SQ for $1500??

[Mobo]

Okay, I know jack squat about car audio but it's time to get that part of the car squared away. I'd liked to replace the stock (Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4) Infinity tweeters, 6.5s and 6x9s and add one 10" sub. I know I'll need an amp of some kind as well. What else is needed? I listen to rock 99% of the time. Any thing from CCR to Metallic and NIN. I'm not looking to win audio competitions, but I'm not looking for cheap crap either. Think middle to upper middle class here //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

If you had $1500 to spend on a system (with or with out head unit) what would you get?

Thanks.

Click to read more...

 

[Loud3 10+ year member]

After a little more thought...

Eclipse CD8455 Headunit (classy look and feel, very nice features)

Any nice 6.5" component set up front will help you out immensely.

I would not use 6x9's in the car at all, as the frontstage will be sufficient.

I would amplify every speaker, but with this being a simpler setup, I would use the passive crossovers that come with the component set.

Any nice 10" woofer in a sealed box will be very nice for lots of rock, my sugguestion would be to look into the 10W6v2, or Arc 10d4/2.

Look at around 500wrms to the sub, and anywhere from 80wrms to 150wrms per channel on the component set.

 

[Eugenics 5,000+ posts]

what i would do for a mint vr4

 

[Mobo]

I've seen mention of not running the 6x9s in the rear. The car is getting a two seat conversion done to it at the same time all of this will be going in, so no one will ever sit back there. What are the pros and cons on not going with the rear fill speakers?

 

[Eugenics 5,000+ posts]

dont go rear fill, it would be beyond pointless

 

[Mobo]

what i would do for a mint vr4

I'm quite happy with mine...

 

[Loud3 10+ year member]

I'm quite happy with mine...

I wrecked a VR-4. I miss it.

 

[Loud3 10+ year member]

With it being a hatchback, and having a nice strong frontstage, I wouldn't even consider rear-fill 6X9s.

 

[Mobo]

What does wrms stand for? Would I need a 2 or 4 channel amp? Does each speaker, left and right tweeters, left and right mids and the sub? That would be a 5 channel right? Don't think I've seen a 5 channel before. Sorry I'm such a noob...I've always been a go fast guy.

 

[Loud3 10+ year member]

What does wrms stand for? Would I need a 2 or 4 channel amp? Does each speaker, left and right tweeters, left and right mids and the sub? That would be a 5 channel right? Don't think I've seen a 5 channel before. Sorry I'm such a noob...I've always been a go fast guy.

WRMS - Watts, all day, every day.

Basically, what the amplifier does at any given moment in time.

If you buy a component set, you will have two passive crossovers, so you will only need 3 channels of amplification. The passive crossover lets different speakers play different frequencies. IE, the tweeter will be playing the high freqs... and the Midwoofer will be playing the middle Freqs, in plain english.

Nothing wrong with a go fast guy... I'm a go low guy, myself.

IE, you couldn't go wrong with either ONE nice four channel amplifier, or a two two channel amplifiers, or a two channel amplifier and a mono amplifier.

 

[Mobo]

Thanks for all the help on this. Is it better to have your speakers rated for a higher wrms then the amp can put out to them? To avoid blowing the speakers?

 

[CBFryman2 5,000+ posts]

Start with a head unit. You need a unit with lots of features to tweak your sound stage (phase shift for each chanel, time alignment, etc...) and the ability to go active.

Next you need a good 4channel amplifier.

Then a good set of tweeters and a good set of mids that will blend well togather

Then a good subwoofer and amp in an enclosure with excelent transient responce.

Beyond that SQ is just tuning, playing, and aiming. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

And that is the limit of my SQ knowledge.

 

[Chevyaudio 5,000+ posts]

CD Player...Pioneer 880 PRS

http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=16945

Comps. Boston Acoustics

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-idjAo8xgEPz/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=410&I=065SX60&search=Boston+Acoustics+VENDORID065&SearchDisplay=Boston+Acoustics

RL-i 10" Sub

http://www.soundsplinter.com/rli_ignition_series_8_inch_and_10_inch_diy_subwoofer_drivers.html

Sub Amp...Kicker ZX 350.2

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-idjAo8xgEPz/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=120&I=206ZX3502

Comp Amp... kicker ZX350.4

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-idjAo8xgEPz/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=120&I=206ZX3504

Amp kit

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-idjAo8xgEPz/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=128900&I=211PSK04BM

That leaves about 30 bucks...go buy a sheet of MDF and build your own box.

Thats a quick run down. and I threw a 4 ch. amp in there for flexibility in the future if you ever decide to run an active setup

Of course you can do a little more for your money if you go the e-bay route. but I didnt know if you felt safe buying from small internet companies...thats why I mostly used the larger well known ones.

 

[04silverz 10+ year member]

what i would do for a mint vr4

x2

to answer your last question, most people buy amps that are stronger than the speaker can handle and tone them down a bit. pretty comon to have headroom like that, though not necessary.

secondly, if your car behaves anything like my 350z did, dont even consider rear fill.

thirdly, get a 12 in sub. theyre not much more and youll like the output. maybe idmax, pretty much have to be used or pay close to retail from sounddomain for one, or w6 or really theres lots of subs. and i would get either a strong 2 channel to run the cmps or a weaker 4 channel and bridge teh channels. and then a mono amp for the sub. also probably going to want to go sealed for rock.

if it was me heres waht i would buy

h/u eclipse 8454 (try to find a store with leftover stock to get a good deal) 8455 if you can afford it

sub image dynamics idmax 12

amp orion 600d if a dual 2 sub or 1200d if a dual 4 sub

comps the latest rage seems to be rainbows, maybe the slc line here, or crystal sscs is supposed to be pretty good (ive never heard eitehr set though)

comp amp orion 6002

should be able to get this for less than 1500 if done right. theres also lots of options out there thoug hfor this price. but if i could choose one sub, that ive had or havent had, i'd choose the idmax again. i listen to rock/heavy metal and love that thing, wish i hadnt sold it.

edit:i have that 4 channel kicker amp listed above and am pretty ahppy with it. i got mine refurbed though for pretty cheap. if you buy kicker, go to their website and look up their authorized dealers and get a deal from one of those websites on their. and the rli subis supposed to be pretty nice also, especially for the money.

maybe look into diamond audio d6 as well

 

[Mobo]

I'm setting aside another $1500 for my enclosure. That's kind of the whole reason I've finally decided to do my audio system. Right now I've got the rear seats pulled and the hatch pretty much gutted. I'm going to have a two seat conversion built in and wanted to get the hatch area setup for my system at the same time.