Now I'M confused! Ben, you indicate that you have an Alpine HU, as well as an amp; yet you plan on using line converters...does your HU NOT have RCAs? Also, if you're installing an amp, why do you plan to retain the OE speaker wiring? It's likely inadequate, and ties you into that piece-of-crap OE fader (bypassed in both of my rides). If you've gotta run power the length of the car, then is it too much trouble to open up the other side to run speaker wires and RCAs?

Ben, please provide more details on your HU, because many Alpine's have either sub pre-outs or even an attenuable sub pre-out (adjustable from the face of the HU, like Bass and Treble). Knowing this the forum can assuredly better guide you.

Chris, I strongly suggest you heed Peter's advice as to the fader; he's spot-on. However, I must respectfully disagree on the sub issue; I've just finished up the system in my 500E and the 12" sub built into the floor of the trunk is truly, comprehensively unbelievable! I mean, bass that makes your insides move, but is as tight as one could imagine, and far, far beyond my expectations.

Now, 400 honest RMS watts to control a single 12" sub doesn't hurt, so I'm sure this helps the sound. However, even at over 130 dB inside the car (though you'd never know it, there's no distortion), outside it's virtually silent...even I'm amazed. I Dynamatted the spare wheel well and the parcel shelf; haven't done the trunklid primarily because I don't have a bunch of replacement clips handy (you WILL break a bunch of them if you remove the wool felt lining). Now I'm wondering if I even need to do so, because even with the stereo off and with a 3" X 5" hole cut in my 1st aid kit, virtually no road rumble pipes in thru the vent. Maybe a 500E's a more sonically non-resonant environment, and maybe it's the Alpine Digital Phase Processor that's supposed to actively eliminate resonant waves, but I'm sure I could make Peter a believer in this sub setup...and I give up NO trunk space !!

------------------
Best regards, Michael
'92 500E
'88 300TE