Car Stereos: Factory Radio, rear cargo area, line output converter

Question
My son just had 1200 watts amp installed in his 1997 Ford Explorer but was told they were unable to hook the Amp/sub woofer up because it was not compatible with the factory radio. he was advised he needed to purchase a new stereo. he is only 16 and dos not know what type of stereo he needs to buy and neither do I. Any advise as to brand or the watts?

Answer
Hi Charlene,

If he's happy with the factory stereo, he certainly doesn't need to buy a new one.  Despite what you were told, it is possible to connect the amplifier and subwoofer system to the factory stereo system.

In order to connect an after-market amplifier to a factory audio system, you need a device called a line output converter.  These are available at any car audio store.  The line output converter connects to the factory speaker wiring, and converts the audio signal to a low-level RCA output that can be connected to any after-market amplifier.

In most cases, the line output converter would be placed behind the factory radio, because this is the easiest place to find the speaker wires.  However, it's not possible in your Explorer, because that vehicle is equipped with a factory amplifier.  In this case you have to connect the line output converter at the amplifier location (under the panel on the right side of the rear cargo area) instead of behind the radio.  This might be why the original installer couldn't do it for you--they were either unable or unwilling to go to the factory amplifier.  It isn't really all that difficult, though; so if you'd prefer to keep the factory radio, you might want to try finding a slightly more skilled installer to hook up the line output converter.

If you'd prefer to replace the factory radio anyway, you can certainly do that too.  You don't need to look for anything special in a new radio; any modern head unit will work if you use the correct mounting kit and adapter harness.  The wattage ratings of most new car stereos are similar enough that you don't really need to pay attention to that spec.  Just look for the features you want: if your son would like to use an iPod or other MP-3 player in the car, then look for a head unit with a USB jack or an iPod control option.  If your son likes to listen to the radio, you might look for a head unit with the HD Radio feature.  Other popular options are XM or Sirius satellite radio, or Bluetooth capability so you can link the audio system to your wireless phone.

Hope this helps!

Brian