I have a 94 honda civic coupe. i am looking to upgrade the stereo system. Should i keep the normal speakers and get an amp and sub(s). or should i get an amp to run to my 5 1/4 " and 6 1/2" speakers and not get a sub. or can i do both? i will probably have to get 2 amps right, if i wanted all of them powered? i cant power both the speakers and subs from 1 amp? multi challel amps are confusing to me... uhhh... does 4 channels mean it runs out to 4 speakers or does 1 channel power 2 speakers? and i'd have 2 channels left?
Replies (5)
carfreak on 08/11/2003 20:17:15
Ok they do make 5 channel amps most of them run like 75x4 and 200 x1. I would replace all factory speakers first before you amp them. ( it would prolly blow them ) Then get a sub if thats what you want. A 4 channel amp can run four sets of speakers ( or 2 bridged look around the web site to figure out how to bridge a amp). This stuff is easy really . here is a example of a 5 channel amp. I do not know if it is a good amp but it is just a example.
http://www.sounddomain.com/sku/ULTT35600
compvr15s on 08/12/2003 03:45:21
id highly recommend 2 amps in this application, on a 5 channel amp its actually 2 amps running together so if one goes bad more than likely the other is bad too. prolly cheaper to get 2 amps anyways. us acoustics has a nice 4 channel for 127 dollars that runs 65x4 which will run 4 speakers, and then a jbl 600.1 can be had for 250 shipping included which will run 2 subs easily. your best bet is to upgrade all your interior speakers because amping them will more than likely blow them, and then later on get a sub amp and a set of subs or just a single sub just depending on how much bass you want. let us know how much money you are lookin to spend, what types of music you like and are you lookin for sound quality (sq) or high sound pressure levels(spl) the higher the spl the more bass you have. do you have a aftermarket head unit or the stock, if stock do you plan on upgrading or not? good luck and im sure you will be happy with the help you recieve from this forum.
snipe523 on 08/12/2003 05:29:55
Just about anything you could possibly need to know about car audio can be found at this adress http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/caraudio.htm
Swez on 08/12/2003 06:05:08
Getting good inputs here and yes, the eatel site is excellent for many aspects of car audio. This is a bit advanced in some parts of the site, so don't despair if it goes over your head in some sections.
Also, what you have to know about car audio systems, is that the larger the amplifier output you desire, the more electrical power it will draw from your car electrical system. The products mentioned so far are very solid performers, but each amp draws a good amount of current as you approach high sound levels.
USX-4065 draws ~ 35 amperes of current
JBL 600.1 draws ~ 55 ditto
That's 90 amperes of current at full tilt boogey! In order to operate these amps at high SPL levels over a given amount of time, your car electricals (ALT & BAT) have to be able to manage that much current draw. Do you understand this information so far?
Before heading out to buy your gear, get the details in your car electricals first:
1. What size alternator does this car have
2. What is the CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) rating on your battery
Knowing these 2 items first, will either help you to choose the proper amps based on available current capacity of the vehicle or that electrical upgrades will have to be part of the install at some point in the game. You would not build a 400 HP engine and use a stock drive train, speced for 150 HP right? Same thing here.
Finally, stock speakers usually only handle 15-25 watts (RMS) of power. This is the first upgrade to consider. The bulk of your initial time and cash should be focused here at some point. The speakers are the heart of the system, amps are the muscle behind them. The HU is the brain that tells everything what to do.
In short... plan, ask questions, do research and plan some more. With the help of the team here, you'll get there in no time, if you have the budget to support your audio goals.
Swez
Tray on 08/12/2003 09:16:24
What is it that you are looking for in your upgraded stereo system?
You have a few options available, depending on what you want out of it.
1. Add subwoofer to existing system.
2. Upgrade interior speakers with more efficient ones, and add subwoofer to system.
3. Upgrade interior speakers, and amplify them, and add subwoofer to system.
4. Do any of above, adding multiple subwoofers to system.
5. Complete A/V upgrade of entire system, and all components.
Not sure how the current system sounds, as when I purchased my 95 Civic, I got it without any stereo components, as I knew I'd be replacing everything, so thought I'd save a few bucks at the dealer.
Replies (5)
carfreak on 08/11/2003 20:17:15
Ok they do make 5 channel amps most of them run like 75x4 and 200 x1. I would replace all factory speakers first before you amp them. ( it would prolly blow them ) Then get a sub if thats what you want. A 4 channel amp can run four sets of speakers ( or 2 bridged look around the web site to figure out how to bridge a amp). This stuff is easy really . here is a example of a 5 channel amp. I do not know if it is a good amp but it is just a example.
http://www.sounddomain.com/sku/ULTT35600
compvr15s on 08/12/2003 03:45:21
id highly recommend 2 amps in this application, on a 5 channel amp its actually 2 amps running together so if one goes bad more than likely the other is bad too. prolly cheaper to get 2 amps anyways. us acoustics has a nice 4 channel for 127 dollars that runs 65x4 which will run 4 speakers, and then a jbl 600.1 can be had for 250 shipping included which will run 2 subs easily. your best bet is to upgrade all your interior speakers because amping them will more than likely blow them, and then later on get a sub amp and a set of subs or just a single sub just depending on how much bass you want. let us know how much money you are lookin to spend, what types of music you like and are you lookin for sound quality (sq) or high sound pressure levels(spl) the higher the spl the more bass you have. do you have a aftermarket head unit or the stock, if stock do you plan on upgrading or not? good luck and im sure you will be happy with the help you recieve from this forum.
snipe523 on 08/12/2003 05:29:55
Just about anything you could possibly need to know about car audio can be found at this adress http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/caraudio.htm
Swez on 08/12/2003 06:05:08
Getting good inputs here and yes, the eatel site is excellent for many aspects of car audio. This is a bit advanced in some parts of the site, so don't despair if it goes over your head in some sections.
Also, what you have to know about car audio systems, is that the larger the amplifier output you desire, the more electrical power it will draw from your car electrical system. The products mentioned so far are very solid performers, but each amp draws a good amount of current as you approach high sound levels.
USX-4065 draws ~ 35 amperes of current
JBL 600.1 draws ~ 55 ditto
That's 90 amperes of current at full tilt boogey! In order to operate these amps at high SPL levels over a given amount of time, your car electricals (ALT & BAT) have to be able to manage that much current draw. Do you understand this information so far?
Before heading out to buy your gear, get the details in your car electricals first:
1. What size alternator does this car have
2. What is the CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) rating on your battery
Knowing these 2 items first, will either help you to choose the proper amps based on available current capacity of the vehicle or that electrical upgrades will have to be part of the install at some point in the game. You would not build a 400 HP engine and use a stock drive train, speced for 150 HP right? Same thing here.
Finally, stock speakers usually only handle 15-25 watts (RMS) of power. This is the first upgrade to consider. The bulk of your initial time and cash should be focused here at some point. The speakers are the heart of the system, amps are the muscle behind them. The HU is the brain that tells everything what to do.
In short... plan, ask questions, do research and plan some more. With the help of the team here, you'll get there in no time, if you have the budget to support your audio goals.
Swez
Tray on 08/12/2003 09:16:24
What is it that you are looking for in your upgraded stereo system?
You have a few options available, depending on what you want out of it.
1. Add subwoofer to existing system.
2. Upgrade interior speakers with more efficient ones, and add subwoofer to system.
3. Upgrade interior speakers, and amplify them, and add subwoofer to system.
4. Do any of above, adding multiple subwoofers to system.
5. Complete A/V upgrade of entire system, and all components.
Not sure how the current system sounds, as when I purchased my 95 Civic, I got it without any stereo components, as I knew I'd be replacing everything, so thought I'd save a few bucks at the dealer.
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