Audio Authority Car Audio System Choosing the Correct Switching Modules, Product Groups, 910

Figure 5. Basic car audio signal flow for a system including Front, Rear and Sub amplifier and speaker Product Groups.

Rear Amps

Processor/EQs

Front Amps

Source Units

CHOOSING THE CORRECT SWITCHING MODULES

The Access™ System is very versatile and can be installed and wired in many different ways, including the wrong way. Your Account Manager can help you choose the modules that will best suit your needs. If at any time you wish to change your mer- chandising approach, Access can be rewired and additional modules can be installed to accommodate a different configu- ration.

Product Groups

Front Speakers

Rear Speakers

When planning the installation,	Sub Amps	Subwoofers
try to think of the components
you wish to display as belonging
to a particular family or GROUP, and where those components might
reside in the signal path, for a typical vehicle installation.
Head Units
The Model 910 is a good choice for almost every type of head unit, from
simple 2-channel powered tape/tuner units with only high-level
outputs, to CD/tuner units that have low-level outputs (preamp) for
rear channels and high-level outputs (speaker-level) for front channels.
Both of these varieties belong to the same source family or Product			910
Group and may be switched with the Model 910D (see Figure 6).		Figure 6. Basic Head
		Unit hookup with high

Processors and Equalizers	and low-level plus DC
	power.

The next logical Product Group in the signal path may be Processor/ EQs/Crossovers. Generally, these devices have 2-channel (stereo) low-

level inputs that are processed through a dividing network to derive multiple output channels (e.g. 2 in x 6 out; see Figure 7). Products in this group are usually wired in the signal path just prior to the amplifier(s) input. Most of these processors have a wide range of adjustable controls that, when over-adjusted, can interject noise (distortion, hum, etc.) into the system. Check the gain setting controls, crossover frequency, and other control settings on your products often. Powered Equalizers would not be included in this Product Group. For the bypass option, remember to leave the fourth position open on the last 958 module in the Processor/EQ Product Group. That position is reserved for the bypass connection, so no processor or EQ can be connected (see pp. 6, 40).

DC Power

915X

Source In 958

Front Out

Rear Out

Sub Out

Figure 7. Basic Processor/EQ hookup for low-level inputs and outputs with DC power.

You may not wish to buy the extra switching modules to create a

separate Product Group for Processor/EQs, especially if you only carry one or two models of crossovers or passive EQs. However, if you want more than one amp to play at any given time, there should be at least one device (a crossover or processor) in the signal path that can accept a 2-channel low-level input from a source, and deliver front, rear and sub low-level outputs to amplifiers. Many retailers use a single dedicated crossover, buried inside the display, to derive multiple output signals for multiple amp inputs. This may be the simplest solution for your display (see Figure 8). Our Model 9A80 Crossover was designed just for this purpose. Call your Audio Authority Account Manager for details (800/322-8346).

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