Need Advice: New Audio System

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

Id run a single ten in that truck..Like the S.Qubed HDS210 with an Aero-port(get @CSCStang to build a tuned enclosure) for a DVC 2 ohm on either the PPI P.1000 d,or an American Bass VFL 26801D..Both are small foot print and both put out some power for such small amps..maybe look at the PPI 600.2 for powering up the front stage and run the rears off of the HU with bass caps..The Polk Audio DB 6.5s are a great budget speaker and sound very nice with approx 50-60 rms power,or look at a set of Cresendo components,CDT components.

 

[djtech2k 10+ year member]

Wow, great advice. Thanks for all the responses. I will look into those equipment suggestions. I see everything is about ported boxes. I do love a ported box, but like I said the dimensions are tough. I measured it last year but its not completely straight. There are things that stick out and such. I will look the guy up about the box as you suggested, but worst case scenario would a small sealed box sound that much worse? I have to consider the price and how easy it is to get a small sealed vs having a custom ported made.

I have thought about a single 10" also. Not sure if thats a big gain or loss from 2 - 8's.

 

[SimulatedZero 10+ year member]

Wow, great advice. Thanks for all the responses. I will look into those equipment suggestions. I see everything is about ported boxes. I do love a ported box, but like I said the dimensions are tough. I measured it last year but its not completely straight. There are things that stick out and such. I will look the guy up about the box as you suggested, but worst case scenario would a small sealed box sound that much worse? I have to consider the price and how easy it is to get a small sealed vs having a custom ported made.
I have thought about a single 10" also. Not sure if thats a big gain or loss from 2 - 8's.

One 10 is going to be a tad less then two 8s. It's just a bit less cone area. Now, if you get a ****** 10, then it's a different story. Look at the higher lines of any manufacturer where you start to get at least 20mm on one way excursion. The only issue there is power. You'll have to start upgrading electrical and that's going to blow your budget.

You can go with one 8 and make sure you get the full excursion out it, like a Sundown X8 or one of the DD line and be equal to about one 12.

The big push for ported is the low end response and efficiency of the box. You'll get more output across the entire spectrum and the port acts like an equalizer, boosting the lows and the low lows, which the best part of bass let's be honest here. Keep in mind, with two 8's you can have a box around 1.5 cubic feet net plus port. That can be a **** slim box, which is going to be your problem that truck anyways.

Also, if it's any consultation, that equipment i suggested is the exact same set up I'm moving too. Except the SA 8's will be in a T-line, not ported, and I'll be running Polk MM series for highs. But the amps and sub choice are exactly what I'm going with. Just to say its not the cheapest parts I could list, it is decent quality.

 

[DaytonLax14 10+ year member]

Wow, great advice. Thanks for all the responses. I will look into those equipment suggestions. I see everything is about ported boxes. I do love a ported box, but like I said the dimensions are tough. I measured it last year but its not completely straight. There are things that stick out and such. I will look the guy up about the box as you suggested, but worst case scenario would a small sealed box sound that much worse? I have to consider the price and how easy it is to get a small sealed vs having a custom ported made.
I have thought about a single 10" also. Not sure if thats a big gain or loss from 2 - 8's.

What is sticking out of the back wall? My box is flat on the back and fits just fine in my 2002 f150

 

[DaytonLax14 10+ year member]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[djr4x4]

Think he might be talking about the fold down center console that upright is ok but laid down sticks out toward the back wall...

 

[DaytonLax14 10+ year member]

Mine stays folded down with that box

 

[denim 5,000+ posts]

[quote name='djr4x4']I plan on in time making the swap from my skar vd-8's to the sundown sd-2 8's or hopefully to the sd-3 8's pending when those will be out.. I think amp wise its take your pick. Soundqubed, sundown, ampere, to name a cpl.. Go to soundsolutions audio and pick your poison on amps.. @denim could help you on amps from ssa...

Sent from my DL718M using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]

To add to your amp list, US Acoustics makes solid amplifiers at a great price point.

 

[djtech2k 10+ year member]

The sticking out part I was talking about the armrest and the back wall of the truck is a bit contoured, not completely flat. The armrest was my major concern. I need the seat to be able to go back so I cant make the box stick out too much. I also need a place to put the amp(s). I would prefer to put them back in the box area if possible, but I don't want to have to do or buy a bunch of custom work. That's why I liked that pre-fab box. It fits and it has an amp rack area in the middle.

Even though I am old-school, I do much prefer a ported box. This is just such small space, I figured I would have to have a very custom box to fit the truck and get me the box volume I need. I am ok with 2 - 8" or 1 - 10", but I thought the 8's would be better because of the very shallow depth.

So it sounds like Polk is a consensus for low price and good quality high's. Hopefully they make a size that fits this trucks door slots. I figured some basic full range speakers for the rear high's since they wont be heard much.

The subs seem to be a toss up, but will depend on what the box looks like I guess. It sounds like 2 - 8" sundown SD2's, or possibly a soundqubed woofer(s) seem to be a common choice. I will look at the other suggestion too.

The amp and box seem to be my biggest question marks now. For the amp, I see several suggestions. I need to narrow that down a bit. Where to mount the amps are a little bit of a concern too.

As for the box, well that's in the air for me. Building a box myself may be too much for me to bite off right now. I have built many, but I really don't have the time or a shop to do it in now. It would be a stretch. I am much more likely to buy a box if I can get what I need and keep the costs down.

You guys have been very helpful. Thanks very much. Keep it coming. I miss all of this so its kinda cool to be around it, even if its just for a little bit.

 

[SimulatedZero 10+ year member]

The Polks will have 6.5" and 5.25" components as well as 6x9 coax. If your door takes 6x9's then get a a sheet of .5" MDF and use a jig saw to cut an oval that will the cut out. That's what I ended up doing cause I wasn't shelling out for new speakers. Components will have a big impact on how the system sounds if you have the time to install the tweeters.

As far the amps go, do you care if they're matching or not? If not, I would do some research around. The problem is you're going to get half the people that says x budget amp works great and half that say it might make power, but the sound quality isn't going to be there *shrug* I've used 50 dollar amps before that worked fine for the application. That being said, you're asking for a good chunk of power for those subs, so you'll want a decent quality amp. For the SD 8's a GTO EZ1000 is less than 200 and it's a solid amp. Anything more powerful I would shell out for the NVX. Keep in mind that several companies rebrand the same amp. The Polk pa1000.1 d and the NVX 1200.1 are the exact same board. I believe two other companies use it as well, so find a good deal. As far as being budget minded, hifonics Brutus amps make rated power for a good price. That'll be you're best budget option most likely.

For your mids and highs amp I would suggest a four channel for those Polks. I would run the tweeters hooked up to the passive crossover on one set of channels and the mids with an active crossover on the on the other set. I set my highpass around 70 to 80, safe bet is 80, and let it run full range up. It really helped with the imaging and warmth in my system. A ton. The Polk tweeters are a bit sharp for my ears, but very detailed. If you're struggling with the sound still being bright, you can do two other little tricks to soften the tweeters with out turning them down. The first is to reverse the polarity on one so it's out of phase with the other. Just the tweeters. Sounds crazy, but it helped cut out the peaks and sibilance I was getting with out sacrificing any of the details. It also helped center the sound right in front of my steering wheel instead coming from the corner where the tweeter was. And if you have time, build a tweeter sphere and mount them 3 inches off the a pillar or dash some where. It'll help reduce reflections and open up the sound.

Plus, if your tweeters are on their own channel set, you can wire in a remote gain knob into the RCA's for them and really be able to dial in the sound for each song.

Just food for thought

 

[djtech2k 10+ year member]

Trying to reach the guy on here that does boxes. I went to a local shop yesterday and all I got was an uneducated push to crappy stuff like the old school truck boxes.

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

[quote name='djtech2k']Trying to reach the guy on here that does boxes. I went to a local shop yesterday and all I got was an uneducated push to crappy stuff like the old school truck boxes.[/QUOTE]
@CSCStang is going to be out for a bit building with a roto issue, but you can still get a cut sheet/design from him or @Buck and go to a cabinet shop and have them cut for you and you put it together/or H.Depot or lowes may not charge for any cuts?..You can save alot of space by doing an Aero Port,and get some tuning..Sealed enclosures need more power to really get subs moving rather than a ported enclosure

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

I recommended the PPI 1000 d and the 600.2/or 4 ch 900.4 due to proven results as well as space savers(small foot print amplifiers)Class Ds..that ten in the right enclosure will slamm when you want and sound clean as well..At least get the tickle of the beal on your hat moving if the enclosure is tuned nicely for the sub chosen.The S.Qubed HDS210 will slamm on that PPI Phantom 1000.1 d and sound good doing it in 1.2-1.6 cu Ft from 32-36 htz.I myself have a 900.4,and the 1000.1 d and both are fantastic amps for the money spent

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

Even the American Bass VFL 26801d is a little Badd Azz mono amp..Neighbor is running 2- 10" American Bass XFLs(DVC 4 ohm) in 1.6 cu ft ea @approx 35 htz ea in theyre own chambers under the seat of an 06 xcab chevy and she slamms very nicely@ 2ohms..Have also placed an XFL 12 DVC4 in 2.0@32 htz@ 1 ohm and pretty much rediculous(MS).Thats a nice little amp too.

 

[djtech2k 10+ year member]

Thanks again all.

So I am trying to limit my parts list. The box is still a huge question for me, so I am trying to nail down everything else.

For amps, which of these are better quality choices? NVX, SoundQubed, PPI, Sundown, Rockford, etc. Budget is important of course, but I don't want to buy junk or wish I had spent $20 more to get something much better.

For fronts, it sounds like the Polk's are the agreed best option.

For sub(s), since the box is not decided I am still between 2 - 8" or a single 10 or single 12 I guess. The brand/model is in the air also. I do like the 2 - 8" SD2 option, but am 100% open.

Do you guys have any suggestions for the best place to get the best price on this gear? I am looking online and everyone seems to be about the same prices.