Beginner system/build question, head unit and speakers?

[DRBOOM]

Mate, if your hobbies, require trunk space then seriously consider infinite baffle.  Its very efficient as long as you have a subwoofer with low FS and high QTS, basically most subwoofer would suit this category.

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

+1 for the infinite baffle, only if it's done properly. 

I'll let Jeff recommend a ~$200 driver seeing that I haven't really touched SQ Drivers for a few years. I've heard great things about the Image Dynamics lines http://www.imagedynamicsusa.net/idmax

With the proper ported enclosure, driver, power, and orientation in the trunk you can still get loud without sacrificing your whole trunk. Relatively loud, that is. Something with decent SQ and decent output is all you need, and will sound better than 99% of whats out there

Whether you need two amps is up to you. You can get something like a 900.5 5 channel and wire everything active or you can get one 4 channel and one mono. Or you could leave the doors stock.. which would be pretty gross lol

 

[Cheezledzul]

+1 for the infinite baffle, only if it's done properly. 

I'll let Jeff recommend a ~$200 driver seeing that I haven't really touched SQ Drivers for a few years. I've heard great things about the Image Dynamics lines http://www.imagedynamicsusa.net/idmax

With the proper ported enclosure, driver, power, and orientation in the trunk you can still get loud without sacrificing your whole trunk. Relatively loud, that is. Something with decent SQ and decent output is all you need, and will sound better than 99% of whats out there

Whether you need two amps is up to you. You can get something like a 900.5 5 channel and wire everything active or you can get one 4 channel and one mono. Or you could leave the doors stock.. which would be pretty gross lol

Lol definitely dont want anything to be gross. 

How do I figure out what the proper orientation and ported enclosure is for the sub and my trunk? Just to reiterate I'm getting a 05 Nissan morano. I believe the trunk doesn't have a cover either. 

Also I was asking based off @Jeffdachef reccomendations he provided a 4 channel amp I believe for the 2 tweeters and 2 mids. Which means he was planning to have me use my current amp and sub together right?

Lastly, just started doing some research. I know I'm getting ahead of myself with this question but with the dsp and time alignment. If I am setting it for the distance to the drivers ears what happens to the sound for the person next to me in the passenger seat? I'd I set it for the distance to the drivers seat will it noticeably decrease the sound quality for the passenger? 

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

Lol definitely dont want anything to be gross. 

How do I figure out what the proper orientation and ported enclosure is for the sub and my trunk? Just to reiterate I'm getting a 05 Nissan morano. I believe the trunk doesn't have a cover either. 

Also I was asking based off @Jeffdachef reccomendations he provided a 4 channel amp I believe for the 2 tweeters and 2 mids. Which means he was planning to have me use my current amp and sub together right?

Lastly, just started doing some research. I know I'm getting ahead of myself with this question but with the dsp and time alignment. If I am setting it for the distance to the drivers ears what happens to the sound for the person next to me in the passenger seat? I'd I set it for the distance to the drivers seat will it noticeably decrease the sound quality for the passenger? 

You try out different orientations. Your box should be about the size of a side table or smaller so you can rotate it. Generally speaking sub towards the trunk works the best but I'm not an expert on loading in cars. 

Regarding the 4 channel, yes you would run the doors active with the tweeters turned down significantly so one driver is one channel. 2 mids, 2 tweets. Then of course the sub channel. 

The passenger won't really notice unless they've trained their ears well enough. If you put enough time into it (not worth it) you can build two presets and tune each side individually. Basic EQ, filters, and TA will be more than enough

You could do it all pretty decently with <$1k. That's including two new amps, a taramps md3000.1 and some clone 4 channel like the ppi900.4, nvx 900.4, etc

 

[Cheezledzul]

Mate, if your hobbies, require trunk space then seriously consider infinite baffle.  Its very efficient as long as you have a subwoofer with low FS and high QTS, basically most subwoofer would suit this category.

View attachment 5161

Is that amp you're using the same one I have? Rockford 800a2? How is it?

 

[Cheezledzul]

You try out different orientations. Your box should be about the size of a side table or smaller so you can rotate it. Generally speaking sub towards the trunk works the best but I'm not an expert on loading in cars. 

Regarding the 4 channel, yes you would run the doors active with the tweeters turned down significantly so one driver is one channel. 2 mids, 2 tweets. Then of course the sub channel. 

The passenger won't really notice unless they've trained their ears well enough. If you put enough time into it (not worth it) you can build two presets and tune each side individually. Basic EQ, filters, and TA will be more than enough

You could do it all pretty decently with <$1k. That's including two new amps, a taramps md3000.1 and some clone 4 channel like the ppi900.4, nvx 900.4, etc

Sorry again, I know it can be frustrating for you guys. I'm trying to ask the right questions and watch the right videos but the terminology has me getting confused and trying to sort out what I need to know vs what I dont need to know this minuet.

Jeff's reccomendations added up to around $500. To reiterate,  I'm willing to spend a little more if you guys think its necessary. When I first said $500 I didnt think about tweeters as well as mids . I'm also the type of person that likes to upgrade if I feel like the quality isnt right and spending a little more would go a long way. Dont want to buy something then feel like I have to buy something else soon after. But i trust your opinions, just saying I see people on here with setups way over $1k lol.

This is the kicker impulse sub I have and Rockford fosgate 800a2 amp. I've used the amp on my first car with 2 12s but they were stolen while I had them in my room at my college house. The kicker is a 10", for some reason I thought jt was a 12". Is the 10" gonna be too small? Should I buy a 12" instead or could I buy a 2nd 10" and run the 2 10s together? Which option would be best if the 10" kicker isnt enough alone?

Thanks again for your opinions/input! And most of all dealing with my incompetence

 

[Cheezledzul]

By the way is that box considered an infinity baffle? Since the face is not enclosed? Or does the rear have to be open more? I read you need wood extending out from the plane of the sub face but when you mount it in a sedan trunk it creates an enclosed space behind the sub anyways. The last box I had with 2 12s the faces were enclosed as well as the rear. 

The morano has the Bose audio package that you can upgrade to when the owners bought the car. I has a small Bose amp and sub as well. I'm assuming the package Jaydacheff put together is significantly better than this Bose package? Even if I switched the stock head unit out and ran the dsp to the Bose speakers and sub? Just wondering. I know Bose is an "upgraded" speaker company. I assume it's still going to be lower quality since it's from the manufacturer but figured I should definitley spend more if theres not much difference between the Bose and what I'm getting for tweeters and mids. But if it is by some odd chance good quality I'd like to make use of some of it. I doubt it though lol. 

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

It's just a ported truck box.  Infinite baffle (IB) has no box.  IB is typically done in the rear deck of a car or walling off the trunk using the entire trunk as the box effectively resulting in an "infinitely" large sealed enclosure.

I like old stuff, but with the distance you're going I don't think it would be wise to keep that old thing around.  Given your goals I think a good 10 would be plenty.

DC Level 1   https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_126773_DC-Audio-Level-1-10-m4-D4.html  With the D4 you could wire in series and the old RF would power it well.

FWIW - i don't think anyone has commented on that amp -- It's a classic.  Way under-rated and built like a tank.  It's like a 69 Camaro -- Old school American muscle.  It's not very efficient by today's standards, but at ~400w it's not a problem.

Box: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rockville-RSV10B-Single-10-1-0-cu-ft-Bedlined-Vented-Subwoofer-Enclosure-Box/352415423331?hash=item520d989b63:g:j4MAAOSwhilbWu1X

I put it in winisd pro -- the plot looks really good.

You're going WAY beyond anything any 15 y/o stock system is going to give you -- Way WAY beyond.

 

[Cheezledzul]

It's just a ported truck box.  Infinite baffle (IB) has no box.  IB is typically done in the rear deck of a car or walling off the trunk using the entire trunk as the box effectively resulting in an "infinitely" large sealed enclosure.

I like old stuff, but with the distance you're going I don't think it would be wise to keep that old thing around.  Given your goals I think a good 10 would be plenty.

DC Level 1   https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_126773_DC-Audio-Level-1-10-m4-D4.html  With the D4 you could wire in series and the old RF would power it well.

FWIW - i don't think anyone has commented on that amp -- It's a classic.  Way under-rated and built like a tank.  It's like a 69 Camaro -- Old school American muscle.  It's not very efficient by today's standards, but at ~400w it's not a problem.

Box: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rockville-RSV10B-Single-10-1-0-cu-ft-Bedlined-Vented-Subwoofer-Enclosure-Box/352415423331?hash=item520d989b63:g:j4MAAOSwhilbWu1X

I put it in winisd pro -- the plot looks really good.

You're going WAY beyond anything any 15 y/o stock system is going to give you -- Way WAY beyond.

Awesome man! Perfectly answered. I'm going to buy all the equipment that Jeffdachef listed plus your sub and box. 

The 4 channel amp he listed will run my 2 tweeters and 2 mids plus it will have a sub channel to run the sub you provided correct? So I wont actually be using the RF I already have. Which I think is a 2 channel? 

Now that I have a better understanding and I think everything I need including mounting kits and wires I'm crazy excited to get this car. Just changing the muffler and adding a hitch. Then it will be time to get to work on this build! Gotta watch tons of install videos to make sure I wire everything right. That's always been the scariest part to me. I'm very handy and have a decent mechanical mind but I dont know anything about electrical components.

Once installed I'm going to need to ask 1000 questions on how to tune it because that I know next to nothing about. 

 

[Cheezledzul]

Last couple of questions that I can think of. Do you guys install a kill switch to cut off the power to the entire system? Or just to the sub? I had one for my sub when my cousins installed them on my first car. But I didnt upgrade anything else so not sure.

Also will this drain a lot of power from my car both with the engine on or off? I cant see it creating worst mpg or anything but i can see it killing the battery or maybe making the alternator work overtime? Just thinking if theres any way for this build to hurt the car. 

Does the amp produce power so you're not draining the battery quicker? Should I only have the system powered up when the engine is on? And when the engine is off turn the system off also? 

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

Awesome man! Perfectly answered. I'm going to buy all the equipment that Jeffdachef listed plus your sub and box. 

The 4 channel amp he listed will run my 2 tweeters and 2 mids plus it will have a sub channel to run the sub you provided correct? So I wont actually be using the RF I already have. Which I think is a 2 channel? 

I thought the plan was run the 4 ch active (2 ch on mids, 2 ch on tweets) and use the RF bridged to run the sub.  I may have missed something -- I just skimmed through all that yesterday.

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

1) Last couple of questions that I can think of. Do you guys install a kill switch to cut off the power to the entire system? Or just to the sub? I had one for my sub when my cousins installed them on my first car. But I didnt upgrade anything else so not sure.

2) Also will this drain a lot of power from my car both with the engine on or off? I cant see it creating worst mpg or anything but i can see it killing the battery or maybe making the alternator work overtime? Just thinking if theres any way for this build to hurt the car. 

3) Does the amp produce power so you're not draining the battery quicker? Should I only have the system powered up when the engine is on? And when the engine is off turn the system off also? 

1) I haven't used a DSP, but I don't think there'd be any point in a kill switch for everything...just stop whatever's playing.  A switch on the sub remote wire wouldn't be a bad idea.

2) Depends.  If you're blasting it all the time, yeah, it will be a fairly big electrical load, but relative to what a lot of people are running these days it's not a huge power demand at all.  The pio amps are efficient, and 400w isn't a ton of power anyway.  The RF can be gained down a little and shouldn't be too bad other than full volume sessions with a lot of bass.  Looks like your Murano has a 110A alt.  Not huge, but not bad for ~800w.  The alt's work load will be higher, it's the nature of high power sound systems.  No alt lasts forever, stock electrical demand or otherwise.

3) With the engine off, just be aware.  If you blast it for an hour - that wouldn't be good.  For a few minutes - probably fine if your battery's in good shape.  If you put a sub switch in and turn off the sub you could probably play at moderate volume for an hour or two and still crank the engine.

 

[Cheezledzul]

I thought the plan was run the 4 ch active (2 ch on mids, 2 ch on tweets) and use the RF bridged to run the sub.  I may have missed something -- I just skimmed through all that yesterday.

That's what I was trying to ask yesterday. I was confused and wasnt sure what the plan was. I didnt know if I was running the 2 tweeters and 2 mids on a new 4 channel amp that @Jeffdachef said to buy or the one you recommended. Then run the sub I'm going to buy on my RF amp. I guess using 2 amps is what you mean by bridge?

Or I wasnt positive if Jeff wanted me to run the sub and 4 speakers on a 4 channel amp that I'm going to be buying and not use the RF

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

That's what I was trying to ask yesterday. I was confused and wasnt sure what the plan was. I didnt know if I was running the 2 tweeters and 2 mids on a new 4 channel amp that @Jeffdachef said to buy or the one you recommended. Then run the sub I'm going to buy on my RF amp. I guess using 2 amps is what you mean by bridge?

Or I wasnt positive if Jeff wanted me to run the sub and 4 speakers on a 4 channel amp that I'm going to be buying and not use the RF

"Bridge" means to combine 2 channels of an amp into one.  Common for using a 2 channel amp to run a sub.

It was clear Jeff was recommending using the Pioneer 4 ch to run the mids and tweeters -- commonly referred to as "active" -- in that the power and frequency control for the woofers/tweeters is being done by an active component (the DSP) vs the more traditional/basic (and slightly less desirable in terms of SQ) practice of using a passive 2-way crossover after the amp which filters hi's for the woofer and lows for the tweeter.

He never mentioned a 2nd amp, but did account for running sub signal through the DSP (channels 7-8), implying a 2nd amp and sub would be used.

 

[Cheezledzul]

"Bridge" means to combine 2 channels of an amp into one.  Common for using a 2 channel amp to run a sub.

It was clear Jeff was recommending using the Pioneer 4 ch to run the mids and tweeters -- commonly referred to as "active" -- in that the power and frequency control for the woofers/tweeters is being done by an active component (the DSP) vs the more traditional/basic (and slightly less desirable in terms of SQ) practice of using a passive 2-way crossover after the amp which filters hi's for the woofer and lows for the tweeter.

He never mentioned a 2nd amp, but did account for running sub signal through the DSP (channels 7-8), implying a 2nd amp and sub would be used.

Jeff's a man with a plan! At least he factored in the use of my existing sub and amp. I'm going to buy everything off the 2 lists he provided then I'll buy the sub and box you recommended since I can hook up my current sub temporarily if I need to wait a few weeks before buying the new sub.