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CD43 Head Unit & Audio Amp Fundamentals - A Primer [LONG]

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    #16
    Lemme say this clearly with great emphasis: an LC6 is a waste of time on this deck.

    The 7 I can see as it does much more, but even that is pointless. AUX in can be done a lot better than that.

    I have done several installs using these decks, never have I had ANY noise issue, and the noise floor of the system is stunningly low too, because the gains are generally near the bottom of the range.

    The 6XS is of course a completely different animal, as it is a crossover, not just an adapter.

    If you can afford the money to get an LC6, get better amps instead. Aim for "/ series" JLs at a minimum, but aim for Zapco, or better still, ARC Audio.

    And Pierre, you have a solid grip on it. Feed these RCAs into any decent amp, you will be fine. RCA plugs can be bought at Radio Shack, they have some decent ones.

    Closing SOON!
    "LAST CHANCE FOR G.A.S." DEAL IS ON NOW

    Luke AT germanaudiospecialties DOT com or text 425-761-6450, or for quickest answers, call me at the shop 360-669-0398

    Thanks for 10 years of fun!

    Comment


      #17
      Originally posted by StereoInstaller1 View Post

      And Pierre, you have a solid grip on it. Feed these RCAs into any decent amp, you will be fine. RCA plugs can be bought at Radio Shack, they have some decent ones.
      Luke,

      Thanks for that, but to insist again, should I wire the "+" and "-" from the deck on the RCA cable to the Amp, or only the "+" to the RCA and ground the "-" on the unit ground or car ground ?

      My idea was to solder each CD43 speaker outputs + and - to an RCA plug and then connect the amp via a standard RCA cable. No grounding whatsoever. I dont need a LOC right ?

      please enlighten me.

      Cheers Pierre
      1988 E30 ALPINA B3 2.7 #224/257 Made in Buchloe

      see more : http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=71686&referrerid=12460

      Comment


        #18
        Originally posted by pegase747 View Post
        Luke,

        Thanks for that, but to insist again, should I wire the "+" and "-" from the deck on the RCA cable to the Amp, or only the "+" to the RCA and ground the "-" on the unit ground or car ground ?

        My idea was to solder each CD43 speaker outputs + and - to an RCA plug and then connect the amp via a standard RCA cable. No grounding whatsoever. I dont need a LOC right ?

        please enlighten me.

        Cheers Pierre
        That one! Center pin is speaker positive, outer shield is chassis ground, DO NOT use the speaker negative.

        Closing SOON!
        "LAST CHANCE FOR G.A.S." DEAL IS ON NOW

        Luke AT germanaudiospecialties DOT com or text 425-761-6450, or for quickest answers, call me at the shop 360-669-0398

        Thanks for 10 years of fun!

        Comment


          #19
          Do you ground it at both ends?
          IE; headunit and amp.
          sigpic

          Comment


            #20
            So Luke,

            is that the proper way to connect RCA female plugs to the speaker wires of a CD43, if I want to connect straight into an aftermarket 4-channel amplifier ?? Then I use a standard RCA pair of cable to connect the RCA inputs on the amp ?

            Basically the speaker "-" are not used and must be stowed and isolated right ?



            I will go ahead if that is correct.

            Cheers / Pierre
            Last edited by pegase747; 11-26-2010, 08:29 AM.
            1988 E30 ALPINA B3 2.7 #224/257 Made in Buchloe

            see more : http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=71686&referrerid=12460

            Comment


              #21
              Originally posted by dirtysix View Post
              Do you ground it at both ends?
              IE; headunit and amp.
              No, just the deck end, but I suppose it doesn't matter. If you grounded it at both ends it would only act as a shunt

              Closing SOON!
              "LAST CHANCE FOR G.A.S." DEAL IS ON NOW

              Luke AT germanaudiospecialties DOT com or text 425-761-6450, or for quickest answers, call me at the shop 360-669-0398

              Thanks for 10 years of fun!

              Comment


                #22
                Luke,

                The CD43 can give quite a high output Voltage on its speaker wires right ?

                My Amp accepts a max of 4 Volts, does that mean I need a Line-Out converter in order to run the Amp safely from the CD43 ?

                Cheers Pierre
                1988 E30 ALPINA B3 2.7 #224/257 Made in Buchloe

                see more : http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=71686&referrerid=12460

                Comment


                  #23
                  Originally posted by pegase747 View Post
                  Luke,

                  The CD43 can give quite a high output Voltage on its speaker wires right ?

                  My Amp accepts a max of 4 Volts, does that mean I need a Line-Out converter in order to run the Amp safely from the CD43 ?

                  Cheers Pierre
                  In that case you would need to get a converter, or an amp with line-level inputs. The CD43 will put out voltages up to the battery voltage (12-15V) when cranked up.

                  Transaction Feedback: LINK

                  Comment


                    #24
                    Originally posted by StereoInstaller1 View Post

                    The 7 I can see as it does much more, but even that is pointless. AUX in can be done a lot better than that.

                    .
                    Luke... Whats a better way to get an AUXIN in a CD43. For a sat Radio module or an ipod? I was thinking DICE for the ipod but I head the AUX in on it isnt so great.
                    e30sport.net
                    '86 325es - s54b32tu - 6-speed - Mtech 1
                    '89 325is - m20b25 - 5-speed - Individual​
                    '06 M3 Competition - 6-speed
                    '19 Porsche GT3 RS - 7-speed PDK
                    '94 Lancia Delta HF Integrale EvoII - Giallo Ginestra
                    '97 Range Rover Vitesse

                    Comment


                      #25
                      Originally posted by bmwman91 View Post
                      In that case you would need to get a converter, or an amp with line-level inputs. The CD43 will put out voltages up to the battery voltage (12-15V) when cranked up.
                      Thanks for the tip, I will likely use a LOC. also I believe some processors are actiong as LOCs with some extra features added ( Eq, Xovers etc ).
                      Is that wht the 6XS you are using doing ?

                      Cheers / Pierre
                      1988 E30 ALPINA B3 2.7 #224/257 Made in Buchloe

                      see more : http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=71686&referrerid=12460

                      Comment


                        #26
                        No, Audiocontrol product is fine with hi levels like that. 9VRMS or 13V peak with no clipping on ALL audiocontrol product.

                        BTW: I have fed DOZENS of amps with 4V input just fine, clean and clear, no issues for YEARS with no shitty LOC. ALL LOCs under $150 suck ass...and if you have $150, buy a better amp!

                        Closing SOON!
                        "LAST CHANCE FOR G.A.S." DEAL IS ON NOW

                        Luke AT germanaudiospecialties DOT com or text 425-761-6450, or for quickest answers, call me at the shop 360-669-0398

                        Thanks for 10 years of fun!

                        Comment


                          #27
                          So Luke you think i can run the CD43 Speaker wires striaght to my Alpine PX-F650 ( 4V RCA input max ) withgout a LOC ?

                          Pierre
                          1988 E30 ALPINA B3 2.7 #224/257 Made in Buchloe

                          see more : http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=71686&referrerid=12460

                          Comment


                            #28
                            Originally posted by BeirBrennerE30 View Post
                            Luke... Whats a better way to get an AUXIN in a CD43. For a sat Radio module or an ipod? I was thinking DICE for the ipod but I head the AUX in on it isnt so great.
                            e30sport.net
                            '86 325es - s54b32tu - 6-speed - Mtech 1
                            '89 325is - m20b25 - 5-speed - Individual​
                            '06 M3 Competition - 6-speed
                            '19 Porsche GT3 RS - 7-speed PDK
                            '94 Lancia Delta HF Integrale EvoII - Giallo Ginestra
                            '97 Range Rover Vitesse

                            Comment


                              #29
                              A better AUX in? I say if cheap is the goal, grab a broken changer, do some testing with a DVM and see if you can "turn on " the changer mode, and hijack audio into the deck. Audio from the changer to the deck is simple analog, so it should sound the same no matter what you do. I have never heard much complaint about aux input being any real issue though, it only feeds the preamp.

                              Y'ever look at an Audiocontrol Four.1 or Three.1?


                              Originally posted by pegase747 View Post
                              So Luke you think i can run the CD43 Speaker wires striaght to my Alpine PX-F650 ( 4V RCA input max ) withgout a LOC ?

                              Pierre
                              Pierre, we don't have that model in the US, apparently.

                              I have done that same deck into a couple of different Alpines, should work fine, just be aware that you can easily overdrive the preamp of that amp...the sound will get really "flat" and sound poopie, but I have no clue if it can actually break something. None of my customers are so deaf as to not wanna turn it down a bit when blasted to that extreme, it really sounds bad when overdriven.

                              Closing SOON!
                              "LAST CHANCE FOR G.A.S." DEAL IS ON NOW

                              Luke AT germanaudiospecialties DOT com or text 425-761-6450, or for quickest answers, call me at the shop 360-669-0398

                              Thanks for 10 years of fun!

                              Comment


                                #30
                                Originally posted by StereoInstaller1 View Post
                                A better AUX in? I say if cheap is the goal, grab a broken changer, do some testing with a DVM and see if you can "turn on " the changer mode, and hijack audio into the deck. Audio from the changer to the deck is simple analog, so it should sound the same no matter what you do. I have never heard much complaint about aux input being any real issue though, it only feeds the preamp.

                                Y'ever look at an Audiocontrol Four.1 or Three.1?


                                Pierre, we don't have that model in the US, apparently.

                                I have done that same deck into a couple of different Alpines, should work fine, just be aware that you can easily overdrive the preamp of that amp...the sound will get really "flat" and sound poopie, but I have no clue if it can actually break something. None of my customers are so deaf as to not wanna turn it down a bit when blasted to that extreme, it really sounds bad when overdriven.
                                Luke,

                                For the AUX in for the other poster I will use the Grom interface, apparently works fine and can play USB, IPOD and has a AUX in jack.
                                The USB and IPOD can be controlled from the deck directly...

                                As for my amp, it has the Speaker level input, so i will play safe and will run the CD43 Speaker wires to the SPeaker level input of the Amp.

                                Then when budget allows, I will add a processor in between. Probably an Alpine PXA-H650 unless there is something better, the good thing with imprint is that you can also do an auto adjustment.
                                I know there are other but i havent dug deep yet, I will when time comes.

                                in the mean time, i will run the CD43 to the 4 CH amp, then 4 speakers ( Comps front and coax Rear ), and I will have Bass, Trebble, Fader and Balance plus Amp gains to adjust the sound, weak i know but that will do, pending further developpements....

                                Thanks all for the answers you gave me.

                                Cheers Pierre
                                1988 E30 ALPINA B3 2.7 #224/257 Made in Buchloe

                                see more : http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=71686&referrerid=12460

                                Comment

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