So is it cool now

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

Are we talking about JP?

his horns underneath the vehicle were positively the worst thing I've ever heard...

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

No, it's cool to have stupidly loud and good sounding PA stuff in your doors. And it's the only thing that keeps up VERY loud bass.
Although I will agree that 99% of the PA stuff I've heard sounds like total ***, but I run it in the daily, wife's ride, and the demo set up and have NEVER had a person say it sounds bad in any way.

It's not the only way but its the cheapest. I don't have extreamlly loud bass but my front stage keeps up just fine and I don't use PA. A bullet or horn will never be on the same level as a high powered silk dome.

 

[Dirtrider4eva 10+ year member]

x2 he either had very crappy mids or had it set up wrong. I'd go with the latter as most people have no idea how to set up xovers/slopes and power them properly.
Anytime you want to hear a real PA set up let me know as I do several shows in WI each year...

heck yeah. whens the next one? the only PA mid setup i liked was in a purple van. that one was nuts.. played the sound of shattering glass, enough to make my ears almost bleed.

 

[wickedwitt 10+ year member]

I'm talking cheap pa. People around here have never really done this. I get it if you have a 155 sub stage. I'm talking the doors are overrunning everything by a lot

That's no excuse either. I'm approaching that in sub stage and I have decent wattage going to clean coaxials. There is a huge difference in 4/8 ohm car speakers and 1/2 ohm Pa with stupid amounts of power. I don't like my ears feeling like they spent three hours next to a train horn after listening to my audio.

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

heck yeah. whens the next one? the only PA mid setup i liked was in a purple van. that one was nuts.. played the sound of shattering glass, enough to make my ears almost bleed.

purple van is mine //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/naughty.gif.94359f346c0f1259df8038d60b41863e.gif

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

It's not the only way but its the cheapest. I don't have extreamlly loud bass but my front stage keeps up just fine and I don't use PA. A bullet or horn will never be on the same level as a high powered silk dome.

If/when you get to mid/upper 50's on music PA stuff is pretty much the only solution. I ran 4 AA carbon fiber mids per door and 8 Vifa neo's per A piller and it just wouldn't keep up.

I will agree that most PA stuff doesn't have quite the "full" sound, but it doesn't have to be shrilly/ear bleeding either. Unless you want it to be...

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

That's no excuse either. I'm approaching that in sub stage and I have decent wattage going to clean coaxials. There is a huge difference in 4/8 ohm car speakers and 1/2 ohm Pa with stupid amounts of power. I don't like my ears feeling like they spent three hours next to a train horn after listening to my audio.

Eventually the sub stage moves SO much air that it takes a VERY loud front stage to keep up. I have 32 mids/highs in the interior and they still distort on some songs as the bass distorts the mids and F's up the air inside the cabin.

PA stuff is mostly 8ohm and I have never seen 1/2ohm...

 

[wickedwitt 10+ year member]

Eventually the sub stage moves SO much air that it takes a VERY loud front stage to keep up. I have 32 mids/highs in the interior and they still distort on some songs as the bass distorts the mids and F's up the air inside the cabin.
PA stuff is mostly 8ohm and I have never seen 1/2ohm...

People running multiple PAs on a channel of an amp typically run them parallel to get power. I wouldn't expect someone to run 3 sets of 8ohm speakers in series for a 24ohm load and 20w of power... That was to be read 1-2 not 1/2 btw.

I agree w/ you that pressurizing the cabin to that level will distort the sound, but having PAs vs mobile audio speakers at that point does nothing. With good components and fair amounts of power, MA speakers can be just as loud as PA and sound better while doing it. The kind of pressure you're talking about is going to take that wave and distort it by changing the air in the cabin tremendously. I'd much rather see a MA speaker way over powered than a PA speaker and trashy low impedances causing double distortion (distortion from the speaker getting wrecked by sub stage pressure). Local audio shop has a van w/ 2 sets of 50w RMS coaxes on 300w each. Crossovers are set properly and power is clean. The speakers scream but sound absolutely crystal clear, and keep up with 8 15" wall just fine.

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

People running multiple PAs on a channel of an amp typically run them parallel to get power. I wouldn't expect someone to run 3 sets of 8ohm speakers in series for a 24ohm load and 20w of power... That was to be read 1-2 not 1/2 btw.
I agree w/ you that pressurizing the cabin to that level will distort the sound, but having PAs vs mobile audio speakers at that point does nothing. With good components and fair amounts of power, MA speakers can be just as loud as PA and sound better while doing it. The kind of pressure you're talking about is going to take that wave and distort it by changing the air in the cabin tremendously. I'd much rather see a MA speaker way over powered than a PA speaker and trashy low impedances causing double distortion (distortion from the speaker getting wrecked by sub stage pressure). Local audio shop has a van w/ 2 sets of 50w RMS coaxes on 300w each. Crossovers are set properly and power is clean. The speakers scream but sound absolutely crystal clear, and keep up with 8 15" wall just fine.

I'd have to hear it to believe it as that van should be LOUD, so I don't see a few sets of coax's keeping up. Any vids of it playing?

You've just never heard a decent PA set up as they don't have to sound bad at all. Wish you were closer...

 

[pro-rabbit 5,000+ posts]

I have turned down several local builds that wanted to use various pa speakers and/or horns. I simply refuse to attach my name to such a build.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

I've been chatting with one of our locals that's all about getting his doors as loud as possible. We do have a different idea of crisp sound but even being open minded I can't like it. It is audiopipe stuff so I'm sure that don't help. It's very loud but pointless, it sounds horrible with the doors closed. In his mind it is cleaner then my car. My car has placed in a few SQ comps so that should give you a idea about this person

 

[Dirtrider4eva 10+ year member]

purple van is mine //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/naughty.gif.94359f346c0f1259df8038d60b41863e.gif

That thing was too clear and loud. Couldn't believe that

 

[wickedwitt 10+ year member]

I'd have to hear it to believe it as that van should be LOUD, so I don't see a few sets of coax's keeping up. Any vids of it playing?
You've just never heard a decent PA set up as they don't have to sound bad at all. Wish you were closer...

I'll take a vid of it running once they finally replace the batts. ATM it's dead in the water with a blown motor. Haven't charged the batts in months and now they won't hold a charge. Keep up, haha they nearly over power. Like I said though, they are seeing 300w each. My 1 pair of coax is keeping up with my 2 15s on 8k. I'm throwing another set in to replace the 4x6 in the back because they aren't giving me any of the rear fill.

 

[Chrispy 10+ year member]

If you need PA mids and highs to keep up with your sub stage are you really going for sound quality?... But set up properly they can be very clear and extremely loud. And again car speakers just don't do it if as LOUD and CLEAR as possible is what you're gioing for.

 

[wickedwitt 10+ year member]

If you need PA mids and highs to keep up with your sub stage are you really going for sound quality?... But set up properly they can be very clear and extremely loud. And again car speakers just don't do it if as LOUD and CLEAR as possible is what you're gioing for.

If it's a demo machine, I would want it to sound as good as possible. 30s demos may not need it, but in my world; I only build it if I would listen to it all day long without complaint. That means loud and clear.