Hey guys, I have a couple of questions for you audio gurus. I am finally getting around to upgrading my sound system in the S and I have the following components: Lucid rear speakers, upgraded front speakers, a set of tweeters and a new head unit. My first question is what type of amp would I need to run the setup above ?(4 channel etc.) The deck is kind of old, so I am pretty sure it is not a hi-powered one. Also would it be smart to get the Lucid aftermarket harness for the new deck for the install ? I am just looking for something that is better than stock nothing really overwhelming. I know next to nothing about audio stuff so I would appreciate any help. Thanks.

 

A four-channel amp is what you'd need to get power to both your fronts and rears. Another option is to get a high-powered head unit and drive your cabin speakers from that. It really depends on what you're after. An amp will give you a lot more options in terms of getting more volume into the cabin, but it's also a lot more hassle installing it. In terms of cost, it's really all over the map depending on what type of equipment you get.

Regarding the Lucid aftermarket harness, get it. You'll be glad you did. Do make sure you've got your HU picked out first though, so you get the right DCI from Lucid.

In case you're wondering, I went w/ a 4-channel amp powering the cabin speakers and seperate mono amp driving my subs in the trunk. I have to admit it was a bit of a PITA to install, so if your requirements aren't that high, you could probably skip the amp and get a high-powered head unit. It'd certainly be easier.

 

Thanks j_c_a. I think I will just pick up a 4 channel amp since I already have a neat little head unit. Hopefully, I can make it through the install. Thanks.

 

There is a TON of info around the internet on how to install stuff into the car. My advice is to know what you are getting yourself into. My car has been undrivable for over a week now because the install is taking WAY longer than expected.

If your HU does not have RCA out to the amp then you need an adapter (someone jump in and correct me if I am wrong on the terminology here.) I believe it is a high pass filter. Basicily you need something that will take the line power coming out of the HU (that would normally go directly to the speakers) and feed it to the low power inputs on the amp.

As I did not have an old HU laying around, I just bought a new one that had RCA's out.

As for your original question:

You can get a 4 channel amp to drive your speakers. If you ever want to add a sub, you will need a separate (or replacement) amp. I did not want to have to deal with finding a place for, or wiring two or more amps so I went with a single 5 channel amp. Now if I get a sub, I can just plug it in, flip a switch and go. (the amp is in the trunk where the spare tire used to be so cabling is a snap for the sub, and a PITA for everthing else.) If while running the sub, I decide I need more trunk space, could just pull the sub out, flip a switch on the amp, and be back in business.

There is a lot to consider.

It might be helpful to you to discuss various options with people IRL. Quick and dirty method is to head to your local audio shop and talk to the guys there. Don't take what they say as gospel though. Talk to a few shops. Otherwise talk to some local owners who are knowdledgable on the subject.

 

One addition. Most new amps have high-level inputs, so even if your HU doesn't have RCA-outs, you can still run the speaker outs from your HU to the amp w/o a line-level converter.

Also, there's a basic amp installation primer on this site somewhere in the library.

You might also want to check these links. I didn't know squat (and I still consider myself a newb at car audio) when I installed my system, and this type of info helped tremendously:

http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/caraudio.htm
http://www.carstereo.com/help/index_installation.cfm
http://users.netmatters.co.uk/mea/index2.html

Also, I found a huge discrepency in terms of pricing on the net. Crutchfield is great for getting info, but waaaaaayyyyy overpriced. I ordered most of my stuff from SoundDomain. They were much cheaper than Crutchfield but the last "batch" of stuff I ordered was from http://www.carstereoexpo.com . Great prices. I've since found this site http://www.ikesound.com/1024.htm . The prices are great but I haven't ordered from them so I can't comment on the service.

Anyway, good luck and read up as much as you can before you buy. My system worked out pretty good, but if I had it to do over again, I could get a much better system for the money I spent. Live and learn.