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Not exactly sure how to add an amplifier

2K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  SaabNineThree 
#1 ·
Well i'm new to forums, and i have done a decent amount of searching before i made this topic, but i'd wish some advice directed at me

I recently purchased a used 1999 Saab 95 SE v6 and i've determined that i'd put my 15'' AQ HDC3 in a 4cubic ft enclousure ported at 32Hz and the AQ 2200D powering it.

I am just iffy on what exactly should i replace/buy. I'm already buying a new battery for it: Kinetik HC1800, and i know i need to replace the big 3. Not exactly sure which wiring i should get. was looking at 1/0gauge wiring though [i know that much] also if i should replace the altenator or not.

Now I am also not positive on whether the stock headunit can handle it. The stock system is the AS3 / Prestige one. 9 speakers. i do not know whether i should get a signal processor for the sub/amp, but then again i am not positive on how to install/work it. Or if there is another item to due to duty of making sure the amp/subwoofer receives the attention it deserves.

Anyone has the knowledge to tell me the best way i could add this amp/sub to the system?

Thanks in advance,

Jguti
 
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#3 · (Edited)
nice summary, but i'm not savvy with the whole concept of this yet. The only way i got my old amp hooked up was a friend did it for me. And this friend won't mess around with my saab :p


so how would i splice into the real speaker? any recommendations on a RCA converter? and where should i put the location. And powering the amp by what exactly?

We all start somewhere ;oops:

also. that would be the solution of not buyin a new headunit and getting the stock one to work good with the subs right?



EDIT:

1 more question, which wiring should i use from the speaker to the RCA converter, and then how do i connect the amp to power, and which wire for that, and which wire to use for the connection to the subwoofer
 
#5 ·
I just did this job in my 2002 V6 a few weeks back. It is not difficult if you have electronics experience. It may be difficult otherwise to be honest. It is time consuming regardless, however.

My first word of advice is to read, reread, and reread again, the "Stereo Upgrade Thread" by a user of the name "Stipud". There is essentially everything you need to know, and 85% of the reference I used, in that thread. You can google those two things and they will come up. Secondly, study this website and its diagrams and get comfortable with the difference between balanced and line level signals.

You do not need any sort of RCA converter. You need to splice solder RCA ends (preferably female) onto the rear channel wires going from the headunit to the stock amplifier located in the passenger footwell. There are plenty of sites out there that can teach you basic soldering. This is easiest done by tapping the wire near the terminal connection into the amplifier. Be sure to tie the insulated part of the rca ends to the ground wire on the amplifier terminal (pin 21 if I remember correctly) also. By properly doing this (of which there are a plethora of youtube tutorials on the subject) you are maintaining the frequency bandwidth present in the original wires, instead of creating a more narrow midband frequency response range by using passive electronics present in any sort of line out converter. You do not need a converter, if someone in a store tells you otherwise, they are misinformed or just straight lying to you.

Once you tap the RCA female ends onto the rear channel wires, all you need to do is run RCA cables from those female ends to the back of your trunk where you will mount your subwoofer amplifier.

You do not need a bigger battery and larger gauge alternator/ground wire. While it wont hurt, unless youre running a huge system the stock alternator puts out 130amps. That is a huge amount of current as it is. All you'll need is a capacitor in line between the battery and amplifier. I recommend 1 Farad per 500 watts you are running. Some would disagree with me on this, but I did the circuit analysis and pertinent calculations and I am not drawing more current than my alternator puts out with a 500W system and two 12 inch alpine subwoofers (I am a 4th year electrical engineering undergraduate). The proof, more so, I would claim lies in the fact my system works fine at high volume with my AC, ventilated seats, and Xenon lights all on. Nothing dims as the capacitor essentially buffers instantaneous voltage changes that the amplifier needs to maintain the proper gain.

I recommend buying an amplifier wiring install kit. A good one will save you the trouble of buying individual wires and should come with everything you need, including in line fuse to put in between the wiring coming from your battery to the back of your trunk.

My biggest piece of advice to get a good understanding of what you are truly doing with this install is to reference what I already mentioned in this thread, in addition to researching some basic circuit analysis on the internet, as well as the infinite tutorials that exist online for installing an amplifier and subwoofer. I would not recommended starting this job until you really understand what it is you are doing. There are a lot of things that could go wrong otherwise, your safety being item number one. Best of luck
 
#6 ·
I've done countless hours of research in the past 2 days and i know the basic way to do it. Just not the specific technical way


well ive got a digital sound processor/equalizer already.

and the electrics of the car cannot handle my amp.

i'll be pushin a minimum of 800 watts to break them in, but once broken in i expect to constantly push out 1500 watts. which is well over the amt the stock battery + spare power of the alternator supply can handle.

so to install the dsp/eq i merely need to solder a rca converter wire onto the one powering the amp? then connect it to my dsp/eq and from there i should be able to run it to the back and connect to my amp. But how do i determine which wire is female?

Also i have read/re-read stipud's thread constantly and although it has good information he isnt very descriptive on some parts.
 
#7 ·
i'll be pushin a minimum of 800 watts to break them in, but once broken in i expect to constantly push out 1500 watts.
Everybody has their own opinion about car audio, and some people really like things loud. That being said, I personally think that a 1500W system is waaaay overkill for your car. If you constantly push 1500W, you honestly won't be able to hear within a couple of weeks. I have enough trouble in a friend's truck who runs an 800W system. I wouldn't mind going bigger than my 300W sub, but it definitely suits the Harmon Kardon audio system well.

Anyways, enough about the loudness, here's the real problem. Running that big of an amp should kill the stock alternator. Let's assume that your sub is averaging about 500W, or a third of the approximate maximum power. 500W/12V = 42A. From everything I have read, most alternators make about 30% more than what is needed, so you would have .3*130A = 39A that you could have to play with. You need a bigger alternator if for anything just to have peace of mind. There is a 140A upgraded alternator that Saab sells, but it's a tight fit (you have to cut down a bracket a bit). .3*140A = 42, which could still be a bit small but with capacitors you may be OK. If you go aftermarket, make sure it's small enough to fit. Also, keep in mind that replacing the alternator on the Saab is not like replacing the alternator on your average car. It's in a pretty terrible location for replacement, and supposedly takes about a day to fit it in. Here's some info on it: http://www.fixmysaab.com/9-5_repair/alternator/intro.asp?nsteps=3

Good luck on this, and nice job on all the research you have done. If you make it happen you'll probably have the loudest system of any Saab in the world!
 
#8 ·
audio

Hi, Ive been doing audio for the past five years and can promise you that with the right wires and components you will not need a new alternator. im currently running 2000w rms power and have metered at all points of interest (cap, alt, battery) to check for current problems, havent found anything yet. the biggest problem people run into is wiring. what components and wires are you using?
 
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