How do you hook up an aftermarket amplifier in a car with Navigation? if it helps, my car is an 07 Lexus ES350

Question

I am adding a sub to my car and I am curious on the process that someone would go through to do this. I am going to add a 12" Rockford fosgate sub and a Kenwood amplifier. I am going to fun a remote cable for easy bass adjusting up to the driver's seat. The only problem is I don't know how someone would hook it up to the radio itself. I have the ML system with NAV and all I am doing is adding this sub to it, I'm not changing anything stock whatsoever. how would it work to have it hooked up? Would the volume on the sub be turned up with the radio volume? even though I have the bass remote and controls on the amp itself, will the sub's bass be increased when I increase the Stock system's bass?

What I am trying to say is that I want to control the bass of the stock and the sub separately, (remote vs. controls on the NAV system) but I want the volume of the sub to go up with the radio! Is this possible?

Thanks so much, I really appreciate it if someone can help me with this

Answer 1

The 07 Lexus uses the head unit to send data to the factory amp to control the volume, balance, tone etc. There is a circuit inside the amp that actually changes these settings.

In order to add another amp, you will need to use a line output converter (LOC) to provide the audio signal for the amp. This would be connected to the factory speaker wires past the factory amp. This will allow the volume of the new amp to change with the volume of the factory system.

You can adjust the gain setting on the new amp to balance the two amps.

Answer 2

as your sytem has NAV it is quite modern so should have RCA output (blak and red leads or red and white)

this will run from the H/u to the amp to tell the amp the sound

the only way to up the base from the driver seat is to buy an expensive gadget that you can adjust the levels, i only know one person to use one and it cost about £200.

easyest way is mount the amp under your seat and that way yo can just turn the nobs to increase the sound.

the amp will have a gain, increase the overall bass.

then hpf and lpf which adjusts the sounds that get thru either just high or just low(bass)

best way is to have the H/u on 00bass and adjust it on the amp.