Subwoofer install by a guy who isn’t handy - it worked!

[Bushmechanic]

I had a Blaupunkt powered sub in another car but it was connected to line level. It worked good for some songs and for some volume levels but there were times when I would have liked to adjust it for different music and different volumes but it didn't have a remote. Later I used it in my Jeep which has an output on the head unit for a powered sub and it works fantastic. (The head unit also has full control for the sub as well as 2 levels of bass boost from a pushbutton)

I'm far from an expert on car audio but is the hi level hookup different or better than a line level hookup? Do you find that when listening at low levels, or at any levels, that the bass muddys the rest of the range?

edit: I could be confused here, I just read that line level is from RCA outputs on the amp and hi level is from the speaker output, is that correct?

The input and output connectors can be the same for both, depending upon application.

Generally, in mobile audio, RCA is used for line level. Dealing with factory systems, however, it can be anything. The reason RCA is going to be more common for line level (low level) signals is rejecting interference; it's a coaxial cable.

Line level is better than high level, as high level inputs have already been amplified and/or processed more by the factory system, which isn't usually all that great. That being said, the installation may be incredibly difficult or even impossible on a modern vehicle with integrated systems.

Factory processing isn't always bad, though. Sometimes it's just the speakers that are falling short. Sometimes that processing can even be a good thing, if the interior is especially poorly optimized for acoustics.

One of the downsides to line level is interference. You've got to ensure power is far enough away from signal, which again can be very difficult in a modern car, and may require more trim removal. Keep the cables away from each other, and if they have to cross each other use a 90 degree angle. It's a pretty big process to do it, these days, as trim removal is more difficult than it's ever been and cables are run all over the place.

High level signals, in contrast, aren't usually susceptible to interference, and you can run them wherever you like. Just keep them away from spark plug cables, obviously. That's enough juice to cause a problem.

High level signals are generally going to be full-range, which you don't want to feed to a subwoofer. Pre-packaged sub solutions should include a built-in crossover, which will allow you to choose the frequency at which the highs begin to fall off and the sub bass comes in. It's not a volume control, and it should be set correctly and forgotten. That'll help prevent muddiness. Nicer solutions will let you choose the curve, as well.

Audio Control is legendary for stuff like this. They're not just "the solution that will fit". They've been one of the best solutions since the day they hatched. Nobody turns their nose up at them.

That said, if all you're going to listen to is satellite radio, you may as well drop a boom box in the back seat with a cassette tape player. That's what the service sounds like, to me.

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[Bushmechanic]

The stock xlt system is definitely mediocre but the biggest issue to my ears was that it had zero low end. The sound was really thin. Adding bass with the subwoofer helped fill out the range a lot.

The BO upgrade is definitely better than the xlt system but it isn’t exactly top notch either.

The base audio system in my 2019 GTI was better than the B&O system in my Raptor.

 

[bigb]

The input and output connectors can be the same for both, depending upon application.

Generally, in mobile audio, RCA is used for line level. Dealing with factory systems, however, it can be anything. The reason RCA is going to be more common for line level (low level) signals is rejecting interference; it's a coaxial cable.

Line level is better than high level, as high level inputs have already been amplified and/or processed more by the factory system, which isn't usually all that great. That being said, the installation may be incredibly difficult or even impossible on a modern vehicle with integrated systems.

Factory processing isn't always bad, though. Sometimes it's just the speakers that are falling short. Sometimes that processing can even be a good thing, if the interior is especially poorly optimized for acoustics.

One of the downsides to line level is interference. You've got to ensure power is far enough away from signal, which again can be very difficult in a modern car, and may require more trim removal. Keep the cables away from each other, and if they have to cross each other use a 90 degree angle. It's a pretty big process to do it, these days, as trim removal is more difficult than it's ever been and cables are run all over the place.

High level signals, in contrast, aren't usually susceptible to interference, and you can run them wherever you like. Just keep them away from spark plug cables, obviously. That's enough juice to cause a problem.

High level signals are generally going to be full-range, which you don't want to feed to a subwoofer. Pre-packaged sub solutions should include a built-in crossover, which will allow you to choose the frequency at which the highs begin to fall off and the sub bass comes in. It's not a volume control, and it should be set correctly and forgotten. That'll help prevent muddiness. Nicer solutions will let you choose the curve, as well.

Audio Control is legendary for stuff like this. They're not just "the solution that will fit". They've been one of the best solutions since the day they hatched. Nobody turns their nose up at them.

That said, if all you're going to listen to is satellite radio, you may as well drop a boom box in the back seat with a cassette tape player. That's what the service sounds like, to me.

That's great info, thanks. There is a good independent installer here who is an authorized Audio Control dealer, I'll talk to him. He put a nice system together in my Superduty.

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