My current system has a Kenwood DDX-812 which allows for 5.1 sound. I don't currently have a center speaker because I never had factory nav.

That said, as I look at the HU, it has speaker cable connections for the generic four speakers, and RCA connections for four main speakers, and pre-outs for a sub and a center channel. Problem is, I have a 4 channel JL HD600 and a JL HD750 sub amp.

How can I possibly get a center speaker to work either directly from my HU or one of the amps?

Should I take one of the speaker wire connections and connect it directly to a center speaker?

 

unless you have a free channel on an amp to run the center speaker signal through, you are SOL.

You might have a chance if the head unit can run the center channel speaker through its internal amp (doubtful). You wont need loads of power for a center channel speaker. so the head unit amp would be fine if it can do it.

Time to read your manual.

 

Oh I read the manual of both the HU and the amps. First thing I did. Gave me nothing. Guy at the local stereo shop said Kenwood used to sell a small single channel amp and speaker kit geared towards just this type of thing, but discontinued it because of low demand and the high price ($300?).

Again, the problem is that the only center channel output is via RCA cable not speaker wire, so whether the HU has an internal amp is sort of irrelevant. Time to do a web search.

 

Found it. KSC510CTR http://www.electronicsbonanza.com/co...dProduct=12022

Now on whether to buy it.....

 

It's out of stock, and I doubt that pretty housing would fit inside the dash. You'd have to gut it. I was able to shoehorn in a 2" JL TR with the help of some very course sand paper, and there wasn't much more room there. you might fit a 3" if you want to do some serious fabrication work.

I bought a 6 channel amp since I knew I wanted to utilize the center channel. Unfortunately, I don't have a true 5.1 source, so the amp sums the front channels together internally to create a fake center channel.

You could get a 2 channel sub amp and power the sub off one channel the center off the other.

 

That speaker would fit if I took the cone off. Really more interested in the amp than the speaker and it is out there on the web, but mostly overseas. Maybe another vendor sells a similar amp?

I wasn't thinking ahead when I bought my current amp, but even my old amp setup wouldn't have done the job.