Team-BHP > In-Car Entertainment


Reply
  Search this Thread
42,459 views
Old 13th September 2007, 00:27   #1
BHPian
 
vebmetal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 798
Thanked: 21 Times
Crazy Idea - Direct connection to Amp (no Head-Unit) - Will it work?!?

I need to install an ICE system, but here's the deal: I will use it 99% of the time to listen to mp3s. I will most probably never use a CD, and 1% I will use FM. So it's especially annoying to have to buy a HU that has all these features I don't want, and having to spend upwards of Rs. 6,000 on a HU with B&W.

So I was just browsing around, and I came across the Blaupunkt GTA 480 Amp which has a "Direct Aux Input via 3.5 mm phone jack." With 4 Channels at 75W it seems quite decent.

So here's the crazy idea: Can I just install 4 speakers + this amp and use my mp3 player straight into the Aux-In on the amp? i.e. Can I have an ICE without a HU with this setup?!? Perhaps I can mount my mp3 player onto the dash. And this sounds especially cool to me since mp3 players have most of the functions I would possibly need (volume change, track change, equalizer, maybe FM).

So am I just missing something because it's late at night, or would this work?
vebmetal is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 13th September 2007, 00:31   #2
Team-BHP Support
 
tsk1979's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 23,717
Thanked: 22,769 Times

It will definitely work, just make sure you use a very very good quality shielded cable.
tsk1979 is offline  
Old 13th September 2007, 01:19   #3
BHPian
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: mumbai
Posts: 39
Thanked: 0 Times

Has anyone tried this out yet?what about sound quality?
ive got a sony HU,dls compos,pio 6*9s,a blau 2ch amp powering a 10"jbl bass tube.Is there anyway I can put to use this 'crazy idea'?
bonnetsup is offline  
Old 13th September 2007, 01:21   #4
Distinguished - BHPian
 
Sam Kapasi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Mumbai (but wat
Posts: 6,997
Thanked: 2,376 Times

Oh it will work alright. You just wont have any fader control.

But you will have individual gains for front and rear channels, so it's not such a crazy idea.
Sam Kapasi is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 13th September 2007, 08:22   #5
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Chennai
Posts: 74
Thanked: Once

I have seen such a setup in a car here. It sounded good. That guy didnt even get a MP3 player, he was using his Sony Ericsson Mobile phone as Music player.
gmano is offline  
Old 13th September 2007, 09:12   #6
BHPian
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: goa
Posts: 996
Thanked: 67 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi View Post
Oh it will work alright. You just wont have any fader control.
But you will have individual gains for front and rear channels, so it's not such a crazy idea.
The gain control is on the amp, and pretty useless in a driving situation as usually this is installed in the boot.
For practical use you will only have a general volume control which will increase/decrease over all channels simultaneously.
What about input sensitivity on the amp. Can it take the relatively low output voltage of an Ipod and will you be able to blast it to the full?
filcord is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 13th September 2007, 09:23   #7
BHPian
 
gopz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: India
Posts: 452
Thanked: 6 Times

This has been discussed here already, just last week:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ask-gu...gh-my-car.html

Im surprised no one noticed!
gopz is offline  
Old 13th September 2007, 11:26   #8
Senior - BHPian
 
panky12345's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 2,697
Thanked: 171 Times

I tried this once with my Sony XM 222; OBVIOUSLY with jugaads, the results were so horrible that I decided not to touch this combination again. May be I did not do it properly. SQ : Disgusting; SPL : What is that? Alternator whine was more than the sound and when I turned down the gain; All I could hear a voice that you would get from ahuja loudspeaker (that too fake!)
panky12345 is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 13th September 2007, 12:21   #9
Senior - BHPian
 
DerAlte's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 8,069
Thanked: 2,919 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by filcord View Post
The gain control is on the amp, and pretty useless in a driving situation as usually this is installed in the boot.
For practical use you will only have a general volume control which will increase/decrease over all channels simultaneously.
What about input sensitivity on the amp. Can it take the relatively low output voltage of an Ipod and will you be able to blast it to the full?
The gain control is seldom changed anyhow (changed only for tuning), with HU or without. The same goes with Fader control on the HU. The iPod volume control would be the master volume control.

The Blau GTA has been mentioned since it apparently has a direct AUX-IN (line level), which can take the relatively low output of the earphone of the iPod. There may be other amps too with the same feature / capability.
DerAlte is offline  
Old 13th September 2007, 12:59   #10
Team-BHP Support
 
navin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 25,156
Thanked: 9,238 Times

like TSK said you will need very good quality shileded cable. We use to use this sort of cable for phono amps in the old days. still ginve that the ipod is playing of teh battery and the amp is using the ground of the car you may experience some spurious noise.
navin is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 13th September 2007, 14:25   #11
Senior - BHPian
 
rocksterraghu's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,240
Thanked: 236 Times

veb, I think I mentioned it in another thread. I have tried this and the quality is not bad at all. However, you need to understand that the amplifier when connected directly to the battery would stay perpetuallly on - take care of that.

I am not too sure with the Aux-in amplifiers, but when you use regular inputs and have set the gains on the amplifier to a considerable level, you need to understand that you can have no loose contacts/plugging - unplugging when the amplifier is on, since it could damage the speakers. You need to connect your music source and then switch on the amplifier.

Fellas, correct me if I've gone wrong somewhere.

Last edited by rocksterraghu : 13th September 2007 at 14:27.
rocksterraghu is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 13th September 2007, 14:36   #12
Senior - BHPian
 
panky12345's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 2,697
Thanked: 171 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by rocksterraghu View Post
veb, I think I mentioned it in another thread. I have tried this and the quality is not bad at all. However, you need to understand that the amplifier when connected directly to the battery would stay perpetuallly on - take care of that.

I am not too sure with the Aux-in amplifiers, but when you use regular inputs and have set the gains on the amplifier to a considerable level, you need to understand that you can have no loose contacts/plugging - unplugging when the amplifier is on, since it could damage the speakers. You need to connect your music source and then switch on the amplifier.

Fellas, correct me if I've gone wrong somewhere.
Ist Situation : Probably you mean to say that the amp would be perpetually ON when the ignition is turned ON, no matter if you use it or not. ~Correct~

IInd Situation : If not (i.e. the above is not true), You can always have the amp connected to the ignition and not the battery directly.


If he needs to connect to the music source first and then switch on the amp, probably he needs to connect the source before he switches on the ignition (and hence the amp) everytime he wants to listens to the music.

Why cant we have a seperate switch altogether for the amp?

Last edited by panky12345 : 13th September 2007 at 14:55.
panky12345 is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 13th September 2007, 14:42   #13
Senior - BHPian
 
rocksterraghu's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,240
Thanked: 236 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by panky12345 View Post
Probably you mean to say that the amp would be perpetually ON when the ignition is turned ON, no matter if you use it or not. ~Correct~ If not, You can always have the amp connected to the ignition and not the battery directly.
You contradicted your own statement there Panky bhai, lol ! If it is connected to the battery, whether you switch the key on/off, the amplifier will stay on. However, when connected to Ignition (ACC), it will only turn on with the turn of the key.


Quote:
Originally Posted by panky12345 View Post
Why cant we have a seperate switch altogether for the amp?
Exactly what I was talking about. If he wires it to the ignition (ACC or accessories), the amplifier would blow out the fuses more often than not. A separate switch is a better idea.

Last edited by rocksterraghu : 13th September 2007 at 14:51.
rocksterraghu is offline  
Old 13th September 2007, 14:53   #14
Senior - BHPian
 
panky12345's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 2,697
Thanked: 171 Times

Arrey nahin raghu, I did not contradicted. They were 2 statements. ~ Correct ~ was for the first statement that I assumed that you meant.

Second statement was for a situation in case my assumption was wrong. :-)

Edited!
panky12345 is offline  
Old 13th September 2007, 15:35   #15
Senior - BHPian
 
DerAlte's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 8,069
Thanked: 2,919 Times

Should be simple to locate the yellow-red wire that is the control connection wired to the Ignition Switch, normally wired to the HU (and HU gives a connection to the amp replicating this signal). Connect that yellow-red wire to the amp's control input.

Rocky, the plugging-unplugging of the cable to the earphone socket is not going to spoil the speakers - it is only the very unpleasant crack-thud to ones ears that causes discomfort. Simple solution: remember to plug it before switching on ignition, and remove it after switching off (the thud will facilitate learning )
DerAlte is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks