SQ Vs SLP Real life applications

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

What speakers and what power do I need to have a good and Loud sound system that sounds good even at a distance from the car/truck? 

There are two goals with this statement.  If you want to be loud at a distance, you need to aim speakers outside the vehicle and keep windows down.  What application do you see yourself listening to the system a distance from the vehicle? 

I've done systems with "park-and-play" mode where extra speakers could be engaged and they pointed out of the vehicle.  i've used my vehicles as a sound source for field parties or outdoor gatherings before.  These cars were dual-purpose.  I don't have a need for that anymore.  Any car with door speakers can play to an outdoor area if you just leave the doors and trunk open.

"good and loud" is subjective, as mentioned above.  I put well over 100 hours into a "good" install and over 300 hours into each of my own vehicles.  It takes time and attention to detail.  All of my systems can be "loud" and always sound "good".  I define loud as enough to have hearing augmented after a listening session.  Good comes from spending time adjusting the DSP settings and taking time to "tune" the system (this can be an endless chase for perfection). 

After 25 years of being very active in mobile audio, I have a pretty good idea what I personally like but i'm still surprised from time-to-time.  I've also learned that just about anything can make most people happy if it's installed with purpose and care.  With mobile audio, speaker installs aren't just drop-in installs - it takes time to recreate the factory seals and deal with sound inside the door.

Selection options: each vehicle has fitment limitations.  What you can fit depends on the factory opening/depth and your ability/willingness to enlarge those locations.  Pro audio speakers tend to have high sensitivity and higher power handling but are physically larger and rarely fit in factory locations.  An SUV can fit plenty of speakers behind you but that isn't what anyone considers "good".  "good" is usually reserved for system that keep music up front with some optional rear supplement. That doesn't mean you can't EQ a rear-heavy system to sound good tonally, because you certainly can.  

A good place to start with the "what do you recommend" discussion is some facts about what you've already determined would fit both mounting diameter and mount depth, and the desired locations.  Budget is always an important factor.  You can also add photos of what you've seen in similar vehicles for an end product.

 

[tat2Jerry]

Well winter is in full effect here and there’s no way sounddeadning the vehicle outside it’s gonna work. So for now I’ll stick to making the best I can till it’s warm, then it will be getting a good treatment. Guess I’m just gonna look for some 2ohm speakers to make the most out the amp I have connected them to. Just waiting on some hardware for the box build and can’t wait to put that in and fill the bass void I have going on right now. Also I think the position on the door speakers themselves it’s whats holding the sound back, since they are tucked all the way under and fowards. Thanks guys. 

are you putting a system in your XJ ?

I'm building a system for my XJ and I'm not even gonna run speakers in my doors, I'm building kick pods for sundown 6.5 subs for mids and some deaf bonce super tweeters ran on an Orion xtr 600 watt amp, so i should have at least 300 watts per side, that should be nice and loud for the 2 15s

Later i'm gonna make some door pods if the kicks aren't loud enough

 

[Gotyoulooking]

are you putting a system in your XJ ?

I'm building a system for my XJ and I'm not even gonna run speakers in my doors, I'm building kick pods for sundown 6.5 subs for mids and some deaf bonce super tweeters ran on an Orion xtr 600 watt amp, so i should have at least 300 watts per side, that should be nice and loud for the 2 15s

Later i'm gonna make some door pods if the kicks aren't loud enough

Before anything research XJ electrical problems, one of the things you’ll find is the limited alternator options. I got lucky and have a 124amp from factory, but I’m planning on changing it to a 160amp with some grinding of the mounting bracket. Then you must do the Big 3. XJ’s are known for poor quality wires, or from my experience, the factory wires don’t have many strands and with our vehicles age become brittle and has a potential for cracking. Do the big 3 run all new speaker wires and see from there if you need a bigger alt. What year is yours? So far I’ve done the big 3, all new speaker wires to doors and back headliner pods. I get small dips here and there but nothing crazy. Look a my sig for what I have so far. Will be looking for comps down the line though. 

 

[tat2Jerry]

Before anything research XJ electrical problems, one of the things you’ll find is the limited alternator options. I got lucky and have a 124amp from factory, but I’m planning on changing it to a 160amp with some grinding of the mounting bracket. Then you must do the Big 3. XJ’s are known for poor quality wires, or from my experience, the factory wires don’t have many strands and with our vehicles age become brittle and has a potential for cracking. Do the big 3 run all new speaker wires and see from there if you need a bigger alt. What year is yours? So far I’ve done the big 3, all new speaker wires to doors and back headliner pods. I get small dips here and there but nothing crazy. Look a my sig for what I have so far. Will be looking for comps down the line though. 

mine is a 94, already did the big 3 in 1/0 , Running a Dodge Durango alternator that's around 200 amp, my XJ is just an old mud truck

 

[Gotyoulooking]

mine is a 94, already did the big 3 in 1/0 , Running a Dodge Durango alternator that's around 200 amp, my XJ is just an old mud truck

Nice, yeah they the best and last for ever. 

 

[ThxOne Premium Member]

Before anything research XJ electrical problems, one of the things you’ll find is the limited alternator options. I got lucky and have a 124amp from factory, but I’m planning on changing it to a 160amp with some grinding of the mounting bracket. Then you must do the Big 3. XJ’s are known for poor quality wires, or from my experience, the factory wires don’t have many strands and with our vehicles age become brittle and has a potential for cracking. Do the big 3 run all new speaker wires and see from there if you need a bigger alt. What year is yours? So far I’ve done the big 3, all new speaker wires to doors and back headliner pods. I get small dips here and there but nothing crazy. Look a my sig for what I have so far. Will be looking for comps down the line though. 

Between certain years, Chrysler was nice enough to put the alternators voltage regulator in the vehicles computer. This made things for those of us wanting to do stereo's not so good. Blow the regulator, replace the whole ECU. I am running a re-manufactured 120a alternator (90a factory on my 4.0L straight 6) and I am running a single 10 on a RF - Prime 1200-D and Components up front, coaxials in the rear doors off a 4 channel U.S. Acoustics amp. I don't have any dips in voltage unless my ground loosens up now on my battery. I have the Big 4 in 1/0 cables and 1/0 running to the back with 1/0 grounds.

I did some trial and error with alternators and even bypassed the voltage regulator in the ECU with a kit I got online so I could use my own adjustable voltage regulator.... All of it was a pain in the ass. Best bet with the Alternator route, in my opinion, is grab a factory one from a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited (136a) and swap the 7 groove pulley with the 6 groove if you have the straight 6. Or if you want the easiest way to handle it... run a second battery in the back.

 

[tat2Jerry]

Between certain years, Chrysler was nice enough to put the alternators voltage regulator in the vehicles computer. This made things for those of us wanting to do stereo's not so good. Blow the regulator, replace the whole ECU. I am running a re-manufactured 120a alternator (90a factory on my 4.0L straight 6) and I am running a single 10 on a RF - Prime 1200-D and Components up front, coaxials in the rear doors off a 4 channel U.S. Acoustics amp. I don't have any dips in voltage unless my ground loosens up now on my battery. I have the Big 4 in 1/0 cables and 1/0 running to the back with 1/0 grounds.

I did some trial and error with alternators and even bypassed the voltage regulator in the ECU with a kit I got online so I could use my own adjustable voltage regulator.... All of it was a pain in the ass. Best bet with the Alternator route, in my opinion, is grab a factory one from a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited (136a) and swap the 7 groove pulley with the 6 groove if you have the straight 6. Or if you want the easiest way to handle it... run a second battery in the back.

you can get an 160 amp from a 2001-2003 Dodge Durango/Ram 5.9L  you have to grind on your alt. bracket for it to fit. this is what I run got mine at a pick n pull off a 2002 durango

 

[ThxOne Premium Member]

you can get an 160 amp from a 2001-2003 Dodge Durango/Ram 5.9L  you have to grind on your alt. bracket for it to fit. this is what I run got mine at a pick n pull off a 2002 durango

How much grinding?

 

[tat2Jerry]

How much grinding?

not a lot, take alt. bracket off put alt in with 1 bolt and you can see how much, and where. then just grind til the other bolt goes in. took me about 10 minutes with a grinder and flapper disc.

 

[Gotyoulooking]

Between certain years, Chrysler was nice enough to put the alternators voltage regulator in the vehicles computer. This made things for those of us wanting to do stereo's not so good. Blow the regulator, replace the whole ECU. I am running a re-manufactured 120a alternator (90a factory on my 4.0L straight 6) and I am running a single 10 on a RF - Prime 1200-D and Components up front, coaxials in the rear doors off a 4 channel U.S. Acoustics amp. I don't have any dips in voltage unless my ground loosens up now on my battery. I have the Big 4 in 1/0 cables and 1/0 running to the back with 1/0 grounds.

I did some trial and error with alternators and even bypassed the voltage regulator in the ECU with a kit I got online so I could use my own adjustable voltage regulator.... All of it was a pain in the ass. Best bet with the Alternator route, in my opinion, is grab a factory one from a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited (136a) and swap the 7 groove pulley with the 6 groove if you have the straight 6. Or if you want the easiest way to handle it... run a second battery in the back.

I’m thinking of the second battery till the summer and I’m able to go to a pull it yard and get the 160 alt. Bad thing is I got a brand new duralast gold battery a couple months ago, can just add any agm in the trunk and be ok with the acid one for startups?

 

[C-LocJiggleNuts]

of course... it always seems that eventually we're always looking for more or just something different once it's all in there but that's car audio and one of the pitfalls of being bitten by this bug.

^^^ this statement couldn’t be more true. I’m currently trying to talk myself out of spending another 400.00 on new components to swap out the the ones I just bought a month ago. Achieving the quality and sound you want is a unicorn. I’m pretty sure I’ll be chasing it for life.