Crazy Idea - Direct connection to Amp (no Head-Unit) - Will it work?!?

vebmetal · 13th September 2007, 00:27

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?

tsk1979 · 13th September 2007, 00:31

It will definitely work, just make sure you use a very very good quality shielded cable.

bonnetsup · 13th September 2007, 01:19

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'?

Sam Kapasi · 13th September 2007, 01:21

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.

gmano · 13th September 2007, 08:22

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.

filcord · 13th September 2007, 09:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

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?

gopz · 13th September 2007, 09:23

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!

panky12345 · 13th September 2007, 11:26

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!)

DerAlte · 13th September 2007, 12:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by filcord

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.

navin · 13th September 2007, 12:59

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.

rocksterraghu · 13th September 2007, 14:25

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.

panky12345 · 13th September 2007, 14:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocksterraghu

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?

rocksterraghu · 13th September 2007, 14:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by panky12345

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

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.

panky12345 · 13th September 2007, 14:53

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!

DerAlte · 13th September 2007, 15:35

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

)

13th September 2007, 00:27	#1
vebmetal BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 800 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?
	(1) Thanks

13th September 2007, 00:31	#2
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,695 Thanked: 23,484 Times View My Garage	It will definitely work, just make sure you use a very very good quality shielded cable.
	() Thanks

13th September 2007, 01:19	#3
bonnetsup 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'?
	() Thanks

13th September 2007, 01:21	#4
Sam Kapasi Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mumbai (but wat Posts: 6,939 Thanked: 2,479 Times View My Garage	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.
	(1) Thanks

13th September 2007, 08:22	#5
gmano 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.
	() Thanks

13th September 2007, 09:23	#7
gopz BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: India Posts: 452 Thanked: 6 Times View My Garage	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!
	() Thanks

13th September 2007, 11:26	#8
panky12345 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 2,697 Thanked: 172 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!)
	(1) Thanks

13th September 2007, 12:59	#10
navin Team-BHP Support Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 25,403 Thanked: 9,950 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.
	(1) Thanks

13th September 2007, 14:25	#11
rocksterraghu Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,240 Thanked: 239 Times View My Garage	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.
	(1) Thanks

13th September 2007, 14:53	#14
panky12345 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 2,697 Thanked: 172 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!
	() Thanks

13th September 2007, 15:35	#15
DerAlte Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 8,035 Thanked: 2,920 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 )
	() Thanks