Kenwood XR5-S -- Universal Remote?

I am still in the process of designing the system for my truck and am looking at the Kenwood Excelon XR5-S amp. I really like the JL HD900/5, but I can get the Kenwood for almost half the price. Anyway, the Kenwood does not offer a remote to attenuate the volume of the sub channel like the JL and many others do. I have found a universal remote which plugs into the RCAs...so basically you come out of the head unit, into the remote, out of the remote and into the amp. Here's a link: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_5260_PAC-LC1.html.

My question is, would this remote work in the same fashion as the one for the JL amp? I am not looking for bass boost, I just want the ability to turn down the volume of the sub quickly, without going through head unit menus to get to the settings. I also do not want it to impact the sound quality.

Any thoughts?

 

I wouldn't install it in my ride.

Why not build a small kill switch that you pass the rca's through?

 

If you want an on/off switch rather than a bass control I plan on using one of these (http://www.wiringproducts.com/contents/en-us/p4028.html) in my truck. I am going to wire it to my turn on lead from the head unit and drill a hold for it by my cup holders. It's dark outside now but I will take a pic of my location in the morning.

 

remote amp gain control...sounds like a bad idea from the get go. You'll probably turn the gain back up and start clipping the shiz out of speakers....

As for the switch to the "on" lead, it would shut down the whole amp...so no tunes at all... Its a 5 channel amp...

 

I was hoping you would chime in! Would you vote against it due to sound quality or fear of the possibility from clipping the amp? I thought abut the kill switch idea but I want to be able to turn the sub volume up/down based on the song I am listening to, not on/off.

Would you avoid remotes like the one JL sells for the HD900/5 as well?

My thinking was when you install it and set your gains, make sure the remote is turned all the way up so it could be used to turn down the bass but not to boost the volume.

Thanks again for your input.

 

Not so. This is why I specifically stated the switch would be in line with only the RCA's going to the sub channel. That way it would only affect the sub and not the rest of the amp

A true remote gain knob is not a bad thing as long as it's used correctly. You set the gain on the amp to it's highest safe point without clipping. Then you run the remote knob at 100%. That way the knob only lets you get up to the point you've set on the amp.

If you wanted, you could find a switch that would allow you to wire in a resistor (with an ohm load twice that of your subwoofer) so that when you want the sub to be softer you hit the switch and it will take it down 3db.