Not very releveant to original question but answers 99xlt4.04x4's question.

99xlt4.04x4, I looked at one of my amps and I was mistaken. It's not called a line in, it's called a high-level input. Thats what you can use to hook it up to your stock stereo's speaker out. If you don't have the connector just go to radioshack and buy some crimp on pin connectors, then crimp the connectors on to the end of some wire. Take the end with the connectors and slide the pin connectors over the pins of the high-level input plug. Take the other end and hook it to a speaker out on your head unit, or splice it into a wire that goes to one of your speakers. Should work. Email me if need more help or details.

 

ya, you've got your low level (rca's), and then you high level=speaker level=line in etc.... there are many names for it, but the amp should have came with a little harness that plugs into the slot... did you loose it perhaps? Maybe in the amp box? Ya, email us or just make you a post or continue this one, we'll get it figured out for you... do you think maybe you could send us a pic of where you will have to connect these wires on the amp? It will prolly come in handy later.....

 

go to best buy they have oem harnesses and after market I know because a friend worke there for 3-4 years in the stereo install shop.

 

I got my amp used from my uncle, so i didnt get any extra parts. I think the pin connectors will work, but do i have to splice into the apeaker wires, or can I use the plug on the back of the radio? I think there is a "HI level Out put" on the back. I couldnt really see too well in the dark looking through a mirror. (another project) Can the factory 6x8's handle the extra power? I have 2 really nice 6x9's, but they wont fit. I guess i could get 2 boxes, but that would be even more money (and with truck and insurance payments, there isnt too much money floating around) I think i have already spent my tax money 50 different ways i a havent even filled yet. ( radio, intake , exhaust) i have to prioritize i guess.

 

You could do what I did and cut out the 6x8 holes in the doors to make the 6x9s fit. Just make a template and trace it onto the door and cut it out. You can splice the amp into your speaker wire or if your stock head unit has a high-level out you should be able to use that. The amp wont draw any wattage from your head unit, just the signal.

 

Hey guys whats up? I am realy into car audio, and thought I would throw my 2 cents into this. Even if you can find a connector at radio shack or wherever to hook up the high level inputs on your amp please don't do it. The trick to having a nice sounding system is to avoid distortion at all costs. If you hook up an amp through the high inputs it takes all of the distortion from your head unit(radio) and multiplies it. this causes 2 things lousy sound quality and blown speakers. This happens any time you run an amplified signal into another amp(like running a signal that has been amplified by the head unit into another amplifier) A set of rca pre outs is not an amplified signal, so when you run it through another amp you only get the distortion caused by that amp. All amplification causes distortion(even the amlifier inside your head unit), but if you only run your signal through one amp you should be fine. By the way what type of amplifier are you trying to hook up? What speakers are you hooking it too? If you realy want to use an amp, I am sorry but you will need to get an aftermarket head unit. I have seen a few people use the high inputs...NO GOOD CAN COME FROM THIS! do yourself a favor and wait on the amp untill you get a head unit. Another key piece of advice is to make sure your speakers and amp power ratings are matched. Distortion causes you to blow speakers, not so much wattage. Obviously if you hook a 1500 watt amp to a 40 watt speaker it will blow it in a hurry, but if you have a 200 watt amp and 2 100 watt speakers you will be fine as long as there is not much distortion. If you run that set up off of high inputs I will almost guarantee that your speakers won't last a month, but off of low inputs(rca) it should work fine as long as you have a good amp. Cheap amps sometimes put out a lot of distortion themselves. My friend had a 1000 watt sony amp and 2 800 watt speakers, and blew the speakers about once a month(thank god for warrantys). Later he got a 1500 watt boss audio amp that has very low distortion and has been running that set up for over a year with no problems. I wish you all the best, and if you have any problems or questions just let us know and we will help you out. I realy love to help people that are just getting into car audio, I had to figure it all out the hard way, but if i can help you out in any way just let me know.

 

A visit here might help: http://installdoctor.com/

 

I was actually wondering if there would be distortion if I ran it off the HLO. I didnt know all the technical stuff, but the way i figured is the stock stereo only has so much bass, so the amp could only pick up as much as was there. (it makes sense to me) My amp is a jensen A1000. Only 200 watts. dont know what the stock speakers are rated at, but im sure it says on them somewhere once i have them out. The 6x9's are 220 wats. (i guess thats for the pair). I have an aftermarket heaad unit in my old car (for sale) that i could take out. That would definitely be my best bet. Iw ill just have to get a mounting kit since the factory stereo is a lot bigger than the aftermarket one. I kept the one for my old car so i guess tomorrow i will be taking it out and installing the factory one bcak in. Also thats where the 6x9's are coming from. They are pioneer's. ~$100 from best buy or circuit city. ( i dont remember cause i got so much stuff from both of them) Maybe i will go do it now since i dont work tonight.

Thanx for ALL your help.

 

With an aftermarket head unit, those pioneers, and your amp you will have a very bice set up. I have a very similar combo in my car, and it sounds awesome. Another advantage with putting a set of 6x9s in boxes into your truck is the fact that now instead of 4 speakers you have six. I would not recomend hooking an amp up tho the stock 6x8s. I am still running my stock front speakers and they can barely handle 60 watts per chanel from my head unit. I bought a set of 6x9 boxes from wal mart for like 15 bucks. That is the cheapest place I have seen them. Oh That 220 rating is for each speaker, but the only hanle like 40 watts rms. You may not want to turn your amp up all the way, but you should be able to tune it to sound very nice. The best way to get all of your speakers tuned together is to shut off the amp and turn your radio up untill your fatory speakers start to distort, this is your max point. you should not turn it up this loud though only to the point just before there is any distortion. Most of the time you would do this with the front and rear speakers seperately, but since all 4 speakers in our trucks are the same we can kind of skip the extra step. now you should turn off all of your factory speakers(not all radios will let you do this, so if you cant just fade out as much as you can from them) Now with your volume set at the point just before distortion was heard slowly turn up the level on your amp so that the 6x9s are at the same point just before distortion. Now when you turn it up all of your speakers can handle the same ammount of volume. This trick is nice because sometimes the aftermarket speakers are so loud you cannot hear the distortion from your smaller speakers. I hope this info helps you out.

 

Yeah never even thought if doing that. I had the amp hooked up to the 6x9's before and they sound pretty good. (in a big car) In my small ranger cab im sure thay will be really good.