Newbie Install, Need Help!

[Merciless 10+ year member]

Hi, my name is Ben, and I am 16. I just want to thank you right away for reading this, and trying to help me out.

I have a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, and have already bought a

Kenwood Execelon KDC-X492 HU

Alpine V-12 5-Channel MRV-F353 (50w x 4, 150w x 1)

JL W1 10" rated for 125w in a JL Stealthbox

and am pretty sure I am going to get

Diamond D652s Components w/ Silk Tweeters

Diamond Audio D652s 5.25" Speakers + Silk Dome Tweeters - eBay (item 400210600091 end time May-18-11 17:19:22 PDT)

and this install kit

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix Dash Kit - eBay (item 400201478071 end time Jun-07-11 16:53:21 PDT)

I am not completely sure on these two above items, so if you have any advice on those it would be really great!

I need help picking out a amp wiring kit and speaker wire, which should be the last things I need to make it all work.

But first, I have some more generic questions.

1) I am going to bridge the first four channels of my amp into two channels to feed my front comps. Would I need 1 or 2 pairs of RCA's going from the HU to the amp, because I am bridging it to only two channels and am not driving rear speakers, but does it still need the rear speaker signal?

2) Would you guys recommend any of the "extras" like baffles, soundproofing, upgraded RCA's, etc. etc.

3) Should I get 8 gauge or 4 gauge, and what size fuse should I get? My HU has a 10A fuse and my amp has two 25A fuses, but I only need the fuse in the wiring kit to protect the wire itself right?

4) Should I get a name brand wiring kit? I have heard the brand doesn't matter very much, and that only the gauge and fuse is important, and that the only part that does matter slightly is the RCA's.

5) I have bought everything used so far, and the HU has a bunch of wires tied off, with 6 going into a smaller connecter and 9 going into a larger. I don't know what car it was in before, would I have to change these around to make it work for my Grand Prix?

6) Am I forgetting anything? I have just a HU, a amp, and a sub/box. I don't have any wires or anything, just a sub in a box, a bare amp, and a HU. So I need to buy comps, speaker wire, and an amp wiring kit and then I am all set???

7) When bridged, would I use the 1/2 channel crossover and gain on the amp, or the 3/4? Probably the 1/2, right? Would I just have to worry about the gain, because the comps I am probably going to get have an external passive crossover?

8) I am going to install the sub/box and the amp in my trunk? Is this also where I should install my external crossovers?

9) Is any ground down part of the frame good for grounding the amp, or is there certain thigns you look for?

10) Should I get 14 or 16 gauge speaker wire?

Last, but not least, are there any specific comps, install kits, or amp wiring kits you guys would recommend? Budget for comps is $150, and I would like to spend no more than $50 on the installation.

Thank you for all your patience and help!

Ben

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[Tapil 10+ year member]

1) Im not sure what your asking here - are you saying your amp has 2 RCA's into it already and is powering 2 other speakers? It needs no more rca

2) If your going to sound proof your car you should wait til everything is hooked up and booming so you can get a sense as to where more leaks are/if you even want to - unless your going for a awardwinning sound system id say save your money

3) 4G should be fine for 1000W but it wont do you much good if your "big 3" is still lacking Wire Gauge Tables

4) correct - there are a few more conditions for this... such as cable turns in the wire... Make sure the fuse is within 12inches of the battery

5) when you yank out your stock deck you should notice the same looking cables - if it does not plug back into your new HU then your going to have to buy a conversion kit (you can find them at audio stores/walmart) for like 9 bucks and slpice the wires and then plug it into your HU

6) HU Amp wiring kit, subwoofer, subwoofer box, amp your good to go

7) you could google that for a more informative answer

8) no exp with crossovers, maybe hit up that google and see if someone ealse started a thread similar to this one...

9) use strong sand paper and clear off the paint off the area of your car you chose to ground too - in my exp i find locating a heavy bolt that goes through the chas a easy ground ((like your seatbelt bolt))

10) For play purpose I stripped out two thin strips of copper hair and wired it up to my amp just to see if it would work - and it did my ears heard no difference but just for giggles id get the 14 its easier to work with

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

1. Some amps require both RCA input pairs be filled, some don't. Depends on the amp. Y-adapters with one female and two male will let you use one pair as you want.

2. Every vehicle needs sound deadening. Thin sheet metal is terrible for a speaker enclosure, the vehicle resonance is audible. Sealing the door holes is a huge improvement. Foam is a requirement to maintain seals, weatherstripping foam is perfect.

3. 4awg to allow future expansion

4. BRAND DOES MATTER! Cheap brands have undersized wire and crappy RCA's. I like Streetwires, rockford fosgate, JL, stinger, monster cable, etc. Brand names.

5. Get a wire harness for your vehicle. Remove the existing harness. Make new connections.

6. Do you have tools? I have a drawer of parts I use when installing, t-nuts, screws, split loom, carpet, zip ties, and I solder and heat shrink connections.

7. You use both gain settings and crossovers. Use a DMM while playing test tones to get ch1/2 and ch3/4 gain equal. Don't rely on dial position.

8. Crossover locations depend on where you want to run wire. I have put them next to the amp, in the glove box, behind the head unit, in the door pocket, etc. I have pics of these locations if interested. Just don't put them inside the door where they can get wet.

9. Never use seatbelt bolts, suspension bolts, or anything like that. Make a new ground connection. Inspect for clearance on both sides ofmthe floor, drill a hole sized for your bolt, mask off an area sized for your ring terminal, sand away paint, bolt the ring terminal, coat with connector protector or silicone.

10. 14awg

Listen to speakers before you buy. Ignore everything in the previous post.

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

I am happy to expand on technical reasons for anything i recommended above. Just ask!

 

[Merciless 10+ year member]

Thank you for all the advice so far!

What is a DMM, is that a digital multi-meter? So just check to see how many amps are going to each speaker, and make it equal?

I don't have any local shops in my area that have what I am looking for. I have Best Buy. I would love to hear the Diamond D652s vs. Morel Maximos vs. Pioneer D-series vs. Pheonix Gold vs. Polk, but I just need a reliable, smooth speaker that can handle abuse. I have been looking into the Morels, just because of the name, but have heard that they cannot handle abuse. I listen to Rap, Pop, and Rock. What I am really looking for, other than reliability, is smoothness. I like hard, punchy bass (which isn't really there in a 5.25 speaker, but you know what I mean-- solid midbass I guess you would say) and smooth highs. I cannot stand sharp, overpowering noises (cymbals, high hat) and usually EQ them down because I feel they are too prevelant in some of my rap and rock songs. That is also why I am going with the silk tweeter, because I want to cover my bases. That being said, I have never compared a silk vs. metal/hard dome tweeter.

Now, my budget is pretty limited. I have 130 going towards the Diamonds, and then no more than 50 going towards the amp wiring kit, HU install kit, Y-spilters, and a 3.5 to 3.5mm jack. How much would it cost to seal up the doors with materials designed for car audio (raamat, etc.)? How much would it be with non-conventional means (jute, pillow stuffing, etc.)? What would you recommend? I just have to know if it really makes that much of a difference. I would have app. 50-70 bucks to throw at the deadening at the very max.

I have also heard above putting baffles and foam behind the speaker, as well as non-hardening modeling clay. Are these the baffles you buy from crutchfield, etc. that ruin bass, or are these the homemade ones out of MDF that are supposed to be awesome, but yet i cannot find a guide to build one, or the theory behind it, or barely any pics. Is it supposed to put a vibration barrier between the speaker and metal car door?

I was thinking wiring like

NEW BULLZ AUDIO EPAK4R 4 Gauge Amplifier/Amp Wiring Kit | eBay

NEW 20' 4 GAUGE CAR AMP AMPLIFIER INSTALL KIT RCA RED | eBay

4 Gauge 1500W Amp Installation Car Wiring Kit + RCA | eBay

PHOENIX GOLD PF2K4 4 Gauge Amplifier/Amp Wiring Kit | eBay

TSUNAMI *REAL* 4 GAUGE (AWG) AMPLIFIER INSTALL AMP KIT | eBay

KnuKonceptz KLM 4 Gauge Amp Kit for JL Audio 500/1 | eBay

Thank you!

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

the build logs show how to build baffles and seal doors.

http://forum.sounddomain.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/1805987/page/1#Post1805987

http://forum.sounddomain.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/1369669/page/1#Post1369669

Smooth sound does not come from abusing speakers. Abuse sounds bad. Your budget is too low to have high expectations, but you can sound decent if you take care to install everything properly and don't push the system into distortion.

Harsh tweeters are the result of phase interference off glass. Control reflections, you control harshness

 

[Merciless 10+ year member]

So use a DMM to check for gain?

Would one of the amp install kits I recommended above be good? Maybe the Tsunami or Knu?

I mean, in your opinion, is sound deadening worth it with my budget build? And what would you recommend as best bang for your buck? I have heard people getting good results with Home Depot jute and other supplies.

Thank you for all your help so far!

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

sorry, i was on my ipad earlier and typing is just so time consuming (compared to my 80wps on a keyboard) //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Yes, use a DMM to measure amplifier output to determine your gain setting. More on that:

http://forum.sounddomain.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/65167/page/1#Post65167

Tsunami wire is ok, so is Knu.

Sound deadening provides damping. damping requires a visceolastic and elastomeric component that converts vibration into heat. the cheap home depot type roofing products (like peel n seal) do not provide that, therefore they do not provide damping. They will add mass, which can lower resonance, and they can also provide a seal on the door panel.

I think the most important part of a budget build is still sealing the holes in the door. sheet metal, self piercing screws, and silicone can achieve that goal. the next important goal is to decouple the speaker; weatherstripping foam is very cheap and should be used between the speaker and baffle, baffle and door metal, and speaker and door panel. those seals are very important. reducing other rattles can be achieved with using fleece or fabric and spray glue to isolate panels. all of this can be done with materials available at a hardware store. will it outperform a fully deadened door? no, not even close. but will it be MUCH better than nothing? absolutely worth the effort.

on foam: use closed cell where you want decoupling or where the foam can get wet. use open cell foam only on the dry side of the door (inside). you can use polyfill to stuff in the panel and body cavities where it will not get wet.

 

[Merciless 10+ year member]

That is actually what I was going to bring up- sealing the door instead of completely deadening it.

So just cut out light gauge aluminum or steel, and screw them to the holes using silicone as a sealant? Would you recommend the use of foam? What would you recommend I build the baffle out of?

Thank you!

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

You could add closed cell foam to the panel for a seal.

Baffles should be waterproof dense wood decoupled from the door with non-hardening modeling clay or closed cell foam. I can make a baffle in 15 minutes with a drill and a jig saw.