Replacing stock stereo - How many channels do I need?
- Thread starter Kamaboko
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
preamp outputs.
gaterose
Senior Member
That depends on your audio setup as those are for output to external amps. If you plan on using a sub you'll need at least 2. If you want to use an external amp for the front and rear speakers as well you'll need 6.
If you plan on sticking with the stock speakers you don't need any although most aftermarket decks come with at least 2.
If you plan on sticking with the stock speakers you don't need any although most aftermarket decks come with at least 2.
Yea, I'm just sticking with stock speakers. Thanks a lot.
Offroader5
New member
Sticking to stock with no JBL means you have 4 channels...one to each door. I would be very surprised if there even still existed a head unit with only 2 channels, so whatever one you want or whatever $$ you want to spend...you're pretty much guaranteed 4 "line level" channels. Line level means there are wires that come off the back of the head unit so you can wire them right to the speaker wires to your door speakers. Preamp outputs on the other hand are usually meant for external amplifier connection (and again..chances are they all have them now-a-days).
97BlackAckCL
Elite Member
4 channels, your front speakers are actually split into 4 speakers but they're only 2 channels, if you get a set of matched components they will have tweeters and woofers that can be installed seperate. The rear doors have just 1 speaker in each, but most components allow you to mount the tweeter directly to the woofer. I will be installing my speakers soon and will have a detailed write up. But I'm only using a 4 channel amp with front and rear component speakers.
If you're just replacing the radio and not adding an amp, any head unit will come with 4 channels of speaker outputs. And if you're using the stock wiring, the front channels are already split.
If you're just replacing the radio and not adding an amp, any head unit will come with 4 channels of speaker outputs. And if you're using the stock wiring, the front channels are already split.
Bradleypie
New member
My vote is for the Pioneer DEH-P8400BH (Pioneer DEH-P8400BH CD receiver at Crutchfield.com)
Its got BT streaming for your phone with an included microphone, HD radio(meh), you can match the Display color fairly close to our orange, front aux, rear usb cable included that I ran down the center dash and mounted to the blank switch port next to the DAC switch via a dremmel and some jb weld
Its got BT streaming for your phone with an included microphone, HD radio(meh), you can match the Display color fairly close to our orange, front aux, rear usb cable included that I ran down the center dash and mounted to the blank switch port next to the DAC switch via a dremmel and some jb weld
borgzman
New member
Aftermarket radio/headunit manufacturers will usually match factory wirings, number of channels, door speaker wattage. And some have compatibility list to specific vehicles, and thats only 10 percent of my problem when installing new head unit.
The 90 percent hustle is how to fit my headunit of choice to the dash. We might need a dash kit. So I will usually purchase the dash kit same time as the head unit. Also choose a headunit that is known to fit our factory dash.
The 90 percent hustle is how to fit my headunit of choice to the dash. We might need a dash kit. So I will usually purchase the dash kit same time as the head unit. Also choose a headunit that is known to fit our factory dash.
Aftermarket head units may or may not match the wattage of the OEM unit. I've seen range from 10w to 200w.
For matching to your current speakers...get a unit that's close the same wattage as what the OEM unit is. If you're changing the speakers...then that takes more research.
Wattage is at the bottom of the list of specs I'd consider. Besides the fact that there is no industry standard what wattage means. Wattage has NOTHING to with sound quality....NOR how loud it will be...You have to factor in ALL the specs and speakers.
For matching to your current speakers...get a unit that's close the same wattage as what the OEM unit is. If you're changing the speakers...then that takes more research.
Wattage is at the bottom of the list of specs I'd consider. Besides the fact that there is no industry standard what wattage means. Wattage has NOTHING to with sound quality....NOR how loud it will be...You have to factor in ALL the specs and speakers.
Offroader5
New member
IMO, the more the better. OEM speakers usually are rated for very low wattage sometimes in the 10-15 watt range. If you get a head unit that has a bit more power than the speakers, chances are you'll be fine since it won't be that much over the speaker rating. Head units usually only max out around 25-30 watts per channel anyway, so it's not like your overdriving them.
My runner came with the JBL system and through the process of removing the OEM speakers I noted their wattage. The rear 6.5's were only a 20 watt speaker...and I believe the front 6x9's are 25 or 30.
Just to give you an idea of how resilient they are, I am still running the front 6x9's and upper tweeters till I get the components for those locations...and I have a quality 4x100 true wattage amp wired up to them, and they are handling the power without issue. Also, they are 2.6 or 2.9 ohm (I forget which), which pulls more power from the amp than if they were 4 ohm.
My runner came with the JBL system and through the process of removing the OEM speakers I noted their wattage. The rear 6.5's were only a 20 watt speaker...and I believe the front 6x9's are 25 or 30.
Just to give you an idea of how resilient they are, I am still running the front 6x9's and upper tweeters till I get the components for those locations...and I have a quality 4x100 true wattage amp wired up to them, and they are handling the power without issue. Also, they are 2.6 or 2.9 ohm (I forget which), which pulls more power from the amp than if they were 4 ohm.
borgzman
New member
I agree, after market radios will not exactly match the specs of factory radios, its slightly more or less the max factory speakers can handle. But most of them will not go more than than 20 watts RMS which is the common wattage of factory door speakers...so don't buy a headunit with high power output(rare) if you want to use the stock door speakers. You can always add a subwoofer kit later to amp the sound.
How many CH?:
Usually Front Door Left, Front Door Right, Rear Left, Rear right = 4 CH, plus option of powered/amplified Subwoofer output, and another 2CH preamp output.
How many CH?:
Usually Front Door Left, Front Door Right, Rear Left, Rear right = 4 CH, plus option of powered/amplified Subwoofer output, and another 2CH preamp output.
Running too LITTLE power is as bad as running too much power. If you have an amp that's rated at 20watts..but your speakers can handle 40watts...and you push the amp to it's limit...it can distort...this can send a square sign wave to the speakers...which will kill it in short order.
One spec that's by far more important is the speakers efficiency. A high efficient speaker of 95 db's means it'll play 95db's at 1 watt. A speaker rated at 85db's will play 85db's at 1 watt. For that 85watt speaker to play at 95db's it needs you'll need 10 times the amount of power. So instead of worrying about how many watts a speaker can handle...be more concerned with how efficient the speakers are. JBL makes very efficient speakers...especially their professional line.
So if you have a speaker that has a wattage ratting of 100watts....but an efficiency rating of 84dbs .....it'll play much much softer then a speaker that has an efficiency rating of 100dbs with a power rating of only 65 watts. That speaker actually exists. Their called VOTT (Voice of the Theatre) speakers by Altec lansing. Up until the mid 90's they were in about 80% of all movie houses in the US.
One spec that's by far more important is the speakers efficiency. A high efficient speaker of 95 db's means it'll play 95db's at 1 watt. A speaker rated at 85db's will play 85db's at 1 watt. For that 85watt speaker to play at 95db's it needs you'll need 10 times the amount of power. So instead of worrying about how many watts a speaker can handle...be more concerned with how efficient the speakers are. JBL makes very efficient speakers...especially their professional line.
So if you have a speaker that has a wattage ratting of 100watts....but an efficiency rating of 84dbs .....it'll play much much softer then a speaker that has an efficiency rating of 100dbs with a power rating of only 65 watts. That speaker actually exists. Their called VOTT (Voice of the Theatre) speakers by Altec lansing. Up until the mid 90's they were in about 80% of all movie houses in the US.
Offroader5
New member
Not saying that I don't agree with what you said above...except this I'm not sure if you were just throwing a larger number out there to make the point.
With a difference of 10db, you would not need 10x the power. For every 3db you want to gain, you need to double the power. So, if you were getting 85db from a speaker using 100 watts, you would need 200 watts to get 88db. So, if you wanted to go from 85db to 95 db...you would need 800 watts instead of 100 watts.
I'm not sure if you were just throwing a larger number out there to make the point.With a difference of 10db, you would not need 10x the power. For every 3db you want to gain, you need to double the power. So, if you were getting 85db from a speaker using 100 watts, you would need 200 watts to get 88db. So, if you wanted to go from 85db to 95 db...you would need 800 watts instead of 100 watts.
