Just as the title states, what do they do and why would I want one? I've always been curious as to what people use them for but have yet to meet anybody who uses them on their system. Is it worth the money?
thanks
Boosts the RCA voltage. If you have low voltage outputs on you headunit it may be worth it for you to get a stronger signal to your amplifier.
-Chris
I have a pioneer with 4v preouts, most drivers I have seen up the power to 8v. Do amps have a limit to how much input voltage they see?
yes they have a limit. and unless your running in comps or like REALLY loud bass. i think your fine with the 4 volts you have.
^ ok thats what i wanted to know. Thanks for your input guys.
If you set your gains properly, a line driver won't improve your SPL at all.
An amp can only produce a certain output voltage (before clipping) regardless of what RCA input voltage you give it.
The primary purpose of a line driver isn't just to "boost" the RCA input voltage, but to clean up the input signal (makes it harder to noise to be introduced into your system). Less noise=better sound.
If you're into SQ, or just have a cheap HU with 1 pre-out, but run multiple amplifiers, then a line driver may be worth it.
In your case you already have high-volt pre-outs (probably 3 pairs) - unless you're a hard core SQ guy with amps that can handle 8+ volts, you're just wasting your money.
The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.
Here's a simplified example.
Your amplifier has a limit on the voltage output it can produce. I'll give an example of an amp with a 20V output limit. If you have 2 volt rca outputs your amplifier amplifies this signal times 10 to give you your full output.
Now, if you have some electrical interferrence causing say...1/2 volt noise signal on your rca cable, that noise is amplified 10 times.
If you had 8 volt rca outputs then the amplifier would amplify this signal 2.5 times to give you your 20V output. That same 1/2 volt noise signal would only be amplified 2.5 times instead of 10 like the earlier example. So, going from 2 volt rca signal to 8 volt rca signals should reduce your noise level by 4500005
These values I put in the examples are completely arbitrary. I'd never expect anywhere near a half volt noise signal.
gota love the org. i always learn something new.
Thanks again
There is a difference between a "TRUE" 4v and a deck that "CLAIMS" it puts out 8v.
Just remember that.
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
Short Hand wrote:There is a difference between a "TRUE" 4v and a deck that "CLAIMS" it puts out 8v.
Just remember that.
could you elaborate on that My deck doesn't put out 8 they advertise 4v.
I was trying to set an example as there is a difference between what the deck really puts out, and what the company claims.
.
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
boosts the RCA voltage so the amp doens't have to work as hard to achieve the rated wattage, although, it could also cause clipping. I've seen some that put out 13.5 volts. They also have bass boosters for some extra boom if you really want it, though all you'll really need is the EQ on the deck and maybe the bass boost +6 on the amp. I'm addicted to bass, so I got my deck on +12dB bass, and +12dB on the amp. hence the packing of earwax inside my ears LOL
sndsgood wrote:something really useful about 5-10 years ago but something mostly not needed anymore. you can get a clean signal with as little as 2 volts. back in the day even some of the highest end units wouldnt' have more then 1 volt output.
I have 2 Phoenix Gold ZPA 0.3 amps that require 8 volt inputs to get the full output. I haven't heard of any other amps that require it, so these may be unique.
For most amps, if you don't have noise then you don't need these and if you do have noise then there are other ways to reduce it (use shielded twisted pair cables, reroute signal and power cables away from each other and if they must cross, do it at a 90 degree angle, check all ground connections)
