Advice on purchasing amp + sub(s)

[jRoss]

All I can say is go big!

[why?]

Originally Posted by jRoss

All I can say is go big!

I disagree 1 trillion percent. It really stinks having the cops knock on your door after getting home because that pos garbage neighbor called them yet again because your car was so damn loud they could hear you coming home 1/2 a mile away. Also, that situation will cause back pain.

The best system I've heard is Derrick's. nothing about it is big except the sound, and the time he has put into it. The borderline insane attention to details, like figuring out how to quiet the windshield wipers.

All the different types of music I made him play sounded great. I didn't need to turn it up so the entire world could here it to feel the bass. Even some eminem, his small sub was plenty to make it sound great and be able to feel it.

[YarisSedan]

I have 2 of these installed in my rear deck right now. Sealed the trunk so it acts as the sub box i loose no trunk space and hits atleast as hard as 1 ten.

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...m_campaign=pla

Then using a kenwood 2 channel amp to power them 200 watts a channel they really sing. Makes the interior and mirror rattle like crazy but outside the car its not too bad

My advice is get a 4 channel amplifier to power your front components and ditch the passive crossover and go full active it will sound way better. Then get a cheap 2 channel amp for the subs. If you match the power correctly to your components you can have a budget system that sounds nearly as good as competition setups for a fraction of the cost.

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...-GM-6500F.html

Id pair this amp - $130

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...TS-A1604C.html

with these speakers -$80

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...ss-Bundle.html

This subwoofer amp combo - 147

Thats total of only 357 dollars for a very decent sounding system. The leftover money goes into finding the deck that you like that has the right preouts

Something like this is economical

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...KD-R730BT.html

Id run your door speakers on the front channel rear channel for your front tweeters on full active crossover this deck has built in high and low pass filters already, then you have 2 output for your 2 rear subs. Also has seperate sub control with lot more options so its a very good value.

Thats a total of 466 for a killer system.

It leaves a little leftover room in your budget to cover install/wiring kit. The kenwood amp is side vents so you can install it under your seat for a clean install.

[sqcomp]

Don't forget the cost of the kit, harness, connectors and wiring kit for the amplifiers.

[bzinn 1]

I have a 15" in a 1.5cu sealed box in my HB and I can tell you it sounds incredable.

running at 13.4v 650w to it as that is about what my cars seems to put out acording to my guage.

some pitfalls I had were aiming the sub to use the hatch as a reflector and allow the sound to hit me a full developed wave at my sitting location,I tried it straight up aimed at the roof,straight back aimed at the hatch,differant depths into the hatch,even tried it aimed forwards....but the best was slightly tilted towards hatch and bracketed to the floor.I also tried it with the motor in the box and found the sound was still good,response sharp but volume was not what I wanted,so I ran it inverted and it picked up volume and prescence.

I have pushed my amp to 800w and the sub will hold that fine as its RMS is 800 and peaks at 1100...dont know hwy the RMS is higher than half the peak on it but that is what the stat sheet said....and although it was running fine the car was actually quieter...thought I blew it up till my buddy listened and said it was canceling...he explained it but I didnt totally understand.

Also one important thing I had to do was kill the rattles....I dont even at this point know how much sound deadening went in and the roof was even deadened,headliner glassed and then bedliner put on it....that was the hugest differance in the sound I noticed.also all my panels have been deadened and many glassed and painted and that also helped deaden noise.

So yes a 15" sealed will work well....those who have heard my system are amazed and are blown away at all the work it took.Pretty much 2 full show seasons to finish it.

sqcomp is also correct you will need to take in to account cost of good wires and RCAs and connectors...that is a must and not really cheap to do.

Look forward to seeing what sub set up you try and also make sure to learn to tune it and amp so it lasts a while,mine is still hitting strong and clean after 2 years and the amp is on year 5.

[TOLMACH]

^ Yeah, bzinn's sub is awesome.. plays nice and deep with crazy speed when needed.. was pretty impressed during our two hour @international car audio SQ event@ early this month ))

[jRoss]

Originally Posted by why?

I disagree 1 trillion percent. It really stinks having the cops knock on your door after getting home because that pos garbage neighbor called them yet again because your car was so damn loud they could hear you coming home 1/2 a mile away. Also, that situation will cause back pain.

The best system I've heard is Derrick's. nothing about it is big except the sound, and the time he has put into it. The borderline insane attention to details, like figuring out how to quiet the windshield wipers.

All the different types of music I made him play sounded great. I didn't need to turn it up so the entire world could here it to feel the bass. Even some eminem, his small sub was plenty to make it sound great and be able to feel it.

This is why I only turn mine up on the highway. It's quite rude to pound music in residential areas, especially at night, but it's quite common around here. Cops don't tend to care. I do love the vibration when i turn it up and whatnot but I use common sense about it...I also tend to keep my bass at -7 and I have some awesome tweeters, which makes the vocals and overall sound amazing. I listen to mostly rap and metal, both sound great in my car.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by why?

pos garbage neighbor

This reminds me of something that happened to me long ago. I lived in a 3br 2ba apartment with two friends of mine. Our particular building was set up with 4 apartments with the same 1 level floor plan -- 2 upstairs units and 2 downstairs units. We lived in one of the upstairs units. A family lived below us, and they had a piano. Someone in the family played the piano at the oddest hours, and we never complained about this to anyone. My apartment mates and I always listened to music through our headphones except one time one of my apartment mates piped two songs (one after the other) through his speakers with the volume up just a bit (I was there)....during the day.....and the mom in the apartment below us (who I think was the one playing that piano at inappropriate hours) complained and got us kicked out of the complex! We'd never had a complaint made against us before that. They did let us move into another complex of our choice (same level or below -- many choices)) without re-qualifying.

The best system I've heard is Derrick's. nothing about it is big except the sound, and the time he has put into it. The borderline insane attention to details, like figuring out how to quiet the windshield wipers.

All the different types of music I made him play sounded great. I didn't need to turn it up so the entire world could here it to feel the bass. Even some eminem, his small sub was plenty to make it sound great and be able to feel it.

I know what you mean. A system that is so well designed and executed (no credit to me, except paying for it) using quality equipment that it doesn't generate any listener fatigue. I had a system like that in my GTI (minus THAT level of attention to detail....you had me thinking that sounds like my old system (in my GTI) until you mentioned quieting the wipers).

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by YarisSedan

My advice is get a 4 channel amplifier to power your front components and ditch the passive crossover and go full active it will sound way better. Then get a cheap 2 channel amp for the subs. If you match the power correctly to your components you can have a budget system that sounds nearly as good as competition setups for a fraction of the cost.

so you can install it under your seat for a clean install.

^^^^^ I wholeheartedly agree with the above. This reminds me of how I looked at the system I had in my Swift (the car just before my Yaris) except I had my amp installed under the passenger seat so it would be less susceptible to damage if I spilled something.

[MyzticZ3r0]

Thank you everyone for your input - it is much appreciated. I've noticed that many use two different amps for their systems. Can anyone answer why you'd want to to separate amps for your components and the subs? Wouldn't it be easier to buy a 4 channel amp - two channels for the front and two for the subs? Or would the impedance of the front components cause problems with the subs?

[_S7V7N_]

What amp did you have in mind ?

Can you use a 4 channel for subs..sure.

Most people wire the components in the front (2 speakers)
Then the rears (2 speakers) so that takes up all 4 channels.

Most Headunits have 6 preouts (Front,Rear,Subwoofer)
Which i've started running my Subs Mono from the deck since the amps i used required a mono signal. Different story though.

If you can find some subs that fit in running off 50 - 100 watts rms, the 4 channel is perfect. Plus that 4 channel will more than likely not have a Sub Sonic filter.

Some amps can run more power..but expect to pay 500-1000 bucks on that four channel..

If you just want to run 1 amp look into a 5 channel amp that has a dedicated subwoofer channel.

[YarisSedan]

Originally Posted by MyzticZ3r0

Thank you everyone for your input - it is much appreciated. I've noticed that many use two different amps for their systems. Can anyone answer why you'd want to to separate amps for your components and the subs? Wouldn't it be easier to buy a 4 channel amp - two channels for the front and two for the subs? Or would the impedance of the front components cause problems with the subs?

Your system will be more efficient and in the end sound better, if your planning to run 1 amp that would mean you would have to run a passive crossover for your front speakers and most likely bridge the rear channels to power only one sub or run the sub in series. Its going to push your amp to the limits and especially if your on a budget system its going to shorten the life.

[YarisSedan]

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by YarisSedan

Your system will be more efficient and in the end sound better

I agree 100%

if your planning to run 1 amp that would mean you would have to run a passive crossover for your front speakers and most likely bridge the rear channels to power only one sub or run the sub in series. Its going to push your amp to the limits and especially if your on a budget system its going to shorten the life.

I agree. I had 6 amps in my GTI (3 pairs), and with the most powerful pair I had each of the two dedicated to one 10" sub (each).