Pancake

Can some one with any real exprience tell me how you THINK they should be used to achieve maximum output. I've seen in many years and heard different stories of how the are suppose to be used, but I've have had different/better results than people that are far more recognized for this sort of thing. Simple math/physics would tell me their wrong when they tell me these ideas. Maybe someone could tell me about their experiences with various line drive devices.

P.S I plan to pick up an Audiocontrol Overdrive piece for a good price and don't try to tell me it's crap.

BigRedGuy

iTrader: (11)

Well, I can tell you about my experiences with mine, if that helps.....

Basic function: raise line voltage levels for multi-amp setups or to help out a deck with low level outputs.

I bought one for my truck a few years ago to compensate for low outputs. The deck I had only had a single pair of RCAs rated for 1.8v out, and I was running 3 amps that could each easily handle 4v in. When I first hooked all that up, I noticed that the amps were not getting anywhere near full power output, even with the volume at maximum, unless I turned the gains on the amps down. Rather than push the deck volume so high that it would start to distort, and turning the gains down on the amp so less output from the deck would get them to full output, I decided to add the Audio Control line driver.

I must add that I COULD have just gone out and bought a new deck with higher outputs, but I thought the LD would look nice next to my Epicenter... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

After setting the amp gains back to minimum and the output on the line driver to minimum, I fired up a good tune on the deck and started adjusting the pot on the line driver. I noticed right away that as the volume rose, there was none of the "straining" (best way I think of to put it, sorry) to achieve the higher output. The signal stayed very clean right thru the entire volume control range on the deck. I set the unit up so that maximum output from the deck was never more than around 90% of it's full (1.8v) output, and all the amps got a much cleaner signal with all the voltage they could handle.

I ran my system set like that for almost 3 years, and did not have any issues with the line driver at all. I have heard that some people found them noisy, but I made sure mine was properly grounded and mounted close to the deck so the long run of RCAs to the system crossover had the benefit of the higher voltage levels.

I pulled mine out of my system a few months ago when I bought a new deck that has 3 X 4.5V outputs, but I plan on installing some stuff in my wife's van in the near future. If I need to use it for the reasons discussed above, I wouldn't hesitate to put it in there.

In short, a great little piece of hardware that worked like a charm for me for years.... [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

HTH

Team Shadow

we have a line driver which we set to 9.5 volts. regardless of the headunit we are using. our amp seems to do fine with this setup. we are able to constantly predict our scores with that. or at least where we will hit in relation to others scores. we have tried 2 line frivers the tld22 and the tld66. both work good for us.

Pancake

Hey guys, thanks for the opinions they've helped me out and have shed some light on my own opinions about other people's set-ups. It helped me realize why people use them the way they do. [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]