Headunit RCA output power

[Timmos]

I'm curious as to the output Voltage of the Preouts on a HU effects the sound quality/power of amp'd speakers. Obviously higher power, the louder it can go. I'm not overly concerned how loud i can pump it, as to how clear the sound quality is.

I'm currently looking at purchasing a new HU, I'm tossing between a Kenwood and a Clarion one.

The only real difference is:

3 Preouts with 4V Pre-output Level (Kenwood)

or 3 Preouts with 2.5V Pre-output Level (Clarion)

The Kenwood is about $80 more expensive. As i'm sort of on a budget, is this really worth the extra $80?

[arrow224]

I didn't think the voltage meant power. I do know, however, that the higher the voltage, the lower you can set your gains.

[Timmos]

Hmm right, Thanks.

I guess this would be good to keep my amp from blowing.

[holdenboy]

Yeah, basically higher voltage means lower gains on the amp...this also means less unwanted noise, the more you turn the gains up, the more background noise you will get. This is more noticeable when the h/u's volume is on '0'.

As far as your choice goes, there are a few other factors :

1. Which unit will blend in better with your dash styling?
2. Which unit is easier to use, like adjusting settings?
3. Speaking of settings, and your after SQ, which unit has the better range of settings (EQs, HPF/LPF and subwoofer level/phase control)?

The pre-out voltage is another thing to consider, in this case the Kenwood wins that one

[bezz]

Yea a higher voltage increases the gain sensitivity. +1 what holdenboy said. Apart from aesthetics and a few small features, there isn't much difference between head units in that price range

[Tasmaniak]

amen, a higher output voltage does NOT increase volume..

[commsirac]

Its mostly been covered ^, but what hasnt been mentioned is the S/N ratio from high voltage preout head units. They dont have any better than low voltage units, as this is calculated on the ratio of the sound level between maximum output and the noise floor. Unless the higher voltage preout unit is operated in the upper ranges of its output, S/N will be compromised. This means the gain controls should be set as low as possible, and this may cause problems in amps that were never designed with seeing 6V inputs. ie some only wind the resistance up to a nominal value(full output with a 2V input) and may mean the unit never operates at more than 2V outputs. This would drop the S/N ratio by about 10dB, which may not be significant in a car environment and using 90dB source material.