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Adding a sub to the JBL system

A

Anonymous

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So has anyone successfully done this? I've seen a few posts about it, but it's not very clear.

It seems to me the main issue is finding a suitable audio source for the sub amp as it's been suggested on the forum that the JBL/NG4 setup doesn't have a pre-out (RCA line out) to make use of.

I love the JBL system, but it doesn't deal with very low frequencies so quite a few of my tunes sound better through my earphones than they do in the car, that's unacceptable to me!

I don't want to change the head unit, I just want to add a subwoofer in the boot, an accompanying aftermarket amplifier to power it and use it with the setup I already have. In case it makes a difference, the car is a 2010 156 GT with almost every optional extra available.
 

Abzynthe

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I used an old school audio source. I spliced into one of the rear speaker cables :)
 
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Anonymous

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Abzynthe said:
I used an old school audio source. I spliced into one of the rear speaker cables :)

And it all works ok? I know that splicing into exiting speaker wires normally changes the resistance to that speaker, for example a 4 ohm speaker becomes a 2 ohm and sometimes that can upset the head unit. I'm guessing you haven't experienced any problems?

Have you unplugged he rear speakers and had the sub powered in their place or are you running all e original gear plus the sub(s)?
 
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Anonymous

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If I might suggest, soundstaging is (I find) way better without the rears but bass is of course lacking without them. If I wasn't leasing my RCZ I'd be looking to disconnect the rear speakers altogether and install a sub and feed only the sub off the rear's wires. The rears aren't particularly good sounding anyway. Rather than spend money on replacing both the rears and the fronts I'd use the extra money to get even better fronts+sub.

As is stands, with the standard setup I'm compromising by biasing toward the front and sacrificing a little bottom end but gaining much improved soundstaging.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
 

Abzynthe

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mk_83 said:
Abzynthe said:
I used an old school audio source. I spliced into one of the rear speaker cables :)

And it all works ok? I know that splicing into exiting speaker wires normally changes the resistance to that speaker, for example a 4 ohm speaker becomes a 2 ohm and sometimes that can upset the head unit. I'm guessing you haven't experienced any problems?

Have you unplugged he rear speakers and had the sub powered in their place or are you running all e original gear plus the sub(s)?

I have a twin sub running off the passenger side speaker with the rears still plugged in. I haven't experienced any problems as my subs set up fits in the the sound I have so its not overpowering :)

But as said above, you could get away with disconnecting the rears, or get a four channel amp, to power the rears and the sub using the original speaker output at the amps input. That way you dont get an ohm difference...i think :)
 
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Anonymous

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Yes, I'm a fan of those, thanks.

So where did you end up taking the "remote" signal from. You were looking for a live signal from the ignition prior to doing the install.

Also, did you run a power cable from the battery direct, I know that's what every installer says is required but I can't help but think there must be an existing live wire one can tap off of. I'm hardly powering Woodstock! Finding a way through the bulkhead is always a pain.
 

Abzynthe

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I tapped into the cigarette lighter for the remote cable as its a switch live.

I did run it from the battery. I wasnt confident enough to start slicing wires in the back lol.
My cable comes from the battery, through the wing/bonnet, and I had to cut the door seal so it stayed flat and then run it under the carpet.
Im sure there is an easier way though.
 
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Anonymous

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All done. Happy with everything, even found a really neat way through the bulk head. Check out some snaps, if I get round to it I'll post a how-to. Accessing the rear speakers (to splice into the rear speaker wires) was a real pain, lots of plastic clips holding on those rear interior panels. Not hard, just more time consuming and fiddly than I expected. And I needed to buy a wiper pulley tool, the wipers (holding in place the panel that covers the way through the bulkhead I found) were so tight on their mountings, there was no other way of pulling them off.




The only thing I'm not happy with is that when I turn the ignition on and off (and the amp fires up/switches off) the sub "pops." The whole point of the remote/signal function on an amp is to avoid the pop that would be made by the main power supply being turned on/off. I sliced into the cigarette lighter live wire for the remote/signal for the amp, perhaps it's too powerful?

Do you have this problem?
 
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Anonymous

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PS - had to pull down the glove box to see where the wire was once I'd pushed it through the bulkhead (as pictured above). I used a misshapen coat hanger to push the wire through, you can see the white coat hanger in two of the photos below:





You have to look for the coat hanger in this photo, it's on the far left hand side of the photo, hiding behind some dash bits, that's where the wire and coat hanger appear once you get them through (hence needing to remove the glove box a bit - just a few screws) in order to find it, and pull it down past the bonnet release lever and along the passenger door cill.
 

Abzynthe

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That looks alot better than how I did it. Very neat.
If I decide to do the whole sound system, I think ill re route mine the same way.

I do get the pop aswell. This is because the switch live from the cigarette lighter is more than 9v I think. And also, maybe the sub is coming on before the radio.

Something like this is supposed to help, but I havent tried one.

Time delay module.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0009WP09K

12v to 9v converter.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/12v-to-9v-converter
 
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Anonymous

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I just tested the 12v to 9v down converter. It made no difference. And, listening to the timings of the pops, vs. the timing of the Headunit coming to life I'd say it's definitely as a result of the sub being on when the head unit powers on and off. I can see that the timer delay will resolve the power on pop, since the sub would be delayed and would come on after the Headunit.

However, the loudest pop is the one as the head unit is switched off and delaying the sub in this scenario won't help. In this scenario I'd somehow need to delay the Headunit from powering down so that it turned off a second after the sub turns off. Any ideas? I presume this would involve fitting a timer/delay to the headunit's switch wire (part of the original factory wiring - which sounds a like a headache and a bit of a bodge).

I've been trying to think of alternatives, there must be a switch wire running between the head unit and the JBL amps (wherever they are) that already takes care of this issue (since the JBLs don't pop like the sub does). Tapping into that as the signal for the sub-amp would be great.

Don't suppose anyone knows where the easiest amp is to locate? I could use a Multi meter to work out which wire is giving it the turn on/off signal and splice into that.
 

DRTDVL

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Don't suppose any of you saved a copy of those photos? Or know mk_83 in real life and could as him to email me a copy of them?
 

2retro

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DRTDVL said:
Don't suppose any of you saved a copy of those photos? Or know mk_83 in real life and could as him to email me a copy of them?
Send him a Private Message on here and he should get an email notification at least. :thumbup:
 

DRTDVL

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Yeah I did that a while back, I might send another just asking about the photo links.
 

Abzynthe

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I found these on google, I think are originally from this post. Sorry they are so small.
 

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A

Anonymous

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Awesome, that prompted my brain into gear!

Found these...


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A

Anonymous

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No idea yet... Those are mk_83's photos.

I might go buy the same integrated amp/sub tube that I'm running in my car and have a go this weekend and let you know afterwards! Haha

I think I saw in another post the wiring diagram for the amp that has the signal/remote wire to tap into.

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