Can a car stereo be installed with a factory AMP?
This factory amp is designed to make cheap factory speakers sound better. But it doesn’t do you any favors when you replace the stereo or those stock speakers. Retaining the factory amp usually makes it easier to install a new stereo, and in some vehicles that’s your only option. But your new stereo’s sound is limited to what that amp can do.
Which is the best stereo system for a car?
The factory stereo systems are, like most factory stereo systems, pretty dull. The Bose® system was a distinct improvement over the base model, but it’s still getting on in years and you can do better.
How to upgrade the stereo system in a Chevy?
Disconnect the wiring harnesses and work the dash trim panel over the steering column until the panel’s out of the way. With that, all you need to do is remove the three 7mm screws securing the factory radio, disconnect everything, and set it aside.
What kind of bypass cable do I need for car stereo?
Occasionally, we may not have a specific bypass harness available for a vehicle. But if you don’t mind splicing some wires, you can use a speaker-wire bundle, like the Crutchfield CSW9W-20 9-wire speaker cable, to reach the output section of your factory amp.
This factory amp is designed to make cheap factory speakers sound better. But it doesn’t do you any favors when you replace the stereo or those stock speakers. Retaining the factory amp usually makes it easier to install a new stereo, and in some vehicles that’s your only option. But your new stereo’s sound is limited to what that amp can do.
What do I need for a new stereo system?
A wiring adapter harness makes the connections between your new stereo and the factory harness. You’ll also need an antenna adapter and a receiver mounting bracket. All are available at a deep discount with your stereo purchase. You’ll start by securing the receiver to the mounting bracket following the instructions that come with the kit.
How does a 10 speaker stereo system work?
If your car is equipped with a 10-speaker system, you’ll need to connect the amplifier remote (labeled “power antenna” on some stereos) wire from the new receiver to the power antenna (blue) wire on the Crutchfield harness. This turns on the factory amplifier, so all of your speakers will continue to work.
Occasionally, we may not have a specific bypass harness available for a vehicle. But if you don’t mind splicing some wires, you can use a speaker-wire bundle, like the Crutchfield CSW9W-20 9-wire speaker cable, to reach the output section of your factory amp.
How do you bypass a factory radio AMP?
So we helped him wire the radio in a way that safely let us switch between the amp integration and bypass setups to compare the sound. To bypass factory amp, Dave simply unplugged the cable from the amp and plugged it into the bypass harness’s plug. How did it sound?
Where is the factory AMP on a Toyota?
But if you don’t mind splicing some wires, you can use a speaker-wire bundle, like the Crutchfield CSW9W-20 9-wire speaker cable, to reach the output section of your factory amp. There it is! The Toyota’s factory JBL amp is mounted under the rear seats.
Is it worth it to bypass the factory AMP?
Hint: if you want the best sound from your new stereo or speakers, the extra work it takes to bypass the factory amp is totally worthwhile. The factory stereo systems in many of today’s vehicles include an external amplifier. This factory amp is designed to make cheap factory speakers sound better.
Do you have to keep the factory stereo?
Given my background, they put me to work writing about some of the most complex electronic products Crutchfield sells: car amplifiers, digital signal processors, wiring, professional sound mixers, and PA systems. Sometimes, you just have to keep the factory stereo.
When to add an amp to your car?
Here’s a list of situations where you should probably consider options other than adding an amp to your factory system. If you have a factory premium amplified system. (Will need to bypass the current amp before adding another) If one or more speakers are faulty. If your vehicle has a faulty or non operational radio.
How to hook up an aftermarket radio to a factory AMP?
The diagram pic shows how an aftermarket radio would be hooked up. Metra makes a harness (70-1725) which allows you to hook the radio’s RCA outputs to the facory harness (more on this later).
Hint: if you want the best sound from your new stereo or speakers, the extra work it takes to bypass the factory amp is totally worthwhile. The factory stereo systems in many of today’s vehicles include an external amplifier. This factory amp is designed to make cheap factory speakers sound better.
Here’s a list of situations where you should probably consider options other than adding an amp to your factory system. If you have a factory premium amplified system. (Will need to bypass the current amp before adding another) If one or more speakers are faulty. If your vehicle has a faulty or non operational radio.
How can I bypass a factory audio amp?
To bypass factory amp, Dave simply unplugged the cable from the amp and plugged it into the bypass harness’s plug. How did it sound? To put things in perspective, Dave works primarily on the home audio side of our business, so he’s been exposed to some of the best sounding home audio systems out there.
Can you keep the factory stereo in a 2013 Ford Focus?
And sometimes, especially in newer cars, like the 2013 Ford Focus shown above, the factory stereo is actually pretty cool. But there’s still plenty of room for improved sound. Luckily, this problem has some solutions that let you keep your factory stereo and get spectacular sound, customized for your specific vehicle.
But if you don’t mind splicing some wires, you can use a speaker-wire bundle, like the Crutchfield CSW9W-20 9-wire speaker cable, to reach the output section of your factory amp. There it is! The Toyota’s factory JBL amp is mounted under the rear seats.
Can you bypass the factory AMP in a car?
Bypassing the factory amp takes a little more work because you have to run the bypass harness to the factory amp, which is often located in some other part of the car. It’s usually worth the extra effort because you’ll get better sound from your new stereo, even if you’re keeping those factory speakers.
Can a subwoofer be added to a factory stereo?
Video not available. Adding a subwoofer to your factory stereo is a great way to improve your sound without giving up your familiar factory controls. In this video, you can follow along as one of our experts installs an amplifier and subwoofer in a car with a factory stereo. You’ll see all the basics of amplifier installation, including:
How do you convert a factory stereo to RCA?
In this particular car we have a factory stereo, so we’re going to need to convert the speaker wire coming out of the back of the factory stereo, which will plug in right here on our line output converter. This will change it over to our RCAs, which come out the other side.
How do you connect an amplifier to a factory stereo?
Run two of these cables from the dash to your new amplifier. You’ll need one for the amp’s input and the other for its output. These cables will act like a “T-harness” to connect your amp to the factory system. Behind the factory radio, you can access all of the speaker wires in one place.
How does a radio hook up to a speaker?
The radio’s wiring harness delivers power to the radio and sends its output to the speakers. You’ll need to identify which wire goes to which speaker. Positive leads are usually solid-colored wires, while their accompanying negative leads tend to be the same color with a stripe of a second color.
Why do you need a factory amp for a car stereo?
Retaining the factory amp meant he could connect the new stereo to the plug in the dash cavity, where the old radio had been plugged in. Here’s where we chimed in, explaining that Dave could expect better sound by bypassing that factory amp and directly feeding the JVC receiver’s power to his new speakers.
So we helped him wire the radio in a way that safely let us switch between the amp integration and bypass setups to compare the sound. To bypass factory amp, Dave simply unplugged the cable from the amp and plugged it into the bypass harness’s plug. How did it sound?