Hi Dave… I notice that you are not receiving any responses. I offer my experience adding an external amp to a stock H/U mostly to keep your question alive and hoping someone who is more knowledgeable will post their advice and expertise.

I did add an external amp to my stock 350 Z H/U (way back in 2004 on a 2003 Z with the OEM Clarion H/U). I simply interrupted the pre-amp line going to the H/U’s internal amp, and rerouted this to the external amp (I installed an Infinity external amp).I did not use an adapter (something like a PAC adapter, as an example).

The result was better than the stock setup, but it was mostly just “OK,” and provided only a slight improvement in sound (and less than what the external amp was capable of providing). What blocked better sound was the fact that the stock OEM H/U was designed to only handle its own internal amp, and was never intended to gain optimum results from the external amp I added to the stock setup (specifically, the stock speakers, which were intended for use with the stock internal amp).

I have no experience with Honda’s OEM H/U’s, so I cannot provide specific advice here. I can only tell you that if the Honda’s OEM equipment is like most OEM installations, you may not get the best result with what you are asking about. Typically OEM equipment is designed to work best within its setup, and does not adapt well to “add-ons.”

One thing to consider (and I realize why you may not think this is a good solution) is installing a fairly inexpensive H/U designed to support an external amp. Of course, if the Honda has specific dashboard configuration that does not adapt well to a replacement, my suggestion won’t work.

I wish I could provide better advice, and hopefully someone reading has a better answer to your question.

--Spike

 

^^ Dave, I understand. Many cars today (e.g., Honda, Mazda, and Saab are just three examples) integrate the H/U into the car’s electronic features. The OEM H/U is an operational center for more than just A/V.

My Saab uses something they call a SID (Saab Information Display) that does things like operating the heater/AC, displaying problem reports (i.e., “Left Front Headlight Failure”), operating the H/U, etc.

The Mazda RX is another example. I don’t see any reasonable way to replace the H/U since it’s so tightly integrated into the car’s electronic features, and the replacement is not simply dropping an aftermarket H/U into a DD slot. That would require a great deal of custom fabrication just to make it fit and look right, not to mention all the wiring required to provide the support features; and that’s if you could even do this.

These limitations are the justification for Kenwood’s KOS system and its higher expen$e. The Kenwood Car Portal products are designed to overcome the problems I describe above. For example: If you have a leased car or a car that does not allow H/U replacement, you add A KOS v1000 or V500 Controller, and then do any A/V modification you want in your car. The downside is the co$t, and you need a decently sized LCD to display the operational functions. If your car does not have a DD screen and you cannot fit a remote screen in your car’s interior, the KOS system may not be the right choice.

But, I digress, so back to your issue. I looked at the link you posted, and I see no reason why this would not work well for your project. I like PAC solutions. The products use quality components (twisted pair RCA lines, thick wires with adequate insulation, high quality connectors and harnesses, etc.). I agree with your decision to go this route. It appears to be a relatively simple solution. Please let us know how it turns out.

--Spike