Originally posted by LVjetboy
I guess my question is, assuming no RCA noise from a running engine, is the head amp typically better than the separate amps at accurately reproducing the signal at high level?
Not sure I understand the question...but I'll take a shot at it.
Out of the head unit, there should be little noise (to the human ear) with increasing volume from the low-level outputs.
However, amps will amplify (shocking, I know) any noise in the system many times over. Sometimes that noise is from the head unit (maybe the head unit doesn't have good noise filters), and sometimes it is from the amp itself (hissing, etc.).
Try a couple experiments- run a power jump wire to an amp, and turn up the gains all the way up (with the head unit off)...any hissing? Now try it with the head unit on, but at no volume. Try a couple actions, like inserting a CD, or turning the head unit off an on.
The bottom line is, if you have no intention of running the amplified signal past clipping and/or speaker distortion, then why mess with it?
Or in terms you might relate with...why put a 7,000 RPM cam in your engine if you'll never run it past 6,000 RPMs? All it does is hurt bottom-end performance, right?