SUMMATION:
During the design stage of your vehicles, try to avoid using extra batteries and high output alternators. Extra batteries are nothing but loads as soon as the engine is started and high output alternators usually make more noise than stock alternators. Also, extra batteries installed in the trunk of a car will ALWAYS force extra ripple current to flow over the car.
Install Transient Storage as close to the power supply input of your amplifier as possible. The big caps will feed the switching power supplies of your amps and minimize the inductive losses in your power wiring. Plus, they will help your peak system response.
In problem cases, we highly recommend the use of twisted pair cable rather than coaxial cable for RCA leads. This practice will greatly minimize cable induced noise - especially in four channel amps!
Don’t forget that your system is only as good as its worst component. Do
The best electrical ground on a car is the CHASSIS of the car. Do
With properly isolated components, it does NOT matter where the component is grounded. With inadequately isolated components, it matters! With poorly isolated components, different grounds can cause different noises.
The deck is the signal reference ground for the entire sound system. The deck usually has THREE connections to the car’s chassis: The black ground lead, the base of the antenna, and the
Amplifiers are usually designed with adequate power supply isolation. This means that it should not matter where a deck is grounded. (Decks are grounded three times and amps float. This is car audio!)
The more components installed on a signal path, the more chances for noise to enter a system. The more electrical accessories on a car, the more noise will be produced by the alternator.
This information was compiled from more than 20 years of working in car audio. If you would like more information on this topic, or any other technical aspect of car audio, please call
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