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Car audio question

Joined
May 20, 2020
Member Number
457
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284
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Sunny Sequim, WA
Aftermarket head unit and some sort of adapter like maestro. Or stock head unit and speaker level input adapter for amp.

Which one and why?

I have some speakers, a sub, and a 5 channel amp I want to put in my super duty.

I would also like to keep steering wheel, voice controls, cell phone, Sirius, and sync working normally; and would prioritize stock functionality over extra shit like navigation.
 
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If you want all your Sync stuff to work you need to keep the stock head unit. What year/trim is your truck? The system that has a factory amp is going to be more $$ to integrate aftermarket shit into but it's still very doable.
 
Last month I upgraded my Taco's stock JBL head unit. I went with a Kenwood deck and Sirius tuner. I used a PAC SWI-CP2 controller and kept all steering wheel controls and JBL functionality. I could not use the factory BT mike, but only because I got lazy and didn't want to start hacking wires. I ven kept the stock shark-fin antenna for the Sirius XM. Crutchfield has some good guides etc.
 
This seems like a question for projectsomethingorother or possibly whatever his new name is.

ProjectTwin

Yes, I think. If that's the dude that makes the fancy inksticks on the spinny round and then slobbers them in super glue.

I admire his work. He might be "Project Win" though.

Edit and add: Crap, it is Project Twin.
 
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you need to go after the factory amp if you have one, the head unit to amp is a digital signal so i would recomend JL audio line converter and use a front door speaker line for a full range input. I have done a few superdutys now and this works well
 
What year/trim is your truck?

2014 XLT. Has a regular non-navigation head unit. I dont think it has an amp.

you need to go after the factory amp if you have one, the head unit to amp is a digital signal so i would recomend JL audio line converter and use a front door speaker line for a full range input. I have done a few superdutys now and this works well

I have never used a line converter, and am unfamiliar with them.

You only need to use one speaker line? Weird.
 
2014 XLT. Has a regular non-navigation head unit. I dont think it has an amp.



I have never used a line converter, and am unfamiliar with them.

You only need to use one speaker line? Weird.


I think you're confusing speaker wires with speaker line. If you had a factory amp, it has a line out that sends signal to the amplifier from the HU.

Being that you have an XLT, I doubt you have a factory amp. So you'll need a line level converter if you want to keep your factory HU. Which is what I would do.
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2014 XLT. Has a regular non-navigation head unit. I dont think it has an amp.



I have never used a line converter, and am unfamiliar with them.

You only need to use one speaker line? Weird.

If it's got the small screen all you need is a regular line out converter. I'd recommend an AudioControl LC2i. I just did one in the GF's 2014 Fusion with the same system and it works mint for her sub amp. If I ever get froggy and want to add a 4 channel and better door speakers it's got a full range output as well.
 
I just wrapped up this exact install in my 2016 F250.

I used this 5 channel Alpine amp and its "high level" inputs:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I used this Metra harness as my interface between the stock head unit and the stock wiring harness. This way, I can just unplug everything and go back to stock if I want to:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I used Polk Audio DB series 6.5" components in the front doors with adapters and 4x6 Polk Audio 2 ways in the rear.

I used this prefabbed speaker box behind the rear seat (I have a 4 door truck)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

...and 2 shallow mount Pioneer 10" subs

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The amp fits perfectly in the tray under the rear seat on the passenger side:

20200502_190927.jpg


This amp has a remote gain control for the subs and I mounted that in the little pocket in the dash by your right knee. It sounds pretty good, but it would be nice to have a little more control over the audio besides the stock "bass and treble" adjustments.
 
If it's got the small screen all you need is a regular line out converter. I'd recommend an AudioControl LC2i. I just did one in the GF's 2014 Fusion with the same system and it works mint for her sub amp. If I ever get froggy and want to add a 4 channel and better door speakers it's got a full range output as well.

Bingo, the audio control unit will do the trick perfectly. Leave the stock deck and run through it to the amp and all is easy.
 
I have not kept up, and I was never MECP certified.. but I used to be some sort of a moderator, etc., on a mobile audio world forum.. I have worked on hundreds of systems, but usually it was a group of us working together.. quite a few of those installs made it into magazines..

I have never liked any of the set-ups where you connect to a single speaker wire for sound..

Audio controls on a steering wheel are not that important.. seriously, don't be fooled

now adays I vote for at least 2 amps.. one for the mids and highs with built in crossovers, and one for your bass..

if you already have gps on your phone, don't bother getting it on your deck??

I'd recommend spending at least 200 or so, on a good deck.. single DIN, not Double DIN

being able to play DVDs is a marketing scheme.. I used to watch movies between classes, in the college parking lot.. its not worth it on a small screen, and was only cool when they first came out..

cheap decks that don't play CDs are cheaper, but are junk..

do get one that has a USB insert slot

I could go on for hours....
 
I have not kept up, and I was never MECP certified.. but I used to be some sort of a moderator, etc., on a mobile audio world forum.. I have worked on hundreds of systems, but usually it was a group of us working together.. quite a few of those installs made it into magazines..

I have never liked any of the set-ups where you connect to a single speaker wire for sound..

Audio controls on a steering wheel are not that important.. seriously, don't be fooled

now adays I vote for at least 2 amps.. one for the mids and highs with built in crossovers, and one for your bass..

if you already have gps on your phone, don't bother getting it on your deck??

I'd recommend spending at least 200 or so, on a good deck.. single DIN, not Double DIN

being able to play DVDs is a marketing scheme.. I used to watch movies between classes, in the college parking lot.. its not worth it on a small screen, and was only cool when they first came out..

cheap decks that don't play CDs are cheaper, but are junk..

do get one that has a USB insert slot

I could go on for hours....
Arti@&$! With the most informative post yet!!!!
 
I have not kept up, and I was never MECP certified.. but I used to be some sort of a moderator, etc., on a mobile audio world forum.. I have worked on hundreds of systems, but usually it was a group of us working together.. quite a few of those installs made it into magazines..

I have never liked any of the set-ups where you connect to a single speaker wire for sound..

Audio controls on a steering wheel are not that important.. seriously, don't be fooled

now adays I vote for at least 2 amps.. one for the mids and highs with built in crossovers, and one for your bass..

if you already have gps on your phone, don't bother getting it on your deck??

I'd recommend spending at least 200 or so, on a good deck.. single DIN, not Double DIN

being able to play DVDs is a marketing scheme.. I used to watch movies between classes, in the college parking lot.. its not worth it on a small screen, and was only cool when they first came out..

cheap decks that don't play CDs are cheaper, but are junk..

do get one that has a USB insert slot

I could go on for hours....

I held off on the other site. You’re seriously dumb as fuck.

You didn’t answer any or offer any advice to the OPs question. You ran your keyboard about DVD players in mobile audio? I worked at Custom Sounds as an installer in the late 90’s while in college.

That has more relevance than your reply.

Bees and dogs can smell fear, Jerry; is more relevant than my post or yours...
 
I have not kept up, and I was never MECP certified.. but I used to be some sort of a moderator, etc., on a mobile audio world forum.. I have worked on hundreds of systems, but usually it was a group of us working together.. quite a few of those installs made it into magazines..

I have never liked any of the set-ups where you connect to a single speaker wire for sound..

Audio controls on a steering wheel are not that important.. seriously, don't be fooled

now adays I vote for at least 2 amps.. one for the mids and highs with built in crossovers, and one for your bass..

if you already have gps on your phone, don't bother getting it on your deck??

I'd recommend spending at least 200 or so, on a good deck.. single DIN, not Double DIN

being able to play DVDs is a marketing scheme.. I used to watch movies between classes, in the college parking lot.. its not worth it on a small screen, and was only cool when they first came out..

cheap decks that don't play CDs are cheaper, but are junk..

do get one that has a USB insert slot

I could go on for hours....

oh please, do go on for hours.

I use the steering wheel controls every day. They would be of paramount importance to keeping in any audio install I would do.

There are plenty of mechless head units that are very high quality. pioneer makes a whole range of high end head units without drives.

a USB port? How about you get one with a microsd card so you don't have a fucking flash drive hanging out the dash.

and all of that shit is made redundant by android auto/carplay anyway.

seriously, come to 2020.
leave the 90's in the past.
 
I have not kept up, and I was never MECP certified.. but I used to be some sort of a moderator, etc., on a mobile audio world forum.. I have worked on hundreds of systems, but usually it was a group of us working together.. quite a few of those installs made it into magazines..

I have never liked any of the set-ups where you connect to a single speaker wire for sound..

Audio controls on a steering wheel are not that important.. seriously, don't be fooled

now adays I vote for at least 2 amps.. one for the mids and highs with built in crossovers, and one for your bass..

if you already have gps on your phone, don't bother getting it on your deck??

I'd recommend spending at least 200 or so, on a good deck.. single DIN, not Double DIN

being able to play DVDs is a marketing scheme.. I used to watch movies between classes, in the college parking lot.. its not worth it on a small screen, and was only cool when they first came out..

cheap decks that don't play CDs are cheaper, but are junk..

do get one that has a USB insert slot

I could go on for hours....

:rolleyes:

Oh and fuck your Avatar. That's a fucking pipe dream, never gonna have Chocolate City.
 
Oh and fuck your Avatar. That's a fucking pipe dream, never gonna have Chocolate City.

I'm sorta glad my avatar offends you.. I made it myself.. it was gonna be the front side of some t-shirts.. its actually very detailed and shows much more of the capital.. might still make em?

edit: you say chocolate as in black?? it is a brown hand, and most people on here already know I'm a Brown Beret.. yet I still choose to have "YouTubeR" under my avatar..
 
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I have not kept up, and I was never MECP certified.. but I used to be some sort of a moderator, etc., on a mobile audio world forum.. I have worked on hundreds of systems, but usually it was a group of us working together.. quite a few of those installs made it into magazines..

I have never liked any of the set-ups where you connect to a single speaker wire for sound..

Audio controls on a steering wheel are not that important.. seriously, don't be fooled

now adays I vote for at least 2 amps.. one for the mids and highs with built in crossovers, and one for your bass..

if you already have gps on your phone, don't bother getting it on your deck??

I'd recommend spending at least 200 or so, on a good deck.. single DIN, not Double DIN

being able to play DVDs is a marketing scheme.. I used to watch movies between classes, in the college parking lot.. its not worth it on a small screen, and was only cool when they first came out..

cheap decks that don't play CDs are cheaper, but are junk..

do get one that has a USB insert slot

I could go on for hours....

Arti@&$! With the most informative post yet!!!!

Dumb and dumberer
 
Other than a couple hundred dollars, what's the difference between the line output converter and a DSP?

A line out converter simply coverts speaker level outputs to RCA outputs for amps that don't accept a speaker level input. Some amps (Like JL's XD line) will allow you to wire speaker level into the amp via RCA. Back in the 90's this would've blown the inputs on the amp.

A DSP (Digital Signal Processor) will typically accept high (speaker) level inputs as well as RCA. The DSP will generally offer individual control of crossover, EQ, output level, and time delay per channel (speaker). Some have more features than others.

Bottom line: A DSP is always going to give a better end result than a LOC.
 
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