Audio system problems help! Replacement Speakers + New Amp (2 Viewers)

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May 31, 2009
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I seem to have a dilemma with my 2006 Cruiser with factory head unit and navigation system that I'm hoping can be solved fairly simply. Recently my front passenger speaker blew (or de-foamed/tore...whatever the proper terminology is?), so I come do my research and learn that the speakers are 2 ohm and found plenty of speaker recommendations on Mud. My goal was to keep it simple but nice, and my plan was only to replace all the door speakers and hope to have a decent improvement in sound quality.

Existing setup prior to speaker damage:
  • Factory head unit + navigation + CD/DVD changer
  • USA-Spec PA15-TOY iPod interface (connects to back of head-unit and simulates a CD changer for a direct iPod interface) (Link on USA-Spec)

I call up Crutchfield and they get me setup with:
  • Front: Infinity Kappas 60csx components 6 1/2" 2.5 ohm impedance (Link on Crutchfield)
  • Rear: Infinity Kappas 62ix 6 1/2" 2.5 ohm impedance (Link on Crutchfield)
  • Both have "high efficiency" so we're thinking they should mesh well with with the factory system (I'm by no means a car audio expert, so a lot of the terminology and speaker numbers aren't quite clear to me).
Once ordered I read more on Mud about the Kappas and that these seem to be pretty decent speakers that others have used with good results so I'm confident they should work well. I have been using the USA-Spec PA15-TOY iPod interface for many years with no apparent issues.

I start by replacing the busted front passenger speaker so I can get a good comparison to the functional stock speakers still in place. The sound was lackluster to say the least, and I felt like there was no bass or depth to the speaker at all. Just sounded kinda flat and nothing but high frequency in comparison to the stock so I start to doubt I did everything correctly. Please be aware that I'm not looking for a booming bass or anything of the sort, but the sound just seemed very unbalanced toward the highs and almost no bass at all. I switched the sound back and forth from right to left and the difference was night and day between the stock vs. the new Kappas with the Kappas losing the comparison by far. I switch the polarity of the wires thinking I may have goofed, but either way sounded flat and bad. At this point I decide I'll let the pros handle it and bring it to a local car audio shop to get an opinion and do the install. They complete the install of remaining speakers and tell me they say they sound good so I'm excited to try them. Immediate impression on my end was that they just seemed lacking and there wasn't the same balance to the speakers as my previous stock. This goes for music via the iPod interface and the stock CD changer as well.

I had a 5 hour road trip the following weekend that I was trying to get this accomplished for so it gave me some good time to test out the speakers. The entire trip I felt like I had the volume at a reasonable level, as in I wasn't listening at extremely loud levels but my ears felt as if the music was extremely loud and once we arrived at our destination I felt like I'd been in a loud concert for several hours and my ears needed to recover to be able to hear normally again. The best way I can explain it is that I felt like I was struggling to hear the sound even though it felt loud so at this point I'm quite disheartened because it's way worse than where I started.

At this point I'm kind of stuck on what to do, so I return to the car audio shop, and they recommend getting a signal processor and amp and this should allow fine tuning of the signals from the factory head unit and amplification should be able to get the best sound to the speakers and better utilize their capabilities. Makes sense to me, so they recommend:
  • Alpine PXE-0850S (Link on Alpine site)
  • They told me this unit has a digital signal processor built-in to an amp? Like I said before, not a car audio expert, so amps and the like are still quite foreign to me...
  • In hindsight, I'm realizing as I link this that I'm not even sure if this is an amp or just a signal processor???
We get it in, they get it installed and say it sounds great. Also, my thoughts from reading up on Mud were that "bypassing" an amp would involve connecting to the existing amp and passing those signals to the new equipment, but alas they removed the factory amp, cut the wires and tied everything into the new processor, so when I picked up my car the factory amp was sitting alone in the back, which I was disappointed to see because I'm trying to keep the factory components in place, just get back to the level of sound quality I had before the damn speaker busted.

I drive off and as I'm driving I hear quite the hum of ?interference/white noise?, and things just still don't sound like the amazing sound I would expect from nice new (decent quality?) speakers and a $700 signal processor/?amp?. I return and they turn down the volume on the processor's volume knob, and I need to turn my Cruiser volume way louder than before just to hear anything. Now after more time passing, I've tinkered and tinkered with the processor settings and it just doesn't sound that great.

Now I'm more confused and lost than before all this mess started. All I want is nice sound, nothing too loud or too crazy in a fairly simple stock-like package...please help!!! Please let me know what other details may help!
 
Last edited:
Good news is factory amp is out. Bad news is that you bought a processor/ amp
With low output per channel. The signal noise could be wires touching somewhere in the install. Whatever you do don’t get conned into anymore equipment purchases.
 
I seem to have a dilemma with my 2006 Cruiser with factory head unit and navigation system that I'm hoping can be solved fairly simply. Recently my front passenger speaker blew (or de-foamed/tore...whatever the proper terminology is?), so I come do my research and learn that the speakers are 2 ohm and found plenty of speaker recommendations on Mud. My goal was to keep it simple but nice, and my plan was only to replace all the door speakers and hope to have a decent improvement in sound quality.

Existing setup prior to speaker damage:
  • Factory head unit + navigation + CD/DVD changer
  • USA-Spec PA15-TOY iPod interface (connects to back of head-unit and simulates a CD changer for a direct iPod interface) (Link on USA-Spec)

I call up Crutchfield and they get me setup with:
  • Front: Infinity Kappas 60csx components 6 1/2" 2.5 ohm impedance (Link on Crutchfield)
  • Rear: Infinity Kappas 62ix 6 1/2" 2.5 ohm impedance (Link on Crutchfield)
  • Both have "high efficiency" so we're thinking they should mesh well with with the factory system (I'm by no means a car audio expert, so a lot of the terminology and speaker numbers aren't quite clear to me).
Once ordered I read more on Mud about the Kappas and that these seem to be pretty decent speakers that others have used with good results so I'm confident they should work well. I have been using the USA-Spec PA15-TOY iPod interface for many years with no apparent issues.

I start by replacing the busted front passenger speaker so I can get a good comparison to the functional stock speakers still in place. The sound was lackluster to say the least, and I felt like there was no bass or depth to the speaker at all. Just sounded kinda flat and nothing but high frequency in comparison to the stock so I start to doubt I did everything correctly. Please be aware that I'm not looking for a booming bass or anything of the sort, but the sound just seemed very unbalanced toward the highs and almost no bass at all. I switched the sound back and forth from right to left and the difference was night and day between the stock vs. the new Kappas with the Kappas losing the comparison by far. I switch the polarity of the wires thinking I may have goofed, but either way sounded flat and bad. At this point I decide I'll let the pros handle it and bring it to a local car audio shop to get an opinion and do the install. They complete the install of remaining speakers and tell me they say they sound good so I'm excited to try them. Immediate impression on my end was that they just seemed lacking and there wasn't the same balance to the speakers as my previous stock. This goes for music via the iPod interface and the stock CD changer as well.

I had a 5 hour road trip the following weekend that I was trying to get this accomplished for so it gave me some good time to test out the speakers. The entire trip I felt like I had the volume at a reasonable level, as in I wasn't listening at extremely loud levels but my ears felt as if the music was extremely loud and once we arrived at our destination I felt like I'd been in a loud concert for several hours and my ears needed to recover to be able to hear normally again. The best way I can explain it is that I felt like I was struggling to hear the sound even though it felt loud so at this point I'm quite disheartened because it's way worse than where I started.

At this point I'm kind of stuck on what to do, so I return to the car audio shop, and they recommend getting a signal processor and amp and this should allow fine tuning of the signals from the factory head unit and amplification should be able to get the best sound to the speakers and better utilize their capabilities. Makes sense to me, so they recommend:
  • Alpine PXE-0850S (Link on Alpine site)
  • They told me this unit has a digital signal processor built-in to an amp? Like I said before, not a car audio expert, so amps and the like are still quite foreign to me...
  • In hindsight, I'm realizing as I link this that I'm not even sure if this is an amp or just a signal processor???
We get it in, they get it installed and say it sounds great. Also, my thoughts from reading up on Mud were that "bypassing" an amp would involve connecting to the existing amp and passing those signals to the new equipment, but alas they removed the factory amp, cut the wires and tied everything into the new processor, so when I picked up my car the factory amp was sitting alone in the back, which I was disappointed to see because I'm trying to keep the factory components in place, just get back to the level of sound quality I had before the damn speaker busted.

I drive off and as I'm driving I hear quite the hum of ?interference/white noise?, and things just still don't sound like the amazing sound I would expect from nice new (decent quality?) speakers and a $700 signal processor/?amp?. I return and they turn down the volume on the processor's volume knob, and I need to turn my Cruiser volume way louder than before just to hear anything. Now after more time passing, I've tinkered and tinkered with the processor settings and it just doesn't sound that great.

Now I'm more confused and lost than before all this mess started. All I want is nice sound, nothing too loud or too crazy in a fairly simple stock-like package...please help!!! Please let me know what other details may help!

Did you use the crossovers that came with the front speakers, or did you use the speakers alone? Double check the wiring for ground issues and try to separate the speaker wires from the power.

I agree...that amp is not powerful enough drive enough clean sound to the speakers.
 
Those ask for 100w per channel at 2.5 ohms. Take that amp
Back. 100$ digital receiver and a five channel amp means problem solved
 
Did you use the crossovers that came with the front speakers, or did you use the speakers alone? Double check the wiring for ground issues and try to separate the speaker wires from the power.

I agree...that amp is not powerful enough drive enough clean sound to the speakers.

We used the crossovers.

So is the solution simply a better (more powerful) amp? Does the signal processing really matter or do I simply need to find/eliminate the source of interference? Any thoughts on if a more powerful amp would likely exaggerate the hiss/noise that seems more prevalent and if it’s likely just coming from the USA-Spec iPod adapter?

Another thing I meant to mention is that the multifunction display sounds are barely audible at this point so I’m curious if anything else should have been done to avoid this. I don’t mind getting my hands dirty if the solution isn’t overly complicated. I just want it to work.
 
Also, does removing the stock amp adversely affect anything? And if I’m getting a more powerful amp should I be concerned about replacing the stock sub?
 
U can replace all that stuff for less than that amp. Pm coming
 
For how far you're into it - you should run new wire from the new amp to speakers if you haven't [couldn't tell from your post or missed it]. Hands down the best way to mitigate any noise.

You should ask them if they properly bypassed the amp - some power wires run through it to complete a circuit. If you simply unplug and toss the OEM amp, you're gonna have a bad time. Those power wires that run to it and back to the head unit need to be tied together properly to completely remove the amp.

On the noise - may be worth getting a second opinion on tuning the thing. Is it interference, or is the gain settings just really high - upsetting the overall experience?

I'd personally start by baselining all settings in the head unit, then seek another opinion from there. Agree on no more equipment purchases - nothing further is required, it just needs correct install or tuning.
 
Once you upgraded the speakers to aftermarket and specifically 2 ohm sets instead of 4 ohm sets the people who sold you that equipment should have known that wasn’t going to be enough power. 25 Watts Simply isn’t going to be enough to power those speakers and get you the improvement you deserve for what you spent. The low output is likely a separate issue than your interference. They make amps that have blue tooth input but the consistent feedback is that the bt quality is sub par and those combo amps are expensive....plus who likes tuning on their amp or the phone.

All that said, single din media receiver and five channel amp run off separate from all your factory is easy path to victory....that shop should absolutely take that amp back
 
Not sure if I count as an expert, but I've been through a few stages with my 100 and currently have a rockin system that's crystal clear. I don't think I'm experienced enough with high end stuff to be an "audiophile", but I know my way around a sound system. So there's my resume, haha. Here's my take:

1. Aftermarket speakers will 99.5% of the time have less bass than stock speakers with a stock audio system. This is perfectly normal and should be expected. Stock systems generally trade clarity for the illusion of oomph. Aftermarket speakers are generally intended to be clear and work well with separate, dedicated subs.
2. To get "full" sound with aftermarket speakers, you need a sub. I'd argue you need a sub with factory stuff as well, but that could be argued as personal preference.
3. You need an amp (~100w per channel) for those speakers to sound good.
4. That Alpine dsp is bizarre. They market it as an amp/dsp, but 25w per channel is NOT a normal amp. That will NOT drive typical car audio speakers properly and you will have to crank volume to hear it. I'm guessing they threw that 25w output into the product so it would get categorized with the actual dsp amps. I have a DSP amp. It's 125w per channel. 25w per channel is not a proper amp.
5. I'm a huge fan of dsp's, but they are not simple and they can detract from the audio more easily than improve it. It's all in the tuning. If you want exceptional sound, a dsp can help get you there if the shop (or you for DIY) has a measurement microphone and will be custom tuning your setup with a laptop and the mic for 30-60 mins minimum. This sort of tuning can make vocalists sound like they're speaking from the windshield instead of speaking out of both doors. It can be surreal when done right. If you just want clear audio and to replace your old, broken OEM stuff, a dsp is probably overkill.
6. The dsp is NOT there to eliminate or minimize noise. It's there to provide superior tuning capabilities with detailed EQs, time correction, channel specific EQ's, etc...

Talk with the shop and learn why the hell they paired a 25w half-assed "amp" with your kappas. If they can't come up with a very convincing argument, exchange that $800 dsp for a $200 4 channel amp. Most any amp from a name brand is fine. Even the low tier offerings from the big names will be clear and powerful. No need to buy something fancy.

I don't know about the 2006, but in the 98/99's the grounding is very unique in the Land Cruiser. if the installer is not careful where they're pulling grounds and power, you can get horrible whine and humming that you will never cure with any dsp until you fix the wiring. Perhaps you have some of that going on as well.

I question the competency of any shop that pairs that Alpine dsp with 100w speakers. For reference, I'm running 125W to each tweeter, and each mid-range speaker. That's ~500W for just my front speakers (Morel Virtus 602). Sounds like you're running 50W (assuming they're running "passive" with one channel going into one of the kappa crossovers yielding 25W for the mid-range and tweeter to share). If you're not getting anywhere with the current shop, go somewhere else.

Wow. Late night wall of text. Hope that helps, happy audio!
 
Thanks for the help thus far, the responses have been very informative. Here's where I am gathering I am currently:
  • Likely problem #1: The "amp" is not so much an amp, and should have more power to properly run the Kappas.
  • Possible problem #2: The ground loop may not be closed properly, and this may be causing the hum/buzz/noise.
  • New concern #3: Without a new sub I may be lackluster regardless.
As I've said before, my goal is to keep controls and appearance fairly as stock-like in USAGE and APPEARANCE as possible. I do not have a problem with the occasional remote adjustment on a DSP or other device from my phone/iPod Touch.

On to what to do:
  • I plan to keep the 2 Kappa front component speakers and the 2 Kappa rear coaxial speakers in place.
  • Determine source of the noise:
    • I was originally thinking it was just interference perhaps from having the after market iPod interface.
    • Does anyone have a fairly simple way of explaining how to verify a proper ground for my particular Cruiser ('06/Nav) so I can see if I can verify connection/eliminate noise? I've found some various threads, but not sure which one goes to me and can overwhelm my situation with too much useless information.
  • Determine what amp to get.
  • Do I need even need a processor?
  • Determine what type of sub would be simple and easy and how to tie it in to my plan (this is where my car audio ignorance comes in strong). I'd prefer one that gets the job done well (doesn't necessarily mean cheap), but can hopefully stay in stock location.
Where my confusion/lack of knowledge remains:
  • If the source of the noise is improper grounding, then all I should need is:
    • Factory head unit/USA-Spec iPod interface
    • Better Amp (Recommendations?)
    • Current Speakers (2.5 ohm Kappas)
    • Better Sub (What would mesh with current system?)
    • Not necessarily a need for signal processor, should I have one though?
  • If I go the new sub route, what type of amp do I need? 5-Channel? ETA: I.e. for simple and effective do I run an after-market/stock-location sub from the same amp I run everything else from, or how should I best tie it in?
  • Where does a digital receiver tie into this? If I don't want anything substantial new in my dash is this something that needs to be directly interfaced? Apologies if some of these are rather rookie questions.
 
Last edited:
For how far you're into it - you should run new wire from the new amp to speakers if you haven't [couldn't tell from your post or missed it]. Hands down the best way to mitigate any noise.

You should ask them if they properly bypassed the amp - some power wires run through it to complete a circuit. If you simply unplug and toss the OEM amp, you're gonna have a bad time. Those power wires that run to it and back to the head unit need to be tied together properly to completely remove the amp.

On the noise - may be worth getting a second opinion on tuning the thing. Is it interference, or is the gain settings just really high - upsetting the overall experience?

I'd personally start by baselining all settings in the head unit, then seek another opinion from there. Agree on no more equipment purchases - nothing further is required, it just needs correct install or tuning.

I don't believe any new wires were run, they just tied into existing and RCA'd the stock to new amp methinks. I'm wondering if the amp was properly bypassed. As far as the gain settings, I've had the EQ and everything at neutral and the noise persisted.
 
We used the crossovers.

So is the solution simply a better (more powerful) amp? Does the signal processing really matter or do I simply need to find/eliminate the source of interference? Any thoughts on if a more powerful amp would likely exaggerate the hiss/noise that seems more prevalent and if it’s likely just coming from the USA-Spec iPod adapter?

Another thing I meant to mention is that the multifunction display sounds are barely audible at this point so I’m curious if anything else should have been done to avoid this. I don’t mind getting my hands dirty if the solution isn’t overly complicated. I just want it to work.


The Alpine amplifier they installed is actually pretty badass...for a dsp and not a dedicated amp. I think the amplifier portion is to run ancillary equipment and not intended to run a competent system out of the box such as in your case. The unit has 12 channel pre-outs, in addition to the amp driven speaker outputs, that can be processed. Basically, this unit is intended to drive multiple amplifiers with clean pre-outs. Additionally, the unit is bluetooth capable and can be directly connected to your iphone and bypass the headunit. This is a great feature for music and you can test out whether or not your hiss/noise is coming from the USA -Spec unit.

If I were you, it might be a good idea to just add a 4-channel amp and a subwoofer amp if the cost is no issue. Then you can tune the hell out of your system.


1980652

1980651
 
I just ran a test to see if the noise was present when streaming direct from the bluetooth interface to the Alpine DSP/amp (stepping fully around the headunit and iPod interface) and noted it is still persists. Please note that it's nothing very loud, but it is bothersome. Here are the results:
  • Initially couldn't tell with certainty because the music was masking it. Paused the music and everything seemed okay for about 10 seconds, then the noise started. This is with the Alpine DSP/amp volume knob at max. Once it is turned down more it is not as discernible, but then I need to crank the volume on the source device.
    • Is there a reason it would kick on after ~ 10 seconds after a pause?
  • Switching back to the the factory interface or USA-Spec iPod interface the noise persists even when the factory audio system is off (with the Alpine DSP/amp levels anywhere between 50-Max...but anywhere lower and I have my factory volume setting basically maxed to get reasonable sound levels)
    • Is this all indicative of a ground issue?
I did make some recordings I was hoping to share, but could not find a quick easy site that didn't require an account for simple audio stream sharing. If anyone would like to hear and has a good/easy site recommendation I'd be happy to share.
 
The Alpine amplifier they installed is actually pretty badass...for a dsp and not a dedicated amp. I think the amplifier portion is to run ancillary equipment and not intended to run a competent system out of the box such as in your case. The unit has 12 channel pre-outs, in addition to the amp driven speaker outputs, that can be processed. Basically, this unit is intended to drive multiple amplifiers with clean pre-outs. Additionally, the unit is bluetooth capable and can be directly connected to your iphone and bypass the headunit. This is a great feature for music and you can test out whether or not your hiss/noise is coming from the USA -Spec unit.

If I were you, it might be a good idea to just add a 4-channel amp and a subwoofer amp if the cost is no issue. Then you can tune the hell out of your system.

I'm not against this option at all, especially since it's already in place. Would there still be good space to tuck these additional items?
 
I'm not against this option at all, especially since it's already in place. Would there still be good space to tuck these additional items?

It really depends on your install skill and how you use your vehicle. If you are trying to put everything under the front seat, then you might want to consider the JL Audio xd600/6. I am currently in the process of installing one in my '03. Channels 1-4 will power the front and rear speakers and 5-6 (bridged) will power my external 10" subwoofer. This will be plenty to power the system with clean sound.

JL Audio XD600/6v2

Here are some pics of the size. You will need to look at your existing unit and see if they can both fit some way under the seat. If so, then you will need to run a 0-2 ga wire and ground to it.
1980819

1980820
1980821


View attachment 1980822
1980823
1980825
 
Thanks for the help thus far, the responses have been very informative. Here's where I am gathering I am currently:
  • Likely problem #1: The "amp" is not so much an amp, and should have more power to properly run the Kappas.
  • Possible problem #2: The ground loop may not be closed properly, and this may be causing the hum/buzz/noise.
  • New concern #3: Without a new sub I may be lackluster regardless.
As I've said before, my goal is to keep controls and appearance fairly as stock-like in USAGE and APPEARANCE as possible. I do not have a problem with the occasional remote adjustment on a DSP or other device from my phone/iPod Touch.

On to what to do:
  • I plan to keep the 2 Kappa front component speakers and the 2 Kappa rear coaxial speakers in place.
  • Determine source of the noise:
    • I was originally thinking it was just interference perhaps from having the after market iPod interface.
    • Does anyone have a fairly simple way of explaining how to verify a proper ground for my particular Cruiser ('06/Nav) so I can see if I can verify connection/eliminate noise? I've found some various threads, but not sure which one goes to me and can overwhelm my situation with too much useless information.
  • Determine what amp to get.
  • Do I need even need a processor?
  • Determine what type of sub would be simple and easy and how to tie it in to my plan (this is where my car audio ignorance comes in strong). I'd prefer one that gets the job done well (doesn't necessarily mean cheap), but can hopefully stay in stock location.
Where my confusion/lack of knowledge remains:
  • If the source of the noise is improper grounding, then all I should need is:
    • Factory head unit/USA-Spec iPod interface
    • Better Amp (Recommendations?)
    • Current Speakers (2.5 ohm Kappas)
    • Better Sub (What would mesh with current system?)
    • Not necessarily a need for signal processor, should I have one though?
  • If I go the new sub route, what type of amp do I need? 5-Channel? ETA: I.e. for simple and effective do I run an after-market/stock-location sub from the same amp I run everything else from, or how should I best tie it in?
  • Where does a digital receiver tie into this? If I don't want anything substantial new in my dash is this something that needs to be directly interfaced? Apologies if some of these are rather rookie questions.

Noise: If the factory amp is removed from the car you should be less likely to have bypass issues. Normally ground issues arise from folks trying to keep portions of the factory amp system that should just be tossed. Removing the factory amp entirely is the right approach. The test for improper ground loops is pretty simple. You just measure voltage at different ground points with the car "on". It should be 0.0V everywhere. Anything higher indicates a potential across your grounds that shouldn't exist. I don't know the exact spec for ground potential, but when mine was bad it was over 1V, if I recall correctly.

If you can't find ground potential differences, I'd chase after wiring faults. I agree with the comment above about needing to run new wiring. At this stage in the game, they should run brand new wire to each component.

Amp: really anything alpine is probably fine. Here's a nice one: Alpine PDX-V9

And here's Infinity's offering meant to pair with the Kappas: Infinity Kappa Four

There are other good options at lower price points too, but I'm less familiar with those.

Do you need a DSP? In short, no. Can it improve sound and help integrate well with the OEM head unit? Definitely. Can it complicate things? Definitely. I think it's up to you, but if you go with a DSP, plan on somebody spending at least an hour tuning it with a measurement mic. Anything short of that and I just don't think there's much benefit. If the shop is tuning by ear, forget it. You'll get $100 of benefit of that $800 dsp and it's a waste.

Sub: I used an 8" Alpine Type R in my 100 for a while and it was great. It's way beyond what the stock 99 subwoofer could do and only cost me ~$400 for the amp, sub and box. I think a good audio shop with fab skills could make an enclosure for an 8" sub out of fiberglass and fit it into the stock location. Expect to pay $500-1000 for that sort of custom enclosure from a good shop.

Digital Receiver: Not needed and is a huge undertaking with most nav-equipped 100's. I'd keep the OEM setup for now, especially since the DSP can stream from your phone via Bluetooth.
 
1981645
1981647
1981650
1981653
1981654


Yesterday I took a look just to see if my novice eyes could see anything that could help me resolve any hiss. Please let me know if anything could be changed. They obviously spliced and used the factory wiring. Please excuse my possibly obvious questions, I'm learning as I go.

What's the one black wire that appears un-terminated in the 1st and more obviously 2nd and 3rd photos? I'm assuming it's the SGND, and the four speaker signal positives from the HU are actually tied in to it with the RCAs, and that it's okay that it is just hanging out like that?

I also noted that it seems the following cables from the factory 20 pin from the HU are not being used (still attached to the factory amp-side 20 pin), so just wanted to confirm none of these are needed for anything AND/OR to remove any hiss (especially the BROWN wire)?
  • Black/Red (Factory Amp+?)
  • Green (Beep?)
  • Orange (Mute?)
  • Brown (GND?)
Thanks for any further guidance and clarifications.
 
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Without the wiring diagrams for an '06, I'm no help. My 99 diagrams aren't necessarily identical so I don't want to guess and lead you astray.

The phantom ground wire (the one to avoid once you bypass the factory amp) on my 99 was brown. I'm guessing that's the loose lead you see in your pics.
 

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