Sound System Set Up

[dheeter]

I am going to be getting my sound system over the next month or so. This is my first set up so I would like some imput on my selections and help with what I havent decided on yet.

Head unit: Alpine IVA W505

Front Speakers: 6.5" Focal Components (not sure what model but they will be the poly kevlar series) 80 Watts RMS

Rear speakers: 6.5" Focal Coaxels 70 Watts RMS

Subwoofer: 10" Boston Acoustics G5 450 Watts RMS

Amps: JL Audio 4 way for the speakers and a mono for the sub

What RMS rating should I be looking at for the speakers?

What is the difference between 4 ohm and 2 ohm subwoofers, and which is perferred?

For the sub amp should I find one that matches the RMS rating of the sub, or is it ok if it is a little under?

What amp kits should I go with?

Please let me know if you have a valid opinion on any of this stuff. And feel free to suggest alternatives, just let me know why.

Thanks.

 

[mytyeerinpie]

I am going to be getting my sound system over the next month or so. This is my first set up so I would like some imput on my selections and help with what I havent decided on yet.

Head unit: Alpine IVA W505

Front Speakers: 6.5" Focal Components (not sure what model but they will be the poly kevlar series) 80 Watts RMS

Rear speakers: 6.5" Focal Coaxels 70 Watts RMS

Subwoofer: 10" Boston Acoustics G5 450 Watts RMS

Amps: JL Audio 4 way for the speakers and a mono for the sub

What RMS rating should I be looking at for the speakers?

What is the difference between 4 ohm and 2 ohm subwoofers, and which is perferred?

For the sub amp should I find one that matches the RMS rating of the sub, or is it ok if it is a little under?

What amp kits should I go with?

Please let me know if you have a valid opinion on any of this stuff. And feel free to suggest alternatives, just let me know why.

Thanks.

First off I would like to commend you for choosing sucha great brand for your front stage. not very many speakers sound as good as Focal.


Anyway, if they are rated at 70 w RMS I would give them that, you may lose out on some sound if you don't.


As far as the ohm load on the sub, it depends on what amp you get. If you get one that is 2 ohm stable then go with a 2 ohm sub, likewise for a 4 ohm sub. Most amps (good ones) will be rated at 4 and 2 ohms or 1 ohm and up.

NOW if you get a dual 4 ohm voice coil sub you can run it at 4 or 2 ohms, if you get a single voice coil sub you have less options.

 

[Clemsonfan15]

I agree with mytyeerinpie. It all depends on the amp and what ohm level it makes it's power at. I would only buy an amp that makes it's power at 1 ohm or lower. In that case you would need a DVC 2 ohm sub to get to a 1 ohm load.

What are you doing for a box?

It's fine to give a speaker less power, it's only when you give it more when you have to be careful.

Kicker and Knukonceptz make good wiring kits.

 

[dheeter]

Thanks for the replies.

So the sub is a 4 ohm and the amp is rated at 4 ohms and 2 ohms, I think I will be going with the jl audio 500/1v2. Is this not a good choice? I dont think I have ever seen an amp rated below 1 ohm. I was under the impression that jl made some of the best amps.

As far as the box goes I will be using the one from bass forms that is specific for the 4runner.
http://www.bassforms.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BF1124RUN

I am a little concerned tho because the g5 reccommends a sealed box volume of 0.5 cf and the bassforms box is 0.92 cf. What affect will this have on the sound?

 

[Clemsonfan15]

The sub is a DVC?

Plenty of amps are stable below 1 ohm, but you don't need that kind of power.

Even though that box looks good it probably is not ideal for the sub. I would look into making a box that has the specific qualities that the sub needs, such as cubic feet and what it is tuned to, assuming it's ported.

 

[mytyeerinpie]

The sub is a DVC?

Plenty of amps are stable below 1 ohm, but you don't need that kind of power.

Even though that box looks good it probably is not ideal for the sub. I would look into making a box that has the specific qualities that the sub needs, such as cubic feet and what it is tuned to, assuming it's ported.

I compete I guess you could call it professionally in sound competitions, ( I am on a couple teams but no one is paid so I guess qualifies as professional)

Any way I couldn't agree more with clemsonfan. The only thing I can tell you to be of more help is check out this site
http://www.caraudioclassifieds.org/forum/

They have a whole section many pages long of tutorials that can help you SOOOOOOOO much. To find equipment used = cheap! and still the BEST quality. Much better than anything you could get at a store.

JL is good stuff BUT VERY overpriced. You could get 2 X the amp/sub whatever for a fraction of what you would pay for a JL (unless you are getting it used )

 

[tarheeltp17]

first off, a DVC 4 ohm gives you the option to run at 2 ohm or 8 ohm... Running just a single voice coil is baaaad. There is seriously not a difference between a DVC sub and SVC, other than the DVC allows you to wire it optimize power for your amp.

Also 1 ohm stable amps aren't the greatest choices for people won't don't understand what distortion is. Running at 1 ohm means your amp is going to heat up pretty fast, and the hotter it gets the greater chance you've got at blowing it. I'm sure someone will argue with that, but just my 2 cents and 5 years in the industry.

Believe it or not, I've seen more damaged equipment from under powering than over powering speakers. Here's the logic behind it... If a speaker can continuously play 40-50 watts before you hear it distort and you are powering it with a 50 watt x 4 amplifier (true 50, not deck power 50)... You are having to max out the amplifier but your speakers can handle the power, however your amp is now sending out a very distorted signal and is driving itself to full capacity... you get the idea. A 300/4 will do the job nicely on a set of Focals, and if you're feeling rich you could step up to the HD6004.

The whole thing with power is that when you start hearing distortion, back the volume down. I do tons on installs on boats where I actually go to the marina/dock and do the install. I don't like going back for warranty work, so to make sure a customer doesn't blow their stuff up, I max out the volume on the radio, go to the amp and turn the gain up until I hear distortion, and then knock the gain back just a bit.

The problem with used equipment..No warranty. There are some deals to be had, just be careful.

I don't agree JL is overpriced. JL is pricey, but so is BMWs, Mercedes, etc...

 

[mytyeerinpie]

first off, a DVC 4 ohm gives you the option to run at 2 ohm or 8 ohm... Running just a single voice coil is baaaad. There is seriously not a difference between a DVC sub and SVC, other than the DVC allows you to wire it optimize power for your amp.

Also 1 ohm stable amps aren't the greatest choices for people won't don't understand what distortion is. Running at 1 ohm means your amp is going to heat up pretty fast, and the hotter it gets the greater chance you've got at blowing it. I'm sure someone will argue with that, but just my 2 cents and 5 years in the industry.

Believe it or not, I've seen more damaged equipment from under powering than over powering speakers. Here's the logic behind it... If a speaker can continuously play 40-50 watts before you hear it distort and you are powering it with a 50 watt x 4 amplifier (true 50, not deck power 50)... You are having to max out the amplifier but your speakers can handle the power, however your amp is now sending out a very distorted signal and is driving itself to full capacity... you get the idea. A 300/4 will do the job nicely on a set of Focals, and if you're feeling rich you could step up to the HD6004.

The whole thing with power is that when you start hearing distortion, back the volume down. I do tons on installs on boats where I actually go to the marina/dock and do the install. I don't like going back for warranty work, so to make sure a customer doesn't blow their stuff up, I max out the volume on the radio, go to the amp and turn the gain up until I hear distortion, and then knock the gain back just a bit.

The problem with used equipment..No warranty. There are some deals to be had, just be careful.

I don't agree JL is overpriced. JL is pricey, but so is BMWs, Mercedes, etc...

I have been doing audio for way less than 5 years, BUT I have a lil expierience, its amazing what you can blow in 2 years time..lol

Anyway tarheel is right about blowing the amp, you want your amps to always stay cool. I run a 3000D at .5ohm at the moment, its not covered under warrenty, but I know my amp and my elecrical system. The amp stays cold to the touch.

I set my gaind just like tarheel said turn the HU about 3/4 of the way up (you won't even listen to it all the way up and you'll create clipping which is what burns stuff up.) turn the gain up until it destorts just a little bit. then turn it down a pinch.


I already fried one amp because I let it get hot, it is a costly mistake and pretty scary when you have smoke stinking up your car and you don't know where its coming from....

To figure out what ohm load you want from the sub to be BEST with your amp go here

http://www.the12volt.com/caraudio/woofer_configurations.asp

 

[dheeter]

I appreciate all the replies. Unfortunatly, this is still a little over my head, ha ha ha. I am not looking for a sub that sets off car alarms, I want it to complement the rest of the system nicely. The most important aspect for me with the box is that it does not take up any cargo space, so that really limits my options.

As far as all the components go, I would rather spend the money upfront to get quality stuff, than have to go back and do it again later and spend even more money.

I am still trying to keep the cost down but still get quality components. I recently found this http://www.crutchfield.com/p_130AVHP410/Pioneer-AVH-P4100DVD.html?tp=75
and am considering it over the alpine w505.

I am also considering holding off on the sub for a while due to the fact I am looking at putting nearly a grand into the sub, amp and box. Do you think it is more work than its worth to go back in and put a sub in later?

If you have any reccomendations for 10" subs or amps let me know. Thanks.

 

[tarheeltp17]

I can tell you I recently dropped Pioneer from my lineup at my store. The AVIC-F series ruined it for me and just couldn't take a chance at getting another horrible set of head units. My 5 year old desktop computer booted up faster than the F series.

Personally I'd check out the Kenwood DDX514 if you are looking for a basic unit. The DDX614 is the same thing with built in bluetooth.

The most important thing when buying a sub and amp is to be honest with yourself. If you honestly just want something to fill in some bass, a single 10" JL W1 running off a small amp will suffice. But, get real... most people want to jam out everyonce in a while. Step up to something that can handle a true 300 watts RMS. A 10W3 running off an Alpine MRPM500 is one of my favorite setups to get good bass with not a lot of money. Sub is about $240, amp another $200, box $40, wires $30... so a little over $500 + your install. You could easily get out for under $650 installed on the sub and amp including tax and this is at full retail.

"As far as all the components go, I would rather spend the money upfront to get quality stuff, than have to go back and do it again later and spend even more money. "

Finally! Someone who likes doing things right the first time! I hate telling people to save their money since I work on commission, but seriously don't waste your money if you know you really want the next model up.

 

[dheeter]

I can tell you I recently dropped Pioneer from my lineup at my store. The AVIC-F series ruined it for me and just couldn't take a chance at getting another horrible set of head units. My 5 year old desktop computer booted up faster than the F series.

Personally I'd check out the Kenwood DDX514 if you are looking for a basic unit. The DDX614 is the same thing with built in bluetooth.

The most important thing when buying a sub and amp is to be honest with yourself. If you honestly just want something to fill in some bass, a single 10" JL W1 running off a small amp will suffice. But, get real... most people want to jam out everyonce in a while. Step up to something that can handle a true 300 watts RMS. A 10W3 running off an Alpine MRPM500 is one of my favorite setups to get good bass with not a lot of money. Sub is about $240, amp another $200, box $40, wires $30... so a little over $500 + your install. You could easily get out for under $650 installed on the sub and amp including tax and this is at full retail.

"As far as all the components go, I would rather spend the money upfront to get quality stuff, than have to go back and do it again later and spend even more money. "

Finally! Someone who likes doing things right the first time! I hate telling people to save their money since I work on commission, but seriously don't waste your money if you know you really want the next model up.

Yeah, as far as the sub goes I want something qualiy that will hit hard when I want it to. I listen to mostly rock n' roll, but I do listen to rap a lot. The bottom line is I wont compromise on the box, it must be stealth. The amps must be hidden as well. I am really OCD about things looking "clean" and not like a high school kid threw a sub and amp in the trunk. And I am willing to pay for what I want, or I dont get it.

With the screen, the most important things to me are the ipod interface, the overall interface and the resolution. I wanted the kenwood 7120 or 8120 with the navi, but the resolution was so poor I could never justify spending that much on something that looked like it was made 5 years ago. I bought a garmin navi, because of how poor the quality was compared to a $200 garmin, with exception the kenwoods a very basic garmin software.

I want to be able to scroll through artists and playlists quickly and easily. And I want the overall appearance, resolution and interface to look like something that is modern for 2009. So far I am having a hell of a time finding it. The technology just seems to be so far behind all other consumer electronics.

Tarheel, I appreciate the help.

 

[tarheeltp17]

Alpine drops a lot of cash into their screens... Almost anyone in the industry will admit they have the best screen by far. However, check with your locals in a few weeks when they have the new kenwood stuff in stock. The DDX514 and 614 are already out... the 714 and 814 should be out soon. The garmin interface is updated to match the newest garmins and the interface got another redesign. You might lack a little bit in the screen resolution, but that screen resolution is no good when the radio is not user friendly!

To get stealth with the sub, you'll have to do something similar to a stealthbox by JL audio. It's pricey, but its what you are after.