Audio setup advice

[Sonic]

I can see your logic there Andy. I like your idea regarding removing the amps and subs for occasional boot use, but how do you intend to easily rewire the speakers? You will have the amp driven wires coming from the boot and then headunit driven wires from up front. Have you some clever box in mind to manage the speaker supplies?

:mischeif:

Ive come up with a couple of ways, the coolest being with automatic A/B switches, but the easiest is to hot-plug the wires running to the speakers from the boot, same with the wires from the amp, and wires that could be run from the headunit to the boot.

That way you could just unplug the amp and connect the headunit amp's in the boot. Obviously you want to be using very high quality connectors.

I would be tempted to advise you to use only one sub, as I find I have to turn mine down anyway. (Unless you want to blow the doors off the local boy racers with your stereo as well, then go ahead and run the 2 JL 10's.... )

as well...

Im inclined to think you might be right though. I was thinking that the dual sub's would provide tighter response rather than massively increased volume

DVC?

Dual Voice Coil - http://www.crutchfield.com/S-DkaDjDv...fers_dual.html

[Sonic]

Did you have a cd changer or does the loom have the coaxial audio cables from the changer. You could hook these up in reverse.

Ill be buying one of those Alpine CDA-9886Rs's you recommended

Then running RCA from the HU to amp's

http://www.bassjunkies.com/index.php?pid=33707&show=expand_image

[borderS2]

Dual Voice Coil!

I see, for a second there i was looking at 4 speakers in the boot! back to my original idea of using the Monster tannoys.
You defo do not want to wire those up wrong!
D

[borderS2]

power

It's funny how many watts suit different applications
I play bass in a band, used to use a 4 x 10 Trace Elliot combo 300w, tickled it along at 2 most of the time. Swapped it for a 1 x 10 Trace Elliot 150w, 20cm x 50cm x 65cm, heavy but small. I still only run this at half power at most, even in quite big halls and competeing against live drums, guitar 50w-100w and PA 1000w+ with monitors and still get heard.
D

[Rusty]

I ran 2 4ohm subs in parallel and thus 2ohm. As the amp is 2ohm stable I would either run 1 dual voice coil sub ported or a pair of single coil subs. Both ways you're using the amp at 2ohm. Don't underestimate how good a ported enclosure is Sonic. Worth trying both TBH.

As for amp adjustments, there's enough there to keep you playing for days, if you get a bling head unit then you'll have control of everything in duplicate.

I would set the amp crossovers to 100Hz to protect the speakers and then adjust the crossover off the head unit. If you run a pair of subs in that box, sealed, then you can run them quite high as they'll be very tight.

Good luck with it all. It'll take you a while to get it all setup but it'll be worth it.

Box wise, take that one apart and use the parts as templates. Make sure you varnish and seal the inside and joins. Put batons on the large faces and stuff it full of fibreglass loft insulation. It all makes a difference.

As already said, any remote assistance I can give, call, email, whatever

[Fat Audi 80]

:mischeif:

Ive come up with a couple of ways, the coolest being with automatic A/B switches, but the easiest is to hot-plug the wires running to the speakers from the boot, same with the wires from the amp, and wires that could be run from the headunit to the boot.

That way you could just unplug the amp and connect the headunit amp's in the boot. Obviously you want to be using very high quality connectors.



as well...

Im inclined to think you might be right though. I was thinking that the dual sub's would provide tighter response rather than massively increased volume



Dual Voice Coil - http://www.crutchfield.com/S-DkaDjDv...fers_dual.html

Of course you can run the additional speaker cables from the HU to the boot and have some connections in there. You would then need a male to female plug and socket with the socket being duplicated for both the HU and the AMP connections. This would allow you to change the connection in the boot. My only concern with that would be running a LOT of cables backwards and forwards in the car whilst ensuring the sound quality remains from an interference point of view. It can be done, but will be a lot of work to install.

As for the tighter response. IMO a tighter response will come purely from the use of either 8", 10", 12" or bigger subs. Having 2 x 10" subs will only add to the volume produced. I am prepared to be proven wrong though.

That said, 2 x 10" subs will require less effort to produce the same level of sound compared to 1 10" sub and will sound fantastic, especially if you do ever want to "show off"

Cheers,

Steve.

[Rusty]

My 2 Alpine Bass ZRs in an 80 litre ported enclosure could distort your vision, nice and punchy too. I miss bass but then I use the boot and don't want the weight... might sort a 12" out for the BM.

[Henkjan]

As for the tighter response. IMO a tighter response will come purely from the use of either 8", 10", 12" or bigger subs. Having 2 x 10" subs will only add to the volume produced. I am prepared to be proven wrong though.

That said, 2 x 10" subs will require less effort to produce the same level of sound compared to 1 10" sub

you gave the answer yourself.... double the cone area = half the cone excursion for the same sound level = less distortion = cleaner sound

[Sonic]

Ive come up with some adjustments to the final audio plan.

I spent some time looking for a 4" component setup that matched the power i was after, rather than a single 2-way coax, and would fit into the stock location - the MB Quart RUA-210 look like they will meet these requirements.

Ive also changed the sub's to be single voice coil @ 4ohm so i can run them in parallel.

[Fat Audi 80]

Nice!

[Rusty]

Wot he said

The twin sub setup will be ace, in that small box you'll be able to run them quite high (150Hz) so you can cross over the 4s and 5s at 150Hz / 125Hz respectively.

This will sound great when it's all installed

[Jamo]

Wot he said

The twin sub setup will be ace, in that small box you'll be able to run them quite high (150Hz) so you can cross over the 4s and 5s at 150Hz / 125Hz respectively.

This will sound great when it's all installed

80 Hz tops for subs IMO

I tend to run my sub crossover either at 63 HZ with slender slope or 80 with the steepest possible on the crossover.

Cap the 4's at 125Hz and the 5 at 80 and above. If you had better rears cross at 63 Hz
tried and tested one that

[Jamo]

Ive come up with some adjustments to the final audio plan.

I spent some time looking for a 4" component setup that matched the power i was after, rather than a single 2-way coax, and would fit into the stock location - the MB Quart RUA-210 look like they will meet these requirements.

Ive also changed the sub's to be single voice coil @ 4ohm so i can run them in parallel.

I'd have been tempted to keep the dual voice coils and run the amps in stereo from the amp. Most modern headunits and the Alpine certainly does allows you to chose either Mono or stereo RCA output to the amp.

Then you have 2 ohm's on each channel of the amp. Of course if yours is a monoblock amp you can't do this.

What amp is it?

Or use a 1 ohm stable amp.

[Sonic]

Yeah the sub amp is a monoblock, 2ohm stable.

The amp's have filters on them, so if i set the sub LPF to 80, the 5.25" HPF to 80 and the 4" HPF to 125 that will give me the desired split?

Or should i just use the HU...

[Fat Audi 80]

Don't use the HU. It will sounds pants in comparison to the amplifier.

I see nothing wrong with those settings. I have variable crossovers on my Amp, so can play with the settings a little more and "tune" it by ear a little if I want to.

You will be fine with what you have suggested.

IMO, the biggest influence on a good system will be the design of your sub box, ported will sound different to sealed (what are your subs designed to run with?)

Cheers,

Steve