decided to bypass the amp, but what to do about crossovers?

[platinum_]

hey guys, i was told that even though i use a normal deck and the vibes 2ohm speakers i should not have any problems for at least a few years untill the speakers die, i was told that i would get better sound by just bypassing the damn thing anyway. btw if you guys have any input please say so. but now my problem is using the tweeters, are there any schematics for making my own crossovers or how much can i expect to pay at a local audio shop if i were to purchase them ? thanks.

[ebslopp]

you'd be better off buying some crossovers. The manufactures of the crossovers put a lot of time into the design and it would be difficult to replicate the quality without spending more money trying to build it. You should be able to use the Vibes stock speakers without any problem. Just a word of caution, if your new head unit is not rated for 2ohm speakers it will run a little hot. So you run the risk of blowing your head unit more than blowing the speakers.

[platinum_]

hrm ... ****, i think i may just get the line level adapter in that case, i dont want to do anything to risk my head unit, its just too good to loose -- but cool update though, i found little adapters for $15 CAD which will stabilize and cut out any noise coming from the pre outs to the factory amp, it also has adjusters on it for the gain, thing is though you will need 1 for each side, so two in total $30CAD.

[Jahntassa]

Who the hell gave you that information? As far as I know, there are NO headunits that are rated for 2 Ohm speakers, and you run much more of a risk than simple overheating. Sure, it'll start overheating immediately if it doesn't simply blow the output stage of the headunit straight away.The level adjusters seem to be vaguely okay, but it's by no means a great solution. Best solution being swapping out all your speakers for aftermarkets. But, if you're going to keep the factory speakers, unless you get a new amplifier, you'll want to keep the factory amp, and get one of the scoshe, or other, level gain adjusters, as said. Many versions come with the capability to work with all four speakers though.

[platinum_]

i was browsing random audio shops trying to see what they have to say, i am very curious about the whole RCA problem, i cant bear to have them there and not use them. The guy that told me that the factory speakers would be fine was a FutureShop tech (Best Buy) and when he asked what car he told me that they had done installs on Vibes and just bypassed the amp with their new head units and left the speakers alone. I didnt fully believe him but figured i might as well post what i had found out. But back to the "level gain adjusters" which the guy also called "filters" , could this actually work to fix the RCA popping problem when changing stations --> as a note, the pre amp output of the had unit is 2 volts, how much the does M&T amp expect ?

[ragingfish]

You CAN'T RCA-out to the M&T amp, we've collectively tried just about every method, it can't be done...

[platinum_]

ragingfish: i dont mean to sound rude and i thank you for your reply and input, but there has to be a way around it, it seems that the popping is just from power spikes, me having an electrical background right away starts thinking resistors and ways to manage the current, i really wanna try this trough a few test trials before i give it a rest do you have any idea how much power the amp is expecting ?

[theimportscene]

when i did my brother's, we just ran new interior speakers as well... if the fronts are 2 ohm and so are the rears, you can wire them in series which will give you 4 ohms combined, saving the interiors and the HU as well...only downside(s), you will not be able to fade (front/back) and it wont be as loud as running everything @ 2 ohms

[cdFxer]

Instead of resistors, you could try 1:1 audio isolation transformers. I no longer have my M&T amp, but I would try it! Your resistor idea might also work if it is a input level problem, just a simple ladder circuit would work wonders. You may even need a combination of the two. Platinum, IM me if ya want! Ive mentioned this before but I dont think anyone tried it. Or did I just miss it

[platinum_]

thanks for your replies, i will try but at least consider your ideas, and as an update i got 2 new theories from some autdio techs. 1.) the pre-amp on most head units is too strong for factory amps, will have problems with 5-8 volt preouts, this is where i luck out, i have a 2 volt pre out which should work once my head unit gets in (tommorow )2.) a dimmer or resistors should do the trick, i got a box of assorted resistors from an electronics shop and will find out what will work best.-conclusion: try wiring the pre amp in, no pop no problem , try the resistors if theres a pop, try audio isolation transformers and maybe the dimmer.

[ragingfish]

Quote, originally posted by platinum_ »thanks for your replies, i will try but at least consider your ideas, and as an update i got 2 new theories from some autdio techs. 1.) the pre-amp on most head units is too strong for factory amps, will have problems with 5-8 volt preouts, this is where i luck out, i have a 2 volt pre out which should work once my head unit gets in (tommorow )2.) a dimmer or resistors should do the trick, i got a box of assorted resistors from an electronics shop and will find out what will work best.-conclusion: try wiring the pre amp in, no pop no problem , try the resistors if theres a pop, try audio isolation transformers and maybe the dimmer.Keep us posted if you DO find a magic solution to this problem...I'd love to switch over to RCA outs...

[platinum_]

dont worry i will, i got another theory though. one of the stereo guys told me that the problem is that most head units done have a "mute control" so when it is shut off, turned on, station or cd is changed, it causes the amp to send a "pop" to the speakers. this is no problem with most aftermarket amps as they can recognize signals types and amplify only what is needed.