Advice on a new system
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 688
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From: Rye Brook, NY
Advice on a new system
Looking for some advice. I have MB Quart fronts, Infinity rears, a Pioneer 2 channel amp and an Alpine head unit. Bass and clarity sucks, so I want to add an amp and a sub. Local installer recommended I add the following:
5 Channel JL Audio $899
Jl Stealthbox $575
Labor $500 including parts
$1,975 Total
Is this reasonable or absolutely ridiculous?
Any suggestions? Maybe I can do the install myself? I'd really like to spend as little as possible to make it sound better. It is all relative I guess.
Thanks for your help.
Adam
5 Channel JL Audio $899
Jl Stealthbox $575
Labor $500 including parts
$1,975 Total
Is this reasonable or absolutely ridiculous?
Any suggestions? Maybe I can do the install myself? I'd really like to spend as little as possible to make it sound better. It is all relative I guess.
Thanks for your help.
Adam
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 5,572
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles Ca
save a grib of cash (over the jl box) and get a subthump box (www.subthump.com) or you can build it yourself but unless you ahve all the materials you're not going to save that much over a subthump box.
The instal in a vette is really easy, the car comes apart very easily. you can save more money by purchasing on ebay (but there wont be a warranty) also ditch the 5 chan and get a 4 channel amp. chans 1&2 for the front, 3&4 bridged to the sub, and power the rear speakers off the headunit (or take them out completely for better soundstage)
i had a phoenix gold ti500.4 (can find them on ebay ~$300) amp and a image dynamics 12" sub (www.cardomain.com ~$130) and it really kicks hard for a reasonable investment. add another $150 for the subthump box (i think) and wires from www.knukoncepts.com and you are well under the quoted price of just the amp
The instal in a vette is really easy, the car comes apart very easily. you can save more money by purchasing on ebay (but there wont be a warranty) also ditch the 5 chan and get a 4 channel amp. chans 1&2 for the front, 3&4 bridged to the sub, and power the rear speakers off the headunit (or take them out completely for better soundstage)
i had a phoenix gold ti500.4 (can find them on ebay ~$300) amp and a image dynamics 12" sub (www.cardomain.com ~$130) and it really kicks hard for a reasonable investment. add another $150 for the subthump box (i think) and wires from www.knukoncepts.com and you are well under the quoted price of just the amp
Last edited by scott_fx; Jan 14, 2006 at 07:07 PM.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 688
Likes: 0
From: Rye Brook, NY
Originally Posted by scott_fx
save a grib of cash (over the jl box) and get a subthump box (www.subthump.com) or you can build it yourself but unless you ahve all the materials you're not going to save that much over a subthump box.
The instal in a vette is really easy, the car comes apart very easily. you can save more money by purchasing on ebay (but there wont be a warranty) also ditch the 5 chan and get a 4 channel amp. chans 1&2 for the front, 3&4 bridged to the sub, and power the rear speakers off the headunit (or take them out completely for better soundstage)
i had a phoenix gold ti500.4 (can find them on ebay ~$300) amp and a image dynamics 12" sub (www.cardomain.com ~$130) and it really kicks hard for a reasonable investment. add another $150 for the subthump box (i think) and wires from www.knukoncepts.com and you are well under the quoted price of just the amp
The instal in a vette is really easy, the car comes apart very easily. you can save more money by purchasing on ebay (but there wont be a warranty) also ditch the 5 chan and get a 4 channel amp. chans 1&2 for the front, 3&4 bridged to the sub, and power the rear speakers off the headunit (or take them out completely for better soundstage)
i had a phoenix gold ti500.4 (can find them on ebay ~$300) amp and a image dynamics 12" sub (www.cardomain.com ~$130) and it really kicks hard for a reasonable investment. add another $150 for the subthump box (i think) and wires from www.knukoncepts.com and you are well under the quoted price of just the amp
Scott,
If I already have the 2 channel amp wired in and the rears off the headunit as is in the car now, how hard would it be for me to add the amp and sub. How is a sub wired? I just installed a serious home theater system myself....5 in ceiling speakers, surround, amps, sub, plasma, etc. I've taken the interior of the Vette out already. Could someone give me detailed directions if I purchase the items listed above? I'd like to save the $. Is it hard to adjust a sub? Anything very difficult? Thanks again.
Last edited by spdnman; Jan 14, 2006 at 08:27 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 5,572
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles Ca
sub wiring is a bit tricky if you dont know about impedance and bridging but it's not hard, and we are all more then eager to help you out with your questions. In the c5 audio faq; at the bottom of the first post, there is a good link to explain impedance (measured in ohms) when dealing with car speakers. Adjusting the sub is easy and usually can be controlled from the head unit. It's just more or less dialing in the gain of the amp which is one simple dial. how you wire the sub would be to connect the subwoofer outputs from the head unit to the amp then just wire the amp in accordance with the specs of the amp and sub. you will have to modify the power and ground wire from the batter to the amp if you add another amp. if you get a single four chan amp like the one i suggested; if you have 4 gauge wire, you can simply just swap out the two amps (also add the rca connection from the head unit) and forget about it.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 688
Likes: 0
From: Rye Brook, NY
I have an Alpine HU model #: CDE-9843 It does not have sub outputs. Do I need another HU or is there a way to make it work with what I have? It soes have sub control volume wise. Not sure why though. Nothing is easy....Thanks.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 5,572
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles Ca
probably the best route to take (maybe not the best...buying a headunit with sub out would be best 
) would be to buy a line driver/x-over from audiocontrol I have a 24xs(sitting doing nothing right now) which will take the single rca input and give you two rca outputs crossed over at the right frequencies and at a high voltage (just getting y-splitters would reduce sound quality because you are sharing the voltage between two inputs)
Doing it this way you dont have to touch your head unit, you can just grab the rca at the amp and connect it to the 24xs and then get some shorter rcas and connect them to the new amp.
If going this route I would only use the audiocontrol line.
) would be to buy a line driver/x-over from audiocontrol I have a 24xs(sitting doing nothing right now) which will take the single rca input and give you two rca outputs crossed over at the right frequencies and at a high voltage (just getting y-splitters would reduce sound quality because you are sharing the voltage between two inputs)Doing it this way you dont have to touch your head unit, you can just grab the rca at the amp and connect it to the 24xs and then get some shorter rcas and connect them to the new amp.
If going this route I would only use the audiocontrol line.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 5,572
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles Ca
i'm not really thinking about selling it. I have a hard time selling old car audio equipment in case i ever get another car, i can throw it all in there 
lets see, sitting in my room i have a 5 chan eclipse amp, barely used. a phoenix gold ti500.4 amp, a rf 1farrad cap, and that audiocontrol unit. I'm nuts! i think you can pick them up on ebay really cheap, like 50-75 bucks
lets see, sitting in my room i have a 5 chan eclipse amp, barely used. a phoenix gold ti500.4 amp, a rf 1farrad cap, and that audiocontrol unit. I'm nuts! i think you can pick them up on ebay really cheap, like 50-75 bucks
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Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 688
Likes: 0
From: Rye Brook, NY
I just looked..power wire is 8 guage. Is that ok for a 4 or 5 channel amp? Want to add a subthump, 4 ch amp and sub control. Speaker wire looks cheesey..need to replace that as well..Any advice?
Originally Posted by scott_fx
sub wiring is a bit tricky if you dont know about impedance and bridging but it's not hard, and we are all more then eager to help you out with your questions. In the c5 audio faq; at the bottom of the first post, there is a good link to explain impedance (measured in ohms) when dealing with car speakers. Adjusting the sub is easy and usually can be controlled from the head unit. It's just more or less dialing in the gain of the amp which is one simple dial. how you wire the sub would be to connect the subwoofer outputs from the head unit to the amp then just wire the amp in accordance with the specs of the amp and sub. you will have to modify the power and ground wire from the batter to the amp if you add another amp. if you get a single four chan amp like the one i suggested; if you have 4 gauge wire, you can simply just swap out the two amps (also add the rca connection from the head unit) and forget about it.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 295
Likes: 0
From: Miami FL
Originally Posted by spdnman
I just looked..power wire is 8 guage. Is that ok for a 4 or 5 channel amp? Want to add a subthump, 4 ch amp and sub control. Speaker wire looks cheesey..need to replace that as well..Any advice?
What you could do...is run one amplifier for the whole system...ditch the 2channel you have...sell it on ebay to fund a new amp?
replace speaker wires as well at least 12 gauge. especially for the sub. the thicker the better, the more $$$ as well, but well worth it. I have 6 gauge running to my sub...
If you have $1000 speakers, $1000 amps, $1000 head unit, don't connect them with $5 wires from walmart.
there a myriad of amplifiers on the market...xtant (www.xtant.com), these are what I have. I have two running 13 speakers in all.
I am sure many others offer great amps...the xtant 3 channels, one of them is a 2 x 60W (front) @ 4 ohm + 360 W mono out (for sub) @ 2ohm. The great thing about these amps is they offer passive outputs 2 more channels (60W each) to make this really a five channel amp for rear fills. These 2 channels run off of the front but you can control them...0dB, -4dB, -8dB depending on how you want your front stage to sound.
Just some ideas.
Hope it helps.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,394
Likes: 0
From: Bay Area CA
I agree with most things that lit said. 4 gauge for your power wire, fused at the battery (within 18" or so, I personally don't go over 12") run through the firewall to relatively close to your amp location, then fused again, usually 40-60amp here, and converted to 8 gauge to make connection easy at the amplifier.
With regards to the gauge of the speaker wire, I personally have never found an ounce of difference between say 16 gauge and 6 gauge for the length of your typical sub connection. In fact I have run LAMP CORD for speaker wire and noticed zero degredation in signal quality. Most subs are run less than 5' in cable length and it takes some REALLY shyt wire to have any noticeable deterioration in that length. Not saying you are incorrect Lit, just stating my personal experience.
I have always spent decent $$$ on RCA's, and I have always run basically 16 gauge Radio shack speaker cable.
Fej
With regards to the gauge of the speaker wire, I personally have never found an ounce of difference between say 16 gauge and 6 gauge for the length of your typical sub connection. In fact I have run LAMP CORD for speaker wire and noticed zero degredation in signal quality. Most subs are run less than 5' in cable length and it takes some REALLY shyt wire to have any noticeable deterioration in that length. Not saying you are incorrect Lit, just stating my personal experience.
I have always spent decent $$$ on RCA's, and I have always run basically 16 gauge Radio shack speaker cable.
Fej