i'm pretty sure that its not the amp because with the RCA's completely disconnected, there is no alternator whine when the motor is running nor is there any static. When I connect the RCA's to their ports and plug the other ends into my iPod, there is still no sound from the alternator, nor any static, actually, I dont get the static at all........once I plug them to the head unit, before there was this excruciatingly loud alternator whine and they picked up everything in the truck electrical, once I regrounded the head unit......the sound was nearly depleted, its so faint now that once you begin to talk to whoever is in the car, you can't hear it at all.....My next step is to do the big 3 to kill that faint noise as well becuz sometimes I like to cruise with absolutely nothing playing at all.