Hello,

I have a 2010 s80 which i'd like to replace the door speakers, add a sub in the trunk, and drive a poweramp with the existing head unit.

Would the factory unit have all the connections on the back i can use to connect a power amp to (power/audio)? do i need any after market converters or similar or is it all standard stuff?

I intend to buy all the stuff then take everything to an installer, but want to go there with my eyes open and aware. i'm super noob to this stuff.

I'm not sure of the stereo type, but it was the low end option for the car that year. I"ve included a photo should it help identify it.



thanks for your time and have a great day!
greg

 

Ask this also on the s80's board, not too many look this far down the forums tree. I forgot how the shifter looked in the newer s80's, don't really know if i like it.

 

thanks ShowTek. the shifter was another low end option i'm sure. they have others that look ok. I picked the car up second hand. Returned my s60 turbo, which i miss... it had all the options and would beat the pants off this car. 8) but its nice... time to slow down i guess.

 

Ggw, I've installed plenty of car stereos in my day, so I can offer some insight I think.
Factory head units suck, flat out. In order to power your amplifier, you need 12v power to it, (direct from battery) remote on/off wire (usually a blue wire, on aftermarket stereos) and RCA cables to provide the sound. Oh, and a ground.

My advice would be to replace the factory stereo, as your current unit won't have RCA pre-outs on the back. Depending on how qualified you are with electrical stuff, you could probly find a wire to splice into that turns on and off with the unit.

To answer your question, yes it can be done, with several adapters and extra $$$. Unless keeping the factory stereo is paramount, go with an aftermarket setup. Feel free to ask me any more specific questions.

 

my car uses the radio's display to display a host of info, car temp, mirror memory settings, climate etc... will the after market offerings continue to display this info? what is the protocol called? also id like to retain the functionality of the steering wheel buttons.

any units you are familiar with that went into later model volvos?

thanks for your time with this,
greg

 

Ok Greg, since you must retain the factory radio, there are adapters called "speaker level inputs" that you will have to use in place of the RCA cables to get sound to the amplifier. Simply explain your situation to the install place, and they can set you up. I would highly recommend using Best Buys install shop, as they are familiar with procedures like this and warranty their work. Since you will need the speaker level inputs, be sure to look for that on the amp you decide upon. I'm not sure what styles of music you enjoy, but in my experience, one 10" sub provides the best all around sound quality.
Since I was not aware of the other functions your factory radio offers, Nevermind what I said about an aftermarket unit. They are made, but are mega bucks.

Let me know, and good luck!

 

but if the amp has RCA outs on the back i'm ok probably? thanks for the info, i'll let you know what happens. Think i'll search around on how to pull the deck out so i can see what it has.

greg

 

Every (well, just about every) amplifier has RCAs. If the back of your factory unit has RCA pre-outs, then you're set, as far as getting the sound to the amp. If not, buy an amp with "speaker level input" (basically just a plug with speaker wire coming off it, that you splice into the rear speakers for sound). There might be another way around that as well, and in your case I hope so, since RCAs deliver much better sound quality than speaker level inputs. If your amp is only going to power your subwoofer, (I would assume so) then your best bet is to have the install place give you their advice on how to get sound to the amp, cause if you use speaker level inputs, you get all ranges of sound, not just lows. There are crossovers and sound cancellation devices that can cut out the mids and highs in this application, but it's more $$$.

At this point, I'd say you're on the right track. Before you mess with it, I recommend calling a professional sound place that specializes in car audio, as they may be able to tell you about what's on the back without having to pull it yourself. If it has RCAs, you're golden. Then just explain to the shop what your plans are, and they could point you in the right direction as far as what else you will need.

DW

 

Did you ever get anywhere with this Greg?

 

Possibly too late as this was a month old question.

I had the same issue with my S60. The info above is innacurate.

The factory head units have dual outputs. Somewhere last year I posted a discussion on how I did mine.

I bought a volvo connector plug and built my own wiring harness (you can buy those pre made). This provided my remote on and line level inputs. I unplugged the volvo factory cable from the back of the head unit and plugged my own in. Then I got a REVERSE connector (because I wanted it as stock as possible) and with that I built a second harness which ran the four speaker lines from my amp output to to this connector. I ran this second harness and plugged it into the factory speaker bundle. Then I replaced the speakers, retaining the factory wiring harnesses.

Now, most people dismiss factory head units as crap. Thats only partly true. In most cases, its the signal amplification that determines your sound quality. If you get a good amp, you wont have GREAT sound, but you can get really GOOD sound using the line level outs from your FHU and amplifying them separately.

 

oh my its been so long, sorry dezertstub.

I did not. I actually ended up returning the car as I decided it wasn't for me and went with a polestar upgraded 2012. Which I still own, the stereo it came with was superior to the S80's.

sorry for the 7 year delay.

-ggw