First Post! General Questions

[saxguy9345 10+ year member]

Hey I've been reading for about 2 hours now after registering and **** if this doesn't define a car audio "community". Got a couple village drunks here and there, but mostly helpful neighbors that bob their head to the bass and wave!

There's the icebreaker, here's the WALL OF NOOB TEXT

NEWS FLASH: My system was completed in 2006. I know it's old, but that's really the reason I registered here. I love my system, I'm pleased by it every day, and 90% of my friends think it's the best thing they've ever heard. I'm not a spl competitor, I don't show my stock '97 Accord, and honestly DO NOT want to be heard 3 blocks away. I think the reason I haven't upgraded is because the sound in my car is pretty amazing, but with the windows down you can hardly tell I'm playing some zedd at 85% volume.

Click to read more...

 

[Bettr n' Revrse 5,000+ posts]

So what are your plans?

 

[saxguy9345 10+ year member]

Here is my sound in a nutshell:

Kenwood KDC- x789 hu w/ KPI 500 iPod hookup

Alpine M250 powering Polk db 650/690's (front doors/rear deck)

 

[saxguy9345 10+ year member]

Ok seriously I keep getting "denied post" since it contains too many URL's when I have none...... sorry but this is going to look stupid by the time I'm done.

 

[chillin 10+ year member]

What do you have for a system now and what do you want to change about it?

Also, Welcome

 

[saxguy9345 10+ year member]

Audiobahn A2002T bridged (4ohm) to 1 JL 12w1v2-4, ported 2.1ft^3 box @ about 36-38 hz

Stinger wire 4g to sub amp, 8g to speaker amp, all RCA from HU

Should I set the crossovers on my HU if I have them set on both amps? I have tried almost every combination from setting HU to exact match on amp xover, to + 20 hz (or so) below amp high pass / above sub pass, and something doesn't sound quite right. I have left the HU setting to "through" for 85% of the time, its such a small difference but I feel like I get more that way. Yes the HU has an "AMP OFF" setting that is OFF, but I don't know the technical side to it.

I have had a friend tell me that the Polk db's are holding back my cabin sound, but he's also pushing 2 type-r 12's in his trunk. I feel like if I had some 1000w sub setup I would need more, but I really like their sq. Argue for / against please! I listen to a lot of Burial and (cough REAL) dubstep as well, and I do need to say my midbass is lacking, 100-200hz is kinda lacking IMO. I don't have a dmm or anything to measure so those figures are completely made up, but you can fill in from context. I really want to avoid changing the Alpine cabin amp since it's under the drivers seat and a real mess to even SEE gains/xover let alone changing it out. I don't wanna, so if someone thinks that's the prob it better be convincing lol

 

---------- Post added at 03:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:11 AM ----------

 

Speaking of mid bass, the Alpine M250 has a Bass EQ switch for channel 3+4 (gains 12db at 50hz) made for a sub, and I have hesitated turning it on to see how it sounds but what harm could it do? I don't think it cuts high pass so I'd still be getting full range to the (coaxil) 6x9's, but I dunno.

The gains on the Alpine M250 are set pretty low, I was shocked to see the front channels are actually just below NOM and the 6x9's are just under .5v (looks like .2v, closer to NOM). Can I squeeze more out of these db's? The EQ on the Kenwood is maybe +1 mid +2 treb for the best SQ I can hear. I literally hurt my ears before I hear distortion though so I haven't touched it.

I LOVE THIS HU btw if I didn't recently look up the new ones with staging and delays and int. bluetooth and front usb ipod control... I would feel 100% love for it. Now it's only 95% lol. I love playing around with the bass/mid/treb frequency setting but I have no idea what it actually does, AND doubly don't know if the bass freq responce goes to the sub or not. I need a Kenwood scholor for that one.

 

---------- Post added at 03:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:11 AM ----------

 

How well is that Audiobahn powering the JL? I have constantly felt the gain @ about 60% turn is perfect, BUT I know that manufacturer specs call for about a .4ft^3 smaller ported box AND tuned to 28hz. I feel like since it's such a low powered sub (300 rms 500 peak) that the box size matters two fold and I am not getting what I want from it. The amp is rated 200rms @ 4ohm bridged too, but I really don't have the knowledge to tweak per spec, just my ears. Long story short, I built that box as a complete noob and it was sealed on day 1. Type-R friend said "I fart louder than that sub, lets port it" and got as close to spec as we could, but it was too shallow to take more than a 12" internal port. I think it's realistically around 36-38hz, plenty loud for what I want (for now) but is THAT killing my midbass? Thoughts? I actually just re-caulked / padded the interior of it and almost plugged the port, but it's pretty much the perfect type of "loud" that I like and I didn't want to mess with it, but I would really like more range (sq) from it.

How noob am I? I forgot to disconnect my neg battery terminal before putting my sub back in and fried the remote wire control in the Kenwood. Prayed it was a fuse, nope, it was the remote. So I have it connected to the ING wire and hafta remember to turn off my HU every time I get out. I am confidant in hooking up a manual switch if I get the urge, but **** is that inconvienient.

If you're reading this, thanks for your time and please halp. I just got a new job so once my credit card is back in acceptable range I will be willing to spend maybe 300-400$ on some choice upgrades. I did read at length about upgrading your battery/alternator before anything else (which I haven't done, all stock) BUT I am not looking to push 1000w RMS any time soon and on my hardest hitting songs the only thing that dims is the led backlights on my speedometer, my headlights don't dim whatsoever as far as I can see standing in front of them. Thanks and I can't wait for some reccomendations.

 

[Bettr n' Revrse 5,000+ posts]

Cant post links till 10+ posts

 

[saxguy9345 10+ year member]

WELL sorry caraudio but I did some homework before my first post lol

I know it's a wall of text and I'm about 4 double ipa's deep, I just hope I get some help + some crazy hardware freaks telling me what to upgrade first, if so you better link some compelling ... link. Apparently my '97 Accord can take double DIN whereas the harness kit from crutchfield in '03-'04 fit so well I was limiting my search for single's, I would love some 7" touchscreen dvd but I think other parts of my system could use an upgrade before the X789.

 

[saxguy9345 10+ year member]

10 posts? 15 seconds? who's counting?

 

[murph 10+ year member]

How is the box for those subs? Is it custom made or a prefab? If this was stated in your novel written about I recommend upgrading subs after having them for such a long amount of time.

 

[saxguy9345 10+ year member]

Honestly the x789 + kpi500 kenwood ipod interface doesn't even charge my 4th gen nano, but the quality and 3 line text interface really doesn't leave me wanting whatsoever. In my amature opinion, I either need a higher rms amp for my JL OR another amp+sub combo. Maybe better cabin speakers, go ahead and give me something that would be properly powered by the F250 alpine and I'd be stoked.

 

[murph 10+ year member]

Honestly the x789 + kpi500 kenwood ipod interface doesn't even charge my 4th gen nano, but the quality and 3 line text interface really doesn't leave me wanting whatsoever. In my amature opinion, I either need a higher rms amp for my JL OR another amp+sub combo. Maybe better cabin speakers, go ahead and give me something that would be properly powered by the F250 alpine and I'd be stoked.

What budget range are you looking for and are you looking for more bass or better speakers. Disregard my post above I didn't read most of what you wrote about till now.

 

[saxguy9345 10+ year member]

The sub box is custom made by me, 3/4" mdf BUT bigger than JL factory spec by at least .3 ft^3, and honestly the mounting hole for the JL sub might bleed some air. I surrounded it with some weathering strip last week but 2 of the screws were stripped and it might be leaking air. I think the weather stripping made it 90% air tight, but I'm just guessing. The JL sub sounds 120% of what it was before I re-caulked, but again I have no reference to peak preformance.

 

[saxguy9345 10+ year member]

I want someone to say the db's are less than mid range coaxel, they are 3ways, but I had the sub unplugged for 2 weeks and hec k if those 6x9's didn't displace some air. I feel like they could push more but it really opened my eyes to maybe they're getting pushed just fine for what they are.

 

[saxguy9345 10+ year member]

Bump

Should I split my questions to the subforums?

I know its a lot.