Car Stereos: Help!, digital signal processors, zapco amp

Question
Hi Brian:

How cool it is what your doing! Thanks in advance.

I have a 08 Jetta with a basic Premium 7 HU. I want to add a Zapco amp with a 3 way system up front. I am trying to find out the best possible solution to connect the HU with the RCA input of the Balanced Line Transformer for the Zapco.

I have tried to find an OEM unit with a RCA output that will fir this cars cutout but no luck.

Would really appreciate any help you can give me.

Thanks,

Polo


Answer
Hi Polo,

I'm certain you won't find a VW factory radio with an RCA output.  If you want to stick with an OEM head unit, you'll need to use the deck's speaker outputs for a source signal.  

It looks to me like the Zapco balanced line transformer system should work with a standard line-output converter, if it's a type that uses transformers instead of just resistors.  (A line-output converter attaches to the factory speaker outputs, and converts the signal to a low-level RCA output).  This should be all you need to connect the amplifier's input system to the head unit.  

You might want to consider going with a more sophisticated OEM interface device, like Rockford Fosgate's 3Sixty or JL Audio's CleanSweep processor.  Like a simple line-output converter, these can convert the head unit's speaker outputs to a low-level RCA output for your amplifier; but they'll also include digital signal processors to clean up and correct the factory audio signal before it goes to the amplifier.  This would give you much more flexible control over your sound that you'll get with the factory bass and treble adjustment.

Hope this helps!

Brian