Another MOST Question. No Sound with converter box. Done a lot of searching

I've done a lot of searching and have read a bunch of threads here and elsewhere. I installed an aftermarket double din head unit in my 03 C4S. I retained the factory MOST amp with a converter box. I don't remember the brand but it cost $120 shipped. From the beginning I had been having trouble with alternator noise through the speakers. Also, I would get pops sometime when shutting off the ignition. Along with all of this, sometimes the stereo would power up and no sound would come out, although I could see visually that the HU was playing, or at least thought it was. Also, before I did this work I had a few times, especially in cold weather, when the factory Becker would light up but produce no sound. Now when I turn on the ignition after waiting overnight I get sound. But when I start the engine I don't, at least on the last two tries. I'm wondering if my MOST amp is not turning on sometimes. My understanding is that there is a white/red wake up wire that connects the stock Becker, the CD player and the MOST amp. I tried to find out what this wire does or needs, but I couldn't. So with trepidation today I tried applying 12V+ to it while the ignition was on and the HU was lit up. It didn't do anything, and thankfully I didn't blow a fuse or smell any electronics smoke. I'm considering buying a fiber optic loop to take the CD player out of the system. Does anyone know what the "wake up" wire does or whether it needs a signal to tell the amp to power up?

I think the fiber optic connection is the wake up (from memory). The Most look is very sensitive so if your box is in the wrong spot in the loop it can cause issues. I'd be removing the CD stacker from the loop and go HU - box - Amp - HU as the loop. See if that helps.

Thanks for the reply. I took the MOST amp out. I wired the speakers directly to the HU as follows: FR->right door and dash, FL->left door and dash, RR->RR, LR->LR and I didn't hook up the subwoofer. I ran the wires through a factory rubber plug (a PO had already cut a hole in it for some accessory that I took out) that is almost directly behind the stereo and comes through right behind the battery. Then I ran the wires up to where the factory amp goes and connected them at the connector with a relatively noninvasive procedure. I went for a drive and couldn't hear any engine noise. I'm not a huge audiophile. In fact, I have tinnitus and I am supposed to avoid noise above 85 dB. The main goal of this project was to update the look of the dash, which I accomplished. And also to add steering wheel control, which isn't done yet. When the occasional 20 something female rides in the passenger seat (which actually happens from time to time), now she won't see a dash that looks almost as old as she is, haha. And she can connect her phone with bluetooth to play music I've never heard. The MOMO steering wheel, round aluminum shift **** and aftermarket seats help with the updated interior look too, I think. OTOH, an amp could probably help produce greater clarity at lower volumes? It seems clear to me that the amp was the source of the engine noise, or at leas the amp/fiber optic adapter/HU combo.