This may be a dumb question, but are the wiring kits they sell for setting up an amp overkill for a basic system. I have seen the kit for $70. it has all the cables and gold plated terminals. I can get good grade cable cheap, do I really need the gold plated terminals?
Thanks for any input.
Adam

 

I think for the basic system some of these wiring kits are overkill. The only upside to purchasing one of these kits is that you are less likely to have to deal with extra "noise" in your system. By noise I mean alternator whine or other garbage. However, I have used these kits in installations before and have still had to fix "noise" problems. If you are on a budget I would buy the cheaper stuff and if you get some noise through the amp just add on a $10 dollar ground loop isolator. That should take care of the problem.

Good Luck

Murph

 

 

I agree with Murphy, the high dollar kits are overkill for a basic (low wattage) system. I have a $30 kit (8 guage) for my 400 watt amp. I wouldn't waste my money on an expensive kit unless your amp is 600 watts or more. No matter how expensive your kit is if you don't have it installed correctly you will have noise, etc. A few installation tips:
1. Use connectors on all wires (speaker, power, ground) and ensure a tight connection.
2. Make sure you have a good ground, no longer than 2ft.
3. Make sure you run the RCA's and power wire on seperate sides of the vehicle.
4. Make sure the battery is disconnected during the installation.

John