Breaking In!

[jallen102090]

Okay, so i have been doing some research on systems and cannot decide on what I want, set up wise or design. I would like to break into the competition scene, slowly considering I'm a newbie. Now i have some experience with car/home audio but don't really have a lot of people relatively close to actually have the discussion with. Currently, I am running a JL Audio 10W3v3 with a HD750 in my wife's car. She seems to enjoy it with the cars stock stereo, we have two 2012 Toyota Camry SE's w/o JBL sound system but w/ Nav. At this moment in time I am putting money into the wife's car sense we will be keeping it for myself to do whatever i please...

I love the 10 that JL runs and was looking into the 12W7 or even running a 13. Obviously for competition I would need something a little harder hitting from say Orion, JBL, or RE but I am not looking at putting 6 subs in my car either. I guess if there is a way for me to compete with a quality sound rather then pure bass that's my ultimate goal. Also, i am looking to redo all the speakers internally in the car as well which is what i seem to have the hardest time finding some of the best out there. I would like to run 3-10s or 2-12s but whatever you guys recommend i would take into consideration.

What i would like to know is your recommendation for all the above, subs, amp, and internal speakers.

*Note: I drive about 2 hours daily for work(to and from) so i would need something that could handle the power all day without killing/degrading anything, obviously not full power.

Click to read more...

 

[i2ain2thunder 10+ year member]

Okay, so i have been doing some research on systems and cannot decide on what I want, set up wise or design. I would like to break into the competition scene, slowly considering I'm a newbie. Now i have some experience with car/home audio but don't really have a lot of people relatively close to actually have the discussion with. Currently, I am running a JL Audio 10W3v3 with a HD750 in my wife's car. She seems to enjoy it with the cars stock stereo, we have two 2012 Toyota Camry SE's w/o JBL sound system but w/ Nav. At this moment in time I am putting money into the wife's car sense we will be keeping it for myself to do whatever i please...
I love the 10 that JL runs and was looking into the 12W7 or even running a 13. Obviously for competition I would need something a little harder hitting from say Orion, JBL, or RE but I am not looking at putting 6 subs in my car either. I guess if there is a way for me to compete with a quality sound rather then pure bass that's my ultimate goal. Also, i am looking to redo all the speakers internally in the car as well which is what i seem to have the hardest time finding some of the best out there. I would like to run 3-10s or 2-12s but whatever you guys recommend i would take into consideration.

What i would like to know is your recommendation for all the above, subs, amp, and internal speakers.

*Note: I drive about 2 hours daily for work(to and from) so i would need something that could handle the power all day without killing/degrading anything, obviously not full power.

Check out any Keep Hope Alive build log, He's a veteran member and does quality work. There is a lot to learn with car audio even if you already know a good degree. Most people underestimate how much more important every other factor other than the actual speakers is. There is a lot you can do to make it a quality system regardless of the speakers used. This should be learned first. In my humble opinion (14+ years in the hobby) people focus too much on this brand vs that when the real experts can make inferior speakers sound better.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

If your goal is to compete you should figure out which organization actually has shows that are close enough to you to attend. From there you can see which "classes" they offer and plan around being competitive in whichever class strikes your fancy. Auto sound competitions that aren't based around SPL are pretty well a dying breed AFAIK. At this point getting a flat RTA score is relatively simple with the processing options available and everything else is largely subjective. Sound stage and depth and so forth are really a matter of perception of the judge and something as silly as you being 6" taller than the judge and aiming everything accordingly to YOUR listening position could hurt your hopes of being competitive with something that sounds good for you.

OR just do what you like and go to some shows and compete just for the sake of participating. Not like there are prize purses worth the effort, so largely it'll just come down to showing up, making friends with other enthusiasts, and having fun.

 

[i2ain2thunder 10+ year member]

If your goal is to compete you should figure out which organization actually has shows that are close enough to you to attend. From there you can see which "classes" they offer and plan around being competitive in whichever class strikes your fancy. Auto sound competitions that aren't based around SPL are pretty well a dying breed AFAIK. At this point getting a flat RTA score is relatively simple with the processing options available and everything else is largely subjective. Sound stage and depth and so forth are really a matter of perception of the judge and something as silly as you being 6" taller than the judge and aiming everything accordingly to YOUR listening position could hurt your hopes of being competitive with something that sounds good for you.
OR just do what you like and go to some shows and compete just for the sake of participating. Not like there are prize purses worth the effort, so largely it'll just come down to showing up, making friends with other enthusiasts, and having fun.

Haha yeah SQ competitions are kind of a joke because it is so subjective. Different systems sound better/worse for different people. However the type of system I enjoy is one orientated more toward SQ than SPL in general. My mindset would just be to show up and meet other enthusiasts, and try to have some serious ****ing fun.

 

[jallen102090]

Thanks guys, appreciate it. I have always been a fan of JBL and JL Audio components so I will most likely stick to that route, was just curious as to what you guys have experienced and what works best for you. First off before I get into building my own box I was going to take either dynamat or hushmat and put it into the entirety of the car. My camry is pretty quiet as it is but it needs little bit more dampening. Have any of you had issues installing the hush or dyna into your car?

 

[i2ain2thunder 10+ year member]

Thanks guys, appreciate it. I have always been a fan of JBL and JL Audio components so I will most likely stick to that route, was just curious as to what you guys have experienced and what works best for you. First off before I get into building my own box I was going to take either dynamat or hushmat and put it into the entirety of the car. My camry is pretty quiet as it is but it needs little bit more dampening. Have any of you had issues installing the hush or dyna into your car?

Na dynamat is ez pz. However make sure you go with something not asphault based. I made that mistake my first time (car smelled like fresh pavement for a month) the smell goes away, but they have non-asphault stuff these days and it's just as cheap. When you install it make sure to really press it on the the metal firmly on a hot enough day if it wasn't installed very firmly that stuff can kinda melt and fall off.

 

[jallen102090]

I will make sure to keep that in mind. Definitely don't want that to happen

 

[gckless 5,000+ posts]

Seal your trunk off from the cabin, either go infinite baffle with a pair of 15s or ported with a pair of 12s.

 

[fly_marlin]

Okay, so i have been doing some research on systems and cannot decide on what I want, set up wise or design. I would like to break into the competition scene, slowly considering I'm a newbie. Now i have some experience with car/home audio but don't really have a lot of people relatively close to actually have the discussion with. Currently, I am running a JL Audio 10W3v3 with a HD750 in my wife's car. She seems to enjoy it with the cars stock stereo, we have two 2012 Toyota Camry SE's w/o JBL sound system but w/ Nav. At this moment in time I am putting money into the wife's car sense we will be keeping it for myself to do whatever i please...
I love the 10 that JL runs and was looking into the 12W7 or even running a 13. Obviously for competition I would need something a little harder hitting from say Orion, JBL, or RE but I am not looking at putting 6 subs in my car either. I guess if there is a way for me to compete with a quality sound rather then pure bass that's my ultimate goal. Also, i am looking to redo all the speakers internally in the car as well which is what i seem to have the hardest time finding some of the best out there. I would like to run 3-10s or 2-12s but whatever you guys recommend i would take into consideration.

What i would like to know is your recommendation for all the above, subs, amp, and internal speakers.

*Note: I drive about 2 hours daily for work(to and from) so i would need something that could handle the power all day without killing/degrading anything, obviously not full power.

There are also different classes of competition for SPL and SQ. For SQ, classes are differentiated by things like having a DSP, whether any modifications were made to the vehicle, etc. I recommend you look at the rules/class of the organization you're most likely to compete in and decide from there. If you want to aim for the "anything goes" class, that will give you the most freedom to do modifications - messing with pillars, custom speaker installs, DSP, etc. Also, SQ doesn't mean you don't need good power. You do. What offers a lot of versatility is running a 2 or 3-way active front stage. Are you savvy for being able to configure an active stage? If not, you'll need to do some reading before indulging. Once you figure out what kind of install you'd like to do, we can proceed with driver and amp recommendations. In most cases, a single 12" would do you just fine for SQ. At that, it's not uncommon for some SQ systems to hit upper 40's either.

 

[jallen102090]

Have any of you guys ran anything by Rockford Fosgate?

 

[Kangaroux 5,000+ posts]

Have any of you guys ran anything by Rockford Fosgate?

Ran one of their entry level prime 1000 amps for a bit, got wicked hot. The glossy black power amps are good though, just ridiculously expensive.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Have any of you guys ran anything by Rockford Fosgate?

So if you want to bust into the SQ scene. Out of all all the brands you've mentioned only JL audio subs and amps are being used speakers, there are a whole bunch out there that outclasses JL and definitely destroys fosgate orion or jbl in the SQ department. Other gear to look for is hybrid audio technologies, helix, brax, mosconi, hertz, audison, arc audio, rainbow, scanspeak, morel, dynaudio etc...

I'd say you'll be fine with a pair of 12 W6 in a custom well designed ported enclosure or A 10 w7/w6 in T-line enclosure.

Get a 3 way component set if you have no idea how to run active. However if you plan on getting a Digital Sound Processor and run active and do A-pillar 4" mids and tweeters than i'd recommend buying Scanspeak raw drivers. They are flat out amazing.

First rule of competition is to have plenty of money, time and knowlege.

Hit up a few local competitions. You'll soon learn that its all about the install and tuning and about pleasing the judge's ears(not necessarily your ears)