First of all, I LOVE my new Mk2 (40gb, green, 090000750) and for the car I prefer to drive ('90 Porsche 928) the install should go fine. I'm replacing the aftermarket stereo now there and purchasing a new amp and sub-woofer.

However, snow in Washington state, and a family that needs a larger vehicle for long trips leaves me with another vehicle I'm forced to drive at times. That is a 2000 Ford Explorer. I got the factory AM/FM/CD/Cassette player WITHOUT the optional 6 CD changer (which goes in the compartment between driver and passenger). The stereo allows you to select the changer and it simply shows as "off".

Great, I thought. I'll just put the empeg-car into the same compartment (it fits great, though I'll miss the visualizations) and wire it to the CD changer input. Of course, that would be TOO easy.

Talked to an installer this morning. He says the empeg-car outputs won't work into the factory stereo (confirmed by talking to an installer friend in another town). In addition, the factory stereo has NO line output so it can't go in front of the empeg-car. The output of the factory stereo isn't at 4v to the factory amp, it's more like 400mv. This prevents us from switching between the factory stereo and empeg-car on the input side of the amplifier.

I do NOT want to replace the factory unit for a few reasons.

1. The enevitable divorce from spending more money on this.

2. I wish to be able to use the steering wheel controls for the factory stereo.

3. I wish to continue to be able to use the "dual play" feature of the factory unit which lets my kids listen to different music through headphones in the back seat.

Does anyone have a solution which will allow me to get the empeg-car outputs into the input of the factory unit?

Failing that, does anyone have a solution which will allow me to have both the factory AND empeg-car unit going into the stock amplifier (or even an aftermarker amp?). (This is difficult because the factory output is 400mv, not 4v.)

Searching for an elegant solution...

David Schmidt

Mk2, 40gb (9gb free!), blue

Greetings!

Perhaps you might want to go from the factory head into the aux in of the empeg? Assuming (correctly???) that the second audio stream to the back seats comes from the head, you can have the head play to the rear and still use the empeg up front. I have rigged my factory unit with internal amp to the aux of the empeg. You can read the results here. I don't know if this is quite what you want to do (you might still need to cut the output voltage if you are going to your factory amp, and it is still not your first choice), but it should work.

Paul G.
Q# 15189
SN# 090000587 (40GB Green)

The output of the factory stereo isn't at 4v to the factory amp, it's more like 400mv. This prevents us from switching between the factory stereo and empeg-car on the input side of the amplifier.

Are you sure about that? One of Tony's FAQs (here) suggests that this may not really be an issue... or am I misunderstanding the problem? Probably... the nuts and bolts and wires end of this audio stuff is not my strong suit. I did ask my installer about your problem yesterday, though, and he suggested resistors on the plus side of the empeg outputs to bring the voltages down to something your amplifier would be happy with. He cautioned against using small (physical size) resistors, said you would need something big enough to dissipate a fair bit of heat.

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

I like the idea of using the Empeg as the main unit(in the center console). You can make that work fine with the stock amp. But if you ever take out the Empeg to use in another vehicle you will have no sound in the Explorer. So I would suggest finding yourself an old CD changer adapter to ford. I know Alpine used to make them. You could put an Alpine changer on a Ford deck. You still controlled the Alpine through a different remote, but the sound came into the factory ford head unit just like if it was a ford CD changer. I don't recall the exact model number, but I sure with a little looking around you can find the info needed. Along those lines, other aftermarket companies like Peripheral Interface probably makes the same sort of device.

As to the 4v problem, don't worry about it. You just won't have to turn it up as loud. I have been running my Empeg into my Alpine CVA-1005 for three months now and no problems. BTW the CVA-1005 is not a 4v unit.

Proud Owner of MK2 080000558 - 18gb Blue

Well, a local stereo store said they could try to wire in the empeg car in front of the amp with relays to have it switch the stock stereo out when the empeg car was turned on. They estimated it would cost me about $1000 for the install.

My final solution is a bit embarassing and certainly not the best sound, but my wife didn't kill me over it:

I went to Radio Shack and bought a cigarette lighter power adapter and a cassette adapter. The empeg output goes into the cassette adapter just fine and since I'd not played ANY cassettes in my new truck it even sounds OK. I leave the Mark II in it's soft case propped up against the box between the two seats and I close the CD box cover on the strap to hold it there.

Cheap, but it's working when the roads aren't clean enough for my preferred ride...

It does have the added advantage that when I travel I can take my empeg car along and use it in rental cars with cassette players.

David Schmidt

Mk2, 40gb (9gb free!), blue