DuffmasterFresh

I really want to install a JBL MS-8 into my Lancer, which has the Rockford Fosgate system and nav. Any time I ask for help trying to decipher just how to do it, or how exactly it works, everyone turns retarded. Google has no idea either! Based on how the RF system works, it blows my mind that we can use the MS-8, seeing as the amplifier does all the signal processing. Oh, and JBL themselves are also confused when I emailed them.

Here are a few diagrams of the stock system. Some questions I am having is do I install it between the headunit and the amp? or do I install it between the amp and the speakers/sub? Do I use the stock amplifier or do I use the MS-8 amplifier?

Below is some info I got about the RF system:



My vehicle has the 9 speaker system in it.


Rockford Fosgate Stock System:
2x 1" Tweeter (Soft Dome)
2x 6.5" Midbass (PP Cone) - 2ohm
2x 6.5" Full Range 2-Way (PP Cone) - 2ohm
1x 10" Dual Voice Coil Long Throw Subwoofer - 1.1ohm
8ch DSP Amplifer 650W (Max)

The sub enclosure can fit a 10" sub with a depth of 11cm deep (4 5/16") if you cut out the rear sub mount inside the enclosure and patch it closed you can get an additional 1 1/4" of depth

Note: The amp uses a digital data signal to turn on, not a typical electrical remote lead.



And here is the MS-8 Owners Manual in PDF format.

I went online to the JBL website and found out you can input your vehicle info and it gives you what the wires mean in your car.

Full Range Amplifier Location: UNDER DRIVER FRONT SEAT
Front Left (+) Audio Signal 1 Radio Output To Speakers: Wire Color WHITE
Front Left (+) Audio Signal 1 Radio Output To Speakers: Pin # 28
Front Left (-) Audio Signal 1 Radio Output To Speakers: Wire Color BLACK
Front Left (-) Audio Signal 1 Radio Output To Speakers: Pin # 38
Front Right (+) Audio Signal 1 Radio Output To Speakers: Wire Color RED
Front Right (+) Audio Signal 1 Radio Output To Speakers: Pin # 26
Front Right (-) Audio Signal 1 Radio Output To Speakers: Wire Color GREEN
Front Right (-) Audio Signal 1 Radio Output To Speakers: Pin # 36
Front Left (+) Audio Signal 1 Amplifier Output To Speakers: Wire Color WHITE/BLUE
Front Left (+) Audio Signal 1 Amplifier Output To Speakers: Pin # 28
Front Left (-) Audio Signal 1 Amplifier Output To Speakers: Wire Color BLACK/YELLOW
Front Left (-) Audio Signal 1 Amplifier Output To Speakers: Pin # 38
Front Left (+) Tweeter Audio Signal Amplifier Output To Speakers: Wire Color WHITE/BLUE
Front Left (+) Tweeter Audio Signal Amplifier Output To Speakers: Pin # 6
Front Left (-) Tweeter Audio Signal Amplifier Output To Speakers: Wire Color BLACK/YELLOW
Front Left (-) Tweeter Audio Signal Amplifier Output To Speakers: Pin # 14
Front Right (+) Audio Signal 1 Amplifier Output To Speakers: Wire Color WHITE/RED
Front Right (+) Audio Signal 1 Amplifier Output To Speakers: Pin # 27
Front Right (-) Audio Signal 1 Amplifier Output To Speakers: Wire Color BLACK/RED
Front Right (-) Audio Signal 1 Amplifier Output To Speakers: Pin # 37
Front Right (+) Tweeter Audio Signal Amplifier Output To Speakers: Wire Color WHITE/RED
Front Right (+) Tweeter Audio Signal Amplifier Output To Speakers: Pin # 5
Front Right (-) Tweeter Audio Signal Amplifier Output To Speakers: Wire Color BLACK/RED
Front Right (-) Tweeter Audio Signal Amplifier Output To Speakers: Pin # 13
Subwoofer (+) Audio Signal Amplifier Output To Speakers: Wire Color GRAY
Subwoofer (+) Audio Signal Amplifier Output To Speakers: Pin # 21
Subwoofer (-) Audio Signal Amplifier Output To Speakers: Wire Color YELLOW
Subwoofer (-) Audio Signal Amplifier Output To Speakers: Pin # 29

gik0geck0

Based off what I can see about the product on crutchfield... It's designed to take simple 2ch stereo output, and make it sound like 6/7channel surround sound.

Since I'm not fortunate enough to have a RF system... What sort of inputs does it take? Because it seems like the JBL should go before the amp... so the output from the JBL unit should match those of the RF amp (in some way or another). That would make the order of unit go... radio/nav -- JBL unit -- RF amp -- speakers. Bear in mind, though, that I'm not a professional.

Good luck with this, and let us know how it works out.

DuffmasterFresh

I think the MS8 might go before the amplifier, but that's why I am so confused. If the amplifier takes a signal, and automatically processes it (its a DSP amp) then wouldn't anything the MS8 feeds to the amp get modified and turned to ****?

Currently, the headunit gives the amp an audio signal, and the amplifier digitally processes the signal and feeds it to the speakers. This prevents the speakers and sub from being blown. I have witnessed my sub sound amazing on a song for the first 5 seconds, then suddenly it gets turned down and sounds bad, that's the DSP at work. So, the MS8 would feed it signals, and the amp will just mess them up.

Thats my thought anyway, it may not be true.

gik0geck0

Yah, I did think about that... And I said it should go before the amp because the documentation for it leads me to believe that.

You should try it in both configurations, and report back which one sounds the best.

DuffmasterFresh

I contacted JBL's tech support and was surprised I got a nice answer from one of their reps. He said the MS-8 goes after the stock RF amplifier, so my initial hunch was correct. He said it must go after, because if it was before, the stock amplifier would modify the signals that the MS-8 was giving it, putting us back at horrible sound.

He said putting it after the stock amp is what the MS-8 was designed for. The MS-8 will then use it's internal amplifier to power the speakers, which should sound beautiful in quality, especially after time alignment and processing.

Finally, he suggested that, based on how our system is designed, that we should use an alternate amplifier to power the 10" subwoofer as the MS-8 may not produce enough power to run the sub properly. I don't know if we could keep the sub on the stock amp, we probably could, but it would not benefit from the processing of the MS-8 unfortunately.

This makes me wonder. If the MS-8 is the last one in the chain, wouldn't we just remove the stock amp entirely and use the MS-8, why even keep the stock amp in the equation? Ill email the tech again to make sure all the info I have received is correct.

gik0geck0

I'm glad you got a solid answer to your question. ish... I agree with you, that it wouldn't make sense to keep the RF amp if the MS-8 is self powered... It also begs the question... what is it's real purpose? If it's designed to go after an amp, and is self-powered, wouldn't it really be a fancy amp, nullifying the purpose of the original amp? Let me know what JBL says.

SwissMTNAlien

iTrader: (6)

Please update this thread when you finish the install. I'd like to hear your thoughts. Thanks

DuffmasterFresh

After much fuss and hard work, installation is complete of the JBL MS-8 into a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS with Rockford Fosgate 9-Speaker audio system and navigation.

Write up to come in the next week or so. Immediate thoughts: "WOW!" and "Damn, this is going to take hours to calibrate".

gik0geck0

Good to hear that the install went okay! I'm looking forward to that write-up, to see how everything went together finally.

Cyp

Any updates?

Kyleanderson31

It would make sense that you could just take out the stock amp and put a better one in but unfortunantly mitsubishi decided to screw everyone over and make it as difficult as possible to do that. There is only front left and right signals being fed to the amp from the hu, the amp then does a typical hu job and fades from back to front and gives a rear audio output aswell. It also uses a digital signal to turn on and off. It has passive crossovers built in. It does a typical hu job of taking the antenna signal and turning it into a useable low level (rca) signal. And the list goes on. And because of this reason removing the factory amp is doable but a huge job. Instead we have to take the speaker level bs they give us and try and make something decent out of it. This sound system is the biggest flaw in the car. Just useless and impossible to work with

Fyi it doesnt look like the ms-8 has a spare channel to run the sub anyway. Thats if ure looking at powering the 4 sets of speakers with it. If u got the cash and are lookin for the best sound id suggest buying a mono amp, sub and enclosure and tap off the rca level outputs on the ms-8. Otherwise just deal with the auto leveling bs bass the factory rf syst gives you, haha wat a joke

Also if your looking for the best sound possible a very easy thingto do that will help the system dramatically is turn off the auto leveling feature. If u google it it'll tell ya how to do it but ha basically the autolevelig feature robs all ure bass when u turn the volume up... A feature designed to save the POS amp from frying out lol. They were really reaching for the stars when they designed this beut