Car Stereos: car audio for acura tl 2006, rockford fosgate, acura tl

Question
would it possibel to ad the Apline PXE-H660 system intergaration audio procesor to the system with no problems? and if so, have you heard about the sound quality, Better or worse?

Answer
Hi Anthony,

I haven't personally used the PXE-H660 processor, so I can't really give you much feedback regarding the sound quality.  It's important to note that a factory integration processor like this is designed to be used with a complete after-market amplifier and speaker system; it's not meant to be used by itself with factory amplifiers and speakers (although it could probably be adapted for this kind of use).  The vast majority of buyers for this processor will be using it as a starting point for a high-end after-market audio system, so the final sound quality will depend on those components as well.

The only compatibility issue I can see is that the PXE-H660 uses five input channels (four channels plus subwoofer) while your vehicle is equipped with a 5.1 surround package.  That means there's a center channel in the stock system that won't be included in the sound processing.  I'm not sure how this will affect the overall sound quality, or the automatic audio setup; but it's probably something you can work around.

Overall, I think this type of processor is a very good idea if you'd like to build a very high quality after-market audio system while keeping the factory head unit.  In an Acura TL, a good OEM integration processor is really a necessary first step if you want to install any sort of after-market upgrade.  While I don't have personal experience with the Alpine unit, I like what I've seen after reading through the owner's manual.  However, you might also want to take a look at Rockford Fosgate's 3Sixty.2 processor.  One advantage to the Rockford piece over the Alpine is that the 3Sixty.2 includes six channels of inputs, including a center channel option.

Hope this helps!

Brian