Do I need an aftermarket head unit to hook up amp/subs?

Question

the car is 2005 pt cruiser. i was told i would need an aftermarket head unit to supply some wire to the amp. so do i actually "need" it or is there a way to use the stock cd player/radio?

Answer 1

The short answer is no. You have a few options. One, you can get what is called a line level adapter which will take what is already going to your speakers and turn it into a signal for a set of RCA cables that will go to your amp. Two, there are some amps that will have a line level input on it which means you wont need the adapter. You would just run all the speaker connections from the factory radio into the amp. Your third, and most expensive option, would be to get the Rockford Fosgate 360.1. This will give you aftermarket sound quality with the ability to expand your system, if you desire, all from your factory radio. This will cost about as much as a good aftermarket head unit but you can keep the factory look.

Answer 2

The Line Level Converter or High to Low converter, is correct, but they make different types that do different things. I'd suggest looking for one that has adjustments. That way you can adjust the voltage signal input to the amp. This will allow you to gain a volume control also. Which in turn, will make the sub alittle louder. Some of these converters also have a remote turn on built into them. This will allow you to connect it to the remote turn on to the amp, so you will not have to run a seperate wire from the back of the factory head unit.

As for the amp. Make sure you run the proper size wires, and use the appropriate size fuses to protect your investment. Soldering loose wires together and heat shrinking the exposed wires that you soldered together will help with any future problems. Securely fastening and double checking everything is always a plus, especially when dealing with electronics and electricity.

Also, on another note, do you know the ohm load the amp can handle when bridged mono? And what ohms are the subs? Is the amp 2 channel or 4? Depending what ohms the subs are and how many channels the amp has, is a big factor on how you wire them, and if the amp can handle the load. Cause if it can't, it will prematurely overheat and clip.

I will assume the subs are 4 ohms like most subs are, and the amp is a 2 channel amp. Take a single wire and connect one end of the wire to the positive of one speaker. Take the opposite end and connect it to the negative of the opposite speaker. You will then have a positive terminal open on one speaker and a negative terminal open on the other speaker. Take two more single strands of wire, and run the positive and the negative to the mono side of the amp. What you just did, is ran the subs into "Series". You took two 4 ohm subs and bridged them up to "8 ohms". Then you ran these subs to the amp in mono. The rule is when you bridge to an amp, the amp will always see half the ohm load. So the amp will now see a 4 ohm load, and will be able to run "both" the subs, safely.

Hope this helps.
Good Luck!

Answer 3

Stock radios usually are poorly powered on the headunit itself.
Since this is a newer (2005) car it may have a decent headunit in it and also a external amp depending on the stock options available to the car and what it was installed with. Check what you have first, some places want you to buy a new headunit since thats a major part of the upgrade.

Answer 4

hi i became those days in a sparkling honda civic and it may look complicated (yet no longer impossible) to place in an after-industry head unit. i could supply your community automobile audio shop a call and ask in the event that they have executed any new honda's and if so, how lots extra good (i.e. high priced) it particularly is to place one in. Doing it your self is often extra low value yet provided which you recognize what your doing. If stripping the sprint seems out of your league, i could get it executed professionally. even nonetheless, i could get a pair of costs first. Re amplifier - in the adventure that your head unit would be put in, amplifier must be no project. even nonetheless, I convey your interest to a plausible project approximately wiring - how truthfully can cables be thread decrease than the sprint? different than ringing a pair of auto audio shops, i could ask this question on a honda automobile talk board.

Answer 5

Pt Cruiser Subwoofer

Answer 6

nah
a GOOD amp wil provide enough power to al ur spekers
n if u wanna instal a sub then i sugest that u go buy least 1 amp fo da sub n 1 fo da speakers