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And yet another Radio Question......

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Old Dec 23, 2012 | 08:44 AM
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Default And yet another Radio Question......

last summer I took the stock speakers out my Sg put in the 6.5 rings and Rockford fosgate speakers and the pb300 2 channel amp in with stock radio....great upgrade should been happy there but no I need more so here where the isue comes from....................

what i can afford to do and what I want to do are 2 different things so this is where I am heading with it now and could use some help.......

took stock radio out and selling it sitting here 50 miles from my bike with no way to look at it till I go back up to work on it again and I got to thinking that when i installed the Amp I kinda remeber not using the pre-amp plugs this was wired to turn on thru the speaker wire and If I remeber right had to cut the "rca"? plug and use the low pass side? this might make sense to someone who dealt with the RF and stock set up. On to the sony radio do I now just use biketronics harness and wire this in and just plug into stock wire harness and all done? or do I now have to take and use pre amp and the rca type plugs like you would if this was a car?

also looking to goto a better speaker. I am looking at 250w Alpine 6.5!!!dont know much about a crossover!!does this set up need crossovers?
 

Last edited by scumBAGGER; Dec 23, 2012 at 08:47 AM.
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Old Dec 23, 2012 | 08:56 AM
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Originally Posted by scumBAGGER

I kinda remeber not using the pre-amp plugs this was wired to turn on thru the speaker wire and If I remeber right had to cut the "rca"? plug and use the low pass side? this might make sense to someone who dealt with the RF and stock set up. On to the sony radio do I now just use biketronics harness and wire this in and just plug into stock wire harness and all done? or do I now have to take and use pre amp and the rca type plugs like you would if this was a car?
First thing, put the amp in All Pass. You are cutting out a lot of sound using low pass. Low Pass sounds like crap. A new radio will give you a lot better sound than the stock. Those two things right there might do it for you. You are already using the high output wires which is much better than the RCA.

I haven't had Biketronics for a few years and really don't remember how to connect it, But I'm pretty sure you keep using the high output and not the RCA. I don't remember using RCA with Biketronics.

If you really need new speakers, I prefer Focal over the rest.
 

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Old Dec 23, 2012 | 09:08 AM
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my memory fades...it is in all pass and gain about half right now........

these 75w RF speakers are ok but friend put Alpine in his and they sound way better...focal eh.....I have heard alot good about them.....
 
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Old Dec 23, 2012 | 09:55 AM
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Is there a better set up for the sony install than Biketronics? so you can still use the factory controls??


http://www.biketronics.com/categorie...-Install-Kits/
 
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Old Dec 23, 2012 | 10:24 AM
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Originally Posted by jjnoble
First thing, put the amp in All Pass. You are cutting out a lot of sound using low pass. Low Pass sounds like crap. A new radio will give you a lot better sound than the stock. Those two things right there might do it for you. You are already using the high output wires which is much better than the RCA.

I haven't had Biketronics for a few years and really don't remember how to connect it, But I'm pretty sure you keep using the high output and not the RCA. I don't remember using RCA with Biketronics.

If you really need new speakers, I prefer Focal over the rest.

Is this correct? I was under the impression it was the opposite, pre amp RCA from the radio was a better signal than the speaker outs. I am about to send my stock HD HK radio to iron cross audio to have the pre amp output installed. I had been using the speaker outs on my 07 with ARC amp and speakers. Now on my 2012 I will be using same ARC amp with Focal speakers and thought using the pre amp outs would give a better, cleaner sound.
 
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Old Dec 23, 2012 | 10:30 AM
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Originally Posted by marvincbr
Is this correct? I was under the impression it was the opposite, pre amp RCA from the radio was a better signal than the speaker outs. I am about to send my stock HD HK radio to iron cross audio to have the pre amp output installed. I had been using the speaker outs on my 07 with ARC amp and speakers. Now on my 2012 I will be using same ARC amp with Focal speakers and thought using the pre amp outs would give a better, cleaner sound.
Pre outs will ALWAYS give you better sound through an amp.
 
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Old Dec 23, 2012 | 11:02 AM
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I had set it up that way at first and no comparison from that and thru speakers and low pass wAs way better..... I fought it too
 
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Old Dec 23, 2012 | 11:06 AM
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I also have used pre-amp outputs when available, however, the level at which they will drive some amps may not be sufficient, even with amp gains at max. Head unit pre out voltage varies from a common 2 volts up to 4 or more.
That is a lot of difference. "Better, Cleaner" sound is all good, but my abused ears like lots of volume.
I have not heard an Iron Cross modified stock head unit to make a comparison, but I am ready to give up on the HK because I am pretty sure it is the weak link.
Garbage in to even the best amp and speakers = garbage out.
Captsluggo
 
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Old Dec 23, 2012 | 11:18 AM
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While as a general rule RCA preamp outputs are cleaner/better than speaker outs to an amp, the Rockford pb amps are designed for speaker outputs and many have reported problems using the RCA outputs with that amp? I think using higher input power is how they get so much power out of a small package? Of course at the cost of sound quality because the signal is double amplified. This is the reason I'm not a fan of that amp.
 

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Old Dec 23, 2012 | 11:22 AM
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Originally Posted by marvincbr
Is this correct? I was under the impression it was the opposite, pre amp RCA from the radio was a better signal than the speaker outs. I am about to send my stock HD HK radio to iron cross audio to have the pre amp output installed. I had been using the speaker outs on my 07 with ARC amp and speakers. Now on my 2012 I will be using same ARC amp with Focal speakers and thought using the pre amp outs would give a better, cleaner sound.
I don't know about the Arc amp. With the new RF amps the high level outputs are better by far.

Originally Posted by HalfFast
Pre outs will ALWAYS give you better sound through an amp.
No, not always. Not with the RF amps.


Scumbagger: Hawg Wired makes a kit so you can use the handlebar controls, but I would stick with Biketronics. I've used both and both work fine, but with Biketronics you can still use the AVC (automatic volume control), you cannot with Hawg Wired. Also Biketronics is inclosed and more plug and play. But get the universal incase you change head units in the future.

Also, don't listen to the people who say to use low pass or high pass, all you do there is cut out some of the music. Use all pass so you can hear all of it.
 
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