HOW TO HOOK UP AN EQUALIZER
Want to experience the best music quality in your car? Do you want to be in your car for hours because of the quality music emanating from the speakers? Then why not go for an equalizer?
An equalizer or EQ is a sound engineering tool installed on a car audio system that adjusts the output of different frequencies, allowing one to control the sound volume. However good speaker toy car has, I believe an equalizer can make them sound much better.
There are different types of equalizers that come with different features. The graphic and parametric equalizers. The graphic equalizer is easy to use as it’s already fixed with simple to control frequencies, has a broad range of effects, and is less expensive than parametric. Parametric equalizers are more complex as it allows more changes beyond volume, the range of effects is precise and allows adjustment of frequencies. Always make sure you do proper research on the desired product before procuring.
This article is to guide you on how you can hook up an equalizer. Make sure you have all the necessary tools required, that is, an equalizer, a receiver, an amplifier, two pairs of RCA cables, and tape. A receiver receives sound signals from the source, processes them, and powers the amplifiers to drive the loudspeakers. An amplifier boosts the low-level sound signal and makes it powerful to move the speaker’s cones in the system and create sound.RCA cables carry audio and video signals from a component device to an output device. Remember, the length of the RCA cables should be equivalent to the length between the receiver and the equalizer. The tape holds together RCA cables. You might have the best the market has to offer, but hooking it is the most important.
Mostly, receivers come with fixed pre-amps or integrated amp’s. In this case, the following steps are best to use to connect the receiver to an equalizer.
Step One
Unplug all connections before you start. There are input and output channels at the back of your pre-amp or integrated amp, red and white marked IN/OUT and L/R. Plug your RCA white jack pin into OUT/LEFTand the red jack pin OUT/RIGHT.
Step two
Go to the rear of the equalizer, you will see INPUT or IN jacks also marked red and white. Plugin the RCA cable from the pre-amp or integrated amp while matching the colors.
Step three
With your second RCA cable, go to the pre-amp or integrated amp again and plug into the matching color channels.
Step four
Connect the second RCA cable at the back of the equalizer in the channels marked OUTPUT or OUT while matching the colors.
Step five
At the back of the equalizer, locate INPUT/OUTPUT channels. Plugin from the receiver Output, the RCA cables to the equalizer IN while matching the colors.
Step six.
From the receiver INPUT, plug in the RCA cables into the equalizers OUT channels.
Step seven
Turn on all three components, adjust and control the knobs according to your taste and preference.
What if your receiver does not have the pre-amp-out channels? That would be challenging. Well, it can be less challenging by making sure that your amplifier is integrated with the pre-amp IN and OUT channels. Let’s look at how you can hook the equalizer to the receiver directly.
Step one
At the back of the receiver, there are input and output channels. Plugin the RCA cables into the OUT channels while matching the colors.
Step two
At the back of the equalizer, plug the red end of the cable to IN/RIGHT and the white end IN/LEFT.
Step two
Take the second RCA cable on the equalizer plugin the ends on OUT channels.
Step three
The receiver, plug in the other end of the cable with the red end on IN/RIGHT while the white end is IN/LEFT.
Step four
Turn on the equalizer and the receiver. Select “tape monitor,” and by now, the equalizer should be active. Adjust according to your taste and preference
There are instances where the pre-amps are fixed on the amplifier instead of the receiver. What should we do then? We hook the equalizer directly to the amplifier using the following steps.
Step one
Check if your amplifier has pre-amp IN and pre-amp OUT channels. It is definitely, located at the back of the amplifier. With one pair of the RCA cable, plug into the pre-amp OUT while matching the red colors to RIGHT while white goes to LEFT.
Note that in some amplifiers, the channels will be marked as “tape monitors input/output. ” Don’t panic.
Step two
From the amplifier, plug the cable into the pre-amp IN channels. Red goes to RIGHT, and White goes to LEFT.
Step three
Switch on the tape monitor or the pre-amp connection buttons. You can now manipulate the control and adjust the knobs according to your preference.
In the procedures above, the equalizers are installed on the dashboard. In other vehicles where every space matters, the equalizer is remote-mounted, thus controlled using a remote. All you need is to make sure it is between the amplifier and the receiver.
You first have to decide the location of the equalizer bearing in mind you might add the amplifiers later, and you’ll need to run wires to the amplifier and the receiver. Hooking up the equalizer should follow these steps.
Step one
You need to get access to the channels on the receiver, so you’ll have to pull it out slightly. The simple way is to pull off the plastic piece covering the dashboard, and it will slightly come out.
Step two
Plugin the cables into the pre-amp OUT matching colors and tape them together to avoid parting.
Step three
On your equalizer, plug in the RCA cables into the pre-amp IN. Tape the cables together so they can run from the receiver to the equalizer through the dash.
Step four
At this point, you need to mount your equalizer. To avoid interference amount on rubber material or a flat surface, avoid metal bases, interfering with the sound. If you must, use pieces of rubber in between.
Stage five
Turn off the ignition and remove the key before installing to avoid shock.
Stage six
This step entails how to ground a wire:
- On the equalizer, you will see three wires. The black one is the ground wire.
- Remove a bolt near the mounting location on the equalizer.
- Scratch away any paint around the location.
- Fasten a ring at the end of the wire and bolt it to the vehicle.
- Make a hole on the base of the metal if there is no location. Avoid making it on the gas tank or brake line.
Stage seven
In this step, you need to connect with the power cable. Look for a yellow/red wire on the equalizer. Connect the wire to the power cable on the receiver or any other source of 12v variable power in the fuse box. If you don’t know how to locate the wiring system, use the manual.
Step eight
Connect the remote turn-on wire. Identify a blue wire with white strips labeled on the equalizer. Look for a similar color of wire on the receiver, but it can be any other color. Connect these two wires after routing them around the vehicle. You Wires should be crimped together to make a connection and wrap them in electrical tape to avoid short.
Step nine
Turn on the ignition to test the equalizer. Turn on the radio and check if the equalizer does is working correctly.
Step ten
Put back the receiver after pushing all the wiring in the dashboard. Place a frame to cover the receiver back to place.
By now, we both agree that hooking up an equalizer is super easy. You make sure you’re armed with all tools on time, and your car ignition has to be off. You don’t want a slight forgetfulness messing everything up. Use manuals where necessary and if they can’t help, call an expert. Remember, if you want to overcome your speakers’ limitations go for the equalizer with the best controls. Just make sure your hooking up is perfect to avoid damages or anything else interfering with the sound output.
