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Car Audio System Advice
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Junior Member
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9. May 2010 @ 01:24 |
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Hey guys I'm very new to systems, I want to get this sub
link
It is a JL Audio 13.5" 600 Watt RMS 2 Ohm Subwoofer for $229.99
First question: I need to get an enclosure for this, anything I need to look for specifically? Or any recomendations?
I want to set up an entire system with an amp, interface, and possibly new front speakers.
So my second question is can I just set up the sub with a wiring kit and add on the rest as I can afford it?
Or will I have to set it all up at one time?
Thanks for your help
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Senior Member
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9. May 2010 @ 02:11 |
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sub without speakers is like coffee without cream.what speakers do you have now?
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Junior Member
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9. May 2010 @ 02:17 |
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Originally posted by aldan:
sub without speakers is like coffee without cream.what speakers do you have now?
aw, I didnt know that lol
They are just stock in a 2005 dodge neon sxt.
I was hoping on waiting for the speakers, because my 6 stock speakers are very decent, but if it's as important as you say I was gonna get these
link
Focal 130V1 Polyglass 5" 2 Way Components $250
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Senior Member
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9. May 2010 @ 04:53 |
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ok you will need an enclosure for your sub.wood and a jig saw are the main things you will need for a sub box if you feel like making it yourself.we use to usually get the wood from building sites but you should be able to buy it from a hardware store.basically making a sub box means cutting a cirle in 1 piece of wood to fit the sub in and a small hole in another for the wires.once you have cut the hole for the sub fit it in the hole and screw it in.then make a hole in the another piece of wood for the wire to run through.attach the pieces of wood together (running the wires through the smaller hole before attaching them all together).maybe apply some felt or old carpet to the outside of the wood to make it look more professional.take a look at sub boxes on google images if you need more of an idea.
custom built gaming pc from early 2010,ps2 with 15 games all original,ps3 500gbs with 5 games all original,yamaha amp and 5.1channel surround sound speakers,46inch sony lcd smart tv.
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Junior Member
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9. May 2010 @ 05:10 |
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Originally posted by xboxdvl2:
thanks alot, That had never crossed my mind as an option
I would much rather do that then go out and buy one.
I guess I do have another question, I will probably either get this proffesionally installed or have a buddy help me out but are the sub wires going to run through my vehicle or do you run them through the inside of your vehicle, or do you simply strip a wire from your current speaker and run from its (12 volt?) power?
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Senior Member
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10. May 2010 @ 00:17 |
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Originally posted by brighteys:
Originally posted by xboxdvl2:
thanks alot, That had never crossed my mind as an option
I would much rather do that then go out and buy one.
I guess I do have another question, I will probably either get this proffesionally installed or have a buddy help me out but are the sub wires going to run through my vehicle or do you run them through the inside of your vehicle, or do you simply strip a wire from your current speaker and run from its (12 volt?) power?
usually the sub wires connect to the amp(in the boot).If you have to run wires through your car they are usually very easy to hide.there should be a matt sort of thing on the inside of the doors at the bottom that you can hide wires under.some require a screw driver to remove.
Edit:used google images 
custom built gaming pc from early 2010,ps2 with 15 games all original,ps3 500gbs with 5 games all original,yamaha amp and 5.1channel surround sound speakers,46inch sony lcd smart tv.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 10. May 2010 @ 01:40
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Junior Member
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10. May 2010 @ 16:19 |
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Originally posted by xboxdvl2:
Originally posted by brighteys:
Originally posted by xboxdvl2:
usually the sub wires connect to the amp(in the boot).If you have to run wires through your car they are usually very easy to hide.there should be a matt sort of thing on the inside of the doors at the bottom that you can hide wires under.some require a screw driver to remove.
thanks that clears up alot, so I will probably get a sub, build my own enclosure and get an amp and new speakers before set up. If I set it up with these things can I add on a hi-lo interface at a later time? and what exactly does a hi-lo interface do?
I tried to google it, and it came up with mostly cpu results
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AfterDawn Addict
1 product review
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11. May 2010 @ 04:30 |
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A few pointers:
Your box should be made of 3/4 thick MDF...this is THE BEST thing for speaker boxes...and the only reasons to go with anything else are lighter weight and lower cost.
A good sub will need a good amp. A good amp will need heavy power wiring as well as a signal cable from the head unit. Your head unit might not have the ideal outputs for this if it is stock, but most amps can be setup to run off the normal signal wires...and this sounds nearly as good. Also, make sure not to run the power wires near any signal wires, as this can cause audio problems. Also make sure not to run these power wires near anything electronic in the car (running them too close to the car's engine computer or it's wiring may cause engine problems). A good sub will make huge electromagnetic waves; if you can, place it far away from the engine/transmission computer(s).
JL Audio makes decent subs/speakers...but not great. Personally, I prefer blaupunkt in that price range. Here is a great site to get various blaupunkt products for dirt cheap...they have a 1000W subwoofer there with 220W RMS ratings for $80 each...a pair of them would cost less than that one JL audio, and will allow you to have stereo bass. Plus, 440W RMS in a Neon will be enough to blow your ear drums out in about 1/2 second. : www.midwestelectronics.com
You will be amazed at the quality difference of going to good speakers, but the ones you selected are trash (and very overpriced trash). They are only 2-way, even with the separate tweeters. Good speakers should have efficiency of 93db or higher, tweeters should have even higher ratings. For a set of speakers and tweeters to average 91db is pathetic. Note: 94db speakers will be twice as loud when powered by the same head unit at the same volume level as compaired with 91db speakers. For instance, these speakers are only 50w RMS, but their rating is 92bD...so they will be more powerful than the 60WRMS speakers at 91DB (also, they are much cheaper, you can get three sets for the price of one set of those generic ones you found): http://www.midwestelectronics.com/blaupu...5134e737c620edc
A hi-lo interface is a device to send the high frequency power to the regular speakers, the very high frequency to the tweeters, and the low frequency to the sub(s). These are more commonly known as crossovers (you can google 'crossovers'), as the better ones are 3-way (or sometimes more) and are now veryhigh-high-low or even veryhigh-high-medium-low. These can be very helpful when you are trying to power everything off the head unit. If you are just going to have the speakers powered by the head unit, the sub powered by it's own amp, and no tweeters (other than those built into the main speakers), then a crossover will do nothing for you, and will even hurt the system.
One last thing...the stock head unit in your car is kinda crummy...even with the factory upgraded stereo. With all the money you save on buying blaupunkt speakers, you can afford to get a nice powerful head unit with lots of features and a nice equalizer...a usb port and a 32GB flash drive will let you put at least a couple hundred CDs worth of music in a space no larger than a CD player with one disk inside. Just read the reviews and make sure that the navigation is good...some of them have problems in this area. Also, they make head units that connect to Zune, iPod/iPad/iPhone, or even misc stuff like the creative mp3 players...so if you have one (or intend to buy one), you might want to look for support.
[edit] - Last paragraph: When I say, "Navigation" I do not mean driving directions, I mean the method for selecting what album/song you want to play.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 11. May 2010 @ 04:33
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Junior Member
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16. May 2010 @ 05:43 |
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Originally posted by KillerBug:
A few pointers:
One last thing...the stock head unit in your car is kinda crummy...even with the factory upgraded stereo. With all the money you save on buying blaupunkt speakers, you can afford to get a nice powerful head unit with lots of features and a nice equalizer...a usb port and a 32GB flash drive will let you put at least a couple hundred CDs worth of music in a space no larger than a CD player with one disk inside. Just read the reviews and make sure that the navigation is good...some of them have problems in this area. Also, they make head units that connect to Zune, iPod/iPad/iPhone, or even misc stuff like the creative mp3 players...so if you have one (or intend to buy one), you might want to look for support.
[edit] - Last paragraph: When I say, "Navigation" I do not mean driving directions, I mean the method for selecting what album/song you want to play.
All of your advice was extremely helpful
Sorry about this question but what is the difference between a stock head unit and the stereo console, or are they the same thing?
If they are the same thing the best for the money I could find to fit my car is: Sony CDXGT640UI MP3/WMA/AAC Player CD Receiver
link
Quote:
AM/FM radio, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3/WMA/AAC, iPod, USB, SAT/HD-ready receiver
4 x 52 Watts maximum power with 6-channel pre-amp output
Selectable blue/green key illumination
Includes direct iPod connection, front auxiliary input, remote control
Product Description
If you?re an audio enthusiast seeking superior on-the-go audio quality, the Xplod CDX-GT640UI is the smart car audio solution for you. Featuring USB 1-wire, you can connect, charge and control your iPod, iPhone, Walkman MP3 player, or other digital music players. This receiver also offers versatile listening options like DMP, CD, satellite or HD Radio with enhanced DM+ audio resolution and three pre-outs for expandability.
The navigation sounds like it could be hit or miss, the description sounds great but a couple reviewers said it was a little confusing.
One more question about the stereo, would I need to also pick up some wiring cables to install this? or can I use the ones that were used with the stock unit?
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Senior Member
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16. May 2010 @ 10:28 |
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chances are you will need to pick up some wiring for the speakers and the sub.
custom built gaming pc from early 2010,ps2 with 15 games all original,ps3 500gbs with 5 games all original,yamaha amp and 5.1channel surround sound speakers,46inch sony lcd smart tv.
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Junior Member
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17. May 2010 @ 00:37 |
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Originally posted by xboxdvl2:
chances are you will need to pick up some wiring for the speakers and the sub.
link
Boss Audio KIT-2 Complete 8 Gauge Amplifier Installation Kit $12.25
Is this decent wiring? Its 8 gauge but people are saying it's closer to 10 gauge because of the insulation.
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GSI GPROKIT4 4 Gauge PRO Power AMP Kit $29.20
Or is this one better? It's a 4 gauge that is closer to 5 gauge.
Both of these have a 4/5 star review, but it seems like the more knowledgeable reviewers gave it less stars.
Is it possible for a bigger gauge to effect the system negatively? Or is it, the bigger the gauge the better my connection will be?
If these wiring kits suck, does anyone know a good place to get better kits?
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Senior Member
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17. May 2010 @ 03:39 |
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alright done a google search and looked at the different between gauges.heres what i found.
"The larger the amplifier you're running the more current it draws.
8 ga is good for 50-60A, 4 ga is good for about 125A.
If you try to run too much current through a given size wire it can heat up and melt the insulation and ultimately cause a fire.
However, if the wire is fused near the battery with the correct size fuse the fuse will blow before a fire hazard can develop.
The size of your power wire can never be too big, but as long as you stay within the current limit of the wire and fuse it correctly you are covered.
There is also the issue of voltage drop, but as long as you stay within the current limitations voltage drop will take care of itself."
hope that explains it clearly for you.
custom built gaming pc from early 2010,ps2 with 15 games all original,ps3 500gbs with 5 games all original,yamaha amp and 5.1channel surround sound speakers,46inch sony lcd smart tv.
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AfterDawn Addict
1 product review
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17. May 2010 @ 05:15 |
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All wires act like resistors, to a small extent. If your wires are too small (larger guages are smaller, so a larger guage number can hurt the system), then you are loosing power...but a 4 guage is plenty for a 1000W amp (but not a 1000W continuous amp, as these are often 2000W peak).
"Head Unit" is the same thing as "The thing in the dash that plays cds". If you buy a new one, it will come with some "pigtails"...these are the connectors that will plug into the new head unit, but the other end is just wires; and you have to solder these into the old harness. For most cars, you can skip the soldering by getting a simple adapter cable that connects to the wiring harness, and skips the pigtails. I looked at the head unit you found, and the navigation looks at least as bad (if not worse) than what I have on my Blaupunkt...and the navigation on my Blaupunkt is so bad that I just use my Droid with the aux input most of the time. If the unit you find does not have a number pad or touch screen, you can be reasonably sure that it will be terrible to navigate through a few hundred CDs on a flash drive...if it does have a number pad or touch screen, read the reviews to make sure that they didn't screw it up.
Also, the speaker wires themselves are important. Often you can get more power just by changing the speaker wires to something better, without changing the head unit, speakers, or amp. 16 guage is good for most (non-sub) speakers, but you are going to want thicker wires for the subs...12 guage should be enough if you put the amp(s) close to the sub(s).
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Junior Member
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22. May 2010 @ 05:40 |
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I ordered my head unit
I know what subs to get thanks to your guys help and now I'm having trouble trying to choose an amp.
The subs I'm getting are two:
Quote:
Blaupunkt GTw1200M 1000W 12-inch Subwoofer
Maximum power
Nominal power handling (Watt): 220
Maximum power handling (Watt): 1000
Frequency response: 30-1.000 Hz
Efficiency (1 Watt / 1m): 89 dB
Efficiency (2.83 V / 1m): 92 dB
Nominal impedance (Ohm): 4
I've been looking at alot of amps, I think I want a class D
and since it says the Nominal impedance(ohm) is at 4 I don't really know what types to look at that won't blow my subs but will still sound powerfull, with two subs will this effect things?
I was hoping to find a decent one for under 200$
and will two 4ohm subs convert into 2ohm on my amp?
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 23. May 2010 @ 02:00
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Junior Member
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25. May 2010 @ 18:49 |
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I got my amp, It has two outputs for subs
If I plug them both into the same output will this increase the performance? as in making it a 2ohm set up instead of being 4ohm in each output? Or is it just better to put one in each output?
Thanks!
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Senior Member
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26. May 2010 @ 00:10 |
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Originally posted by brighteys:
If I plug them both into the same output will this increase the performance? as in making it a 2ohm set up instead of being 4ohm in each output? Or is it just better to put one in each output?
Stolen from here http://www.crutchfield.com/S-UyEdTIGYoCB...ticlegroupid=23
Quote:
Typically, a car stereo amp "sees" a 4-ohm impedance. When we say an amplifier is stable down to 2 ohms, we're usually referring to the minimum impedance it can handle in stereo (2-channel) mode, not bridged (mono) mode. The lower the impedance (resistance or "load") an amplifier sees, the more power it produces, and the louder your music plays.
A common way to get a 2-ohm stable amp to produce the extra power it delivers at lower impedance is to wire your speakers in parallel. Remember ? while series wiring always raises your impedance, parallel wiring always lowers it.
To wire your speakers in parallel, connect the positive (+) leads of both speakers to the amplifier's positive (+) terminal, and the negative (-) leads of both speakers to the amp's negative (-) terminal. You can increase your system's impact dramatically by hooking up two subwoofers (in parallel) to each of your amp's channels.
the picture on my link helps explain this.
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