iDatalink Maestro AR

For the best sound, replace the factory amp

It's an increasingly common problem. You can't replace your vehicle's premium factory radio, but the premium factory amplifier isn't powerful enough for you. Furthermore, the factory amp gets digital information from the vehicle's databus and replacing the amp would mean you'd lose all audio control, like volume and balance, as well as other features like steering wheel controls, audible navigation alerts, warning chimes, and Bluetooth® connection. iDatalink's solution, their Maestro AR module, combines with a vehicle-specific T-harness (sold separately) to supply a clean audio signal plus digital control data to an iDatalink-ready amplifier (like Kenwood's P-XR600-6DSP amp) — or a 4-channel amp using an iDatalink ACC-RCA1 adapter in select Ford vehicles — so you can give your music the premium impact it was missing.

How does it work?

The T-harness plugs into your factory amp's input wiring, linking the radio to the Maestro module and the amplifier. Your factory radio continues to work just as it always has, but you now have much more power and tone processing ability. It was a common practice, when adding an amplifier or processor to a premium system, to sum the different amplified signals together (tweeter, midrange, woofer), attenuate them down to line level, process them while removing amp noise, and then re-amplify them for the speakers. iDatalink's AR module eliminates all those steps, resulting in a much cleaner output. You get vastly improved sound quality and the ability to upgrade your speakers and subs, while you retain your vehicle's stock radio and all of its functions. Sounds like a win/win to me.