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 car stereo without a head unit, am i mistaken? 
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Firing on two.
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Joined: November 29th, 2008, 10:05 pm
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Location: West Sussex, U.K.
Post car stereo without a head unit, am i mistaken?
Hello chaps.

I'm in the process of installing a new sound system in my Ami. I've got an old Sony headunit and 10 disc changer, which is alright, but mounting it in the car is a bit of a pain, the dash isn't designed for a stereo and it's got to go either under the seat or somewhere else, which I'm not to keen on really.

What i'd like to do, is have my amp, subs and speakers running from my ipod, it's much more convenient for me and it means there's no head unit in the car to be stolen.

Now, have I got this totally wrong, or, can i use one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/3-5mm-1-8-stereo- ... 3efbe5fcef

plugged into my ipod headphone socket and to the amp phono leads? i realise that a 4ch amp like mine will need a set of splitters, but all the sound controls (x-overs, etc etc) are built into the amp, surely meaning I can set that up as i want and the need for a head unit is gone?

Obviously, I'd need to wire the remore lead to a switch as the normal head unit remote connection will be missing, but that's no great bother.

Will this work?

if not, why not?

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March 29th, 2010, 9:47 pm
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Beard
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Joined: December 9th, 2008, 8:00 pm
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Post Re: car stereo without a head unit, am i mistaken?
I don't think it will, as i don't think the amp would be able to read whats going through? Them cables cost nowt, so why not try it...

Nothing to lose.

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March 29th, 2010, 10:04 pm
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Firing on two.

Joined: April 22nd, 2009, 11:06 pm
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Post Re: car stereo without a head unit, am i mistaken?
depends on what output the ipod is and what the amp needs..doesnt it? and if the amp can do MP3 or is it just cd

burnt out vickis phone on the way to CZ as we had similar set up but using the crappy little amps that were discussed at length here (or on 2cvgb)

but then i know next to nowt bout wierlesses in cars
Sean

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March 29th, 2010, 10:05 pm
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Firing on two.
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Joined: November 29th, 2008, 10:05 pm
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Post Re: car stereo without a head unit, am i mistaken?
Max wrote:
I don't think it will, as i don't think the amp would be able to read whats going through? Them cables cost nowt, so why not try it...

Nothing to lose.



My understanding is that phono leads sends a low voltage version of what gets amplified in the head unit and sent to the speakers normally, so I'm assuming that it'll simply send the sound signal to the amp and that'll make it loud via the speakers?

I don't know enough about it either, but I've bought a set of the cable things and I'll give it a shot.

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March 29th, 2010, 10:15 pm
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Firing on two.

Joined: May 14th, 2009, 6:31 pm
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Post Re: car stereo without a head unit, am i mistaken?
I have a two channel (if I remember rightly) amp from a mates parts stash with a 3.5mm jack that goes into an ipod, and 12V taken from the back of the ignition.

It works beautifully with two speakers ziptied to the bar across the roof of the car. It does cut 10mph off top speed when running strangely, hence why I don't actually use it, this is probably due to a short somewhere though I would guess. When I get a working ipod again I shall fix it, mine was left on the parcel shelf and is now full of mildew.

I'm not near the car for a week, but if you would find it useful when I return I can try to get some photos of the system if you need.


March 29th, 2010, 10:19 pm
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Firing on two.
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Joined: November 29th, 2008, 10:05 pm
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Post Re: car stereo without a head unit, am i mistaken?
That'd be handy, thanks. I hope to have mine installed as soon as the wires get here, but when it doesn't work yours might be a good place to start to see where i went wrong...

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March 29th, 2010, 10:21 pm
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Post Re: car stereo without a head unit, am i mistaken?
Sean wrote:
depends on what output the ipod is and what the amp needs..doesnt it? and if the amp can do MP3 or is it just cd

Surely the amp doesn't do MP3 or CD, the amp does analogue noise in and louder analogue noise out.
Sean wrote:
burnt out vickis phone on the way to CZ as we had similar set up but using the crappy little amps that were discussed at length here (or on 2cvgb)

but then i know next to nowt bout wierlesses in cars
Sean

I guess it is possible to burn out a phone, ipod or other music playing device in the same way as it's possible to burn out a head unit by using the wrong impedance speakers. I have no idea what the impedance of ipod headphones is but if the effective impedance of the amp is considerable different (I think lower) it could cause a problem.



I too only know vaguely what I'm talking about.

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March 29th, 2010, 10:32 pm
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Beard
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Post Re: car stereo without a head unit, am i mistaken?
Joolz wrote:
Sean wrote:
depends on what output the ipod is and what the amp needs..doesnt it? and if the amp can do MP3 or is it just cd

Surely the amp doesn't do MP3 or CD, the amp does analogue noise in and louder analogue noise out.


Thats what I was trying to say. but i never make sense.

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March 29th, 2010, 10:37 pm
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Joined: April 22nd, 2009, 11:06 pm
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Post Re: car stereo without a head unit, am i mistaken?
Joolz wrote:
I guess it is possible to burn out a phone, ipod or other music playing device in the same way as it's possible to burn out a head unit by using the wrong impedance speakers. I have no idea what the impedance of ipod headphones is but if the effective impedance of the amp is considerable different (I think lower) it could cause a problem.


An thats what I was trying to say :lol:

this thread reallly is the blind leading the blind isnt it 8-)

Sean

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March 29th, 2010, 10:41 pm
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Spellin Bea
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Post Re: car stereo without a head unit, am i mistaken?
Im sure i would work as Scoobasteves does, his 2cv has no stereo its just his iphone plugged into the amp if i can remember.

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March 29th, 2010, 10:42 pm
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