Installing audio system to stock headunit? ...possible?

chrisblaster · 01-19-2008, 12:26 PM

Hey there guys,
I'm new to these forums as I just got a 8th gen civic about a month back (Australian, VTi) , and is now interested in getting an audio system going. Thinking about amp, sub, and speakers. I won't be getting a headunit because it looks pretty much impossible so I was just wondering -

Will the civic headunit have sufficient power to run the audio system? I was thinking about getting this amp. Alpine MRV-F345

Its specifications are Alpine MRV-F345 4-channel car amplifier 75 watts RMS x 4 at Crutchfield.com

(4/3/2 channel power amplifier. 75W RMS x 4 [4Ohms@14.4V 0.08%THD] 300W RMS x 1)
Don't know what this means lol.

Thinking of bridging 2 channels for a sub and the other 2 for the front speakers.

Any help or advice is appreciated and Sorry if I sound a bit noob and this thread is in the wrong place >_<

Thanks!
Chris

***Barry*** · 01-19-2008, 12:49 PM

Well first off you can do a head unit it isn't that bad if you do a search you will find many many people have done it. Second yes you can use your factory head will it sound as good as an after market one not really. What you will need if you are using your factory is a audiocontrol unit or a jl audio clean sweep or similar. I would say the audio control piece but thats just my two cents much more bang for the buck then the clean sweep. Anyway if you have questions about either of those products feel free to pm me i can also get one from you if you want. And v12 amps are ok but there is better stuff out there why did you chose that amp?

CarbonS · 01-19-2008, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisblaster

Hey there guys,
I'm new to these forums as I just got a 8th gen civic about a month back (Australian, VTi) , and is now interested in getting an audio system going. Thinking about amp, sub, and speakers. I won't be getting a headunit because it looks pretty much impossible so I was just wondering -

Will the civic headunit have sufficient power to run the audio system? I was thinking about getting this amp. Alpine MRV-F345

Its specifications are Alpine MRV-F345 4-channel car amplifier 75 watts RMS x 4 at Crutchfield.com

(4/3/2 channel power amplifier. 75W RMS x 4 [4Ohms@14.4V 0.08%THD] 300W RMS x 1)
Don't know what this means lol.

Thinking of bridging 2 channels for a sub and the other 2 for the front speakers.

Any help or advice is appreciated and Sorry if I sound a bit noob and this thread is in the wrong place >_<

Thanks!
Chris

Be careful with that amp man, i fried one of those with the same setup. It's an awesome amp though. Everything was wired perfectly, but I think it was the subs that messed it up, but yeah, all you need is a 4 channel LOC

bikinpunk · 01-19-2008, 05:35 PM

There's a search button. Get creative. After you've done that and can show that you've at least attempted to find an answer, more people will be willing to help with specific questions. Otherwise, you can bank on listening to everyone else's opinion of the best setup (having nothing to do with your question).

Come back when you've done some research.

chrisblaster · 01-19-2008, 10:26 PM

I have read many posts about this topic but many people are saying different things and there are some terms I dont quite understand. Some say that the factory headunit is too weak to power the amp which I stated in my post, but others say I need a line out convertor?? or something sounding like that - however the sound quality will not reach the same potential as an aftermarket headunit. I just wanted to clarify which is the right answer

I know that an aftermarket headunit is also possible to install, however I don't really like the appearance of one in the Honda and it will require a lot of effort to install for me as I'm not very experienced... Actually I have no experience at all.

I chose this amp simply because I went looking around in JB Hi-Fi and the salesperson there said alpine was a good brand, and this will be a good amp for my budget. Bridging 2 channels for 300RMS for my sub and 75RMS for my 2 front speakers. He also mentioned the V-Power alpine models were also a good amp. I'm sorry if this post was in the wrong place and was asking unneccessary questions.

Thanks,
Chris.

Bulli Kid · 01-19-2008, 11:20 PM

what will you hook up the remote wire too?

lensam69 · 01-19-2008, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisblaster

Hey there guys,
I won't be getting a headunit because it looks pretty much impossible

Thinking of bridging 2 channels for a sub and the other 2 for the front speakers.

Thanks!
Chris

By "impossible" do you mean removing the old head unit and putting a new one in?

Because you have to realize, since you want to connect your front speakers to the Amplifier, most likely you will have to remove the stock unit to make the necessary connections. At that point, you're halfway through a full replacement anyways...

If that's not what you meant, then never mind...

Alpine is an OK brand. Not the best, but definitely good value. What I can recommend you, is to go for an amplifier with High Level Inputs (Also called speaker level inputs). This means that you can connect a head unit directly to the amplifier, without need for a converter, making your life simpler.

For example take this Alpine amp: Alpine MRP-F550 4-channel car amplifier 90 watts RMS x 4 at Crutchfield.com

Pretty close to what you had in mind.

chrisblaster · 01-19-2008, 11:46 PM

thanks lensam for your reply~~

Yeah I think I will keep the factory headunit, mainly for appearances though. I was actually shown that amp yesterday as well by the people at JB and he said the same as you, as in no need for a convertor. But as I can get the one I shown for cheaper off a friend thats pretty much why I chose it. Because I'm thinking of paying for an installation anyway so I dont have to worry about the technical side, I guess i just have to worry about getting the right parts. So is buying a convertor pricey?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bulli Kid

what will you hook up the remote wire too?

Sorry what is a remote wire?

chrisblaster · 01-19-2008, 11:51 PM

Also the one I shown is $250 AUD off a friend and the one you mentioned is $400 from the shops.

I'm going to the cheaper option =P.

bikinpunk · 01-20-2008, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisblaster

Sorry what is a remote wire?

remote turn-on wire. It's a switched voltage wire that tells the amp to turn on when your radio turns on.

lensam69 · 01-20-2008, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisblaster

Also the one I shown is $250 AUD off a friend and the one you mentioned is $400 from the shops.

I'm going to the cheaper option =P.

Money talks...

And since you're going to have it installed, then you really don't have to worry too much about anything (Other than finding a shop with a good reputation).

LOC's are cheap. You can find them anywhere between $10 and $35

***Barry*** · 01-20-2008, 05:44 PM

Yeah you really don't wanna just use loc's for this.

chrisblaster · 01-21-2008, 10:51 PM

would using a LOC for this be a bad idea...?

lensam69 · 01-22-2008, 12:39 AM

LOC's tend to degrade the signal depending on their quality. It's not the preferred way to go, but sometimes it's the only thing that budget allows.

Your ears are the final judge of this, you may or may not be happy with a LOC depending on how picky you are with your audio. If possible try to arrange for the salesman to show you the difference between the two setups. (Bring your own music for this. It's much better when you are familiar with the reference material)

Bandit · 01-22-2008, 05:49 AM

dont mean to thread jack but im being on topic here...

I have a 4 channel amp (jl300/4v2) that i plan on running with stock HU for the speakers.
I also have a jl1000/1 powering a 13w7... where can i draw an input for this one?

I plan to use a hi/lo converter from the stock HU to get rca inputs for the 4ch amp. I am stumped on how to get the rca input for the 1000/1... from what i been searching thru for the past few hours it appears that I would have to get some LOC from the rear speakers for this. If that were the case is that possible with my setup? would it interfere with the 4ch amp inputs or outputs (since ill be running new speaker wires from amp to stock speakers)?

I get a feeling that this would work but is this the only way with this setup?

lensam69 · 01-22-2008, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bandit

dont mean to thread jack but im being on topic here...

I have a 4 channel amp (jl300/4v2) that i plan on running with stock HU for the speakers.
I also have a jl1000/1 powering a 13w7... where can i draw an input for this one?

Any second now Mercman is going to show up.... just watch.

He makes a harness that you can plug in to your factory head unit, giving you balanced line level outputs that can be directly connected to amps such as the JL's.

It will make your life a lot simpler, and give you better quality sound.

Bandit · 01-22-2008, 02:39 PM

I see... well from my understanding the those converters are capable of 4ch outputs from HU to AMP so wiring the 300/4 is no prob.

As for the sub and sub amp, how do i go about that one? rear speakers to loc? is this the only way?

Bandit · 01-22-2008, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bandit

I see... well from my understanding the those converters are capable of 4ch outputs from HU to AMP so wiring the 300/4 is no prob.

As for the sub and sub amp, how do i go about that one? rear speakers to loc? is this the only way?

I got it it all figured out once u slept on it. 3 hi/lo converters in total to get signals for the 4 channel amp and the sub amp. Will be doing the install within the week, pics to come.

chrisblaster · 01-22-2008, 08:20 PM

i need what mercman has!

chrisblaster · 01-24-2008, 01:45 AM

ok I went to shop today where I'm going to get my amp and sub installed and they guy said that installing it in the civic will not be worth the effort. He said that if I use an amp on the factory HU then there is goign to be a significant amount of engine noise. He has done it several times on the civic and he doesn't recommend it because most customers come back and request to take their aftermarket part off. Its that bad apparently. But if I still really want to get it installed then they will still do it.

Is there any truth to this. I really badly want to improve the sound system in the civic but if its going to turn out bad maybe I should just leave it as it is.

01-19-2008, 12:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
chrisblaster Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 11 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Installing audio system to stock headunit? ...possible? Hey there guys, I'm new to these forums as I just got a 8th gen civic about a month back (Australian, VTi) , and is now interested in getting an audio system going. Thinking about amp, sub, and speakers. I won't be getting a headunit because it looks pretty much impossible so I was just wondering - Will the civic headunit have sufficient power to run the audio system? I was thinking about getting this amp. Alpine MRV-F345 Its specifications are Alpine MRV-F345 4-channel car amplifier 75 watts RMS x 4 at Crutchfield.com (4/3/2 channel power amplifier. 75W RMS x 4 [4Ohms@14.4V 0.08%THD] 300W RMS x 1) Don't know what this means lol. Thinking of bridging 2 channels for a sub and the other 2 for the front speakers. Any help or advice is appreciated and Sorry if I sound a bit noob and this thread is in the wrong place >_< Thanks! Chris

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01-19-2008, 12:49 PM	#2 (permalink)
*Barry* Cameras Are Cool MMMkay Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Penn Valley, PA Age: 23 Posts: 783 Name: Barry iTrader: 0 / 0%	Well first off you can do a head unit it isn't that bad if you do a search you will find many many people have done it. Second yes you can use your factory head will it sound as good as an after market one not really. What you will need if you are using your factory is a audiocontrol unit or a jl audio clean sweep or similar. I would say the audio control piece but thats just my two cents much more bang for the buck then the clean sweep. Anyway if you have questions about either of those products feel free to pm me i can also get one from you if you want. And v12 amps are ok but there is better stuff out there why did you chose that amp?

01-19-2008, 05:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
bikinpunk Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Age: 25 Posts: 2,923 Erin iTrader: 3 / 100%	There's a search button. Get creative. After you've done that and can show that you've at least attempted to find an answer, more people will be willing to help with specific questions. Otherwise, you can bank on listening to everyone else's opinion of the best setup (having nothing to do with your question). Come back when you've done some research.

01-19-2008, 10:26 PM	#5 (permalink)
chrisblaster Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 11 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I have read many posts about this topic but many people are saying different things and there are some terms I dont quite understand. Some say that the factory headunit is too weak to power the amp which I stated in my post, but others say I need a line out convertor?? or something sounding like that - however the sound quality will not reach the same potential as an aftermarket headunit. I just wanted to clarify which is the right answer I know that an aftermarket headunit is also possible to install, however I don't really like the appearance of one in the Honda and it will require a lot of effort to install for me as I'm not very experienced... Actually I have no experience at all. I chose this amp simply because I went looking around in JB Hi-Fi and the salesperson there said alpine was a good brand, and this will be a good amp for my budget. Bridging 2 channels for 300RMS for my sub and 75RMS for my 2 front speakers. He also mentioned the V-Power alpine models were also a good amp. I'm sorry if this post was in the wrong place and was asking unneccessary questions. Thanks, Chris.

01-19-2008, 11:20 PM	#6 (permalink)
Bulli Kid Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Chicago Posts: 292 GReg iTrader: 0 / 0%	what will you hook up the remote wire too?

01-19-2008, 11:51 PM	#9 (permalink)
chrisblaster Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 11 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Also the one I shown is $250 AUD off a friend and the one you mentioned is $400 from the shops. I'm going to the cheaper option =P.

01-20-2008, 05:44 PM	#12 (permalink)
*Barry* Cameras Are Cool MMMkay Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Penn Valley, PA Age: 23 Posts: 783 Name: Barry iTrader: 0 / 0%	Yeah you really don't wanna just use loc's for this.

01-21-2008, 10:51 PM	#13 (permalink)
chrisblaster Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 11 iTrader: 0 / 0%	would using a LOC for this be a bad idea...?

01-22-2008, 12:39 AM	#14 (permalink)
lensam69 Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 88 iTrader: 0 / 0%	LOC's tend to degrade the signal depending on their quality. It's not the preferred way to go, but sometimes it's the only thing that budget allows. Your ears are the final judge of this, you may or may not be happy with a LOC depending on how picky you are with your audio. If possible try to arrange for the salesman to show you the difference between the two setups. (Bring your own music for this. It's much better when you are familiar with the reference material)

01-22-2008, 05:49 AM	#15 (permalink)
Bandit Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 16 iTrader: 0 / 0%	dont mean to thread jack but im being on topic here... I have a 4 channel amp (jl300/4v2) that i plan on running with stock HU for the speakers. I also have a jl1000/1 powering a 13w7... where can i draw an input for this one? I plan to use a hi/lo converter from the stock HU to get rca inputs for the 4ch amp. I am stumped on how to get the rca input for the 1000/1... from what i been searching thru for the past few hours it appears that I would have to get some LOC from the rear speakers for this. If that were the case is that possible with my setup? would it interfere with the 4ch amp inputs or outputs (since ill be running new speaker wires from amp to stock speakers)? I get a feeling that this would work but is this the only way with this setup?

01-22-2008, 02:39 PM	#17 (permalink)
Bandit Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 16 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I see... well from my understanding the those converters are capable of 4ch outputs from HU to AMP so wiring the 300/4 is no prob. As for the sub and sub amp, how do i go about that one? rear speakers to loc? is this the only way?

01-22-2008, 08:20 PM	#19 (permalink)
chrisblaster Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 11 iTrader: 0 / 0%	i need what mercman has!

01-24-2008, 01:45 AM	#20 (permalink)
chrisblaster Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 11 iTrader: 0 / 0%	ok I went to shop today where I'm going to get my amp and sub installed and they guy said that installing it in the civic will not be worth the effort. He said that if I use an amp on the factory HU then there is goign to be a significant amount of engine noise. He has done it several times on the civic and he doesn't recommend it because most customers come back and request to take their aftermarket part off. Its that bad apparently. But if I still really want to get it installed then they will still do it. Is there any truth to this. I really badly want to improve the sound system in the civic but if its going to turn out bad maybe I should just leave it as it is.