hi. i have been out of the car audio thing for a bit.. i just wanted to know what to look for when getting a head unit in terms of pre-out voltage.. i have an Alpine CDA-7845 with 3 -(4V) Max: 5V @10K Ohms.. i was thinking of getting either another alpine or eclipse deck for about $500.

what should i look for in terms of pre-out votage specs????
decks interested in are
Eclipse CD8445 8V 55ohms
Eclipse CD5435 5V 55ohms
Alpine CDA9855 or CDA9853 or CDA9835

any suggestions?? i am looking for SQ.. should i keep what i have or upgrade (i am not looking for fancy falshy displays, just pure clean power)??

thanks

[ June 14, 2005, 11:18 PM: Message edited by: SPG ]

 

Get a Nak, Denford 8240/50ti, 9255, mx406, something like that if you want a good deck without goofy features.

 

what does output voltage have to do with SQ? the HU doesnt do power the amps do

 

sorry i always thought that a higher output voltage lead to better SQ.. i guess i was wrong.. should i upgrade my deck??

Newb thanks for the suggestions

 

Don't higher voltage outputs help lower your noise floor? I don't think high voltage outputs are the end all be all of SQ, however they do have some advantages. Of course, a line driver can do that for you as well.

 

Newb, you are correct. It is an advantage for SQ to have a high output line level source unit but it's not the determining factor in how a system "sounds". This enables the amplifiers gain to be used sparingly which should lower the vehicles' noise floor (therefore, sound without any colourations due to noise!). Some people would call this "better" sound but I would term it as "more accurate" sound.
A line driver would also help but for the cost of one you could probably do just as well putting a few extra $$$ into the deck.

 

Yeah, I think that's a fair statement, it's not like "SQ" as a term has some sort of objective meaning. Not everyone wants perfect accuracy in their version of "SQ", some people like certain colouring, surround effects, whatever.

 

^ very true 'good sound' IS subjective, accurate is less so

... I would never (my opinion) recommend a line driver.. why add another probable source of noise/distortion? Properly match the amp and the HU and you should be golden (retail shop should help you here)

 

High output voltage can be a tremendous advantage in certain situations. A lot of sub amps won't go to clipping even with the gains pinned, unless the decks output is cranked well into distortion.
That usually means turning up the bass boost to get the desired volume from the sub, even if the curve of the boost circuit is wrong for the system.
Having that extra voltage gives a lot more flexibility in choosing amps.