Car audio gurus
 

I'm getting a new car in August and i'm trying to set up a system for it in advance.

I'm going to be putting in an entirely new system in my 2000 Chevrolet Impala LS to replace all the stock speakers, head unit plus 2 10" subs and amp.

This is what I’m going for:

Head unit:
Pioneer Premier DEH-P8MP
60X4
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/p ... 66,00.html
[img]http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pio/pe/images/portal/cit_3442/76829766DEH-P8MP_big.jpg[/img]


Front door speakers:
Infinity Kappa 63.7i 3-Way 6.5"
75 watts RMS
http://www.cardomain.com/item/INFKAPPA637I
[img]http://images.cardomain.net/products/inf/INFKAPPA637I.jpg[/img]

Rear deck speakers:
Infinity Kappa 693.7i 3-way 6"x9"
110 watts RMS
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-G2jjmJk5zo ... 108PER101D
[img]http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/products/2005/108/h1086937i.jpeg[/img]


Subs:
2 X Infinity Kappa Perfect 10.1d 10" dual 4-ohm voice coil
350 watts RMS
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-G2jjmJk5zo ... 108PER101D
[img]http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/products/2002/108/h108PER101d-o.jpeg[/img]

Amp?

Amp is the hardest thing to buy.

I have a couple questions.

1) I will probably want to run the 6X9's off the amp instead of the head unit in addition to the subs. Does this mean I will need a 2 channel amp, or a 4 channel amp? Will running the 6.5" off the deck be enough power for them, or should I run everything off the amp? Or maybe the only thing I should run off the amp is the subs?

2) The subs are 4 ohm dual voice coil. I have an idea of what this means, but not sure as it relates to an amp. What should I look for in an amp that will satisfy these parameters?

3) I have read that these subs can be overpowered quite easily. Thus the amp RMS should be 25-50 watts below the output of the subs to avoid giving them too much power. If I understand this correctly, the amp I should choose is around 600-700 watts rms to power both subs, correct? How does powering other speakers come into this? Should I go to 800 watts so I can put 100 watts for the rear 6X9's?

Any comments would be appreciated. As you can tell, I’m not totally up to speed on all the audio stuff. Will this setup work well? Does anyone see any potential problems or something that doesn't look right?

Thanks.

are you gonna NFSU up your car?

Just leave it all stock...

oOo: My grand am sounds nice stock cuz i can't change it...but it would be bumping if I could alter it.

Yeah...thanks guys. oOo:

No, its not going to be riced up. I like to listen to music, and changing out the speakers and adding subs makes so much difference its not even funny. Stock systems suck.

Well i know nothing about it...but I can try to talk to the friends I have that would know about it.

Thats ok, thanks. I posted in a car audio forum so i'm sure i;ll get some responses there. I know there are a couple car audio guys here so thats why i posted here.

shorthand will be all the help you need

[img]http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/products/2002/108/h108PER101d-o.jpeg[/img]

why those subs ?? i have 10" alpine type r ... they sound pretty good

[img]http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/products/2005/500/l500SWR1042-f.jpeg[/img]

why?

Infinity are one of the best speakers you can buy.

And yes, there are tons of good subs to buy. alpine r's and s's kickers etc.

I was also looking at rockford fosgate stage 2 punch or maybe stage 3.

[img]http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/products/2004/575/h575P210S4-f.jpeg[/img]

I haven't really settled on what subs. although i know I want 10's because I listen to rock only.

Decent choice on equipment there, I wouldnt change anything there.
Amp....

Well lets start with the subs, having 2x dual-4 ohm subs means each can be wired to 2 ohm, or they can be wired both together for a final 4 ohm load (or 1 ohm but we wont need that). Now if you only want ONE amp to power both the 6x9s and the subs, this is what I would do...

Get a decently powerful 4 channel amp and wire one sub to each rear channel, the amp will put out max power @ 2-ohms per channel, which is what each sub is at. Then wire each 6x9 to each front channel.
Kinda hard to explain feel free to ask more.

BTW I know FOR A FACT I am easily the most knowledgable about car audio on here so you can take my advice.

Thats a BIG myth about subs. The cone size does not dictate ANYTHING about how the sub will perform except that (obvioulsy) more cone area = potential to be louder. A 10 is NOT "quicker" than a 12 or 15". Cone size should only be used in the buying decision for space contraints or for how loud you want it. A 12" or 15" WONT sound "sloppier" than a 10" unless it is installed improperly. 10"s are fine in your application though, just as 12"s or 15"s would be, you dont need to change or anyhting, just wanted to explain that to ya :)

Thanks juju.

So you would go with infinity 10's over rockford stage 3 10's?

How many watts rms for an amp?

if each sub is 4 ohm, how can each be wired to 2 ohm? is it 2 ohm per channel on each sub for a total of 4 ohms?

I'll probably do the 6.5" and 6X9's myself, and get a shop to wire the amp and subs. I just would like to know what i'm talking about before i go and do that.

good to know. thanks.

Dude, we have a pair of Rockford Fosgate Punch Stage II 12'' in the back of our 2001 Suburban....they hit SOOO damn hard we literally have screws falling out of the top console area in the front of the burban. Its wicked dude. Just be known..they slam like a MUTHA. GREAT buy!

I have a soft spot for the perfects, when they first came out they were extremely popular, probably the best overall sub on the market at the time. I havent heard the stage 3's, but I've heard good things about them. You would be fine with either though, your choice.
[quote:9d1a8]How many watts rms for an amp?[/quote:9d1a8]
I would look for around a 75x4 @ 4ohm amp. It will be pricey though.forget what I said earlier about wiring one sub per channel, you would be better off bridging the rear channels and wiring the final 4 ohm load to that. So for an amp, look for something like:
~75x4 @ 4 ohm RMS, ~400watts@ 4ohm bridged
If this is too much money for you, you could always JUST get an amp for the subs and run all the speakers off the deck, then, if that isnt enough for you, add a second amp later for the interior speakers.
[quote:9d1a8]if each sub is 4 ohm, how can each be wired to 2 ohm? is it 2 ohm per channel on each sub for a total of 4 ohms?[/quote:9d1a8]
Nope, each sub you listed is dual 4 ohms. Meaning each sub has two seperate voice coils in it that wire together in parallel for a 2 ohm load (or 8 ohm). You can think of "dual 4" as just 2 ohm because thats what it will be wired to regardless. So you basically would have 2x 2ohm subs that can be wired together for a final 4 ohm load. (which you can bridge two channels of an amp to and get some nice power [amps are almost always only stable down to 4 ohm when bridged])

[quote:9d1a8]I'll probably do the 6.5" and 6X9's myself, and get a shop to wire the amp and subs. I just would like to know what i'm talking about before i go and do that.[/quote:9d1a8]
DIY is definitly a learning process, I did my first amp install over 3 years ago, took an entire day. 10 full installs later I can throw in an entire system in under 3 hours if there are no big hangups.

OK, so something like:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Grjcrm2Zuo ... =037A4801T

or

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Grjcrm2Zuo ... I=675P8004

?

Yep, either of those would be perfect, but pricey

what if i just go with a monoblock amp?

rms on the amp would have to cover the rms of both subs combined?

Edit:

How would running those speakers off the deck sound? Is it worth it to wire the 6X9's off the amp?

Monoblock would be good, but of course that means your interior speakers would need to be powered off the deck.

Yep, so if your sub's combined RMS wattage is 500watts, you would want to look for around a 500X1 @ [whatever]ohms. With those dual 4 ohm subs, again, they can be wired to a final 4 ohm load or 1 ohm load. MOST ALL monoblocks will put out full power at either 1 or 2 ohms, not usually 4 ohm. So in this situation, I would find an AMP first, then buy subs to tailor to the amp. If the amp puts out full power at 1 ohm, go with those dual 4 subs, it the amp puts out full power at 2 ohm, find a pair of either single 4-ohm subs, or a pair of dual 2-ohm subs. Either of those can be wired to a final 2-ohm load.

cool thanks. i appreciate your insight.

so do you think its worth it to run the 6X9's off an amp?

ehhh, they will sound better (louder/clearer) off an amp, but it is definitely not necessary. I'd see how you like it without them being amped first, no reason to spend tons of money if you like it fine without. 90% of people with so called "systems" are JUST subs and an amp for the subs.. so most people dont mind. All a personal thing, for me, I cant stand having rear speakers period. I just have front components and a sub all amped, gets louder than you can stand while retaining full clarity.

Awesome.

Thanks for your help. I'll PM you if I ahev any other questions.

+1 beer:

Just got my new cl 62's (CDT's) put in a week ago. I am in love. The setup looks alright so far, although I am more of an Alpine fan when it comes to Sub's over infinity @ the price range. . Just get a 4channel amp to power the speakers and a 2 channel amp to power the subs, Companys I trust when it comes to amps (at a decent price) = Alpine, Planet Audio , Hiphonics etc. ill pm you with a look @ my system. beer:

I just bought the Pioneer DEH-P8MP for $265 US and Kappa 693.7i 6X9's for $133 US.

Shipping for $45, so I got everything for $443 which is a steal. Thats about $555 CDN, but I was looking at futureshop and the deck alone there is $500 CDN, and their 2 way jappa 6X9's are $300. So I saved at least $250 off ebay.

That all seems a bit expensive, what's the max amount of $$ you are looking to spend on the entire system?

Also, are you going to be installing this all yourself, if not you have to factor in about $150+ in labor and $50 or so in wiring.?

Kappa's on crutchfield are $249.99 US. I got them for $133.
The deck is $399.99 US. I got it for $265.

Seems like a deal to me.

Entire system will probably be in the vacinity of $1500.

I'll probably be doing the deck and 6.5" and 6X9's by myself, and i'll let someone else do the amp and subs.

ive just recently been given a riced out eclipse from my younger brother ... it has these in it

kicker solox...
[img]http://www.boostcaraudio.com/photos/04S18X-2.jpg[/img]

and a 400 watt power acoustick amp. pretty damn loud.
i dont know shit about car audio tho

heres the car.

[img]http://s92915907.onlinehome.us/12121212.jpg[/img]

Maybe something to look at for the amp http://www.hookedontronics.com/show_pro ... p?cid=1026

Not sure if you bridged 2 of the channels if that would give you enough power to run the sub while the other 2 run the 6x9's.

Just a thought

Given.......... plzdie:

lol judas and his ground fx

yeah, i feel a little gay with them on, but they look pretty sharp... especially blue on that silver car... i get a lot of looks and invitations to drive fast from other compact imports biggrin:

Those subs are kickers best, handle over 1000watts RMS each and he's got them on 400? annoy: Shouldnt spend that much money on subs to cheap out on the amp...

yeah i dunno ... dont know the first thing about all this shit... his primary car (truck) is an xterra... he competes in all these car audio type things and has won quite a few with the xterra. no idea what all he has in it tho.

ill see if i can get some pics.

i want a car that glows like that

[quote="[DAS REICH] Blitz":25b56]i want a car that glows like that[/quote:25b56]

It's gay to be cool.

[quote=Tripper]It's gay to be cool.[/quote:e39b9]

it must be the F.A.G.S then oOo:

LOL eclipse hake:

i'm assuming you will have someone install all this shit?

Okay, so.. anyone who knows anything about car audio (and isn't some 22-year old college drop-out with a rice burner) will tell you that the best value for your money is Blaupunkt all the way around. It outperforms a lot of equipment that almost doubles it in price. They also have a line of subs that are thin enough that they can fit inside your car door (depending on the model).

[quote:2fd55]Want a Subwoofer in your door? No problem. Thin line speakers once again prove that thin is always in! Thanks to our exclusive "Fringe Field" technology, the TH speakers give you high-end performance and power handling in a remarkably lightweight and low-depth speaker.[/quote:2fd55]

http://www.blaupunktusa.com/BlaupunktUSA/Products/

The link above takes you right to their list of products. <3 German engineering.

EDIT:: I forgot to mention. I used to have a Pioneer head unit in my car. I don't recall the model number, but I paid somewhere around $300 for it. Awhile back I bought a Blaupunkt head unit w/MP3 capability for $105 and it kicks the shit out of my Pioneer in performance.

Also, a buddy of mine had a system in his Jeep that consisted of an Alpine head unit, 2 10" Rockford/Fosgate subs and Pioneer 6x9s. After he replaced his head unit with a Blaupunkt, he was so impressed that he has spent the last year replacing everything with Blaupunkt. He went with everything from the Thin Series and it sounds 100% better than his old system. Also, he was able to get a really cool enclosure made that houses both his sub and his amps and gave him back almost all of his trunk space.

Damn, I should work for Blaupunkt or something.

Memphis