QuestionI recently bought 12in Subs and a Sony Xplode 1200watt Amp. When I pulled out the Stock Radio/CD Player I noticed that there are no RCA outputs. Just a block of wires. My friend is hooking up everything but we're stumped as to how to hook up the amp and subs to the actually radio. I've search Google for hours and can't figure it out. Much help is appreciated and many Thanks given beforehand
AnswerHi Taylor,
Sorry about the delay in answering this question.
You'll almost never find RCA outputs on a stock radio, but it's becoming more and more common to keep the factory radio in place when installing an after-market amplifier. There are two ways to get the audio signal from the stock radio to the amplifier, and both require making connections to the factory speaker wires.
Many after-market amps include a "speaker-level" or "high-level" input feature. On your Sony amplifier, this would probably be a plastic 4-pin or 6-pin Molex plug. The high level inputs are meant to be connected directly to the factory radio's speaker outputs, instead of using an RCA cable connection.
The other option is called a line output converter. This is a device that attaches to the factory speaker wires, and converts the audio signal to a low-level output that can be connected to the amplifier using RCA cables.
In either case, the best place to find the factory speaker wires is in the radio harness. You don't have to cut the wires, or disconnect the factory speakers, to attach a high-level input or a line output converter; just cut away the insulation, without cutting the wires, and tap in the new wire connections. Make sure you insulate the connections with high quality electrical tape--never use cheap tape. 3M's Super 33+ is the most common professional quality electrical tape for car audio use.
Hope this helps!
Brian
