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HU & Speaker ugrade

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#21 ·
Yea, im running the amp tuned down alot. It has a ton of power.
 
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#22 ·
Loved the youtube vids on the amp install, very helpful. However, if you do have the stock Infinity amp, then the Metra harness isnt needed, correct? You could just take the wires at the amp and integrate them with the harnesses provided with the Rockford amp, right?
 
#23 ·
If you install aftermarket speakers and headunit, then you need to bypass the stock amp, it will limit the power output and distort the speakers
 
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#24 ·
Im keeping the stock HU for now, but i want to upgrade the stock Infinity amp to be able to handle the new speakers I plan on getting. How do i integrate the aftermarket amp's wiring with the OEM wires from the stock HU to the Infinity amp that i'll no longer need?
 
#25 ·
youll have to follow a wiring diagram, or you can completely gut the OE wires, and wire them up yourself
 
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#27 ·
Your stock HU is a 2ohm, the new speakers are probably 4ohm. Unless you find 2ohm speakers, then you can use the OE amp. I would just go ahead and replace the HU, can find one on amazon for cheap.
 
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#28 ·
Does it matter if the new speakers are 4 ohms if they are running through the new Rockford amp and not the Infinity amp? The reason why I want to upgrade the amp is so I can get more oomph from the new speakers without having to upgrade the HU yet...
 
#29 ·
nope, as long as the new amp is also rated at 4 ohm, but remember, the headunit is putting out 2 ohm
 
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#30 ·
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#31 ·
Okay, so now I have a new plan. Getting a new HU and speakers, but how would the Rockford amp install look like? I've read some of the other posts say that the stock wiring for the Infinity amp is 20 ga, and it cant handle the power that the Rockford amp would put out. Does that mean i'd completely have to rewire everything? Thats a pain in the ass if i do... also, what kind of harnesses would i have to get to wire everything together

Also, anyone have any ideas on how to do a stealth sub install? I looked around in the back of my 'rango today after having an epiphany last night about where to put my 10 in, but i have rear air and couldnt do it in the back "kick panel" near the liftgate. Any ideas on where to conceal my 10 at?
 
Discussion starter · #32 ·
Ok, I had an Audio installer setup my new Kenwood HU, Rockford 4 Channel 1000 watt Amp & 4x Kenwood Component Speakers ( listed in my first or mid posts ) to replace my Infinity System.

Well, after all is said and done it appears at present that this new System isn't any louder then my old Infinity System...slightly cleaner since the new Amp & Speakers are 4 ohms vs 2 ohms of the stock Infinity System.

My guess ( along with the Audio Installer ) is that since the new HU starts clipping past 25 ( HU goes up to 35 ) the System as a whole can't use its full potential ( which happens to be far better then the stock Infinity System ).

The stock Infinity Amp uses most of its 125-150 ( whatever the max is ) watts when you have the tuner at max, and the HU and Amp is already tuned so there isn't any clipping ( just a slight distortion ). Now, if the Factory Infinity does clip at a certain volume, then I never knew about it.

Now, if I go past 25 on my new HU to lets say 28 or higher, then it sounds much louder then the Infinity System...but unfortunately I can't do that due to clipping.
The Audio Installer mentioned that if I get better Tweets ( then the new Kenwoods installed now ), and install a Sub/Amp combo in Trunk, then the new System as a whole should sound louder.

So, now I will have to bare with mediocare sound until I get better Tweets and a Sub/Amp setup.

Anyone have any other suggestions or thoughts on this as any info would be appreciated.
 
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#33 ·
I don't understand why its clipping? Sounds like this dude does not know how to tune a amp. It should be louder than the stock infinity crap that puts out 10w rms per ch. I had a kenwood HU and on some music i could put it at full blast with no distortion. Its gotta be some older non digital music though. I could keep it at 30 all the time with no issues.
 
#35 ·
TexasCoder said:
I agree with rt99three60...you should NEVER have clipping on a properly tuned system. Sounds like the installer might be missing something.
Click to expand...
I paid a shop one time in my life to install something. It was so out of tune, the sub level was at +15 with the gains up nearly all the way and the bass at +5 it sounded like muddy shit and the crossover was set at like 150 :huh:
 
#36 ·
Op if i was you i would go back to this so called audio professional and chew him a new one because it should not be clipping. Everything you replaced it with is much better than the stock garbage :) I had a system before with a old ass alpine and a crunch amp in my neon and it sounded great with some old shit laying around.
 
Discussion starter · #37 · (Edited)
Yeah, he mentioned doing Audio Install for past several years ( he is between 25-30 yrs old ), and owns his own small business ( much of it traveling to other locations to install Audio equipment ). I also payed him $250 thinking he would install it better then paying $400-500 that 'Best Buy' would have charged for the Audio Install.

He said he tuned it when it was installed, and that the clipping point is anything past volume 25. I was listening to it with him and heard the clipping, and mentioned that it doesn't sound any louder then the Stock Infinity if I have to keep it at volume 25.
When I was listened to music on 13 with this new HU, that just sounded to soft and I would have to keep it on 25 ( max before clipping ) to get anything half-way decent ( fairly loud, but not as loud as I thought it would be.

He also mentioned that he set the Amp at only 25% power ( I guess I didn't need the rest for some reason ), and that the rest wasn't needed.

I know my Rockford 1000 Watt Amp can put out 100 Watts per Channel ( for each of the four channels ), and was hoping to get around 400 watts if I was listening to the HU at high volume. So, if the Amp is only using 25% of its power, then does that means its only putting out roughly 25 Watts per Channel ( for a total of 100 watts )...Hmm, is that what is happening hear and why it doesnt appear to sound any louder then the Stock Infinity.
I know my Speakers can handle up to 250 watts each for a total of 1000 watts if need be, so I know they wont blow if the Amp was putting out only 100 watts per channel ( 400 watts total ).

He mentioned that better Tweets & Sub would help, and when the time comes he would install them for me ( I guess he would re-calibrate the Amp again ).

Anyways, Guess I will take it to an Audio Install Shop and see what they can do before I go back to him for anything.
 
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#38 ·
Something is really wrong! It should not clip out with over 25% of its power. This guy don't know shit. 25 is the loudest i would want it. Go down there and turn the gain to about 60% also how is the crossover set? You want it set to high pass at around 100hz with the frequency. That is how i have mine set up, i know its not the best way to tune it but it only requires a screwdriver and your ears :) Also how is adding subs going to increase the volume of your highs? With it clipping i wouldn't go back to him. FTR best buy sucks too lol
 
#39 ·
Interesting, you can also play with the gain on your amp, there are tons of YouTube videos out there that can demonstrate how to do it.

Also, are you sure the "clipping" is not the amp over heating? When it starts to clip, look at the amp, there should be an LED on there that signifies when the amp is cutting out.
 
#40 ·
I have never had my amps clip out. Guess its because i wired it correctly and can turn a few knobs. Sorry but this shit is so easy for me lol i started doing this when i was like 12 in my dads ram was my first system, i bought some book called the car audio cookbook and used it any time i got lost, been easy since then
 
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