp help!

997 views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  pelican 
#1 ·
Hi all,

So I replaced my shitty '07 non-premium HU with a JVC. I've really liked it and adding a 12" sub+amp (~1500W, monoblock) was easy. So now I want to add an amp for the other channels--I have a pretty nice amp I snagged off CL that would work well--I think--but have some other prospects.

Here's my problem, or misunderstanding, or just idiotness: my HU provides 4 channels of pre-amp (RCA) output; x-over supports the sub, "sub/rear", "front/rear", and "sub/sub". If I add a 4-channel amp, how would I select/differentiate the rear from the sub? Or am I screwed and need to buy an HU with 5- or 6-channel pre-amp output? I'm contemplating only amping the the fronts or masquerading the soundbar as fronts with the front pre-out, as the sub eats the rear out. Has anyone done this? Or had a similar issue?

Thanks my friends.

PS: I'm adding another sub tomorrow. I'll post pics. The bass is kickass,,, I don't expect great sound, just want better sound; I run topless :thumb: and tube half doors--getting ****ing cold in CO--so, I'm trying to buy everything (except the sub setup--thank you Prime) and, though I live in a low-to-no crime town east of the PRB, I still don't want to attract more attention... than I already do (not on purpose, not bragging: my OE DS door got ****ed, so I said **** it and waxed instead of shaved my rig.
 
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#2 ·
You can't get five things out of four outputs.

You lose the two rears to drive the subwoofer amplifier leaving you just two channels to create four channels of audio.

Does your subwoofer take any other kind of input or even have a pass-through on the RCA type connections with an in and then an output? Some subwoofers can take a speaker level input and pull the subwoofer business out of the mix with a low pass crossover.

You really need a headend with at least five outputs - Front L&R, Rear L&R and a subwoofer output. That would keep your front/rear and left/right balances in the headend along with some typically nice subwoofer controls.
 
#3 ·
Thanks, PRP.

I sorta figured as much. So now my quandary is:
1) I could buy a 5-output HU, even though I bought my new one (haven't not planned things out) only a couple months ago; or
2) I select front or rear to be my... hmm... good speakers? I've already upgraded the rears with jLs--yeah, I know the fronts would be the first to upgrade, and that's in the cards, but the rears were much more accessible and I'm perpetually short on time ( aka, marriage)--and use a pretty decent 2-channel amp ( I think it's like 150W peak per channel, abd it was quite an improvement bridged with a POS '08 OE sub I boughtt off a guy for peanuts.

I think option 1 is the correct solution. Option 2 is good too since it's little-to-no cost, and I can always upgrade the HU, add another 2-channel amp, etc.

Either way, I'm conflicted. It's hard to do the easy bandaid, even if it may be a perfectly fine solution--and I run topless and doorless, so I try to source cheap, preferably used, shit in order mitigate getting knocked over, given I ddn't sink a lot of money into the hardware, even though my neighborhood is pretty crime free--but still, if you know what's right, it's hard to do what's next to right.

Thanks again for confirming my fears, friend. I saw it coming, but it's surprising how such a simple question gets 100s of non-answers on Google.
 
#4 ·
if you don't need to fade your speakers front to back then what you have will work just fine. if you like more audio to the front or rear you can just adjust the gain to do that. they have 1 to 2 rca adapters. keep sub to sub and other to amp with rca splitter to get 4ch then set gain for fade. till your ready for a radio with f+r+sub output
 
#5 ·
So I was looking at my 2-channel amp and it does have an RCA output (I think it's a sub-specific output). This thing is good but old and I can't find the manual for it. However, I wonder if the fact of the pass-thru may mean I could amplify my rears and low-pass out to my subs? I guess that's pie-in-the-sky thinking, but I'm also wondering what else it would be there for.

As far as 5- (or 3-, I suppose) channel receivers go, if I were to ditch my JVC--not opposed to this--I'd want a mech-less unit. Any recommendations? Especially if I intended on installing external amplification for all channels?

Also, where would you put your faith as far as signal processing / filtering: the HU or the amp? I know that's a loaded question as HUs and AMPs all differ as far as linearity goes--I've noticed this with my low-cost setup--but where would you put your money if you were me?

Thanks, guys.
 
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