After some guidance from helpful forum members, I've whittled things down to a single question. What's the difference in sound quality-- to an untrained ear inside a moving truck-- between speaker-level inputs to amps, changers, subwoofers vs. regular pre-amp (RCA) inputs?

I understand the technical difference with input levels going up, then down, then up again, but what's the net result to the human ear?

Thanks!



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Truck: 2000 F-150 XLT 4.6L V8 auto, supercab, oxford white/dark graphite, 3.55 LS, std bed, prem CD, class III towing, sliding rear window. ADDED: SuperChip, Westin step bars, Fumoto oil valve, Ford bugshield, Vent Visors, Penda Hide-A-Hooks, Rhino bed liner, SnugTop HiLiner shell cap, Lee Anderson carpet kit, Kleen Wheel brake dust shields, Yakima TerraGate 2 hitch bike rack, rubber duckie antenna, Ford wheel locks, dark gray Dash Mat, stoopid fuel magnets, Lund wiper cowl, EGR fender flares, Ford cabin air filtration, custom shell curtains, custom shell neons, custom sunglass insert. SOON: K&N FIPK, Flowmaster or Ravin exhaust, billet grille, fog lights.

 

this is a quesiton that will gain as many answers as there are opinions...and everyone will be right, because it's all opinion, no fact.

MY opinion, however, is a qualified "maybe". Basically what it comes down to is the weakest link in the chain...if you have factory speakers, you will improve the sound by putting more power to them, but if you have the factory head unit, it will be amplifying a dirty signal, so you haven't gained anything....and round and round she goes...so, if you are asking for advice, it would be:
Build your system in stages, as you can afford to...speakers, then head, then amp, then another amp to run the subs, don't forget the alarm, jsut keep putting money into it....and the never ending cycle will continue.

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My credentials? Yeah, they're right over there....

framed and hanging on the shade tree.

 

I gotcha, dude. Well said.

I'm thinking about 4 new speakers (Infinity Kappas or Polk DX7s) run by my new JVC 70Wx4 amplifier. Then I'm leaning toward a Kenwood 10-CD changer since Crutchfield has an adapter that will allow usage of the factory HU to control the changer. And I really, really like Clarion's Camouflage unit that'll act as an OEM-looking console that hides a 100W amp driving it's own 8" subwoofer.

All these additions will use speaker-level inputs... hence my question to this board.

I figure this will do me right fine until the in-dash MP3 players halve in price in 1-2 years. I understand about some signal loss, but I doubt my ears will notice it. It'll be a HUGE change over what I have now, so I think I'll be happy after spending my hard-earned bonus money next month.

Thanks for the reply, OnBelay.

BTW, my business license, my truck license and my website all say BELAYER, so I gotta ask you: What's the climbing like in Nebraska?!