Hi

With me imminently about to stop using 2 channels on my HU (when the front comps get amped) I'm going to have two channels on the HU being powered but no load attached to them....

Now this isn't good long term right? I'll only be using two channels to power the rear speakers and tweeters. So, in the long run will the other two channels burn out? Should I think about powering some other smaller speakers off these channels to prevent any long term damage?

Any assurances from the ICE techies (andy_ccr? ) would be excellent!

Also got a Q about the fade/balance possibilities when using split RCA to power front & rear speakers... I don't think fade option on HU will function/have an effect when done... but this might be a thread to start on talkaudio, not here. :P

I am running the sony hu in the mondeo with nothing connected to the speaker outputs and using external amplifier. You should be ok as long as you connect everything properly.

HU should be fine with no speakers connected.

have run many units like this over the years.

Without a speaker attached you won't have a complete circuit, so nothing will happen...

Rob.

Just make sure you cut the bare wire off the ends

But no, you should have no problems.

But isn't it normal for the amplifier in the HU to need a load to power? I'm not too worried, but the point was made last night to me whilst out drinking. :dtp:

It's a matter of resistance...you shouldn't have a small length of silver wire between the terminals as this will have no load. On the other hand, with nothing connected you have air between the terminals which is a pretty poor conductor...so you will have a pretty high load, so to speak...

Rob.

So in laymen's terms... once I've cut the four wires from the HU, I should make sure there's NO possibility for the four ends to contact each other, and the HU will be fine. As you can imagine the last thing I want is to short something out and give myself more work to do than I need to...

Jason on the way to TRAX .....

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So in laymen's terms... once I've cut the four wires from the HU, I should make sure there's NO possibility for the four ends to contact each other, and the HU will be fine.

Yeah...take it you're using the existing speaker wire to connect to the new amp?

Rob.

Jason on the way to TRAX .....

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In the past (he said, stroking his long, white beard) output stages didn't like being left in an open circuit state. If nothing pulled any current from the speaker connections, you would get high voltages generated in the driver transistors, which would blow them up. I used to do quite nicely out of replacing output IC's and transistors in badly installed car stereos.

Modern units are designed to counteract this. So, if your HU is less that 10 years old, there's not a problem.

Phil

Tis only 5 months old, Phil.

Have no speakers attached to my Pioneer DEP 8000 everything is amped to ***k and has been since the car was brand new. You will have no probs with modern units, I aggree with Phil.