Does anyone know how I can tap into my rear speakers to install rca inputs for my sub? Would I need a line in converter? Also, would the sound clarity be distorted because I am splicing from the rear speakers?

 

The easiest way is to do it from the HU. You can tap into the rear output INTO a line converter to your amp powering your Sub. It's a lot harder to physically tap into the rear speakers line because you have to take off alot of panels.

 

I hope that you realize that the rear speakers in the 350Z has blockers on them. The blockers only allow a certain amount of musical signals to filter through. Tapping the rear wires for your inline converter would be a waste of time.

 

Sorry,
I forgot to clarify that the speaker wire for the rears are no good but the wires for the rear speakers directly behind the HU is feasable.

 

If you have the Bose system, you will need a special type of converter. The Bose uses a non-standard signal. If you do not have the Bose, you can use a standard line-out converter, but be warned that the sound quality isn't very good. A friend of mine tried them in his Civic and it sounded horrible. I advise you get a new headunit instead.

Re: 808_FairladyZ's post concerning "blockers": As far as I know, this is untrue. The rear speakers just have an obscenely high impedance--somewhere around 32 ohms, I assume to attenuate their output and improve front imaging. There are no "bass-blockers" on them either.

 

He doesn't have to worry about Bose (from his sig, he got an Enthusiast and he wants to add a sub)

I don't believe that the rear has any filter on them. I had tested the front and the rear with a line converter and both sound the same. Except you don't amplify the HU's beeps, the beeps seems to be tied to the front.

 

Always tap behind the head unit, and not down the line, unless you want a noisy system...also, use a good line output convertor, and a good quality, balanced/shielded RCA cable to run to the subwoofer amp.

 

I tapped the rear speaker without any problem. We tried for a couple of hours to get behind the HU without any luck. Taking the back panels appart is about as difficult as putting a seatbelt on. you have to essentially rip them off, but they click right back into place. We used an rca converter, tapped the rear speaker wires and mine sounds great. Obviously I would have liked to have gone behind the HU, but it was not neccessary and has not created any noise distortion at all.

 

so, you were able to rip the enitre car apart from the hatch forward to get to the rear speakers, but you were not able to get behind the head unit... strange. I can remove the factory head unit in about 15 minutes, and that includes working around the nav too...

 

Thanks for everyones prompt reply. If I were to tap the line in converter from the head unit, is there any other piece of equipment that I need such as a harness?


saint01 - how did you connect the rca converter from the rear speakers? Did you have to solder them on the speakers or on the actual wire before it gets to the rear speakers?

Sorry everyone for the extensive questions. This is my first time installing a system and I just don't want anything wrong to happen

 

Here is what I did.

I had to take the rear panel out because I was installing 2 subs anyway, so that panel had to come out. I then reached around and just pulled the rear panel off (this is the panel that faces the rear, not the top part with the speakers on it). I then spliced the outside of the wires, wrapped the rca converters wires around the them, and took some electric tape and was done.

I really don't see what was so tough about this. Hey, if you can get behind the HU, more power to you. We tried and just couldn't really figure it out and didn't want to pull too hard cause I was afraid I would crack parts. Ideally, I would like to have gone behind the HU, but with the back already broken down, what was the point? It all worked out well for me, but the way I did it is definetely not the only way to go.

 

thanks so much everyone, especially saint01, now im one step closer to installing my sub by myself

 

Crutchfield has direction (039 0054) to remove the HU in 8 steps.

1. Disconnect gnd on battery
2. Pry up Gear Shift trimpanel staring at the rear edge(just grab shift boot near the back). Pull up and away from dash, disconnect ribbon harness.
3. Remove 2 screw from bottom edge of Receiver trimpanel (right under the HU, next to the white box)
4. Remove 4 screw from metal bracket located under white ribbon cable box.
5. open nav door and pry out rubber mat
6. Remove 2 screw in pocket trim. Remove trim
7. Remove 2 screw securing top of HU
8. Pry receiver trimpanel away from windshield enough to disconnect wiring harness. Remove factory radio/trimpanel assembly.


You should consider connecting to the HU instead of the rear speaker lines. This way it's alot easier to upgrade to a new HU later on (if you wanted to) I've took pretty much ALL the panels off the car and removing the HU is WAY easier than removing rear panels.

 

Ok, I have the Bose system and want to install my Basslink today. Because of the difference in ohms, should I tap for the signal after the speakers are amped, or before, from the HU where there is little signal or power?

On my Maxima with Bose I had tapped from after the amped speaker, and all was fine. Later I gutted the whole stereo and started over, but I would like to keep the Z as stock as possible looking.