edjumacate me on pre-outs
 

my old deck had one pair of 2V pre outs that i Y-split into my 4 channel amp. 2 channels are running a pair of infinity components and the other 2 channels are bridged for a sub. i just got a new deck that has three pair (front/rear/sub) of 4V pre-outs. at first, i just wired up the new deck the same way the old deck and was surprised at how much difference i could hear in the sound (new deck is the same as my old deck, just upgraded model). anyways, a few days later, i wired it up properly (front pre-outs to amp front-inputs, rear to rear) and can't really tell if there is anymore difference in the sound quality.

do i just not have a properly tuned ear or does a single pair of 4V pre-outs sound the same as a triple pair of 4V pre-outs? also, would running RCA's off the sub-output accomplish anything since i don't have a dedicated amp for my sub?

sorry if there are any dumb questions there, i'm still learning the business.

What name brand and model numbers do you have/had?

Yes a single pair of 4volt pre-outs should be the same as triple.
Sounds like you're using a four channel amplifier with separate x-overs?

The bonus of having a dedicated sub output is that you can most likely control the volume of it independently from the other speakers.

new deck is a nakamichi cd-45z. the old one was the cd-35z. i'm pretty sure the cd-45z does not have the ability to control the sub level. cd-45z manual can be seen HERE