Ok, I can't believe I'm doing this. When I bought my C5, I told myself that I wasn't going to do anything to the stereo but add a sub/amp that I had in my other car. Well, that all changed last night when I got my XM radio installed.

I'm going to put a simple (KEYWORD IS SIMPLE) audiophile setup in my C5. Keep the stock bose HU, get a single sub, get a good set of components, and get a single 4ch amp to power it all. If I could afford it, I would go with McIntosh amps and Dynaudio components (and change out the HU), but here in the real world money matters. Here's how it looks so far:

SUB: Image Dynamics ID12 v.3
COMPONENTS: CDT CL-61
AMP: help!!

I'm not sure what to do about the amp. Here is what I've come up with (cheapest first and most expensive last):

phoenix gold octane-r R5.0:4
kicker kx600.4
rockford fosgate punch 700x
jl audio 300/4
ppi pcx-480
phoenix gold Ti500.4
(soundstream and MTX was intentionally left out... I will not buy those amps)

I want to spend around $250 max on an amp, so that kills the PG Ti500.4 and the PPI PCX-480. The PG Octane-R is a new amp that goes for $180 and looks great on paper, but I'm guessing the quality is leaning toward their Tantrum rather than their Titanium series amps.

I care about SQ with SPL being a distant second. So by getting rid of the PG Ti500.4 (due to price), what are my choices for SQ? I'm really leaning toward the JL 300/4... help!!

Now for some newbie questions.
- Since the ID sub will be 4ohm DVC, can I wire the two rear channels to each voice coil? I seem to recall that doing that is a no-no, but maybe someone here can help me.

- I'm going to mount the amp vertically in my C5 coupe right above the center storage compartment. But how do I do that? The interior moulding is flimsy and I can't imagine it would be a solid mount for an amp. Remove that piece and build a solid mount for it?

- How difficult is it going to be to get the CDT CL-61's in the doors? Is it just a matter of fabricating a simple wooden template for them?

Thanks guys.... as you can tell the audio bug has bitten me again :cry

 

get the JL amp :thumbs:

 

I would go with the JL amp as well.

You are dead on about this one. If you can you need to buy a dual 2 ohm driver and wire it up in series and then bridge the rear channels of the amp to that 4 ohm load.

I haven't done it personally but you should be able to do it ok. You can even used bolts as you can access the rear of the panel to nut the bolts through the two inner brake lights.

It is as simple as fabricating up a wooden template for them. If you want, vrumvrum is making nylon mounting plates on a cnc machine just for this application. You can contact him if you don't want to worry about making your own.

 

Another vote for the jl amp... great driver choices btw. See if you cant find a deal on a cdt HD set, the mid is a lot better. I prefer them over Dynaudio.



[Modified by Kale, 3:44 PM 4/27/2003]

 

Not to highjack this nice man's thread or anything, but how easy is it to keep the stock HU in a setup like this, and how much are you killing the sound quality by doing so? I'm considering the same thing.

Thanks,

 

Personally, I'd go for the HD's rather than the CL's. Email me at Dvn@attbi.com if you're interested in a set, my dealer is having a sale right now and he has amazing prices.

Dynaudios are great drivers. But I sold my 340 comp set for a pair of CDT ES's :)

JL has great amps. Eclipse's should be around the same price range and are about the same build quality.

 

after you add a sub to the stock system, you will want to replace it. Trust me!

 

I ordered CDT CL61's from zeb for $150 (paint defect), an IDQ 2ohm DVC for $150, a JL 300/4 amp for $379, and a birchwood sub box (it's lighter than MDF) from Mike76002. Sigh, $830 for a "simple" stereo upgrade. :(

I hope I'm happy with the stock HU once I get all this installed... I'm a little skeptical with a couple of my choices since it's been so long since I've been in "the scene" with car audio but I hope it turns out ok. On the flip side, I'm not a stereo enthusiast but like good sound; r&b to thump, electronic pop to zap, jazz to sound deep and hear each instrument, metal to scratch, and classical for accuracy.

My last system was back in '96 or so with MB Quart seperates, two JBL 12" subs, alpine HU, audio control xover, and crappy amps. It sounded great at the time, but technology caught up with it (and I sold the car it was installed in). So now I'm buying a high quality amp with a great built-in xover, SQ sub, and seperates that appease the masses. I'm hoping the speaker choices blend well together, but I'm skeptical since I might have bought too much sub and that the CDTs are entry level. But since some of you guys compare CDT HD's to Dynaudio and all agree that CDT CTs are in their own league vs. today's MB Quarts; maybe it will work out. Then there's the HU!! Well, at least I'm confident in my amp choice!! Thanks for the help everyone, I'll post a follow-up with some pictures in a few weeks. :skep:

 

No one would consider an idq12 too much sub, its a SQ sub. It wont break windows, it will just sound great and blend nicely with the comps.

CDT CL's are the entry level CDTs, but still sound great.. the midbass is a little less strong than the HD's.. thats the big difference. The CL's cant be touched by anything under $200.

The HU would be my only concern in your set up, otherwise, you picked some great equipment.

 

I like the equipment you are talking about, I just don't like the approach. My opinion is that even with the best amps and components, with the stock HU, you are getting a stock HU signal. Not to mention zero features related to settting up the system and making small adjustments at the HU (eq, crossovers, subwoofer control, etc.). If money is an issue, do it in stages.
I'd start with the HU. You don't need to go nutz, but a mid level Alpine will do wonders for your overall system sound. Go with something like the Alpine 9811, front components and an amp for them. Skip the sub, box and sub amp for now. If you plan ahead, you can use a 4 channel amp for the components and use it later when you add the sub. The JL300/4 is a good amp, but not enough power for a sub. If you want to stick with one amp, take a look at the 450/4 or 500/5.



[Modified by leolufse, 12:33 PM 4/29/2003]

 

I agree 100%, the little bass and treble dials on the HU won't cut it.