Audio Wiring Question

CNUco2007 · 05-09-2006, 12:31 PM

Okay, I just installed my JL Audio 12w6v2 in my Si, and i simply spliced a LOC into the rear speakers. My amp (JL Audio 500/1) is using signal sensing to turn itself on. Here's where my question comes in though.Why does the output of my subwoofer depend on the level of the stock subwoofer? (which is disconnected) Does the level of the stock subwoofer effect the bass going to the rear speakers? Thats what it seems like. Maybe the signal for the stock subwoofer is spliced off the rear speaker signal as well and run into the amp that drives it? anybody know if this is true. its really wierd. either way its nice to have my JL back

negativezeroz · 05-09-2006, 12:58 PM

The bass setting on your HU will determine the bass for the overall system while adjusting the gain will adjust the level of the sub individually. Your HU simply increases the bass frequencies when you adjust the bass setting on the hu. In turn, increasing the bass frequencies across the entire band (~400 and below is what many consider bass...but really that includes midbass and subbass)

CNUco2007 · 05-09-2006, 01:11 PM

any idea why the stock subs gain setting affects the signal to my JL when the JL is spliced into the rear speakers? The only way i can figure this would be the case is if the signal for the stock sub is also taken off the rear speaker channels and when you adjust the gain, it ups the signal to the rear. I could be wrong but it was my best explination since i dont have a wiring diagram for the audio system. One thing that is nice though is if i turn off the stock sub's signal, my JL pretty much turns off too haha. I guess in the end it all works out, its just wierd.

negativezeroz · 05-09-2006, 01:13 PM

Wait so are you running an LOC spliced into your rear channels then RCA's to your JL? Or are you just running line-level's to your JL?

And when you say "stock subs gain setting affects signal to my JL," do you mean when you turn up your bass setting on the HU your sub also goes up? If so, that's normal because the signal is being increased throughout the entire band and since you are spliced into the rear channels, the signal is increased.

CNUco2007 · 05-09-2006, 02:04 PM

i have a LOC spliced to the rear speakers, then RCA's run to my JL. I know that increasing the BASS setting would increase the bass to the whole system, i just didnt think the subwoofer level used to crank up the stock sub affected the whole system. sry i sound confused lol. I'm not used to working w/ a stock system. My last car I had all aftermarket and I wired it all up so I knew how it all worked together haha. I just dont have the money atm to upgrade anything. I'm just installing a subwoofer i already had.

asleeptil3 · 05-09-2006, 09:46 PM

CNUco2007,
I'm in the same boat as you. I'm adding a powered sub to my EX w/navi and was wondering what to do with the stock sub and where to get the signal for the new sub. Is there a reason you took the signal from the rear speakers and not the sub output? Is it worth it to disable the stock sub? From your description it seems there's no high-pass filter on the rear speakers, since you're able to drive your sub from them. So, is our 7 speaker stereo powered by a 4 channel amp?

anvil · 05-09-2006, 11:38 PM

I don't know the answer to your question, but if you set the fader all the way to the front, it disables the wubwoofer as well.

Just food for thought

xtv-sidecar · 05-09-2006, 11:54 PM

The HU runs RF, LF, RR, LR to the stock amp and gets split up to the 7 speakers from there. Don't ask me how they cotrol the sub from the HU.
It is just an Illusion?
I didn't look into the amp that much....

CNUco2007 · 05-10-2006, 09:24 AM

here is my guess, but keep in mind its a guess heh. I think that when you turn off the subwoofer from the head unit, it cuts off the very low end frequencies to the rear speakers. And i think its the rear channel that the amp splits into rear speakers (L and R) and the stock sub. So to turn off the sub, they just cut off the frequencies going to it haha. I could be wrong but that would explain why i only get the low end when the stock sub is on. ( whether its hooked up or not )

As for why i spliced into the rear speakers, this is because ive had bad luck in the past trying to reuse the subwoofer output. I rather use a full range signal from my rear speakers and put a LPF on the signal for my subwoofer (its built into the amp). Plus it will give me better freedom as to where the frequency cutoff is.

Ive decided my problem atm is that my RCA cable is having problems so i ordered a new one. Hopefully after that, everything will work

06NighthawkSi · 05-10-2006, 04:13 PM

CNUco2007 Just disconnect the subwoofer plug of the stock sub and tap into those wires for the LOC. It made a big difference in bass with mine.

r3dlin3 · 05-10-2006, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 06NighthawkSi

CNUco2007 Just disconnect the subwoofer plug of the stock sub and tap into those wires for the LOC. It made a big difference in bass with mine.

yeah do that.

CNUco2007 · 05-11-2006, 09:05 AM

ok thx haha

r3dlin3 · 12-12-2006, 08:31 AM

Hey, howd that install go?

I just refound this thread and am curious...

It's hard for me to "hear" what you're saying because my EX doesn't have a sub. I'm assuming stock subs have HUs with sub controls. I can see how you're hearing that sub frequencies are cut off when the sub control is off. Maybe the rear speakers just don't handle those frequencies?

05-09-2006, 12:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
CNUco2007 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chesapeake, VA Age: 24 Posts: 1,210 Eric iTrader: 6 / 100%	Audio Wiring Question Okay, I just installed my JL Audio 12w6v2 in my Si, and i simply spliced a LOC into the rear speakers. My amp (JL Audio 500/1) is using signal sensing to turn itself on. Here's where my question comes in though.Why does the output of my subwoofer depend on the level of the stock subwoofer? (which is disconnected) Does the level of the stock subwoofer effect the bass going to the rear speakers? Thats what it seems like. Maybe the signal for the stock subwoofer is spliced off the rear speaker signal as well and run into the amp that drives it? anybody know if this is true. its really wierd. either way its nice to have my JL back

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05-09-2006, 12:58 PM	#2 (permalink)
negativezeroz Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 1,922 iTrader: 2 / 100%	The bass setting on your HU will determine the bass for the overall system while adjusting the gain will adjust the level of the sub individually. Your HU simply increases the bass frequencies when you adjust the bass setting on the hu. In turn, increasing the bass frequencies across the entire band (~400 and below is what many consider bass...but really that includes midbass and subbass)

05-09-2006, 01:11 PM	#3 (permalink)
CNUco2007 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chesapeake, VA Age: 24 Posts: 1,210 Eric iTrader: 6 / 100%	any idea why the stock subs gain setting affects the signal to my JL when the JL is spliced into the rear speakers? The only way i can figure this would be the case is if the signal for the stock sub is also taken off the rear speaker channels and when you adjust the gain, it ups the signal to the rear. I could be wrong but it was my best explination since i dont have a wiring diagram for the audio system. One thing that is nice though is if i turn off the stock sub's signal, my JL pretty much turns off too haha. I guess in the end it all works out, its just wierd.

05-09-2006, 01:13 PM	#4 (permalink)
negativezeroz Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 1,922 iTrader: 2 / 100%	Wait so are you running an LOC spliced into your rear channels then RCA's to your JL? Or are you just running line-level's to your JL? And when you say "stock subs gain setting affects signal to my JL," do you mean when you turn up your bass setting on the HU your sub also goes up? If so, that's normal because the signal is being increased throughout the entire band and since you are spliced into the rear channels, the signal is increased.

05-09-2006, 02:04 PM	#5 (permalink)
CNUco2007 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chesapeake, VA Age: 24 Posts: 1,210 Eric iTrader: 6 / 100%	i have a LOC spliced to the rear speakers, then RCA's run to my JL. I know that increasing the BASS setting would increase the bass to the whole system, i just didnt think the subwoofer level used to crank up the stock sub affected the whole system. sry i sound confused lol. I'm not used to working w/ a stock system. My last car I had all aftermarket and I wired it all up so I knew how it all worked together haha. I just dont have the money atm to upgrade anything. I'm just installing a subwoofer i already had.

05-09-2006, 09:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
asleeptil3 Junior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2 iTrader: 0 / 0%	CNUco2007, I'm in the same boat as you. I'm adding a powered sub to my EX w/navi and was wondering what to do with the stock sub and where to get the signal for the new sub. Is there a reason you took the signal from the rear speakers and not the sub output? Is it worth it to disable the stock sub? From your description it seems there's no high-pass filter on the rear speakers, since you're able to drive your sub from them. So, is our 7 speaker stereo powered by a 4 channel amp?

05-09-2006, 11:38 PM	#7 (permalink)
anvil Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Age: 27 Posts: 75 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I don't know the answer to your question, but if you set the fader all the way to the front, it disables the wubwoofer as well. Just food for thought

05-09-2006, 11:54 PM	#8 (permalink)
xtv-sidecar Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: At work most of the time. Posts: 2,472 Kevin iTrader: 11 / 100%	The HU runs RF, LF, RR, LR to the stock amp and gets split up to the 7 speakers from there. Don't ask me how they cotrol the sub from the HU. It is just an Illusion? I didn't look into the amp that much....

05-10-2006, 09:24 AM	#9 (permalink)
CNUco2007 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chesapeake, VA Age: 24 Posts: 1,210 Eric iTrader: 6 / 100%	here is my guess, but keep in mind its a guess heh. I think that when you turn off the subwoofer from the head unit, it cuts off the very low end frequencies to the rear speakers. And i think its the rear channel that the amp splits into rear speakers (L and R) and the stock sub. So to turn off the sub, they just cut off the frequencies going to it haha. I could be wrong but that would explain why i only get the low end when the stock sub is on. ( whether its hooked up or not ) As for why i spliced into the rear speakers, this is because ive had bad luck in the past trying to reuse the subwoofer output. I rather use a full range signal from my rear speakers and put a LPF on the signal for my subwoofer (its built into the amp). Plus it will give me better freedom as to where the frequency cutoff is. Ive decided my problem atm is that my RCA cable is having problems so i ordered a new one. Hopefully after that, everything will work

05-10-2006, 04:13 PM	#10 (permalink)
06NighthawkSi Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Michigan City, IN Age: 25 Posts: 304 iTrader: 0 / 0%	CNUco2007 Just disconnect the subwoofer plug of the stock sub and tap into those wires for the LOC. It made a big difference in bass with mine.

05-11-2006, 09:05 AM	#12 (permalink)
CNUco2007 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chesapeake, VA Age: 24 Posts: 1,210 Eric iTrader: 6 / 100%	ok thx haha

12-12-2006, 08:31 AM	#13 (permalink)
r3dlin3 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bay Area California Posts: 187 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Hey, howd that install go? I just refound this thread and am curious... It's hard for me to "hear" what you're saying because my EX doesn't have a sub. I'm assuming stock subs have HUs with sub controls. I can see how you're hearing that sub frequencies are cut off when the sub control is off. Maybe the rear speakers just don't handle those frequencies?