esss

Does the subject harness include the line level converter to RCAs? or does it simply allow you to use the rear 2 channels of the OEM head unit.

I'm installing a subwoofer in the trunk and need to know if I need a PAC converter in addition to Lucid's harness. If yes, can you guys recommend a brand/model number and where I can get it online...

Thanks!!!
Mike

lucid

Use the harness for line level to the amp of your sub. Some amps have auto turn ons (when sound is detected), others need a device PAC tr7 that gives switched power.

esss

The amp I'll be using is a JL 250/1. It has an input voltage selector on it (low/high) switch for use with speaker-level sources spliced to RCA jacks (high) or aftermarket head unit pre-amp outputs (low). Since I will be using the OEM head unit, I will have this on "high" position, but since there are no high-level speaker wire inputs on the amp, only RCAs, my question is whether or not your harness is provided with RCA outputs? Or do I need a PAC to give me RCAs from speaker wire? (like a PAC SNI35?)

Regarding your statement, the amp does have a "signal sensing" turn-on circuit, which operates by the presence or lack of signal at its audio inputs (RCAs). Hence, this eliminates the need for a remote turn-on lead from the head unit.

Thanks!!!

Mike

lucid

An amp with no RCAs would require a PAC OEM-2 unit

145

esss,

I did the same thing with a JL 300/4. Lucid's harness does not have RCA connectors, it's just speaker wire. If you want to send your amp a speaker-level signal, which it will take, you won't need a line level converter.

You will have to solder a pair of RCA connectors onto the rear speaker wires. I soldered female RCAs directly to the rear speaker wires on Lucid's harness and ran an RCA cable from the harness to my amp (still a speaker-level signal). My RCA connectors were metal, so I had to tape them up w/ electrical tape, because they made a lot of noise when they touched each other.

Otherwise, you could connect longer speaker wire to Lucid's rear speaker wires (like you'd do if you were running them directly to your rear speakers), run that speaker wire to your amp, solder on a pair of male RCA connectors, and plug them into your amp (still a speaker-level signal).

If you don't want to do any of this soldering-RCA-connectors stuff, you could just buy a line-level converter (speaker wire in, RCA out) and run an RCA cable from there to your amp (line-level signal; probably "low" position on voltage selector).

BTW, the 300/4 doesn't have that "signal-sensing" feature, so I clamped one of those plastic splice things onto the blue "power antenna" wire on Lucid's harness and ran a wire from there to my amp's remote input. It worked perfectly (not just when listening to the radio, which I was initially worried about).

Good luck,
gil

esss

Thanks Gil.

Thats the stuff I was looking for. Whats your recommendation regarding using the line converter (spkr to RCA) in lieu of soldering RCAs? My assumption is that the line converter would provide a better signal to the amp, but I dont know whether or not it would be noticable.

Also, I've spliced RCAs to RCAs before, but I've never spliced speaker wire to RCA. How is this done. The inside of an RCA wire has an inner shielded wire, with surrounding wire also. Do you just unsheath both and tie into the spkr wire? I'm not sure that would be a quality connection???

Do you have a recommendation on which model PAC to get if I decide to go that route? The PAC SNI35 converts 2 to 30W..is this suitable?

Thanks!
Mike.

145

Mike,

If I had to do it all over again, I would probably use an external line converter, and be done with it. The problem that I ran into with sending the 300/4 a speaker-level signal from my

mwy23

gil,

i think i read in other posts that you're running focal 165k2 components? so you're doing this all on the stock HU with a JL 300/4 amp? is that suitable power for the focals? are you running rear speakers as well?

thanks!!!

mike

ps, can you tell me if im thinking of this correctly...

fronts: headunit -> line level converter -> amp -> speakers
rears: headunit -> lucid rear speaker adaptor -> live level converter -> amp -> speakers

145

mike,

Until recently, I was indeed runing my 165K2s off of channels 1 and 2 of my 300/4 amp. That's 75W each, which seemed to be quite suitable power. The box says that they have a "Nominal power handling" of 100W. And I was sending the 300/4 amp a speaker level signal from my stock HU. I wasn't running rear speakers at that time. I was using channels 3 and 4 to power my subwoofer.

Today, I'm using an Alpine CDA-7995 into a 500/5 amp. Now my 165K2s are getting 100W each, and my sub is getting 250W. That leaves 25W for each of my rear speakers, which I'm working on mounting to the rear speaker panels as I write this. I can't wait to hear the 500/5's rear speaker channels in the ambient mode!

Regarding your last question, I assume you're talking about the stock HU. If so, here's how I see it:


Without fading capabilities from the HU:
Fronts and rears: HU->lucid rear speaker adaptor's rear speaker lines->line level converter->amp->front and rear speakers

With fading capabilities from the HU:
Fronts: HU->lucid rear speaker adaptor's front speaker lines (cut loose from white part of adaptor)->level converter->amp->front speakers.
Rear (option 1): HU-> rear speaker adaptor's rear speaker lines->level converter->amp->rear speakers
Rear (option 2): HU->rear speaker adaptor's rear speaker lines->rear speakers (theory being that you just want rear "fill"(notice the 500/5's 25W for each rear versus 100W for each front) , and that your using rear speakers that don't NEED more power than the stock HU will provide)

gil

mwy23

thanks gil...answered my questions perfectly...

so you decided to ditch the stock head unit? why did you decided to dump the stock HU? got the lucid DCI? or the dj qube mod?