Activer subwoofer installation

[Bastian Kigali]

Hi all,
I am trying to get my active subwoofer in my landcruiser to work but fail to get the right connection pre-amplifier under the seat. I have the 2004 model with Satnav factory radio. I wanted to upgrade the subwoofer and the amplifier but the total package was coming to USD 1200,- and it seems to be a lot of work. The active subwoofer would have been the easy way out seen that i had it from my previous car.
I hope that somebody could give some tips. I only found conversations in this forum on the passive sub set up and repair.

 

[drwapenshaw]

Bastain,
What amp are you going with (the 1200$ estimate)?

 

[Bastian Kigali]

It's not just the amp. It's the replacement of the front&rear speakers, the amp and the subwoofer + accessories. The amp I wanted to get is
Alpine PDR-V75 (5-channel car amplifier — 75 watts RMS x 4 at 4 ohms + 350 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms). So i will still go for the replacement of the speakers in the doors but wanted to use the active sub as in the pictures.

 

[parnoren]

If you decide to go with just replacing the door speakers and use the active sub then you can use the high level connection on the sub instead of the line level. I did this with my active/powered sub and it is a great improvement over the stock sub.

 

[El Cid]

It's not just the amp. It's the replacement of the front&rear speakers, the amp and the subwoofer + accessories. The amp I wanted to get is
Alpine PDR-V75 (5-channel car amplifier — 75 watts RMS x 4 at 4 ohms + 350 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms). So i will still go for the replacement of the speakers in the doors but wanted to use the active sub as in the pictures.

I'm going with that amp as well, it's a great choice. but I'm waiting for it to cool off as it's colder than a lady Senator from New York in my garage.

Here's ONE way to do it, but it's not what I recommend: I didn't have control over the first install, but my head unit had been replaced with a Panasonic AVH when I bought it. I upgraded the door speakers and tweeters next(Alpine) and I'm in the process of wiring two subs that will likely have to sit in the back(JL Audio). The final step will be a rewire of the entire system to upgrade to 16 gauge wiring and the sub you mentioned.

A better way to do it would be to do all of the following en masse or at one time. Example:
Install a new head unit, front and rear doors, and subwoofer while upgrading the wiring and amplifier. All at once! Pricier, but easier on labor and less invasive over all. Oh, and sound deadening with ANY product is a big plus.

The key stumbling block that got me was the wiring quality. I don't trust the wiring in the current system to handle the output from a serious amplifier like the Alpine PDR V75. So it got pushed to last. To enjoy the full benefit of the speakers and that amplifier, I think a wiring upgrade is a good idea.

 

[El Cid]

FYI, think of the active or factory sub(assuming what you're referring to) as the constraint in this network. it's only capable of generating a certain wattage to the speakers. That and the wiring is holding back the upgrade.

 

[Bastian Kigali]

If you decide to go with just replacing the door speakers and use the active sub then you can use the high level connection on the sub instead of the line level. I did this with my active/powered sub and it is a great improvement over the stock sub.

Thanks for the tip. Would you by any chance have a schematic which "high level connection" cable this would be? Is it color coded?

 

[parnoren]

Sorry, no schematic. I just connected a speaker wire from the high level input (on the powered sub) to the wire that goes from the OEM amp to the OEM sub in the rear. I connected it near the sub and disconnected it since it was broken and noisy.