13' Ram 1500 Help ( 4 Ch. Amp )

[CALDWELL]

Hey fella's

I have posted questions on here before about this idea, so I do apologize for potentially annoying anyone. I have been back and forth on whether or not I want to install a Sub in my truck or not. I have legit decided to NOT have a sub installed. The other day I was in my buddy's 2013 Chrysler 200 Limited with the Boston Audio System. He has No Sub in his car. It sounded awesome !, he has nice high's, and still retains a solid amount of bump from the doors. I would like to make my 13' express sound like that.

Is it possible to tune an amp to maintain the lows, that the 6x9's are capable of putting out ? I do not want to amp the speakers, and just have it stupid loud and clear with no kind of bass definition at all. The OEM 6x9's I have now already have the ability to rattle my truck a good bit ( Not bad for just doors I think ). I would just like to maintain the bump I already have.

I plan on getting a new Double Din HU ( Alpine or Pioneer ). I think Im gonna buy Rockford Fosgate 3.5's / Alpine 6x9's for the dash and doors. I want to run the dash off the HU, and Amp the doors to like 50w RMS each.

What kind of Amp should I look into to that will give me the results im looking for ?

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[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

The head unit upgrade alone should make a good difference to the clarity of the factory speakers. Instead of 6x9 coaxials in the doors and 3.5" coaxials in the dash, which will give you 2 sets of tweeters, you could do a 6x9 component system. It would take a bit of work making spacers for the doors and brackets for the dash, but it would sound better. Then the front speakers will all be powered by an amplifier, which should again sound better than powering the dash speakers off the head unit.

There are many amplifiers that will get the job done. 50W RMS per side is pretty low these days since power is so cheap. A 2-channel amp, an amplifier installation kit, and 6x9 components could run you about $400. Add labor on top of that and the brackets, and sound deadening since those doors probably resonate like tin cans.

 

[bbeljefe]

For what you're trying to accomplish, I recommend a lot more than 50 wpc. For strong bass in a door speaker you want the amp to have a lot of headroom (damping factor) and plenty of power & choosing more than you need is the best way to accomplish that.

As an example, I have a 99 Dodge truck which came with 6X9s in the doors. I'm running 150 watt Neo Pro 8s on 200 wpc and I get very good bass response from them. Of course, the Neos are PA mids, so you'd want to go with a good woofer rather than a midrange driver. I don't know if it was you but in another thread (maybe on another site) this same question was posed and I recommended a 4Ω Dayton Audio woofer for the doors. Another very important thing to do in order to get good bass from vehicle doors is to deaden them. Even if you just use a 6x9 woofer, deaden those doors.

With 3.5" dash speakers, you don't have to worry about tweets in in the doors but, I would consider using an amp on them too. I would go with a 100wpc 4 channel and back the gains off on the 3.5s accordingly.

Also, to mount an 8 in the 6x9 hole, you'll need ~½ spacer plates. But... there are also some companies making 6x9 component sets. For example. ← That set is made for your truck.

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

For strong bass in a door speaker you want the amp to have a lot of headroom (damping factor)

Damping factor is not headroom. Damping factor also is not what everyone(nearly) makes it out to be. Damping Factor: Effects On System Response | Audioholics

 

[bbeljefe]

Hey thanks man. I like that description. And for clarification, I meant the ratio between power needed and power on hand. But yeah, thanks for correcting me.

 

[CALDWELL]

I forgot to mention that I have a Quad Cab Ram with 6 speakers in total.

Should I just go with 6.5'' Components up front, and 6x9 Coaxials in the rear, then power them with 100w RMS per Channel ?

or even go with 2 component sets front and rear ?

Infinity Reference 6030cs - 90w RMS each @ 2 Ohms

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

I forgot to mention that I have a Quad Cab Ram with 6 speakers in total.
Should I just go with 6.5'' Components up front, and 6x9 Coaxials in the rear, then power them with 100w RMS per Channel ?

6x9 components start at $200. If you go down to 6.5s in the front you're sacrificing bass. This is the last thing you want if you're never going to add a subwoofer.

 

[CALDWELL]

ah ok, thanks for that advice !

I'll be honest with you, I'm not looking to spend a boat load of money. What if I just stuck with Coaxials, and powered the doors with 100w RMS per/ch ?

Most of the 3.5's I see do not handle much power at all.

 

[dwhite832003]

Just checking in on this thread! Just picked up a 2014 1500 express