Upgrading my budget system [Help Wanted] 6/29/2016

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

So how does someone go about picking a dsp? What features do you want or need? Also how would I go about learning how to use one and tune a car audio system?..

Just pick the one you want with the best support.

You learn how to use one with understanding, experience, learning how to listen, getting demos from others that know what they are doing. It just takes many years of research and learning what is right and wrong.

Understanding terms like

Timbre

Spatial effects

Imaging

Staging

Accuracy

Octaves

Slopes

Ect

 

[Jcdanible]

Just pick the one you want with the best support. You learn how to use one with understanding, experience, learning how to listen, getting demos from others that know what they are doing. It just takes many years of research and learning what is right and wrong.

Understanding terms like

Timbre

Spatial effects

Imaging

Staging

Accuracy

Octaves

Slopes

Ect

Any DSP's you might recommend?

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Any DSP's you might recommend?

Mine but I can't. They have been discountinued to long.

Helix or Mosconi.

 

[Jcdanible]

Mine but I can't. They have been discountinued to long.
Helix or Mosconi.

Alright. thanks

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Awesome that actually cleared up most everything about DSP's. Only thing I'm a tiny bit confused at first when you said 3 way active I was assuming you meant that you would have 3 different crossover points between say a component system but now that I really read I'm assuming you mean literally tweeters, a 6.5 mid and then a 10" low up front? on top of your sub in the back, and rear door speakers? Or am I just getting confused?
So is Audison the Low key best DSP or are there others out there that people use just as much? If i really wanted to try out a DSP and went with Audison what's the big difference between the different products they have such as Audison Bit Ten, Audison Bit Ten D, Audison bit one, and Audison AV 5.1k HD (Which is $2k so I wouldn't buy).

audison, helix, alpine, jbl, mini dsp, rockford all have decent dsps.

Mainly 3 way active front is tweeter, a 3 or 4 inch midrange, 6.5 or 8" midbass midbass is the musical region where snares, kick drums and deeper male vocals take care of. Midrange is the vocals. tweeters is the high hats, cymbals and airiness to the vocals.

here's a picture

 

[Jcdanible]

audison, helix, alpine, jbl, mini dsp, rockford all have decent dsps.
Mainly 3 way active front is tweeter, a 3 or 4 inch midrange, 6.5 or 8" midbass midbass is the musical region where snares, kick drums and deeper male vocals take care of. Midrange is the vocals. tweeters is the high hats, cymbals and airiness to the vocals.

here's a picture

Awesome thanks. So if I wanted to a 3 way active setup with what I currently have as in my rear 6.5, front component, two 12" subs and new pioneer head unit what would you best recommend me doing? I'm wanting to get more serious with this but I don't want to buy anything in a stupid order and just waste time and money. Also can you tell me what you know about more high end sub woofers as well as the huge difference between 12 and 10"s? I'm really not sure what a great sub sounds like and I think my two 12s sound ok but it's hard to really know until I've heard some different things. Also how important is a good box?

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Awesome thanks. So if I wanted to a 3 way active setup with what I currently have as in my rear 6.5, front component, two 12" subs and new pioneer head unit what would you best recommend me doing? I'm wanting to get more serious with this but I don't want to buy anything in a stupid order and just waste time and money. Also can you tell me what you know about more high end sub woofers as well as the huge difference between 12 and 10"s? I'm really not sure what a great sub sounds like and I think my two 12s sound ok but it's hard to really know until I've heard some different things. Also how important is a good box?

If you want the best sound possible, forget about running rears, rears only destroy your sound stage stage and are utterly and completely useless. In competition level installs, you'll never see rears. Basic reasoning is you dont go to a concert and face your back towards the band/artist, you face them. A proper 3 way active is what i showed you. everything up in front, no exeptions. Mids and tweets are aligned close to eachother to keep things in phase, midbass is needed up front so when drums play, you can feel it sweeping across the dash. If you have anything behind you, it'll be a mess.

No difference between 10 and 12s other than loudness and box size. Custom ported box makes all the difference, your subs arent that good, look up some dayton HO 12s if you want nice SQ subs on a budget. Can work in small ported or sealed.

 

[Jcdanible]

If you want the best sound possible, forget about running rears, rears only destroy your sound stage stage and are utterly and completely useless. In competition level installs, you'll never see rears. Basic reasoning is you dont go to a concert and face your back towards the band/artist, you face them. A proper 3 way active is what i showed you. everything up in front, no exeptions. Mids and tweets are aligned close to eachother to keep things in phase, midbass is needed up front so when drums play, you can feel it sweeping across the dash. If you have anything behind you, it'll be a mess.

No difference between 10 and 12s other than loudness and box size. Custom ported box makes all the difference, your subs arent that good, look up some dayton HO 12s if you want nice SQ subs on a budget. Can work in small ported or sealed.

Alright so In my specific situation, Ditch the rears, Keep the new components? Keep the new head unit? Keep the amps? replace the subs and possibly a custom box later, buy a DSP and...? I'm not really sure the practical way to do this. And thanks. Also is there any point in keeping rears but turning them off when it's just me in the car? Does a 3 way front stage sound fine with people in the back seats? Should I even keep my components I just bought or can they work if I'm wanting to do this 3 way active front stage? If Not I'll return them no big deal.

I heard the difference between 10's and 12's was 10's are punchy but 12's are boomy but I'm not sure practical difference in a high end system... Ill check out those dayton HO 12s.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Alright so In my specific situation, Ditch the rears, Keep the new components? Keep the new head unit? Keep the amps? replace the subs and possibly a custom box later, buy a DSP and...? I'm not really sure the practical way to do this. And thanks. Also is there any point in keeping rears but turning them off when it's just me in the car? Does a 3 way front stage sound fine with people in the back seats? Should I even keep my components I just bought or can they work if I'm wanting to do this 3 way active front stage? If Not I'll return them no big deal.
I heard the difference between 10's and 12's was 10's are punchy but 12's are boomy but I'm not sure practical difference in a high end system... Ill check out those dayton HO 12s.

10s are not punchy. That's a dead BS myth. It comes from the crappy brands that underbuild everything and want you to pay more for the bigger speaker.

If the fronts are right people 3 cars behind you can hear

 

[Jcdanible]

10s are not punchy. That's a dead BS myth. It comes from the crappy brands that underbuild everything and want you to pay more for the bigger speaker.
If the fronts are right people 3 cars behind you can hear

I assumed that was just bs from cheaper lines and products. Haha works for me I guess I'll take my rears out?

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

There is a advantage to running rears if you have surround sound processing. It will sound good in the front 2 seats instead of only the drivers seat.

I'll add. If a car is tuned right without 5.1 or more. It will only sound right in 1 seat. Most of us are fine with that

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Alright so In my specific situation, Ditch the rears, Keep the new components? Keep the new head unit? Keep the amps? replace the subs and possibly a custom box later, buy a DSP and...? I'm not really sure the practical way to do this. And thanks. Also is there any point in keeping rears but turning them off when it's just me in the car? Does a 3 way front stage sound fine with people in the back seats? Should I even keep my components I just bought or can they work if I'm wanting to do this 3 way active front stage? If Not I'll return them no big deal.
I heard the difference between 10's and 12's was 10's are punchy but 12's are boomy but I'm not sure practical difference in a high end system... Ill check out those dayton HO 12s.

Stupid myth that needs to die... perpetuated by noobs that have no clue what they are talking about and are running garbage pre-made boxes. my 18s are more punchy than any 8 you'll ever come across and you can easily make 8s that boom enough to flex your windshield several inches. All enclosure dependant. Its not the subs that determine the bass, its mostly enclosure, loading and cabin gain based. However bad subs will have a limit on what they can do so build quality is another thing.

Start off with a dsp or head unit and front components and a proper amp, ditch the infinity amp, its most likely only 20 watts rms per channel if its like my sister's infinity amp in her hyundai sonata.

Stick with passive components for now and you can easily change over to active setup later on.

To be honest though for what you are going for, a pioneer 80 prs head unit would do everything you'd need with a lot less tuning knowledge needed vs a DSP setup which takes a lot to get done right.

 

[Jcdanible]

Stupid myth that needs to die... perpetuated by noobs that have no clue what they are talking about and are running garbage pre-made boxes. my 18s are more punchy than any 8 you'll ever come across and you can easily make 8s that boom enough to flex your windshield several inches. All enclosure dependant. Its not the subs that determine the bass, its mostly enclosure, loading and cabin gain based. However bad subs will have a limit on what they can do so build quality is another thing.
Start off with a dsp or head unit and front components and a proper amp, ditch the infinity amp, its most likely only 20 watts rms per channel if its like my sister's infinity amp in her hyundai sonata.

Stick with passive components for now and you can easily change over to active setup later on.

To be honest though for what you are going for, a pioneer 80 prs head unit would do everything you'd need with a lot less tuning knowledge needed vs a DSP setup which takes a lot to get done right.

I honestly wasn't planning on buying a DSP and involving in my system right away but taking some time to find one and get practice with it. I also was planning on at least upgrading my subs since they were really crappy budget ones from bestbuy, just something to get me bumping. I'm not sure what size I want since I've really only heard ****** 12's with a pre fab box. I'd really like to build my own box although I'm not sure what size for or what I want for dimensions. Really have no idea if it's better to get two 12's or a single 15 or 18 I'm just not sure about any of that. The only thing I'm really trying to do now is my speakers. I want to get my speakers dialed in with my new head unit and sounding good. And yes I do plan on taking the rear speakers off that ****** infinity amp. So if I want to do a 3 way active setup in the future I should keep my components that I just bought and get another woofer or tweeter? I'm confused on that.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

I honestly wasn't planning on buying a DSP and involving in my system right away but taking some time to find one and get practice with it. I also was planning on at least upgrading my subs since they were really crappy budget ones from bestbuy, just something to get me bumping. I'm not sure what size I want since I've really only heard ****** 12's with a pre fab box. I'd really like to build my own box although I'm not sure what size for or what I want for dimensions. Really have no idea if it's better to get two 12's or a single 15 or 18 I'm just not sure about any of that. The only thing I'm really trying to do now is my speakers. I want to get my speakers dialed in with my new head unit and sounding good. And yes I do plan on taking the rear speakers off that ****** infinity amp. So if I want to do a 3 way active setup in the future I should keep my components that I just bought and get another woofer or tweeter? I'm confused on that.

If you got the jbl 660c components, just install it and get a new head unit thats all you need to do. all this other stuff is just far in the future talk.

 

[Jcdanible]

If you got the jbl 660c components, just install it and get a new head unit thats all you need to do. all this other stuff is just far in the future talk.

Awesome thanks, While I mess around with EQ'ing and get better at all this stuff I'll look into the sub woofer you recommended My only question is how do you decide on a size? or how many woofers? Why two 12s or one 15 or 18? I'm really having a hard time being able to decide or pick. I also will look into building a box, I've wanted to build a custom box so I'll look into it, and try it out.

oh and how do you decide where to mount them? some people mount them down or facing up or facing into the box... it's so confusing how do you know what you want?