I finally got everything i needed for my new system. Here is what i have :
Pioneer DEH-P780MP HU
Eclipse PA5422 4 channel amp
Phoenix Gold RSD65cs component set
Phoenix Gold RSD65 2 way coaxials
JL 500/1 mono amp
Phoenix Gold RSD12D or JL 12w6v2. w/ 1.5 cuft sealed box.
So what do you all think ??? Any suggestions ?
Replies (16)
Victor on 08/6/2007 18:05:37
great going.. nice selection of equipments.. do u already have all this or are u finalising the order...???
swez on 08/6/2007 18:24:32
Hey Mo, very nice system plan here.
Your woofer choices are both good. However, JL states 1.25 ft^3 sealed is optimal. If you go larger, power handling and crisp bass will suffer a bit. (400 Wrms) Great sub though.
Same thing about the PG RSD12D sub. Here, a good target would be more like 1.2 ft^3 sealed. (500 Wrms)
If I may, consider 1 other sub as an option here, Alpine SWR-1242D. This too is a solid SQL sub and 0.85 ft^3 is the recommended SQL sealed enclosure. This sub is also rated at 500 Wrms.
http://electronics.pricegrabber.com/car-audio-subwoofers/m/6620348/
Not sure what kind of prices you are seeing on the JL and PG subs, but for under $150.00, this is also a fine sub.
Comments?
Swez
MO on 08/9/2007 12:25:35
I already have all of the stuff ready to go. I was considering the PG RSD 12 sub for a minute but changed my mind and decided to stay with the 12w6v2 in the sealed box that i already had.
Ok a friend offered me some money for my pioneer premier DEH-P780MP HU. I told him i whould think about it. I can get $250 for this HU from him and maybe get one of these units instead.
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-YPMbOvJmZIH/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=130DEHP390
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-D1EWLRaXKUn/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=300&I=500CDA9887
What do you guys suggest i go with out of the 3 ?
Just finalizing things here before i start the install in my 98 Maxima or 00 civic.
Victor on 08/9/2007 16:00:17
all the 3 u have noted are HU's from different leagues... there is no comparison between them...
Victor..
Alpine 9877, Pioneer premier 780 and last comes the dehp390 pioneer... depends on how much u wanna spend here..
MO on 08/9/2007 16:05:34
I guess my budget is $400 max and the bigger question is will i notice any major differances going from one to the other and spending more money. I notice the preouts are better on the 780 and the 9887 and of course the 7 band eq of the 9887 and the 16 band of the 780.
Which one do you guys recommend for this system of mine.
I
Victor on 08/9/2007 16:24:55
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/v3/pg/product/details/0,,2076_310069882_291159496,00.html
a personal preference as i have used this in many installs recently...
Victor....
orelse the alpine 9887 tried tested, solid and performing...
look at http://www.sonicelectronix.com
Victor on 08/9/2007 16:44:15
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6822_Pioneer+Premier+DEH-P880PRS.html
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_7216_Pioneer+Premier+DEH-P980BT.html
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_9767_Alpine+CDA-9887.html
put ur finger on anyone and u'll be a happy guy....
Victor....
MO on 08/9/2007 17:10:27
Right now im leaning towards either the Pioneer Premier deh-p780mp or the Alpine CDA-9887.
I know the 880prs has alot more tuning cabablities and auto eq and dual 16 band eq's and all that but i doubt i have any use for all the extras since i wont be running the comps active.
I prefer the look of the Alpine 9887 and Pioneer 780 or 980 better.
So its between these 2 i mentioned.
p.s. I really liked the looks and simplicity and features for the price on the pioneer 3900 or 390 hu but the only thing that bothered me is the 2.2v preouts.
Victor on 08/9/2007 17:19:38
all these 3 Hu's are very good ... the alpine is 18wrms per ch , 4 v RCA outs and 24bit burrbrown dac, while both the pioneers are 22wrms per ch, 5 volt rca outs and 24 bit burrbrown dac too.. not a huge difference here...
all of them are very flexible for future upgrades too...
just a matter of personal choice here and affinity towards a particular brand...
the 880prs is a well priced unit with a lot of features, which if used can really make a huge difference in the sound quality.. the 980bt too is a good unit in those terms but the price is just a bit on the higher side..
alpine 9887 is a very good unit for its price performance ratio and defintiely very tunable too..
Victor...
really pick on anyone and u'd be just perfectly fine and happy with each of these units performance ...
if u dont like 800prs looks and dont want to spend for the 980bt then alpine9887 i guess is the best option here.. u'll value this unit for long too...
swez on 08/9/2007 20:27:42
Indeed, both Alpine and Pioneer have some nice features. However, when dealing with menu driven EQ systems, the manual EQ is great for calibrating the vehicle to a reasonably "flat" response curve.
However, then one has to use "their presets" to tailor the EQ of the music material or go back into the "Calibrated EQ" functions and fiddle with them. Personally, that's fine if we can get a nice EQ mix from the pre-sets. If not... it sucks! (Going through several custom EQ settings to find the right mix for each tune we play) That's laborious, dangerous while driving and just not a great fit if the preset EQ curves are not to one's liking.
The other option I have found to be very useful, is an outboard EQ/Line Driver/Mixer plan. Here, we can use a low budget HU with the desired features and let the user adjust EQ as desired... "On the Fly".
These devices are "On the Fly" friendly, need only a bare minimum of EQ features and only 1 pair of RCA outs from the HU. The "Mixer" does the rest. Also, most have 4-7 bands of EQ, an AUX input feature and 1/2 Din space in the dash.
Most Line Drivers in these units can deliver plenty of signal to each amp channel set in the chain. (F,R & Sub outs) Many also have a Master gain control and a Sub gain feature. If one shops this well, you can get all these features for under $100.00 and never have to scroll through a complex set of menus to get the sound just the way one likes it.
Am not trying to poo-poo Vic's suggestions on the HU's he has shown. However, once one has tried this route, I doubt they will ever want anything more complex. (To each their own)\
Comments?
Swez
MO on 08/9/2007 22:40:08
Thanks Victor and Swez, Ive narrowed my choices down to the Pioneer DEH-P780MP and the Alpine CDA-9887
The price is not a factor in my decision between these two units.
Maybe i should flip a coin..
Im going to be installing 2 amps here so what is the first thing i should do ?
Remove the - battery terminal from the post first and then mount the amps in the desired location ?
Run the rca's and remote turn on wire on one side and run the 12v power wire from the amp to the + battery post or vice versa ?
Ground both amps using the same 4 gauge on both amps and keeping the grounds as short as possible ? Should i ground both amps at the same point or seperate ? Vehicles chassis ?
Im going to need to run the power wire from the battery to the distribution block and split it into two 8 gauge lines at the amps ?
The hardest part is probably going to be running the power wire thru the firewall etc... I could use some help with this... My first time ..
Once i have everything hooked up i assume i put in the fuse in the fuse holder by the battery and reconnect the - battery terminal back up and expect a spark for a sec.
Did i get everything here ?
p.s. I picked this amp kit for my 2 amps. Perfect or what ?
http://www.cardomain.com/item/STISWK4D
swez on 08/10/2007 07:26:37
That kit should be up to your needs if the #4 cable is long enough. In this car, it should be as this is car, (Honda Civic) is what... about 16 feet, bumber to bumper?
Your steps are correct.
1. Ground amps to the floor pan or other solid metal structure
2. Power cable on one side of the car
3. RCA signal lines, Remote, speaker wires for front on the other side in a bundle with wire ties
4. The battery terminal is the last thing to connect when wiring is done and double checked for accuracy
5. You'll want to have a spare main fuse handy too
At the firewall, there may be a rubber grommet there already that you can use as your pass through point. Most installers recommend looking for this down near the brake/clutch pedal area. If this car has an automatic tranmission, they often have a knock out in that area for a clutch pedal cable. That's a good place to look first.
Worst case, have a shop make a hole for you and use a grommet to protect the power cable jacket from sharp metal. Then you can run your power cable as needed. (A $10.00 job and 15 minutes work)
Swez
MO on 08/10/2007 10:56:57
Should i go with the 80 amp fuse kit or the 150A fuse kit. Ill probably go with the 150 for extra headroom.
swez on 08/10/2007 12:17:11
Wire gage dictates the fuse and power handling of a given circuit. In most cases, #4 gage line is rated for about 80 amperes. In this case, if you plan to stay with the amps noted, #4 and 80A's is plenty good.
Swez
MO on 08/10/2007 18:08:48
I figured the JL 500/1 had a 50A fuse
Eclipse pa5422 i think also has a 50A fuse or so which is why i thought it whould go over the 80A fuse.
I guess you recommended the 80A kit since you think i wont draw the whole 80 amps ?
swez on 08/10/2007 23:56:05
It might if you push both amps to the absolute limits. I calculated a projected power draw of both amps and noted that a nominal draw would be closer to 75A's at high listening levels. An 80 A fuse should be right at the limits. If you find the system trips that fuse, either dial back on the power or use a 100A fuse. (Safe for # 4 lines)
With careful gain matching on your Eclipse amp, your mid/high speakers will need about 60-75 watts of continous power at most. Setting the amp gains with an AC meter are definiately recommeded here.
Phoenix Gold RSd65cs power rating is 60 Wrms
Phoenix Gold RSD65 will need a tad less power to keep up with your front Comps (under 50 Wrms)
That Eclipse amp offer 85 RMS x 4 @ 4 ohms, but you will be using somewhat less power than this amp is capable of delivering. We can discuss the proper setup strategy when you are ready for that stage. (Gain settings, filters and proper power to your Mid/High speakers) It would be advisable to have an inexpensive DMM. (Digital Multimeter)
Comments?
Swez
Pioneer DEH-P780MP HU
Eclipse PA5422 4 channel amp
Phoenix Gold RSD65cs component set
Phoenix Gold RSD65 2 way coaxials
JL 500/1 mono amp
Phoenix Gold RSD12D or JL 12w6v2. w/ 1.5 cuft sealed box.
So what do you all think ??? Any suggestions ?
Replies (16)
Victor on 08/6/2007 18:05:37
great going.. nice selection of equipments.. do u already have all this or are u finalising the order...???
swez on 08/6/2007 18:24:32
Hey Mo, very nice system plan here.
Your woofer choices are both good. However, JL states 1.25 ft^3 sealed is optimal. If you go larger, power handling and crisp bass will suffer a bit. (400 Wrms) Great sub though.
Same thing about the PG RSD12D sub. Here, a good target would be more like 1.2 ft^3 sealed. (500 Wrms)
If I may, consider 1 other sub as an option here, Alpine SWR-1242D. This too is a solid SQL sub and 0.85 ft^3 is the recommended SQL sealed enclosure. This sub is also rated at 500 Wrms.
http://electronics.pricegrabber.com/car-audio-subwoofers/m/6620348/
Not sure what kind of prices you are seeing on the JL and PG subs, but for under $150.00, this is also a fine sub.
Comments?
Swez
MO on 08/9/2007 12:25:35
I already have all of the stuff ready to go. I was considering the PG RSD 12 sub for a minute but changed my mind and decided to stay with the 12w6v2 in the sealed box that i already had.
Ok a friend offered me some money for my pioneer premier DEH-P780MP HU. I told him i whould think about it. I can get $250 for this HU from him and maybe get one of these units instead.
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-YPMbOvJmZIH/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=130DEHP390
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-D1EWLRaXKUn/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=300&I=500CDA9887
What do you guys suggest i go with out of the 3 ?
Just finalizing things here before i start the install in my 98 Maxima or 00 civic.
Victor on 08/9/2007 16:00:17
all the 3 u have noted are HU's from different leagues... there is no comparison between them...
Victor..
Alpine 9877, Pioneer premier 780 and last comes the dehp390 pioneer... depends on how much u wanna spend here..
MO on 08/9/2007 16:05:34
I guess my budget is $400 max and the bigger question is will i notice any major differances going from one to the other and spending more money. I notice the preouts are better on the 780 and the 9887 and of course the 7 band eq of the 9887 and the 16 band of the 780.
Which one do you guys recommend for this system of mine.
I
Victor on 08/9/2007 16:24:55
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/v3/pg/product/details/0,,2076_310069882_291159496,00.html
a personal preference as i have used this in many installs recently...
Victor....
orelse the alpine 9887 tried tested, solid and performing...
look at http://www.sonicelectronix.com
Victor on 08/9/2007 16:44:15
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6822_Pioneer+Premier+DEH-P880PRS.html
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_7216_Pioneer+Premier+DEH-P980BT.html
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_9767_Alpine+CDA-9887.html
put ur finger on anyone and u'll be a happy guy....
Victor....
MO on 08/9/2007 17:10:27
Right now im leaning towards either the Pioneer Premier deh-p780mp or the Alpine CDA-9887.
I know the 880prs has alot more tuning cabablities and auto eq and dual 16 band eq's and all that but i doubt i have any use for all the extras since i wont be running the comps active.
I prefer the look of the Alpine 9887 and Pioneer 780 or 980 better.
So its between these 2 i mentioned.
p.s. I really liked the looks and simplicity and features for the price on the pioneer 3900 or 390 hu but the only thing that bothered me is the 2.2v preouts.
Victor on 08/9/2007 17:19:38
all these 3 Hu's are very good ... the alpine is 18wrms per ch , 4 v RCA outs and 24bit burrbrown dac, while both the pioneers are 22wrms per ch, 5 volt rca outs and 24 bit burrbrown dac too.. not a huge difference here...
all of them are very flexible for future upgrades too...
just a matter of personal choice here and affinity towards a particular brand...
the 880prs is a well priced unit with a lot of features, which if used can really make a huge difference in the sound quality.. the 980bt too is a good unit in those terms but the price is just a bit on the higher side..
alpine 9887 is a very good unit for its price performance ratio and defintiely very tunable too..
Victor...
really pick on anyone and u'd be just perfectly fine and happy with each of these units performance ...
if u dont like 800prs looks and dont want to spend for the 980bt then alpine9887 i guess is the best option here.. u'll value this unit for long too...
swez on 08/9/2007 20:27:42
Indeed, both Alpine and Pioneer have some nice features. However, when dealing with menu driven EQ systems, the manual EQ is great for calibrating the vehicle to a reasonably "flat" response curve.
However, then one has to use "their presets" to tailor the EQ of the music material or go back into the "Calibrated EQ" functions and fiddle with them. Personally, that's fine if we can get a nice EQ mix from the pre-sets. If not... it sucks! (Going through several custom EQ settings to find the right mix for each tune we play) That's laborious, dangerous while driving and just not a great fit if the preset EQ curves are not to one's liking.
The other option I have found to be very useful, is an outboard EQ/Line Driver/Mixer plan. Here, we can use a low budget HU with the desired features and let the user adjust EQ as desired... "On the Fly".
These devices are "On the Fly" friendly, need only a bare minimum of EQ features and only 1 pair of RCA outs from the HU. The "Mixer" does the rest. Also, most have 4-7 bands of EQ, an AUX input feature and 1/2 Din space in the dash.
Most Line Drivers in these units can deliver plenty of signal to each amp channel set in the chain. (F,R & Sub outs) Many also have a Master gain control and a Sub gain feature. If one shops this well, you can get all these features for under $100.00 and never have to scroll through a complex set of menus to get the sound just the way one likes it.
Am not trying to poo-poo Vic's suggestions on the HU's he has shown. However, once one has tried this route, I doubt they will ever want anything more complex. (To each their own)\
Comments?
Swez
MO on 08/9/2007 22:40:08
Thanks Victor and Swez, Ive narrowed my choices down to the Pioneer DEH-P780MP and the Alpine CDA-9887
The price is not a factor in my decision between these two units.
Maybe i should flip a coin..
Im going to be installing 2 amps here so what is the first thing i should do ?
Remove the - battery terminal from the post first and then mount the amps in the desired location ?
Run the rca's and remote turn on wire on one side and run the 12v power wire from the amp to the + battery post or vice versa ?
Ground both amps using the same 4 gauge on both amps and keeping the grounds as short as possible ? Should i ground both amps at the same point or seperate ? Vehicles chassis ?
Im going to need to run the power wire from the battery to the distribution block and split it into two 8 gauge lines at the amps ?
The hardest part is probably going to be running the power wire thru the firewall etc... I could use some help with this... My first time ..
Once i have everything hooked up i assume i put in the fuse in the fuse holder by the battery and reconnect the - battery terminal back up and expect a spark for a sec.
Did i get everything here ?
p.s. I picked this amp kit for my 2 amps. Perfect or what ?
http://www.cardomain.com/item/STISWK4D
swez on 08/10/2007 07:26:37
That kit should be up to your needs if the #4 cable is long enough. In this car, it should be as this is car, (Honda Civic) is what... about 16 feet, bumber to bumper?
Your steps are correct.
1. Ground amps to the floor pan or other solid metal structure
2. Power cable on one side of the car
3. RCA signal lines, Remote, speaker wires for front on the other side in a bundle with wire ties
4. The battery terminal is the last thing to connect when wiring is done and double checked for accuracy
5. You'll want to have a spare main fuse handy too
At the firewall, there may be a rubber grommet there already that you can use as your pass through point. Most installers recommend looking for this down near the brake/clutch pedal area. If this car has an automatic tranmission, they often have a knock out in that area for a clutch pedal cable. That's a good place to look first.
Worst case, have a shop make a hole for you and use a grommet to protect the power cable jacket from sharp metal. Then you can run your power cable as needed. (A $10.00 job and 15 minutes work)
Swez
MO on 08/10/2007 10:56:57
Should i go with the 80 amp fuse kit or the 150A fuse kit. Ill probably go with the 150 for extra headroom.
swez on 08/10/2007 12:17:11
Wire gage dictates the fuse and power handling of a given circuit. In most cases, #4 gage line is rated for about 80 amperes. In this case, if you plan to stay with the amps noted, #4 and 80A's is plenty good.
Swez
MO on 08/10/2007 18:08:48
I figured the JL 500/1 had a 50A fuse
Eclipse pa5422 i think also has a 50A fuse or so which is why i thought it whould go over the 80A fuse.
I guess you recommended the 80A kit since you think i wont draw the whole 80 amps ?
swez on 08/10/2007 23:56:05
It might if you push both amps to the absolute limits. I calculated a projected power draw of both amps and noted that a nominal draw would be closer to 75A's at high listening levels. An 80 A fuse should be right at the limits. If you find the system trips that fuse, either dial back on the power or use a 100A fuse. (Safe for # 4 lines)
With careful gain matching on your Eclipse amp, your mid/high speakers will need about 60-75 watts of continous power at most. Setting the amp gains with an AC meter are definiately recommeded here.
Phoenix Gold RSd65cs power rating is 60 Wrms
Phoenix Gold RSD65 will need a tad less power to keep up with your front Comps (under 50 Wrms)
That Eclipse amp offer 85 RMS x 4 @ 4 ohms, but you will be using somewhat less power than this amp is capable of delivering. We can discuss the proper setup strategy when you are ready for that stage. (Gain settings, filters and proper power to your Mid/High speakers) It would be advisable to have an inexpensive DMM. (Digital Multimeter)
Comments?
Swez
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