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Aftermarket 4channel amp

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by dachshund, Nov 18, 2006.

  1. dachshund

    dachshund New Member

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    I did an experiment, accidentally, by letting the local car audio shop install a 6 channel amp to add a subwoofer and replace the sound of the OEM amp. I also had them disconnect the center speaker. The stereo sounds great, but
    - there's no voice coming from the NAV
    - no audio from the phone connection

    They just bypassed the OEM amp altogether. Honestly.

    I drove back to the shop after testing the integrated stuff, which I suspected would not work. They tried to think of ways they could add back this functionality, possibly using the center speaker. I have to wait until Wednesday to bring the car back in. I want them to put back the connection to the OEM amp, and just install the 1 channel amp for the sub.

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but at best they might be able to route the audio of the NAV guidance and phone calls through the center speaker, but the integrated functions would be lost.

    I'd rather have the integrated functionality than a better sounding amp. I've been through one of these customized jobs on another car, where the original functionality was lost, then patched back together. Any advice here would be appreciated!
    This is a 2006, package 8.
     
    #1 dachshund, Nov 18, 2006
  2. priusenvy

    priusenvy Senior Member

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    2006 Package 8 has the JBL system, correct?

    You lost the Nav and phone voice because they ran their own speaker wire. Had they not done this, you could have preserved Nav voice and the phone. I seriously doubt they removed the JBL amp too, as they would have had to improvise a volume control.

    I have an MTX four-channel amp driving the door speakers and another two-channel amp bridged (soon to be a mono amp, it's just waiting to be installed) driving my subwoofer, and I did not lose Nav voice or Bluetooth. Then again, I had a wiring diagram and knew how to read it. Sounds like your installers did not.
     
    #2 priusenvy, Nov 18, 2006
  3. dachshund

    dachshund New Member

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    Yes, it has the JL system.

    I went back and reread some detailed threads here on the amp installation. It's clear that the signals need to be summed and then sent to the amp. I'm confused about a couple of things.

    Summing the front channels can be done with products like the JL Audio Cleansweep SSI or the Scosche SLC4. I imagine the JL Audio product is better - easier to set up?

    Do you have to pair the JL Audio SSi with the 441, or the latter only needed if you don't like the EQ of the factory system?

    The pinouts of the JBL amp are available, such as this URL, http://eagle33199.servebeer.com/Prius_Stea...ox_Tutorial.pdf
    Is this where you grab the signals, right off the OEM amp?
    I haven't found any detail in terms of "connect pin 37 of the JBL to pin x on the Cleansweep"... Is this detail available, or is this proprietary info that can't be posted?

    Apparently the wires to the speakers have to be spliced twice - this sounds like the summing component is inserted into the path the the speakers, is this correct? Does this take care of the integrated control for the NAV and phone? I read that the NAV ECU connects to the L/F speaker, I'm not picturing this part.

    Thanks again.
     
    #3 dachshund, Nov 19, 2006
  4. priusenvy

    priusenvy Senior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dachshund @ Nov 19 2006, 04:36 PM) [snapback]351859[/snapback]</div>
    True unless you:

    1) are willing to lose your rear seat speakers, or

    2) are willing to drive them at a fixed relative volume compared to the front speakers, or

    3) are willing to turn the gain knob on the amp to adjust the relative volume of the rear speakers

    If you are willing to live with one of those three choices, you can just drive the amp off the rear channel outputs and don't need to sum the front channel. I normally run with my rear speakers off, when there are people in the back I press the 2/4 channel button on the amp to turn on the rear speakers, and they have to live with whatever volume level I set relative to the front channels.

    I'm not sure what you're trying to say here.

    The Nav ECU is connected to the left front speaker. The left front woofer output from the JBL amp goes to the Nav ECU, not the door. Circuitry inside the Nav ECU connects either the amp signal to the speaker, or its own voice/phone output. That's why I said you lost your integration by the installer running their own speaker wire.
     
    #4 priusenvy, Nov 19, 2006
  5. dachshund

    dachshund New Member

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    No, I'm not willing to forgo any integration, control, or functionality. Except maybe the Fader control in the Audio/Sound screen.

    What I was getting at was,
    Inserting the Cleansweep into the signal path between the JBL amp and the new amp - is the wiring all done at the JBL amp? Or is there additional wiring that has to be changed going from the NAV ECU and the L/F speaker?

    If my installer has worked with products like Cleansweep, I may pursue this more with them. If they draw a blank when I bring it up, I'll have them reattach the JBL amp and be done with it.
     
    #5 dachshund, Nov 20, 2006
  6. priusenvy

    priusenvy Senior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dachshund @ Nov 20 2006, 11:36 AM) [snapback]352200[/snapback]</div>
    The CleanSweep SSI (and optionally the DSP component) go between the JBL amp and new amp. No wiring changes needed (or permitted) at the Nav or front left speaker if you want to maintain integration (unless you want to redo the wiring with better wire).
     
    #6 priusenvy, Nov 20, 2006
  7. dachshund

    dachshund New Member

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    Thanks! Now I just have to decide if I can stand to throw more money at this project... :(

    The sound is noticably better, although kind of "hollow". I wonder if adding sound dampening would help.
     
    #7 dachshund, Nov 20, 2006
  8. priusenvy

    priusenvy Senior Member

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    I've learned from another posting that the switching of the Nav/phone in a 2006 may be placed in a different location compared to a 2005, possibly in the amp, rather than after the audio signal leaves the amp. My information is only accurate for a 2005. In any event, if you feed your amp with the OEM amp's signal (possibly through a LOC and DSP first), and use the factory speaker wiring, you should be able to maintain your Nav voice and Bluetooth phone integration.

    I'm a little confused now how you lost your Nav voice, if the information from the other posting regarding the switching location was correct. Possibly your previous installer took the rear channel outputs from the OEM amp only, and fed that into the aftermarket amp?
     
    #8 priusenvy, Nov 20, 2006
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