How many channels do i need

[skatman244]

Hi guys i have a 1991 Nissan Pickup truck, im currently looking to install a sound system in it.

I want to install 2 medium range speakers and 2 tweeters in the front, and 2 subwoofers in the truck bed.

I want to separate all the frequencies, so i want the tweeters to receive only high frequencies, the mediums to get only medium frequencies and the subs to get only low frequencies.

Im going to dedicate an amp to the medium and tweeters, and another separate amp to the subs.

My question is : How many channels do i have to have in my head unit to connect 2 amplifiers to it, and how can i separate the frequencies ( how to make the amplifiers filter the frequencies ).

Thank you in advance!

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[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Uau thank you very mutch for the help.I didn't understant anything of what that guy was doing on the head unit XD.

The kind of music im going to listen is not very accuraccy demanding.

I'm more of a house/trap/hip hop listener. So i just want to be able do hear the voice crystal clear and have good deep consistent bass!

Do you think that the 80 prs is a significant improvement over the 580? I mean, is it worth the diference in pricing?

Oh and btw, what cable section do you recomment? I have heard that cabling is one of the most important things in a sound system.

just get thick enough cables to support your amp's current draw thats it. Cabling is no where near important as the head unit and install techniques. Dont spend too much money on fancy rcas, thats just pure horseh*t. For amp power and ground wire, get copper if you can but CCA is fine as well.

There's a pretty big jump in SQ between the two but for your needs the 580 will do the job just fine 2.5 x the price is not worth it in your case.

As for the video.

Mid high pass is what cuts off bass frequencies to your midrange speaker

mid low pass is what cuts off tweeter frequencies of your midrange.

high high pass is what cuts off mid and bass frequencies from your tweeter.

slope is how big of a cut off. -6 db will still allow a lot of frequencies to go through while slowly cutting it off. -24 db is a steep cut that will almost completely cut off frequencies at the point. You want to use this to have a proper blend between mid and tweeter so the tweeter picks up right after the mid dies out. Basically splitting the job as you wanted in the beginning but making it even smoother.

Time alignment is making sure every sound wave from every speaker reaches your ear at the same time which creates a virtual center stage concert that makes music seem like a live performance where you can see where each instrument is and even see (through hearing) if the singer walks to the left or right.

EQ is just fine tuning your setup to sound even better.

the mvh 580 has all of this as well.

 

[skatman244]

Ok so i have been hasking generall questions, so i will tell you my idea of a system so that you can understand what i am thinking.

I'm hoping to get 2 25W tweeters, 2 120W mid range , and 2 600W subs, all of this in RMS.

So to use a 5 channel amp i would need a really expensive amp to handle the subs. That's wy i want separate amps. From my calculations i would need a 4 channel 120W x4 amp for the medium and tweeter speakers, and a 2 channel 600W x2 amp for the subs. ( altough im kinda worried that with so mutch subwoofer power i won't be able to hear the medium range speakers, do you guys think i should go higher Wattage power on the medium/tweeter? )

 

[skatman244]

just get thick enough cables to support your amp's current draw thats it. Cabling is no where near important as the head unit and install techniques. Dont spend too much money on fancy rcas, thats just pure horseh*t. For amp power and ground wire, get copper if you can but CCA is fine as well.
There's a pretty big jump in SQ between the two but for your needs the 580 will do the job just fine 2.5 x the price is not worth it in your case.

As for the video.

Mid high pass is what cuts off bass frequencies to your midrange speaker

mid low pass is what cuts off tweeter frequencies of your midrange.

high high pass is what cuts off mid and bass frequencies from your tweeter.

slope is how big of a cut off. -6 db will still allow a lot of frequencies to go through while slowly cutting it off. -24 db is a steep cut that will almost completely cut off frequencies at the point. You want to use this to have a proper blend between mid and tweeter so the tweeter picks up right after the mid dies out. Basically splitting the job as you wanted in the beginning but making it even smoother.

Time alignment is making sure every sound wave from every speaker reaches your ear at the same time which creates a virtual center stage concert that makes music seem like a live performance where you can see where each instrument is and even see (through hearing) if the singer walks to the left or right.

EQ is just fine tuning your setup to sound even better.

the mvh 580 has all of this as well.

Oh i get it, i've also been doing some research to try to get a deep understanding of how some stuff work.

Thank you very mutch once again for all your replys, you really have puten some time in them. Thank you very very mutch, you cleared alot of confusion in my mind!

Thank you once again!

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Ok so i have been hasking generall questions, so i will tell you my idea of a system so that you can understand what i am thinking.I'm hoping to get 2 25W tweeters, 2 120W mid range , and 2 600W subs, all of this in RMS.

So to use a 5 channel amp i would need a really expensive amp to handle the subs. That's wy i want separate amps. From my calculations i would need a 4 channel 120W x4 amp for the medium and tweeter speakers, and a 2 channel 600W x2 amp for the subs. ( altough im kinda worried that with so mutch subwoofer power i won't be able to hear the medium range speakers, do you guys think i should go higher Wattage power on the medium/tweeter? )

No you just need quality drivers. RMS does not determine loudness. Sensitivity ratings on the speakers do. a speaker with a 92 db sensitivity will be a lot louder on 120 watts than one with 86 db sensitivity, in fact it'll be twice as loud.

If anything your mids and tweeters will overpower the sub. Usually when you have 1500 rms to the sub is when it starts drowning out the mids and highs.

Look up ground zero. They are a quality european based brand, you should have access to them in portugal.

 

[skatman244]

No you just need quality drivers. RMS does not determine loudness. Sensitivity ratings on the speakers do. a speaker with a 92 db sensitivity will be a lot louder on 120 watts than one with 86 db sensitivity, in fact it'll be twice as loud.
If anything your mids and tweeters will overpower the sub. Usually when you have 1500 rms to the sub is when it starts drowning out the mids and highs.

Look up ground zero. They are a quality european based brand, you should have access to them in portugal.

Thank god for that!

I've looked it up and 1st of all there is only 1 retailer in portugal and it is 600KM from my home, and second the cheapes 4 channels 130W x4 amp they have costs 400€!!! That's a big hit for a small amp i think ?

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Thank god for that!I've looked it up and 1st of all there is only 1 retailer in portugal and it is 600KM from my home, and second the cheapes 4 channels 130W x4 amp they have costs 400€!!! That's a big hit for a small amp i think ?

Its because they actually make the power. A lot of brands nowadays will flat out lie about RMS numbers just to make a quick buck. There's lots of garbage brands out there. If they are overpricing it then stick with mainstream alpine/rockford/pioneer/kenwood

An example of garbage brands is this. claims 5000 rms and 10k max power but only made 2500 rms at half ohm.

 

[skatman244]

Its because they actually make the power. A lot of brands nowadays will flat out lie about RMS numbers just to make a quick buck. There's lots of garbage brands out there. If they are overpricing it then stick with mainstream alpine/rockford/pioneer/kenwood
An example of garbage brands is this. claims 5000 rms and 10k max power but only made 2500 rms at half ohm.

Oh uau, now that's a first.

So i just realized that a 4 channel quality amp that produces 120W x4 is actually really expensive XD.

So since my tweeters power will be arround 50W, i tought this: What if i connect my tweeters directly to the head unit, then connect this amp Focal Auditor R-4280 - Krossover Car Audio to another head unit channel, and bridge the 2 channels, to get a 2 channel 140W x2 amp, and connect my medium range to that amp? I would still be left with another channel on the head unit for the sub amp right?

 

[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

Ok so i have been hasking generall questions, so i will tell you my idea of a system so that you can understand what i am thinking.I'm hoping to get 2 25W tweeters, 2 120W mid range , and 2 600W subs, all of this in RMS.

So to use a 5 channel amp i would need a really expensive amp to handle the subs. That's wy i want separate amps. From my calculations i would need a 4 channel 120W x4 amp for the medium and tweeter speakers, and a 2 channel 600W x2 amp for the subs. ( altough im kinda worried that with so mutch subwoofer power i won't be able to hear the medium range speakers, do you guys think i should go higher Wattage power on the medium/tweeter? )

u can get a mono amp for subs like we run., just look at the rms ratings and if u find a decent one around 600-1k rms tell us what it is and we'll let u know if it's any good.. if u get 75-100rms per speaker it'll be plenty loud..

 

[skatman244]

u can get a mono amp for subs like we run., just look at the rms ratings and if u find a decent one around 600-1k rms tell us what it is and we'll let u know if it's any good.. if u get 75-100rms per speaker it'll be plenty loud..

The subs will not be added right now, it is a work in progress and the subs will be added mutch latter, im just trying to focus on the high/medium range now, and make sure i have a system in wich i can add the subbs latter on.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Oh uau, now that's a first.So i just realized that a 4 channel quality amp that produces 120W x4 is actually really expensive XD.

So since my tweeters power will be arround 50W, i tought this: What if i connect my tweeters directly to the head unit, then connect this amp Focal Auditor R-4280 - Krossover Car Audio to another head unit channel, and bridge the 2 channels, to get a 2 channel 140W x2 amp, and connect my medium range to that amp? I would still be left with another channel on the head unit for the sub amp right?

no just put the tweets on amplifier power. They need it to bring out proper detail and full sound. Stick with the original plan. Head unit power is not good at all. They say 22 watts or something but its actually only 10 real watts at best.

 

[skatman244]

no just put the tweets on amplifier power. They need it to bring out proper detail and full sound. Stick with the original plan. Head unit power is not good at all. They say 22 watts or something but its actually only 10 real watts at best.

I see, the problem is i really dont want to spend over 150€ on an amp for the medium/tweeters is there any cheaper solution?

Oh and btw, i was thinking, if i buy a 120W x4 amp, and connect a pair of 50W tweeters to it, and a pair of 120W medium, when i bump the sound on the radio will the tweeters clip? I mean the speakers will be getting 120W of power like the mediums right?

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

I see, the problem is i really dont want to spend over 150€ on an amp for the medium/tweeters is there any cheaper solution?Oh and btw, i was thinking, if i buy a 120W x4 amp, and connect a pair of 50W tweeters to it, and a pair of 120W medium, when i bump the sound on the radio will the tweeters clip? I mean the speakers will be getting 120W of power like the mediums right?

just because you have 120 watts doesnt mean you'll be using all 120. Its always better to have more power on tap than too little power. Usually people clip more with too little power mainly due to dissatisfaction about the volume they get so they turn it up and the amp cant provide enough which leads to clipping and distorting of the signal. I had a set of 50 rms tweeters and had them on a 145 rms amp for years with no issues. You just need to set it right and proper.

The gain knob on the amp along with the head unit volume determines how much power you are getting.

As for amplifier settings. The gain knob is to match your head unit pre-out voltage. Max gain doesnt mean max power. Depending on your head unit voltage you could already be getting your maximum rms wattage out of your amp at 40% gain.

That focal auditor amp is only 70 x 4. What 120 x 4 amp are you talking about?

 

[skatman244]

just because you have 120 watts doesnt mean you'll be using all 120. Its always better to have more power on tap than too little power. Usually people clip more with too little power mainly due to dissatisfaction about the volume they get so they turn it up and the amp cant provide enough which leads to clipping and distorting of the signal. I had a set of 50 rms tweeters and had them on a 145 rms amp for years with no issues. You just need to set it right and proper.
The gain knob on the amp along with the head unit volume determines how much power you are getting.

As for amplifier settings. The gain knob is to match your head unit pre-out voltage. Max gain doesnt mean max power. Depending on your head unit voltage you could already be getting your maximum rms wattage out of your amp at 40% gain.

That focal auditor amp is only 70 x 4. What 120 x 4 amp are you talking about?

I will probably be using the radio in max volume all the time, because i love loud music, that's wy im investing in "high power" speakers and not just going for the cheapest ones.

So when i connect the tweeters to the amp i just have to turn the gain down a bit? How do i know when im getting the 50W at full head unit load on my tweeter? Any way to measure that?

I was not talking about any specificc amp, i was just saying any 4ch amp that has 120W per channel.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

I will probably be using the radio in max volume all the time, because i love loud music, that's wy im investing in "high power" speakers and not just going for the cheapest ones.So when i connect the tweeters to the amp i just have to turn the gain down a bit? How do i know when im getting the 50W at full head unit load on my tweeter? Any way to measure that?

I was not talking about any specificc amp, i was just saying any 4ch amp that has 120W per channel.

you can easily till when the tweets are stressed out because they will start sounding super nasty.

 

[skatman244]

you can easily till when the tweets are stressed out because they will start sounding super nasty.

Alrighty!

Do you absolutely disagree in connecting the tweeters directly to the head unit? That would save me so mutch money... =S