Greetings,

I am trying to get advice on interfacing my Monsoon System with aftermarket amps/speakers.

Basically I have a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix with a 9 speaker Monsoon system and would like to rip out the factory amp and install my own amps, replace the factory speakers and add a couple 10" subs. I want to keep the factory head unit, because its a nice unit with an indash 6 CD changer and its fully intergrated into the car, right down to telling you what disc/track/radio station/preset on the heads up display (HUD).

Unfourtunatly, I can only find interfaces for installing an aftermarket head unit and keeping the factory amp/speakers and not visa-versa.

Its my understanding that the factory head unit outputs line level voltage, so if possible I'd like to use that rather than a SLOC. I am also not interested in using a SLOC off the amp either, that would just be idiotic and I'm sure would result in terrible SQ. But if the head unit also had speaker level outputs, I would have no problem using a SLOC in that case.

I would likely use an Audio Control unit to add the sub line and sub level control, and if I could use the same unit as an equalizer for the rest that would be great, but I'm not sure I'll find it.

Anyway, any advice I can get would be great.

Thanks in advance.

 

Audio Control DQL-8 This might be something you'll want to look into.
Not necessarily the inexpensive option, but it has all the features you're looking for and a couple more.

 

Thanks for the reply.

If the head unit does have high level speaker outputs then the DQL-8 would work great and that would be exactly the route I would take. But I don't want to connect it to the factory amp, because to me that seems rediculas to slave one amp off another with a SLOC in between. I think that would be inviting so mush noise it would defeat the purpose of changing amps.

At this point, I need to find out how the system is configured and then I can figure out which OEM interface to use. Unless of course someone has done this before and then everything will be easy.

 

I was in your shoes a few years ago when I wanted to replace the factory speakers in my Maxima. It had the factory Bose system with amps built into each speaker. Like you I posted my questions on here and several months later someone saw it and supplied me with the schematics and specs for the factory setup. Turns out it used LVDS outputs and I couldn't find any after market amp which would accept them. I could have modified my amps to accept LVDS but I ended up ripping everything out.

I'd bet your setup is the same and uses LVDS outputs (for noise immunity). If you want to keep your factory head you will have to determine for sure what the outputs are and find a signal processor that will accept that type of signal. Hopefully someone knows the answer on this forum but you may have better luck posting on a Grand Prix forum. If you find you have to modify your gear I can probably help.

 

You'll need to find out about the level coming out of the deck.
It may not be a low level.

I think with the DQL-8 you set the volume on the deck, and the DQL-8 has a master volume.
I doubt you'll get noise if you set it up correctly.

 

I just saw on the Audio Control website that the EQL, 2XS, and line drivers have differential inputs (among others). I wish I knew that before I ripped out the radio in my maxima. You should have no trouble finding a solution to keeping your factory radio.