My Planned Setup

[Ali G 10+ year member]

Alright, I basically have my whole setup planned out, but I want to have some people look at it and offer some advice, help, and/or criticism. And I got a few questions.

I've already got a head unit, CD8053, and I want to run three way active up front. I might have a set of Rainbow CS265s setup, so midrange and tweeters are covered. I was going to run an eD NINe.4 for to them because they are very cheap (especially used), look good, and are highly underrated. But my question is, will the 75 watts or so off a NINe.4 at 4 ohm really get the Rainbows loud? I don't need the loudest setup in the world, just enough to make my ears bleed and not have to listen to them at full tilt. I had a set of 6500s off a NINe.2 with 100 wtats going to them and they were plenty loud enough... do you guys think the Rainbows off 75 watts will get louder? Or should I look into soem more pwoerful 4 channel amps for the midranges and tweets?

To actually run this three way setup, I was going to run the midrange and midbass (I'm thinking some 7-8" Vifa, Scan-Speak, Peerless, etc. but I'm open to suggestions) off the same pre-out and and using the HPF on the NINe.2 to cross the midranges around 200-250. The I was gonna use a NINe.2 on the midbasses, and use the LPF on that to cross them around 200-250. The use the x-over on the head unit to bandpass the midbasses at 63hz, then whatever I decide to cross the midranges and tweeters. Will this work pout alright, or would it be better to get some external processing to have full control over the midbass to madrange x-over?

For the sub stage, I am going to wait till the 19Ov.2s come out and run a pair of them off a NINe.1. But I might go with two 15s firing into the rear seats and seal off the trunk from the rest of the car to increase cabin gain, if I do that I could jsut as easily go IB with the subs. But my question with that is, how tight will the subs eb able to sound? I listen to a lot of rock and need the tighness for kick bass, I know I'll get crazy lows if I go IB, and I like that too. The problem with the 19Ov2.s in that they will have to fire up into the trunk.

Another question I have is my electrical system... will a 9.1,9.2, and 9.4 be way too much for the electrical system in me '06 WRX? Should I get a second battery? Would jsut getting a HO alt do? I'd rather spend the money doing that than figuring out how and where to mount a second battery, I am eally tight for space as it is.

Alright, I am open to seggestions about gear, isntall anything basically as I haven't bought anything yet...

I gotta go to work now, but I'll be on later to check and answer any questions people might have on teh cra/install.

Thanks,

Justin

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[Beat_Dominator 5,000+ posts]

Sounds like a start. I'd probably want to feed the Components a little more than 75wpc. I'd aim for around 110+

As for the subs, just build a nice ported box for them and it'll sound great.

With your electrical system.... you need to find out what the rating on the alternator is, it should be in the owner's manual somewhere and if not there it's surely online.

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

I would do the electrical system first. It makes a world of differece. I just got done redoing my install adding a new altenator and the big 3 with 2 dry cell optima batteries. Then do your setup.

You have some good equipment if you go that route with the rainbows. The 7 or 8" vifa would be a good choice as well. But I am not big on the eD amps and subs. So I would recommend something else on the lines of Image Dynamics max 12v3 subs off some zapco amps. Good stuff for lows and kick bass. Good luck!

 

[Ali G 10+ year member]

It's either an 85 or 90 amp alternator, I found it once but I can't find it agian for some reason, but I know it was in that area. How do you judge when you need to upgrade your electrical system (besides dimming obviously)? I mean should I wait to see how bad the dimming is, or would it be too risky to run that setup and draw that much current just to see?

As for powering the Rainbows, I won't be using the x-overs, so the mids will be getting 75 watts each, then the tweeters will be getting 75 watts for themselves (but of course not really that much). Will that get loud enough, though? The mids are rated at 110 watts.

There is no way I could port the 19Ov.2s, I figure I can barely squeeze them in sealed as it is.