Easy Stereo Add-on

[98valk]

Hey All,
I installed some rear speakers about a year ago. They put out only about 1/10th the volume of the front speakers. So, pretty much useless. I have tried other speakers with the same result.

So, gave up and added a two channel amp to drive the rear speakers. What a world of difference! I am shocked! Those crappy little speakers are suddenly fantastic!

With the four speakers the sound is so much fuller. You feel like you are in a room filled with music. Also, the little four inch rear speakers have much more bass and more punch than the front (I think that the front speaker magnets are just too small).

The amp fits under the seat. There are four handy mounting bosses right there. Just make four zigzag angle brackets to hold the amp. The rear speaker wiring is right there (I used the high level inputs). And the speakers are attach to the hand rails - out of the way of any luggage/packing.

It came out great. The amp has enough oomph to drive another speaker using the bridged output. I might someday cram a woofer into the glove box area. I am happy for now.

Attachment 13825
Amp fits comfortably under the seat.

Attachment 13826
Input wiring is right there!

Attachment 13827
Testing ....

100_3024.jpg
And done.

[53driver]

Hey All,
I installed some rear speakers about a year ago. They put out only about 1/10th the volume of the front speakers. So, pretty much useless. I have tried other speakers with the same result.

If you were using the OEM amp to drive 4 speakers, I'm not surprised. OEM amp can barely drive two...

So, gave up and added a two channel amp to drive the rear speakers. What a world of difference! I am shocked! Those crappy little speakers are suddenly fantastic!

Proper power is goodness!

With the four speakers the sound is so much fuller. You feel like you are in a room filled with music. Also, the little four inch rear speakers have much more bass and more punch than the front (I think that the front speaker magnets are just too small).

The odds are very good that the power amp you installed is providing much more oomph to the rear speakers than the OEM amp is providing to the front speakers (8 Watts). Low range demands more power.

It came out great. The amp has enough oomph to drive another speaker using the bridged output. I might someday cram a woofer into the glove box area. I am happy for now.

Check the amp manual....I would be VERY surprised if you can use the Bridged output simultaneously with the other outputs. "Bridging an amp" means linking the two stereo sections together to form a more powerful mono amplifier and by internal functionals, it cannot perform stereo functions simultaneously.

In the mean time though...enjoy your tunes!

[98valk]

If you were using the OEM amp to drive 4 speakers, I'm not surprised. OEM amp can barely drive two...

The odds are very good that the power amp you installed is providing much more oomph to the rear speakers than the OEM amp is providing to the front speakers (8 Watts). Low range demands more power.


Check the amp manual....I would be VERY surprised if you can use the Bridged output simultaneously with the other outputs. "Bridging an amp" means linking the two stereo sections together to form a more powerful mono amplifier and by internal functionals, it cannot perform stereo functions simultaneously.

In the mean time though...enjoy your tunes!

It isn't so much a power problem with the OEM amp. We've been through this already and I have shown that the OEM amp will supply 40W per channel into 4 ohms.

100_3263.jpg
~36v pk-pk ~= 12.6v RMS

The problem was the extreme difference in speaker sensitivity between OEM and my rear speakers.

I can run speakers simultaneously in Bridged and Stereo. My two speakers are effectively hooked up to the bridge outputs already as an 8 ohm load. The two stereo outputs (R- & L+) are permanently linked on this amp. I can connect another single 8 ohm speaker across that 8 ohms and have a total impedance of about 4 ohms. This amp will handle this. Good point, though. You are keeping me on my toes.


On a side note for anyone:
The front OEM speakers are labeled as 3.8 ohm. The tweeters are labeled as 4 ohm (impedance, not resistance). These speakers are in parallel. So, it would appear that it is a 2 ohm load total, at least at some frequencies. Interesting .....

[53driver]

It isn't so much a power problem with the OEM amp. We've been through this already and I have shown that the OEM amp will supply 40W per channel into 4 ohms.

Copy. I must have missed that post. I was going by what a Honda Gold Wing mech told me about the 2012 and up stereos.

Attachment 13835
~36v pk-pk ~= 12.6v RMS

So this is with a sine wave (freq?) on the stock amp?

The problem was the extreme difference in speaker sensitivity between OEM and my rear speakers.

That'll do it everytime!

I can run speakers simultaneously in Bridged and Stereo.

Damn - amp technology is getting better and better. None of my pro-audio amps will do that.

These speakers are in parallel. So, it would appear that it is a 2 ohm load total, at least at some frequencies. Interesting .....

Aye, very interesting. I wish you would have put an Ohm meter across the speaker leads when you had her apart.
And no, I wouldn't have thought of it either....

[98valk]

Aye, very interesting. I wish you would have put an Ohm meter across the speaker leads when you had her apart.
And no, I wouldn't have thought of it either....

Actually, I did try. They have a cap there probably to block the lower frequencies (an LC circuit?). So, I couldn't easily get a resistance measurement.

I did measure .68uf at two different frequencies with a cap meter. And measured about 8 ohms impedance at 100khz with another meter. That happens to be the frequency the meter uses.

The tweeter is marked 15w. That's not a lot of power, but a lot for a tweeter.

Maybe next time I am in there, I'll try more testing ...

[flat6bagger]

98,
although this amp runs cooler,does it get enough air under the seat to keep the amp cool and the seat from getting hot?
thanks,
Doug

[53driver]

Actually, I did try. They have a cap there probably to block the lower frequencies (an LC circuit?). So, I couldn't easily get a resistance measurement.

Good on you. I would have forgotten completely...

[wildrooster]

I am thinking about doing just this. I haven't taken off the seat yet to look at everything. Can you give me a description of how to connect to the amp.

[98valk]

I am thinking about doing just this. I haven't taken off the seat yet to look at everything. Can you give me a description of how to connect to the amp.

Sorry, I missed your question originally ...

Connecting the amp is pretty easy. You can take power straight from the battery. It's pretty close there. Fuse it, of course.

The amp has to be enabled. Right now, I am using the accessory out for that. It is right by the battery and was real convenient. Some time, I may track down the audio "on" wire and use it instead.

For the inputs, I used the rear OEM outputs which are right there also. It's a 4 pin plug on the brake side (you can see it in one of my pics). I used the high level inputs of the amp, so it was just plug and play with that wiring.

The amp outputs go to your speakers of choice. I like the housing of my speakers. And surprisingly, they sound pretty darn good. Better than my front speakers.

Hope that helps!

[wildrooster]

So let me get this right the factory harness provides the input so it still uses the stock front input. Seems simple enough