I have 2 Alum12Q's and 2 component speakers and 2 coaxial speakers i wish to self install. I plan on buying a Boss pd-4000 amp for the subwoofers and am going to run the other speakers off of another smaller amp that i have. Basically i'm not too worried about the physical installation of the system, just all the technical stuff (Ohms, crossovers, processors, etc.) I have basic understanding of these concepts but I am nowhere near ready to self-install. I'll break down what i need help with, so if anyone could give me an easy to understand description of the topic, and tell me how it relates to the install, it'd be greatly appreciated.
-Different connecting methods
I'm not too clear on the distinction of the wiring methods and crossovers and such. Also what would best suit my system.
-Processors
Are these all that neccessary?
-Amp settings
All the dials and switches confuse me. If someone could enlighten me on proper settings for the amp.
-Capacitor
I was thinking of getting one, so i was wondering if there were any specifications between the system and capacitor you'd have to look at (for compatibility) before choosing the right capacitor. Or if anyone will do.
-Placement
Distance in wiring and such, positioning, what to consider, and importance of it all.
-Wiring
I've heard better wiring makes all the difference. I would like one that's durable but not ridiculously expensive. What would be the best choice, or some good choices?
-Combatibility
Of course i'm assuming that some people are familiar with the specs of my system, so if there are those people, I was wondering of the combatibility of my system. Issues such as Ohms, and if everyone goes together fine. If you need more detail on specs, i'll gladly post them.
I know it's a long list, but input would be greatly appreciated. Also, if there is any other information you believe would do me good, please, share all you want. I wish to learn as much as i can, thank you.
Replies (15)
strife on 12/5/2005 05:49:36
Also, i wasn't quite sure on what class the pd-4000 was, and the significance of an amp being bridgeble. If anyone had input on a better choice for an amp, that'd be great too.
compvr15s on 12/5/2005 08:07:51
wish more people were this helpful with asking for their needs. very well planned post. makes it much easier to help out without us having to ask 20 questions just for the simple info needed. install and setup is pretty simple, i feel the hardest part is disassembling the interior of the vehicle. ok so lets break this down a lil bit, other will fill in on what i left out or didnt help with...
subs-if im correct these are dual 6omh voice coils correct??? 1000watts rms. if so finding a class d amp with about 1500-2000 watts@1omh will give these plenty of power. to wire these speakers to a class d amp you will want to wire each amp in paralell, both positive terminals together and both neg terminals together this will net a 3omh load per sub. then wire the single pos wire from sub 1 to pos of sub 2 this in turn will half your load, now you will be at 1.5omh total, this is the final reading your amp will recieve.this is called paralell/paralell type wiring. very simple. as for enclosure they recommend small sealed box to produce best bass, this will lead to tight clean bass....
wiring-feeding you subs with a class d amp as well as running your other speakers off thier own amp will demand some power, id recommed running 2awg wire to a distribution block and then 8-awg wire to each amp. as for grounding never go with anything less then your power cable, i always go with the largest ground cable that the amp can recieve, 4awg will do fine(make sure you ground to a well cleaned, sanded bare metal area-this will save you from many headachs down the road.) always keep your power cable on one side of the vehicle and the interconnects(rca cables) on the other side, will reduce chance of interference noise.
capacitor-do not waist your money here this is a 75-100 dollar piece of eye candy pretty much, upgrading the big 3 wire under your hood will give you better effects than the cap will(big 3 are on the forum under another post just do a quick seach and it will come up) but depending on the size of your alternator you may need to beef up your electrical supply. stereos with big amps demand a bit of power. a higher rated alternator and the highest cold cranking batter that will fit your vehicle may be in the works for this system you are throwing together... sure a factory alternator will run your system but nobody can tell how long it will last, may be a year may only last a few weeks, lets put this in a way everybody will understand- ok your vehicle now with no added electrical needs added is like a person trying to nerd( lil candy) through a straw, very easy to do, will not have an issue-alternator will last a long time unless something faulty happens. then once you had a stereo system that is maxxing out your power supply now try sucking a pea(veggi)through the same straw, it might happen for the first few but after a while your going to get tired of sucking and give up. same thing your vehicle is going to do, if you upgrade your alt, and big 3 now its going to be like sucking up the pea through a garden hose....
placement- people do not understand how much this can affect a system, just by facing your subs a certain way you may gain a few extra dbs of sound, not to sure about you but i know i love getting things for free lol... but really this can be a very simple procedure, trial and error seems to work best here, we can tell you facing the subs towards the rear bumper is the best but every vehicle has its own characteristics. so if you never try other placements you will never know what you like best(and thats what it is all about what suits you best, you arent going to build the system for a friend that may ride in your vehicle once a week are you, whatever sounds best to you is your main goal here id imagine.)
amp settings-this one is another tricky procedure, the easiest way of doing this for me is to get everything put back together(speakers in doors or wherever they are being placed) then i pop in a cd that i am used to listening to, goto one of my favorite tracks and turn the volume up to the maximum volume that it will ever be listened to for a period of time never above 75%though.. then i set the crossover to wherever i want the subwoofer to cut-off at usually 80-100hz depending on the sub, after that is set i begin turning the gain up, listen to your sub until your get distortion then dial it down just a hair... as for bass boost i have never needed to add more that +3 here, but i usually leave it at 0 so i can have more play from the controlls on the cd player(HU.)
all-in-all self install is a very fun and rewarding time for yourself, just remember that things never go your way when you are agravated. so just stay calm keep your cool, if you get in a jam come on here and ask for some help or do something(drink a cold beer if your of age) whatever it takes. i remember one of my personal installs where i was mad at the world, took about 2hrs longer than it should have, ended up having to use a different set of coaxials because i was so frustrated with something that i accidently stuck the screwdriver right through the surround of my speaker. things like this never happen when your are layedback and being careful.... i hope i have answered or helped you with some of your issues, i can fill in more later on down the line if need be, but am sure others will fill in, so just sit back for a while and wait for all to respond, take everything into consideration....
only concern i have here is the boss amp you have listed... this company tends to give inflated specs on thier equipment, to boast sales.. if it says 1000 watts more than likely its probably 250-300 watts. if you already have this amp im sure we can figure out something for you. would just rather have you spend a bit more now before you start because if you go with so lower end products you can end up spending way more than you ever wanted to( damage subs due to clipped signal) things like that... if you would like we can review the subs and enclosure you will be using and find you a very good matching amp... at clubknowledge we are here to help people get what they want for the best prices possible, we have helped many people save lots of money and make them very happy in the process. comments????
strife on 12/5/2005 08:50:04
Thank you, this information was very helpful. As for the amp, i have not yet bought the pd-4000 and i am all ears for better suggestions. as for the box, will the airspace in the box matter that much for these subs? I read the article for figuring the box space, but i didn't know what all the abbreviations stood for. I'm also goin to have to save some money for the amp, so i won't be actually installing until later, so I'll probably think of some more questions for you when I'm getting to it.
compvr15s on 12/5/2005 09:13:12
the enclosure can actaully be very detrimental to the woofer, with a poor quality box you can expect poor quailty bass... just like with a good box, you can take an entry level sub and put it in a very well constructed box and be very suprised with the bass performance... well i just found some specs on the woofers and it notes that the subs are also designed for ported enclosures 1.3 to 3.2cubic feet per sub... so depending on what type of space you have and what type of music you listen to we can actaully direct you in the right way here.. if you go ported you will get deeper bass(hip hop, rap) and also your subs will require less power to reach full potential so you can get a less powerful amp and still get full performance from the sub.... if you go sealed you will get the tighter bass(rock, metal)and higher power handling, it just depends on what you want, we can hook ya up tho, he have many talented people here, including pro installers, people with fiberglass skills, pretty much everything you could ask for, im gonna do some searching for a couple amps to gets them subs rocking... ill post again in a lil bit
compvr15s on 12/5/2005 09:26:58
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_4097.html
$229 1500@1ohm RMS
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6190.html
$299 1800@1ohm RMS
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_3546.html
$249 1600@1ohm RMS
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_3491.html
$339 2000@1ohm RMS
here are a few amps, very good pricing as well, if you went to a local shop looking for this kind of power you would be looking at well over 600-800 dollars for this power... if you scroll to the bottom, it has a couple of testimonials from customers, the hifoincs 2000 watt amp i mentioned had great reviews, as well as a guy using this on 3 12inch audiobahn subs and loving it.... if you can gather some money up these are all good choices, its always nice to work with a lil extra power to ensure a clean, unclipped signal going to your woofers but any of the amps in the 1200-2000watt range depending on the enclosure type will work...
strife on 12/5/2005 10:23:44
I think the sealed enclosure is best for me, and i know they'r relatively inexpensive, but i'm always lookin to save money. These alum12q's are older and it says the rms on these are 1500. With a sealed enclosure, would it be worth the money to get an amp that matches the rms wattage, and what if I looked on ebay?
compvr15s on 12/5/2005 10:45:39
i have purchased a few amps off of ebay and luckly had no problems, but with ebay just note that you get no warranty on almost any manufacture... i prefer ebay just because its cheaper. but i checked up on the sellers before i buy, the higher the number the better... usually if the newer models of the same subs have a lower rms rating its because they were probably getting to many returned subs that were recieving 1500 watts. i would probably stay around 600-1000 watts per sub... building a sealed enclosure yourself would be the most cost effective way to go if your looking to save money, but there are a few companies online that you can buy prefabs, the prices for the actaull boxes are not bad but shipping usually kills ya because of the weight... but you can most certainly buy off ebay, i have had no problems, but then again it is always nice to have a warranty just incase of faulty equipment
strife on 12/5/2005 15:30:29
Is there anything i need to know about hooking up the other speakers? Should I use the existing wiring?
strife on 12/5/2005 15:39:25
Oh, and also, sometimes things powered by electricity in my car will stop (such as windows and power seats). When that happens, i open the fuse panel by my feet on the driver's side and push in a little bottom on top and everything works again. I don't know what this button is, just that it works. Does anyone one know what this is, and if this problem will corrupt my system?
strife on 12/5/2005 15:48:00
compvr15s, hate to be naggin, but i couldn't find that forum on the big 3 wire
compvr15s on 12/5/2005 17:17:21
http://www.clubknowledge.com/Car_Audio_FAQ/?g3481_2026
try the link in this post
http://www.clubknowledge.com/Car_Audio_FAQ/?g3676_2191
here is another link regarding the big 3
MrBrownstone on 12/5/2005 21:52:20
Since Hifonics was taken over a couple of years ago by the same company as Crunch, they've gotten a 'little' aggressive on their ratings. The 2005D puts out about 1400 @ 1 ohm @ 12.5 volts....but still really good for the price.
Comp VR, thanks for the very detailed gospel on his system. I wish I had the time and dedication to delineate it as well as you did.
I'd like to reaffirm the idea that speaker placement, box design, and installation are more important than brand A vs Brand B equipment. 90% of this game is installation, 10% is the equipment.
1kW is PLENTY for those woofers. Any more than that may jeopardize their longevity. The primary enemy of speakers is heat,which is caused by too much power. The other is overexcursion, or basically moving too far--usually caused by an improperly designed box.
The Alum 12Qs operate best around 1.25cuft per woofer. 1cuft, they are very tight, and power inefficient. 1.5, they are efficient, but lose some control...and a little power handling. Vented, they put out a lot more efficient sound, but are quite 'loose' compared to their sealed recommendation. I would recommend them sealed in 1.33 if you like the boom, 1.15 if you like it tight. Great woofers.
A great installation starts with great planning. I always recommend that you consider what you want your system to end up like before starting. If you want high quality sound amplified to higher levels, the design is way different than a system where you desired monstrous bass and no reqard for the music.
My recommendations are that you buy big enough, high quality speakers to cover your desires up front. Installation, speakers, and then electronics...in that orderr are the most to least important factors in the system.
In a nutshell:
1. Upgrade power/ground wiring alt to battery, battery to amps
2. Build the CORRECT box for your Sound Q needs
2.5 Optimize the speaker placement for components
3. Match the WHOLE speaker system at the same time
4. Buy High quality electronics the first time.
For #1, that's easy. Wire quality doesn't really matter. Size does. 2 guage from 10 different manufacturers yields that same relative performance. RCA cable is the most overspent wiring component, and makes the least difference. Just get something that doesn't feel like it's going to snap off when you bend it, because you will
For #2 the manufacturer gives you recommendations for a good reason. Use that.
For #2.5, try to get the component speakers facing you, and on the same plane if possible. ex: home speakers have the 6.5, 4" and tweeter on the same plane, try to do the best you can to have the distance between your ears and all speakers.
For #3, you should purchase speakers in quantities that complement each other. i.e. 12" woofers, 6" midrange, Tweeter go together well. 4" midrange lack the midbass capability, so if you are going to use 4" speakers, might want to consider a three way system.
For #4, this is the biggest waste of money. You always see people buy Legacy, Boss, and other 'cheap' amplifiers just so they have an amplifier to 'fill the hole' in their system. There is no such thing as cheap power. After purchasing a 1000 watt amp, they learn they bought a 400W amp, are disappointed with the performance, then either max out the bass boost on their equipment, or end up pawning off the product for a better one. If you can just manage to buy the 'Lexus/Acura' the first time, you'll be happier in the long run as there is no upgrade to those products.
Get ready for an addictive and expensive habit. You can do a decent, basic, quality audio system for $1500 complete. Head Unit, wiring, amps, speakers--just that the more power you desire, the more expenses you'll incurr...that and the more compensating you'll need to do.
MrBrownstone on 12/5/2005 21:57:06
PS processing equipment...in a nutshell, it's allows you to finetune a system. That's another animal we can address later.
strife on 12/6/2005 08:18:39
what is a distribution block and how am i goin to hook it up. If this is on another forum, you could juz redirect me
compvr15s on 12/6/2005 08:55:51
http://www.knukonceptz.com/productMaster.cfm?Category=Distribution%20/%20Fuse%20Blocks
here is a link for reference. the main purpose of these are to split up your power wires to more than one amplifier.. your main wire 2awg, 4awg, whichever you use, goes in the inlet end, and then allows you to split off into small gauge wire to each amp... some of the shown ones also allow you to give fuses for each amp, some amps will require a 60-100amp fuse, and smaller ones will require much less.. by going this way you can fuse each amp at needed fuse rating, lessing the risk of damaging your equipment
here is a CK post about distribution blocks, gives a lil more info on it
-Different connecting methods
I'm not too clear on the distinction of the wiring methods and crossovers and such. Also what would best suit my system.
-Processors
Are these all that neccessary?
-Amp settings
All the dials and switches confuse me. If someone could enlighten me on proper settings for the amp.
-Capacitor
I was thinking of getting one, so i was wondering if there were any specifications between the system and capacitor you'd have to look at (for compatibility) before choosing the right capacitor. Or if anyone will do.
-Placement
Distance in wiring and such, positioning, what to consider, and importance of it all.
-Wiring
I've heard better wiring makes all the difference. I would like one that's durable but not ridiculously expensive. What would be the best choice, or some good choices?
-Combatibility
Of course i'm assuming that some people are familiar with the specs of my system, so if there are those people, I was wondering of the combatibility of my system. Issues such as Ohms, and if everyone goes together fine. If you need more detail on specs, i'll gladly post them.
I know it's a long list, but input would be greatly appreciated. Also, if there is any other information you believe would do me good, please, share all you want. I wish to learn as much as i can, thank you.
Replies (15)
strife on 12/5/2005 05:49:36
Also, i wasn't quite sure on what class the pd-4000 was, and the significance of an amp being bridgeble. If anyone had input on a better choice for an amp, that'd be great too.
compvr15s on 12/5/2005 08:07:51
wish more people were this helpful with asking for their needs. very well planned post. makes it much easier to help out without us having to ask 20 questions just for the simple info needed. install and setup is pretty simple, i feel the hardest part is disassembling the interior of the vehicle. ok so lets break this down a lil bit, other will fill in on what i left out or didnt help with...
subs-if im correct these are dual 6omh voice coils correct??? 1000watts rms. if so finding a class d amp with about 1500-2000 watts@1omh will give these plenty of power. to wire these speakers to a class d amp you will want to wire each amp in paralell, both positive terminals together and both neg terminals together this will net a 3omh load per sub. then wire the single pos wire from sub 1 to pos of sub 2 this in turn will half your load, now you will be at 1.5omh total, this is the final reading your amp will recieve.this is called paralell/paralell type wiring. very simple. as for enclosure they recommend small sealed box to produce best bass, this will lead to tight clean bass....
wiring-feeding you subs with a class d amp as well as running your other speakers off thier own amp will demand some power, id recommed running 2awg wire to a distribution block and then 8-awg wire to each amp. as for grounding never go with anything less then your power cable, i always go with the largest ground cable that the amp can recieve, 4awg will do fine(make sure you ground to a well cleaned, sanded bare metal area-this will save you from many headachs down the road.) always keep your power cable on one side of the vehicle and the interconnects(rca cables) on the other side, will reduce chance of interference noise.
capacitor-do not waist your money here this is a 75-100 dollar piece of eye candy pretty much, upgrading the big 3 wire under your hood will give you better effects than the cap will(big 3 are on the forum under another post just do a quick seach and it will come up) but depending on the size of your alternator you may need to beef up your electrical supply. stereos with big amps demand a bit of power. a higher rated alternator and the highest cold cranking batter that will fit your vehicle may be in the works for this system you are throwing together... sure a factory alternator will run your system but nobody can tell how long it will last, may be a year may only last a few weeks, lets put this in a way everybody will understand- ok your vehicle now with no added electrical needs added is like a person trying to nerd( lil candy) through a straw, very easy to do, will not have an issue-alternator will last a long time unless something faulty happens. then once you had a stereo system that is maxxing out your power supply now try sucking a pea(veggi)through the same straw, it might happen for the first few but after a while your going to get tired of sucking and give up. same thing your vehicle is going to do, if you upgrade your alt, and big 3 now its going to be like sucking up the pea through a garden hose....
placement- people do not understand how much this can affect a system, just by facing your subs a certain way you may gain a few extra dbs of sound, not to sure about you but i know i love getting things for free lol... but really this can be a very simple procedure, trial and error seems to work best here, we can tell you facing the subs towards the rear bumper is the best but every vehicle has its own characteristics. so if you never try other placements you will never know what you like best(and thats what it is all about what suits you best, you arent going to build the system for a friend that may ride in your vehicle once a week are you, whatever sounds best to you is your main goal here id imagine.)
amp settings-this one is another tricky procedure, the easiest way of doing this for me is to get everything put back together(speakers in doors or wherever they are being placed) then i pop in a cd that i am used to listening to, goto one of my favorite tracks and turn the volume up to the maximum volume that it will ever be listened to for a period of time never above 75%though.. then i set the crossover to wherever i want the subwoofer to cut-off at usually 80-100hz depending on the sub, after that is set i begin turning the gain up, listen to your sub until your get distortion then dial it down just a hair... as for bass boost i have never needed to add more that +3 here, but i usually leave it at 0 so i can have more play from the controlls on the cd player(HU.)
all-in-all self install is a very fun and rewarding time for yourself, just remember that things never go your way when you are agravated. so just stay calm keep your cool, if you get in a jam come on here and ask for some help or do something(drink a cold beer if your of age) whatever it takes. i remember one of my personal installs where i was mad at the world, took about 2hrs longer than it should have, ended up having to use a different set of coaxials because i was so frustrated with something that i accidently stuck the screwdriver right through the surround of my speaker. things like this never happen when your are layedback and being careful.... i hope i have answered or helped you with some of your issues, i can fill in more later on down the line if need be, but am sure others will fill in, so just sit back for a while and wait for all to respond, take everything into consideration....
only concern i have here is the boss amp you have listed... this company tends to give inflated specs on thier equipment, to boast sales.. if it says 1000 watts more than likely its probably 250-300 watts. if you already have this amp im sure we can figure out something for you. would just rather have you spend a bit more now before you start because if you go with so lower end products you can end up spending way more than you ever wanted to( damage subs due to clipped signal) things like that... if you would like we can review the subs and enclosure you will be using and find you a very good matching amp... at clubknowledge we are here to help people get what they want for the best prices possible, we have helped many people save lots of money and make them very happy in the process. comments????
strife on 12/5/2005 08:50:04
Thank you, this information was very helpful. As for the amp, i have not yet bought the pd-4000 and i am all ears for better suggestions. as for the box, will the airspace in the box matter that much for these subs? I read the article for figuring the box space, but i didn't know what all the abbreviations stood for. I'm also goin to have to save some money for the amp, so i won't be actually installing until later, so I'll probably think of some more questions for you when I'm getting to it.
compvr15s on 12/5/2005 09:13:12
the enclosure can actaully be very detrimental to the woofer, with a poor quality box you can expect poor quailty bass... just like with a good box, you can take an entry level sub and put it in a very well constructed box and be very suprised with the bass performance... well i just found some specs on the woofers and it notes that the subs are also designed for ported enclosures 1.3 to 3.2cubic feet per sub... so depending on what type of space you have and what type of music you listen to we can actaully direct you in the right way here.. if you go ported you will get deeper bass(hip hop, rap) and also your subs will require less power to reach full potential so you can get a less powerful amp and still get full performance from the sub.... if you go sealed you will get the tighter bass(rock, metal)and higher power handling, it just depends on what you want, we can hook ya up tho, he have many talented people here, including pro installers, people with fiberglass skills, pretty much everything you could ask for, im gonna do some searching for a couple amps to gets them subs rocking... ill post again in a lil bit
compvr15s on 12/5/2005 09:26:58
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_4097.html
$229 1500@1ohm RMS
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6190.html
$299 1800@1ohm RMS
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_3546.html
$249 1600@1ohm RMS
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_3491.html
$339 2000@1ohm RMS
here are a few amps, very good pricing as well, if you went to a local shop looking for this kind of power you would be looking at well over 600-800 dollars for this power... if you scroll to the bottom, it has a couple of testimonials from customers, the hifoincs 2000 watt amp i mentioned had great reviews, as well as a guy using this on 3 12inch audiobahn subs and loving it.... if you can gather some money up these are all good choices, its always nice to work with a lil extra power to ensure a clean, unclipped signal going to your woofers but any of the amps in the 1200-2000watt range depending on the enclosure type will work...
strife on 12/5/2005 10:23:44
I think the sealed enclosure is best for me, and i know they'r relatively inexpensive, but i'm always lookin to save money. These alum12q's are older and it says the rms on these are 1500. With a sealed enclosure, would it be worth the money to get an amp that matches the rms wattage, and what if I looked on ebay?
compvr15s on 12/5/2005 10:45:39
i have purchased a few amps off of ebay and luckly had no problems, but with ebay just note that you get no warranty on almost any manufacture... i prefer ebay just because its cheaper. but i checked up on the sellers before i buy, the higher the number the better... usually if the newer models of the same subs have a lower rms rating its because they were probably getting to many returned subs that were recieving 1500 watts. i would probably stay around 600-1000 watts per sub... building a sealed enclosure yourself would be the most cost effective way to go if your looking to save money, but there are a few companies online that you can buy prefabs, the prices for the actaull boxes are not bad but shipping usually kills ya because of the weight... but you can most certainly buy off ebay, i have had no problems, but then again it is always nice to have a warranty just incase of faulty equipment
strife on 12/5/2005 15:30:29
Is there anything i need to know about hooking up the other speakers? Should I use the existing wiring?
strife on 12/5/2005 15:39:25
Oh, and also, sometimes things powered by electricity in my car will stop (such as windows and power seats). When that happens, i open the fuse panel by my feet on the driver's side and push in a little bottom on top and everything works again. I don't know what this button is, just that it works. Does anyone one know what this is, and if this problem will corrupt my system?
strife on 12/5/2005 15:48:00
compvr15s, hate to be naggin, but i couldn't find that forum on the big 3 wire
compvr15s on 12/5/2005 17:17:21
http://www.clubknowledge.com/Car_Audio_FAQ/?g3481_2026
try the link in this post
http://www.clubknowledge.com/Car_Audio_FAQ/?g3676_2191
here is another link regarding the big 3
MrBrownstone on 12/5/2005 21:52:20
Since Hifonics was taken over a couple of years ago by the same company as Crunch, they've gotten a 'little' aggressive on their ratings. The 2005D puts out about 1400 @ 1 ohm @ 12.5 volts....but still really good for the price.
Comp VR, thanks for the very detailed gospel on his system. I wish I had the time and dedication to delineate it as well as you did.
I'd like to reaffirm the idea that speaker placement, box design, and installation are more important than brand A vs Brand B equipment. 90% of this game is installation, 10% is the equipment.
1kW is PLENTY for those woofers. Any more than that may jeopardize their longevity. The primary enemy of speakers is heat,which is caused by too much power. The other is overexcursion, or basically moving too far--usually caused by an improperly designed box.
The Alum 12Qs operate best around 1.25cuft per woofer. 1cuft, they are very tight, and power inefficient. 1.5, they are efficient, but lose some control...and a little power handling. Vented, they put out a lot more efficient sound, but are quite 'loose' compared to their sealed recommendation. I would recommend them sealed in 1.33 if you like the boom, 1.15 if you like it tight. Great woofers.
A great installation starts with great planning. I always recommend that you consider what you want your system to end up like before starting. If you want high quality sound amplified to higher levels, the design is way different than a system where you desired monstrous bass and no reqard for the music.
My recommendations are that you buy big enough, high quality speakers to cover your desires up front. Installation, speakers, and then electronics...in that orderr are the most to least important factors in the system.
In a nutshell:
1. Upgrade power/ground wiring alt to battery, battery to amps
2. Build the CORRECT box for your Sound Q needs
2.5 Optimize the speaker placement for components
3. Match the WHOLE speaker system at the same time
4. Buy High quality electronics the first time.
For #1, that's easy. Wire quality doesn't really matter. Size does. 2 guage from 10 different manufacturers yields that same relative performance. RCA cable is the most overspent wiring component, and makes the least difference. Just get something that doesn't feel like it's going to snap off when you bend it, because you will
For #2 the manufacturer gives you recommendations for a good reason. Use that.
For #2.5, try to get the component speakers facing you, and on the same plane if possible. ex: home speakers have the 6.5, 4" and tweeter on the same plane, try to do the best you can to have the distance between your ears and all speakers.
For #3, you should purchase speakers in quantities that complement each other. i.e. 12" woofers, 6" midrange, Tweeter go together well. 4" midrange lack the midbass capability, so if you are going to use 4" speakers, might want to consider a three way system.
For #4, this is the biggest waste of money. You always see people buy Legacy, Boss, and other 'cheap' amplifiers just so they have an amplifier to 'fill the hole' in their system. There is no such thing as cheap power. After purchasing a 1000 watt amp, they learn they bought a 400W amp, are disappointed with the performance, then either max out the bass boost on their equipment, or end up pawning off the product for a better one. If you can just manage to buy the 'Lexus/Acura' the first time, you'll be happier in the long run as there is no upgrade to those products.
Get ready for an addictive and expensive habit. You can do a decent, basic, quality audio system for $1500 complete. Head Unit, wiring, amps, speakers--just that the more power you desire, the more expenses you'll incurr...that and the more compensating you'll need to do.
MrBrownstone on 12/5/2005 21:57:06
PS processing equipment...in a nutshell, it's allows you to finetune a system. That's another animal we can address later.
strife on 12/6/2005 08:18:39
what is a distribution block and how am i goin to hook it up. If this is on another forum, you could juz redirect me
compvr15s on 12/6/2005 08:55:51
http://www.knukonceptz.com/productMaster.cfm?Category=Distribution%20/%20Fuse%20Blocks
here is a link for reference. the main purpose of these are to split up your power wires to more than one amplifier.. your main wire 2awg, 4awg, whichever you use, goes in the inlet end, and then allows you to split off into small gauge wire to each amp... some of the shown ones also allow you to give fuses for each amp, some amps will require a 60-100amp fuse, and smaller ones will require much less.. by going this way you can fuse each amp at needed fuse rating, lessing the risk of damaging your equipment
here is a CK post about distribution blocks, gives a lil more info on it
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