Any Car Audio Guys Out There?? HELP!!

philromero215

philromero215

New member
So Im trying to get some car audio help. I tried calling the local audio place and they start rattling off crap that i need and then total it up and I laughed in their face. So.... its kinda obvious they mark up their stuff like crazy. I wanted to get all my stuff from ebay and then install it myself. Im good with running the wires and everything, but I really dont know what I need and its been over 12 years since i set up a sub and amp stereo system. So if anyone is local to the Bay Area and want to help or can walk me thru this that would be awesome!!!

Heres what I got

JVC Double din head unit
front doors---2 OEM JBL tweeters, 2- 2 way Focal 6x9's
rear doors--- 2- 2way JL audio 6.5's

these are running straight off the head unit.

I just got 2 more OEM JBL tweeters that mount in the rear corners of the cargo area and a JL audio 8w3v3 8" sub with a box.

Im not sure what amp to get and what else I need. How many channels? How many amps?

PLEASE HELP
 
Register to hide this ad
One amp will do it. Some people would put in 2: one for the fronts and one for the rears. It all depends on how much money you want to spend and if you're trying to just sound good or create an audiophile-quality system.

I'm assuming you got crossovers with the speakers? If not, get an amp with a built-in crossover.
 
Do you want the speakers to continue running off the headunit? They would more than likely sound better with an amp on them.

You definitely need an amp for that subwoofer. It says it's max RMS is 250 watts. Normally class D amps are used to run subwoofers.

If you wanted to amp your speakers you could run a 5 channel amp. That would mean four channels for the speakers and one channel for the subwoofer. Or you could use a four channel and a separate mono d class amplifier.

Your going to need a wiring kit for the amp or amps.
 
5 channel would work for simplicity, but i would start with a mono block (1 channel) class D amp for the sub. See how that sounds and if the head unit sounds fine for the speakers. This is how mine is set up right now. Clarity will improve greatly with an amp on the speakers, but with only one 8" sub i doubt you'll need the extra power. It should balance out nicely IMHO.
 
why are u running a mix of jbl with focal? i would stick with focal since i owned them in the truck also, also do not get focal off ebay, so many fakes out there, expect to pay a premium for real authentic speakers. if u are basic, just use the focal 165 access series, use that both front and back, its more better than the jl audio. so use some focal 165 CA1 in the rear and 165 A1 in the front, also u have to buld some mdf spacers. if u want the best for those speakers, i suggest u to dynamat the doors b4 the speaker install. also amp the focals too. a good amp with 50-100 watts a channel is fine, i used to use a 300/4 from jl audio to power it. for the sub i use rockford fosgate punch 300-1 because of the price. i wouldnt recommend spending alot for the jl 250/1. i own 2 300/2 and a 500/1 , it works great for my set up.
 
Im running Focals in the front doors because they were out of stock of the jl's I wanted for the front so i just got the focals. Im not a HUGE stereo guru.... I do like good sound and clarity... Im more of a wheeler than a street roller.... so the 10000 dollar stereo setup just doesnt matter to me. The JBL's are stock and sound just fine to me. I just wanted a little bass and I was told the JL audio 8w3 sounds killer.... its no 12 but itll do for me. All the other speakers are running off the head unit.

I looked at tons of amps and I just got a 2 channel MTX that I will bridge for 200watts rms at 4ohms. I wanted to get a JL amp, but im not pushin 2 12's or anything like that.... its just an 8. I also thought about getting another amp for the 2-JL's and 2-focals. I really dont wanna spend a fortune, but I do want good quality. I looked up reviews on the MTX amps and heard great stuff. I went with that cuz it was on sale at crutchfield.
 
Hey, my friend and I are very experienced installers; I was eyeing your leather seats but can't possibly afford your asking price... would you consider cash + install help in trade for the leather seats? Just putting it out there. I live in SF by golden gate park :)

I also have a JL 10w3v2, amazing sub, planning on putting into my 4runner soon once I find or make a box. Did you get a LOC adapter for the JBL system already? I'm still researching the best way to replace the stock JBL sub myself.
 
Last edited:
the 8 w3 will sound a lil louder if its ported :) i ran the old jl audio 8.2 microsub on a 500/1, hit really good for being over powered. yes they are rated 125w each, sinces its a 8w1 series.
 
Wow!!!! This jl 8w3 sounds ridiculous!!! I ended up running a 2 channel amp and bridging it for 200watts rms at 4ohms. I think max rms for the w3 was like 225 or 250 so I think its powered perfect. I put the jl w3 in the stock jbl sub box. I had to do some modifications to the box to make it work. First I had to shave the inside of the box down behind the speaker... It still wouldn't fit, so I went to tap plastics and had a HDPE ring made to space out the speaker just right... I got a black 1" thick piece... 9" OD and 7 3/8" I'D I then sealed the ring to the box with black rtv and pressed the ring in... This gave me a new mounting surface for the speaker. I then trimmed the inside of the speaker plastic mesh from the panel. It still doesn't sit flush so I'm gonna cut out a circle and then get a 10" speaker screen and mount that to the outside panel to protect the speaker. But this this sounds Badass!!! It hits like a ten!
 
im telling u to put that 8w3 in a ported box, will be louder and better with that amp, ported subs do not need alot of power, but the sealed box do, so there will be a big difference if u try ported.
 
Well it sounds perfect for me... I don't want an annoying box in the back... I got 2 dobermans that chill in the back plus all my crap I take wheeling... I need all the space I can get
 
The OEM JBL tweeters that you are using should have a built in line crossover on them, so you can technically use them with your Focal speakers. But you will throw off your ohms (either adding resistance or reducing based on how you wire them together) altering your sound. You can go try crutchfield or partsexpress for a cheap cross over. This would be the same for the rear speakers as well.

Sub woofer configurations will depend on what sound you are looking for. A ported sub will definitely hit harder, but if you are not experienced with setting up the tube length (for the port) and want to keep things simple, a sealed box will be fine. Many audiophiles prefer sealed boxes as they tend to hold a tighter bass, even though they may not produce bass as low as a properly set up ported box and tend to sound more true to jazz and rock.

If you are going with a mono block amp for the sub, I would recommend a 4 channel amp (class A/B or D..since you state you are not a stereo guy) to even out the sound field. The difference will be listening to speakers vs feeling part of the music.

I could go into the pro's and con's of class A/B and D amps, but it sounds like you have most of your components.

FYI, in the rear passenger cargo area, behind the plastic molding, you should find a spot that you can mount and hide an amp. The JBL system amp would be located there if you had that option. A low wattage (or an amp not pushed too hard) should work fine in that space. A class D amp generates less heat and would do well there if you want more wattage.
 
Last edited:
gota mod the jbl box in the cargo a little to make it a ported enclosure, usually adding a tube of pipes will work.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 539 (members: 0, guests: 539)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,312
Messages
3,554,083
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top