[Funkypickl]

Hello, and thank you for your time. I'm a new member here as well as a new owner of a '14 Accord Sport. So far the site has proven to be a boon for me, loads of information, a lot of it actually helped me decide to purchase the Accord. So thanks for all of that and such. Now my question...

Do I really need an LOC? I have been reading here and there, a lot here, and have seen a lot of people using the Audiocontrol L2Ci LOC to install all manner of systems in their cars. Since I have the Sport, right now I am looking at the easiest possible way to add a sub. I currently have an Alpine MRX-M110 that I will use to power my Alpine Type R 12" sub. The amp accepts speaker level inputs so can I simply tap the rears and skip the LOC?

Thanks again folks, and I look forward to learning a lot while being a member.

Scott

 

[thunderbird1100]

Hello, and thank you for your time. I'm a new member here as well as a new owner of a '14 Accord Sport. So far the site has proven to be a boon for me, loads of information, a lot of it actually helped me decide to purchase the Accord. So thanks for all of that and such. Now my question...

Do I really need an LOC? I have been reading here and there, a lot here, and have seen a lot of people using the Audiocontrol L2Ci LOC to install all manner of systems in their cars. Since I have the Sport, right now I am looking at the easiest possible way to add a sub. I currently have an Alpine MRX-M110 that I will use to power my Alpine Type R 12" sub. The amp accepts speaker level inputs so can I simply tap the rears and skip the LOC?

Thanks again folks, and I look forward to learning a lot while being a member.

Scott

Do not run speaker wires directly to the amp from the rear speakers, it's going to sound horrible.

Your choice lies in a passive LOC which they generally run in the $15 range or an active LOC like the Audiocontrol LC2i for around $75. The Audiocontrol LC2i will give you a lot of adjustability you might regret you wont get just by using the amps controls and your stock HU's controls. The 2 biggest things the LC2i will help with is sending a CLEAN higher powered signal to your amp than speaker wires or speaker wire through a passive LOC would provide and also add more adjustability.

Now $75 is a big jump up, but a nice thing the LC2i will also provide is it's a 2-channel LOC so if you decide to change out the front speakers and add an amp for them (a MUST IMO) you can run everything through the LC2i for both amps and get clean nice signals to both amps.

It's up to you, but keep in mind trying to keep things as barebones cheap as you can will also give you the most barebones cheap sound.

You've already invested in a solid sub in the Alpine Type-R...that's the same sub I have for my '14 Sport. I have 6.5" Type-R components for the front and 2 different Alpine amps (M505x for sub, KTP-445U for components) for each. Everything runs through the LC2i and I'm telling you it's worth the investment.

 

[keep_hope_alive]

good advice above.

you want a quality LOC with auto turn-on so you generate a legit remote turn-on signal. David Navone N-RHL2 is only $25 and very nice.

 

[Funkypickl]

Thanks for the responses and the advice. I reckon it all makes sense, but now I have one more question. (I guess that's no surprise ) Thunderbird you mention you have a two amp system, one amp for the sub and one for the Type R separates. I know on the L2Ci the outputs allow for that, Main and Sub, but which signal did you tap for the L2Ci, the front or the rear?

 

[thunderbird1100]

Thanks for the responses and the advice. I reckon it all makes sense, but now I have one more question. (I guess that's no surprise ) Thunderbird you mention you have a two amp system, one amp for the sub and one for the Type R separates. I know on the L2Ci the outputs allow for that, Main and Sub, but which signal did you tap for the L2Ci, the front or the rear?

Just going to tap the front L/R since they are front components, that way the fader doesnt get all screwy. The LC2i takes that signal and sends it via RCAs to my 4-channel (bridged to 2) Alpine KTP-445U for the front components and also via the other RCAs to my mono Alpine MRX-M55 amp for the sub.

 

[boostfrk]

I bought the L2Ci a few weeks ago for the reasons thunderbird1100 mentioned, and will be installing it next weekend hopefully. I am planning to tap off the rear speaker inputs for the L2Ci, then run the main and sub RCA's to a 4 channel Kenwood amp. 2 channels from the amp will power some new Polk Audio db6501 components in the front and the other 2 channels will bridge and power a 10" JL sub in the trunk.

I can let you know how things go if you like, or I might even take pictures along the way and do a DIY write-up on here. Seems to be a lot of recurring questions surrounding use of the L2Ci, how to wire it up, etc.

 

[RaleighGuy81]

good advice above.

you want a quality LOC with auto turn-on so you generate a legit remote turn-on signal. David Navone N-RHL2 is only $25 and very nice.

Sent you a pm let me know if you got it

 

[fasty1]

So i just got my self an LC7i which is top of the line correct?

 

[keep_hope_alive]

So i just got my self an LC7i which is top of the line correct?

for Audio Control product offerings, somewhat. for car audio OEM interfaces, no.

solid unit regardless.

 

[mursepaolo]

Is there a way to get a nice clean sound without using an amp for the cabin speakers? I currently have Infinity Reference coaxials all around, plus Infinity Reference tweeters on the door. I only have one mono amp and that's powering a 12" MB Quart sub in the trunk.

BTW, I don't know how my stereo guy has it set up, but the sub fades away when I fade the sound to the front only.

 

[boostfrk]

Is there a way to get a nice clean sound without using an amp for the cabin speakers? I currently have Infinity Reference coaxials all around, plus Infinity Reference tweeters on the door. I only have one mono amp and that's powering a 12" MB Quart sub in the trunk.

BTW, I don't know how my stereo guy has it set up, but the sub fades away when I fade the sound to the front only.

Nice, clean sound...probably not. Adding an amp really makes a difference. I just installed a 4 channel amp this past weekend into my EX-L. 2 channels are dedicated for the front components, and the other 2 are bridged and running a 10" sub in the trunk. The rear deck speakers are just run off the factory amp and provide enough fill.

If the sub fades away when you fade the level to the front, sounds like maybe the amp is using the rear speakers inputs to feed the sub??

Are you using a line out converter at all, or speaker level inputs into the amp?

 

[mursepaolo]

Anysia - Congrats on the 'licensed driver' flag. :}

Yeah, if I want to go somewhere, I drive. If my roommate and I want to go somewhere, he usually makes me drive anyway (did this with my old car too, he just didn't like driving.) I do have another car I can fall back on as I havn't sold my old one yet, but, I like driving the Accord more. Tomorrow I get it back from the dealership (dropped it off this morning to have fog lights and a spoiler installed), and then it's a road trip up to Philly for the weekend!

Yes there's a line out converter. I have Sport trim and I don't think it has a factory amp.. So would I have to amp all corners?

Also, how much cleaner is it to run components in the fronts rather than coaxials and additional tweeters?

 

[boostfrk]

Yes there's a line out converter. I have Sport trim and I don't think it has a factory amp.. So would I have to amp all corners?

Also, how much cleaner is it to run components in the fronts rather than coaxials and additional tweeters?

You don't HAVE to amp all the corners; the rear deck speakers would just be run off the factory head unit.

By cleaner running components in the front, do you mean visually or from a sound perspective? You can easily add the sail panels with the tweeter housing built in from a higher model (EX-L for instance) and then have a good place to mount your tweeter portion of the components. Do you have a crossover for your current setup (coaxials and separate tweeters), or are you just running both of them straight off the head unit?

 

[mursepaolo]

You don't HAVE to amp all the corners; the rear deck speakers would just be run off the factory head unit.

By cleaner running components in the front, do you mean visually or from a sound perspective? You can easily add the sail panels with the tweeter housing built in from a higher model (EX-L for instance) and then have a good place to mount your tweeter portion of the components. Do you have a crossover for your current setup (coaxials and separate tweeters), or are you just running both of them straight off the head unit?

Cleaner from a sound perspective. Right now they're just running off the head unit. No active crossovers.