Simple 2 channel amplifier to install in boot?

[jamesoff 10]

The previous owner of my car put a couple of 6x9s in the parcel shelf, and is driving them straight off the head unit. They always sounded a bit weak (if they did anything much at all) and when I finally got round to looking at them, I see their minimum input is 85W and my head unit output 54W/channel. Good job!

 

So I guess I want to put a little amp in the boot to give these some oomph. I'm not looking for anything special here, just some decent output for when I've got some tunes on. I'd also like to do it myself, which means the less complicated the better! I was wondering if the feed to the window control module would be a suitable place to pick up some power (is it switched? or can amps shut themselves off if they're not getting input?)

 

Any suggestions for something suitable to buy?

 

Here's the speaker spec:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]77404[/ATTACH]

[leon263 0]

To do this properly you should run a power supply directly to the amp from the battery and it should have an in line fuse approx. 6-9 inches from the battery. This is purely for protection should the power lead accidently short out. An 8 gauge power cable should suffice for a simple two channel amp but a 4 gauge power lead would be better as it allows for future upgrades. The amp should be earthed with a short cable to a suitable earth point in the boot ( possibly a seat belt anchor bolt). The amp will require a signal input from the head unit and this can be achieved by plugging one end of an RCA lead into the rear of the head unit and the other end into the amp. To switch the amp on when the radio is switched on you simply run a wire from the 'remote on' wire on the back of the head unit ( a blue wire) to the 'remote' terminal on the amp. You then simply run two speaker wires from the amp to the two 6x9s.

The easiest way to source all these bits is to buy an 8 or 4 gauge amp wiring kit from somewhere like Halfords. The kit will contain everything you need inc. the various terminals etc.

 

Under no circumstances wire the amp onto any existing component, if you are going to do it ......... do it properly. Give me a shout should you need any further help.

Edited February 1, 2014 by leon263

[JMC 0]

Got to agree with Leon here. Power cable for an amp should be a dedicated feed from the battery. It has to be thicker gauge than any of the standard cables. Using too thin a gauge can lead to the cable getting too hot and catching fire. Corrado is a simple car to do this on as everything is nicely accessible.

 

Keep in mind though, if you put too much power to these it'll drag the sound stage to the back of the car and not sound good. Better to get some decent speakers up front, and then put a small sub in the boot.

Edited February 1, 2014 by JMC

[jamesoff 10]

Suspected that would be the case, I'll do it the Right Way. Any guides for running the cabling? Experience has shown I am an incompetent failure when it comes to fiddling with trim :)

[leon263 0]

Bring the power cable through the bulkhead in the area behind the glove box and then underneath the carpet along the sill and into the boot.

Run the RCA lead and remote wire underneath the carpet along the centre tunnel and then into the boot. Keep the power cable well away from the RCA lead to avoid possible interference.

You may be able to pass the power cable through an existing grommet in the bulkhead, if not simply drill a hole in the bulkhead to accommodate the cable but be sure to fit a grommet to avoid the possibility of the cable chaffing through and short circuiting.

 

 

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_723215_langId_-1_categoryId_265888

[jamesoff 10]

Thanks for the info.

 

JMC: right now it's all at the front so any balance I can bring it will improve matters :) I suspect this will not be the last change I make to the car, audio-wise....

 

Just got to pick out a suitable amp now!

[JMC 0]

When I did mine I ran the power cable under the passenger seat, and made sure the signal cables where no where near it. Easier to do with the seat out and the carpet either removed or loosened. Bank on a day to do it with getting seats and trim out and back.

 

Been a while since I've had to buy any audio kit so I'm not up to date with the current kit, but I use a genesis profile 4, with 2 channels running the front, and 2 bridged to run the sub. A decent 4 channel amp would see you for now and if you decide to change the setup later.