I'm replacing my rear Alpine subwoofers in my 2000 XKR with Harmon Kardon fitted in earlier models and I'd like to know if anyone knows the polarity on the speaker connector for the small speaker as there's no speaker plug in my car and I'm adding wires from the amp connector in the armrest. So just need to know which pins on the enclosure will be + and -.

Also I could do with the subwoofer polarity although I assume as it's the same connector for the Alpine sub then it might just plug straight in and the polarity will be correct but only a guess.

Regards

Rocky

 

I've attached three snippets from the 98 (H-K) premium system that should help. The midrange connections on the Alpine premium (connector RH1 pins 1 to 4) in the convertible are presumably not connected.

 

Many thanks. I already have the duagram and made the additional wires but not connected up. What i want to know is the pin connections on the actual Harmon Kardon speaker enclosure, need to know the + and - terminals just so I get the polarity right. Regarding the wiring I know which is +and - from the diagram

Regards

Rocky

 

Not sure if this helps, but according to the wiring diagram, from the IC1 20-way yellow connector in the centre console :
pin 7 - Black/Slate = neg
pin 8 - Pink / Purple - pos
pin 3 - Pink / Green = pos
pin 4 - Black/White = neg

These go to the mid-range units in the rear-quarter enclosures.

Pin connections there are :
1 = pos
2 = neg

on both sides.

 

Many thanks. I have all that info. All I wanted to know which is + and - on the speaker enclosure for the mid range speaker. I have a attached a picture with my wires I've connected to.

 

Use 9 volt battery. Plus to plus minus to minus speaker moves outwards. This will I'd speaker polarity.
John

 

Hi Rocky,
Here's a shot of one of the subwoofer plugs from mine.

From the wire colours and JTIS, pin 1 on the connector is the one closer to the plug lock tang, and connects to the driver + terminal.

HTH,
Mike
edit: Just spotted the two midrange connectors on the enclosure are different sorry. Follow John's suggestion.

 

Thanks. I have actually heard of this before. Only problem is that I can't see the mid range speaker because it's inside the enclosure which is all sealed

 

Rocky I can't picture the driver you are working on. A couple of ideas. From your description getting eyes on the driver is difficult even with a screw driver. So battery may be out. I think you are stuck with listen and see what sounds better. When we first started discussion I thought it was sub woofer polarity in question, but I see you mentioned mids. The higher the frequency the less polarity has a significant impact on the experience, especially in a car. I think left right polarity is far more important than front rear.

If midrange then put on some acoustic guitar music like acoustic alchemy or Chet Atkins and see which sounds better. Listen for the image, listen for depth and nuances. Thin sound is out of phase. Do you like jazz? Put on jazz at the pawn shop track 3. Listen for that reed vibrating ( I forget if it's a sax or a clarinet - I'm getting old). When you have it right you'll know it.

John

 

Many thanks for that.


I tried the speakers yesterday, obviously with same polarity on the left and the right but haven't swapped any polarity over yet and sound is absolutely superb. Obviously still all Jag stuff but the car is now full of sound as it should be. As it happens on R=F setting I get a bit more sound out of the back. This could be that I replaced my door speakers ages ago and wasn't sure on the impedance of them but just altering the fade is fine.


Got to say a vast improvement.


Also I had a slight whinning noise when playing CDs through my Parrot kit and discovered that if I connect the metal casing of it direct to the car earth it goes away.


Many thanks

 

It is no problem to open the "box", you only have to untighten the srews and lever the front (for changing the awful sounding midrange-speakers
with better tweeters).

 

toaster


Many thanks for your reply and the picture you sent.


I like the way you say those awful sounding midrange speakers. Well before I fitted these speaker enclosures I didn't have any. I only had the Alpine subs with no mid range which were fitted on all XK8s after 1999. The change from Harmon Kardon to Alpine was a downgrade from what I can see. They even missed the wiring on convertibles for rear sound but I've tapped into the amp as coupes have rear sound.


So what I have now is a vast improvement and I've now put everything back together so I'm going to leave for now and then look at upgrading pretty soon.


I do very much like the speakers you can upgraded in your enclosure. Please can you tell me what you fitted.


Kind Regards


Rocky

 

I´ve used this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vifa-Peer...UAAOSwQcJZ7bs8

and this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AMPIRE-BOL....c100033.m2042

 

Wow, they look really good. At the moment I've just put everything back and what I have now fitted is an improvement from what I had but what you have will be my next stage up.


I see the impedance on your subs are 4 +4 ohm, yet the standard ones are 2 ohm, just wondering if it matters. Also the tweeters you fitted have replaced mid range so you just have tweeters and subs in the back and curious to know whether you're getting full sound out the back. Also were the subs and tweeters easy to fit.


Also have you done anything with the front speakers. I fitted some mid bass speakers in the doors which are ok just replaced the originals which were dead when I bought the car.


Your help, really appreciated.

 

Rocky, raising the impedance should not have any effect. If there was a passive crossover (there is not) it would change the crossover frequency. Raising the impedance puts less stress on the amp, though volume level could be different. Then again any new driver will be different- I bet it's a wash.

As an FYI, it would be more concerning to lower the impedance (requires more current from amp). But nowadays 2 ohm subs are common.

John

 

Does anyone know what the Ohm spec on the stock rear subwoofers used in a 1998 XK8 convertible with the Harmon Kardon premium system?

 

Toaster,

I have a 98 convertible with premium Harman Kardon. Obviously the two rear subwoofers are fully broken. From the picture you posted, I can see you replaced them with the Ampire BOLD6, actually one of the few models fitting the 165mm/6,5" external diameter.
Any special issue replacing the subwoofers, or just a clean job? Did you connect the 4ohm coils them in serial, getting a final 2ohm impedance?
How does the stock amplifier deal with the subwoofers?
Once opening the way to the sub boxes, better replace also the midranges. Why have you chosen to replace them by tweeters? Which model (link doesn't work any longer)? How's the overall result?