My Tentative Setup – I’d Like Some Input

[idiot 10+ year member]

I’m new here, and I’m new to car audio in general. Thus, I have would appreciate any suggestions regarding my proposed setup; if you’d recommend a better product at a similar price as the one I’ve listed, I would be grateful. Oh, and I would like an SQL setup, with more focus on the SQ.

Head Unit: Pioneer DEH-P7500MP - $229.00

(I had originally looked at the JVC KD-SH9700, but a few people told me that the Pioneer was a far better choice… I still don’t quite see it.)

Front Components: Kenwood eXcelon KFC-Xr61P - $153.00

(No amp for these and the rears. I’d planned to power them off the HU.)

Rear Speakers: Kenwood eXcelon KFC-Xr601 - $80.01

Sub: Elemental Designs e8A.44 - $145.00

(I realize that my setup includes only one 8” sub. That is because I don’t have room for a mounting depth beyond about 4.5” underneath my passenger seat. You see, I want this to take up no usable space at all. I want my trunk free, I want my back seats able to be sat in. This install is about stealth, and that has forced me to go with a smaller sub. I’ll be giving it 0.3 – 0.4 cubic feet in a sealed enclosure.)

Sub amp: Rockford Fosgate Power 351M - $135.00

Sound dampening material: Elemental Designs eDead - $70.00 + $32.00 = $102.00

(It sounds like the all the layers but the very last one should be done with V2, and the last should be done with V1. I’m not quite certain of this, and would appreciate either some input on the installation of this material, or a nudge toward a better product, similarly priced.)

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[meanman101 10+ year member]

Sounds like you got yourself a pretty nice system. I can appreciate the stealth idea. Have you ever tried or heard anything other then the Kenwoods for a front stage?

 

[idiot 10+ year member]

No, I’ve only heard the displays at Sears (lower-end Kenwood, Pioneer and Sony models) and Tweeters (High-end JL, Boston Acoustics and Kicker models). And that’s something I’m a bit worried about. I’ve never heard the speakers and sub I plan to get… I’ve been basing my choices on the opinions of others, because I don’t know of any place nearby where I can hear them in action. That’s why I’ve asked for input here. Specifically regarding the Kenwoods, if there is another set of 6.5’s with better SQ in the same general price range (maybe the CDT Audio CL-61a, for instance?… though I’m not sure if the HU could adequately power them, at 90W RMS a piece), I’d be very interested in hearing about it.

 

[Qckrun 10+ year member]

No, I’ve only heard the displays at Sears (lower-end Kenwood, Pioneer and Sony models) and Tweeters (High-end JL, Boston Acoustics and Kicker models). And that’s something I’m a bit worried about. I’ve never heard the speakers and sub I plan to get… I’ve been basing my choices on the opinions of others, because I don’t know of any place nearby where I can hear them in action. That’s why I’ve asked for input here. Specifically regarding the Kenwoods, if there is another set of 6.5’s with better SQ in the same general price range (maybe the CDT Audio CL-61a, for instance?… though I’m not sure if the HU could adequately power them, at 90W RMS a piece), I’d be very interested in hearing about it.

Get the CDT CL-61a's, i have them and they are great comps. Way better than any kenwood speakers. For 150$ its a bargain, get them over the kenwoods you will not be disappointed

 

[meanman101 10+ year member]

CDT is an excellent choice. If the CDT is out of your budget then you might consider Infinity Kappa. http://www.ikesound.com has some good prices on them. Might be cheaper on ebay.

 

[idiot 10+ year member]

Thanks. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Alright... is there anything you'd recommend over the Kenwoods for the rear 6.5 speakers?

 

[idiot 10+ year member]

Oh, I have a question. Will I be able to bridge the HU? It sends out ~22W RMS x 4, and if I bridged it to only two channels, I assume that I could get a small 2-channel amp to power the front stage components, and use the HU to power the rears. Would this work, or should I save up for a 4-channel amp? Also, assuming I get the CDT’s, about how much power per channel should push them nicely? Their site lists 90W RMS.

 

[idiot 10+ year member]

How are Crunch's amps? They seem to have relatively low prices, and high power.

I'm looking at this one for my speakers...

 

[triphop 10+ year member]

for what ive been told NO u cant bridge a HU. id suggest u stick with a set of comps up front and diss the rear speakers. (the infinitys are nice for a budget)

as for the amp u say... i have no input, however it will sound better than powering ur speakers off ur HU. its cheap, id say go for it.

 

[Bavarian3 10+ year member]

Oh, I have a question. Will I be able to bridge the HU? It sends out ~22W RMS x 4, and if I bridged it to only two channels, I assume that I could get a small 2-channel amp to power the front stage components, and use the HU to power the rears. Would this work, or should I save up for a 4-channel amp? Also, assuming I get the CDT’s, about how much power per channel should push them nicely? Their site lists 90W RMS.

no u cannot bridge the HU. As far as powering components u do not want to do this with the HU. Us the HU as a reciever and tuner not as an amp. Get a nice set of components up front and get a 2 channel amp to power them, and have ur rear fill empty(trust me with a good front stage rear fill is useless). U would be MUCH happier with the results rather than getting front and rear speakers powered by the HU.

As far as the amp for u sub i would not get the rockford. Rockford amps are overpriced and u can get more for less money. I say just get a 4 channel amp, and use the front 2 channels for the components, and bridge the 2 rear channels to the sub.

 

[Shugarra 10+ year member]

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong but I kind of doubt with the system you are getting that you will see more improvement with sound dampening than you would if you were to put that extra $100 towards a nicer set of front components or a good amp for the components. By the way, you can find the CDT components at http://www.thezeb.com

 

[idiot 10+ year member]

no u cannot bridge the HU. As far as powering components u do not want to do this with the HU. Us the HU as a reciever and tuner not as an amp. Get a nice set of components up front and get a 2 channel amp to power them, and have ur rear fill empty(trust me with a good front stage rear fill is useless). U would be MUCH happier with the results rather than getting front and rear speakers powered by the HU. As far as the amp for u sub i would not get the rockford. Rockford amps are overpriced and u can get more for less money. I say just get a 4 channel amp, and use the front 2 channels for the components, and bridge the 2 rear channels to the sub.

Hmm… except that I need 2Ohms, and when a 4-channel amp is bridged, the channel generally has a 4Ohm load.

Take this Lanzar amp, for instance. It has 2x500W RMS channels at 2Ohms, so couldn’t this be my sub amp (where I only use one channel)? The ED sub is rated 450W RMS, so hopefully it’s not too much for it. And I don't need to wire subs in parallel/series in order for them to function properly, do I? So this amp would allow a second sub, if I decided to get one in the future, correct? It's only $116, and that seems like a lot of power for the price.

As for the other speakers, this Lanzar amp gives 4x100W RMS at 4Ohms. The component set is rated at 90W RMS. This amp is only $90.

Why wouldn’t I want a rear fill? I’ve heard that it helps to reduce the “out-of-phase” sound of many car audio systems. But aside from that, what benefit would eliminating it have? I’d always thought that having rear fill was a good thing.

 

[lazure 10+ year member]

As was previously suggested, I strongly suggest you forego rear speakers to get an amp for your components - or just get a four-channel amp to power your components and your sub. Head units are shite to power anything in any meaningful fashion.

I have the CL-61a and I can vouch for them - many say that for the price, they can't be beat, and though I haven't heard every other speaker in that price range, I'd have to say that you're hardpressed to find something better. I'm powering them and my sub with an MTX Thunder4244 (55X4), which can be had for pretty cheap and I find does the job great, but most would say you'd need a little more power.

Finally, I believe rear fill is unnecessary, regardless of whether or not you're on a budget. IMO, what you want is an amp, a HU, comps and a sub. If all of these are good, that'll do you great without rear fill, believe me.

Good luck!

 

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

HU: good

Front speakers: cdt cl-61a's via thezeb.com

Front amp: us acoustics 2080

NO REAR FILL...good front stage def. doesn't need it

Sub: great choice...i have one...performs VERY well and is **** loud...will be comparable to a middle line 12" or so.

Sub amp: http://thezeb.com/caraudio/profile.html profile CL600M...will give you 450 watts rms @2ohms...great for the 8a in a small sealed box. I gave my 8a 650 watts rms daily and it handled it like a beast.

Lanzar and crunch are low quality and WILL NOT put out they're rated wattage. follow the above...and you'll be happy. Also, i'd hold off on the sound deadener until after u install everything...then see if u need it. Also, PM ifandorbuts on this forum for some prices on second skin damplifier...he'll give you a good price. peace

NG

 

[idiot 10+ year member]

HU: goodFront speakers: cdt cl-61a's via thezeb.com

Front amp: us acoustics 2080

NO REAR FILL...good front stage def. doesn't need it

Sub: great choice...i have one...performs VERY well and is **** loud...will be comparable to a middle line 12" or so.

Sub amp: http://thezeb.com/caraudio/profile.html profile CL600M...will give you 450 watts rms @2ohms...great for the 8a in a small sealed box. I gave my 8a 650 watts rms daily and it handled it like a beast.

Lanzar and crunch are low quality and WILL NOT put out they're rated wattage. follow the above...and you'll be happy. Also, i'd hold off on the sound deadener until after u install everything...then see if u need it. Also, PM ifandorbuts on this forum for some prices on second skin damplifier...he'll give you a good price. peace

NG

Wonderful suggestions. Thank you.

Front speakers: I was considering that if I get rid of the rear fill, I might pay the extra $50 and get the CDT HD-62CF components. Is the upgrade worth it, or will the difference be negligible?

Front amp: I have a question. You pointed me to an 80W amp instead of a 100W one (the CL-61a’s were rated at 90W, right in the middle). Obviously, I neither want to underpower or overpower them, but when the difference between the speakers’ power rating and the power I’d be giving them is so small, should I opt for a little above the rating or a little below? The HD-62CF are rated at 130W RMS, and I’m looking at either the Profile CL400 (100W x 2) or CL600 (150W x 2) to power them.

Rear fill: If I have none, will the passengers in the back seat be at a disadvantage? Will the lack of speakers in their doors sound strange to them? Is everyone here without rear speakers?

Sub: Thank you for the confidence. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Sub amp: That looks very nice. I think I’ll be getting it instead of the Fosgate.

Will this system sound blanaced? One 8” sub under the front passenger seat, and a set of components in the front? I don't want to have loud bass and weak midrange, or anything like that...

Oh, and I'll hold off on the dampener. I'll contact ifandorbuts when all this is installed.