What Am I Going to Do Right - Audio Version
- Thread starter tbst
- Start date
Ok, ill put my input on this. I usually stay away from car audio threads as it usually turns into a this is better than this is better than this flame fight. I am only going to begin to skim the surface even though it seems like alot of information.
My experience in car audio, 13 1st place and 3 2nd place competition trophys in both sql and spl competitions as well as designing winning competition systems for others.
First things first, head unit. This is the absolute KEY to a great sounding system. You can have a great head unit that will make low quality speakers sound great and at the same time, a low quality head unit that will make amazing speakers sound like crap.
To be 100% honest, your deck is on the low end of the spectrum. If you are truely wanting pure sql (sound quality) the first thing I would reccomend is to replace the headunit, preferably one that does NOT have an internal amplifier (I will discuss this later)
The next thing I will tell you before going any further is DO NOT BELIEVE the power ratings you read on ANYTHING. Example: I had an spl system in my 95 VW jetta. The amp was a kicker SX-400.2 and the subs were 2004 model kicker comp vr dvc (dual voice coil) 12"s. The subs were "rated" at 500rms and 1000max each. The amp was rated at 150watts rms per channel at 2ohms and 400 watts rms bridged at 1ohm. The build sheet from kicker showed it at 432 watts rms at 1 ohm.
So, according to the "rated" power of the amp and subs, I would be short 68 watts per sub just to hit rms "ratings" however, the amp had more than enough power to run BOTH subs until they started distorting while never getting anywhere near thermal shutdown. With the custom tuned box, I was able to hit 152.6db with a smooth spread in the 18-75hz range. This was just one of my many systems.
Newayz, back to your system now that ive warned you about trusting what they say on the box.
If you are not wanting to change decks, here is what I would suggest to stay in your budget and provide the best quality with what you are working with.
First off, at this point, do not worry about your rear speakers. The will always be drowned out by the fronts and are just a futher expense that can be changed later on.
I would personally go with a set of Boston Acoustics or MB Quart component sets for your fronts. I have also heard (never owned or listened) that the Focals and Alpine Type R components are good but the focals are CRAZY priced. The other current problem I see is after looking up your deck, you only have a rear and sub preamp outputs. This causes a problem because whatever you decide to get for the fronts are going to have to be powered by the deck insted of an external amplifier. This is the reason I am suggesting Boston Or MB Quarts as they have some of the highest S/N ratios and therefore will make the best use of the underpowered signal from the deck.
Your signal to noise ratio is simply the amount of sound that a speaker creates with 1 watt at a 1 foot distance. To be honest, I am not entirely sure how they test and come to the ratings but I do know that the higher the S/N ratio is, the more efficently the speaker will make use of the power and signal being fed from whatever the source.
If you do decide to replace the rears as well, you need to find a set of speakers thats frequency response and rolloff are similar to your fronts. This proves tricky in the 4 runner because the fronts and rears are different sizes and the smaller you go, the harder it is to produce lower frequencys and prevent peaks in higher frequencys. You need to match the fronts and rears as close as possible to create as much harmonic balance as possible. If your fronts are going to lower frequencys the rears cant match and the rears are "shreaking" at higher frequencys, you will be able to hear a noticable difference and the reproduction will sound unnatural.
Ok on to your amps. Ditch the pioneer. Do it now, dont think about it, just put it on cl and be done with it. Pioneers car audio has gone off the deep end over the past 5-6 years. They used to have some very nice competition decks and speakers however those days are long gone.
Alpine makes some very nice 4 channel amps (again, you would need to get a different deck). Stay away from any of the "off brands" such as boss, lanzar, legacy, coustic etc. Also stay away from fosgate, kicker and kenwood for anything other than sub amps. They make great sub amps but are not well known for their clarity on speakers.
Ok, subs. I hate talking subs. There is so much out there and when it comes to subs, its really down to how loud you want to go. Quality isnt as much of an issue since all a subwoofer has to do is move large amouts of air. Again however, stay away from off brands.
For the type of sound you are looking for along with they type of music you will be playing, I would reccomend a single 10" in a sealed .8-1.2 cubic foot box. This will give you very tight, punchy bass without the massive "boom" you hear from most systems.
Here is a list of what I would get if I were you for your $500 range.
Front Speakers:
MB Quart PVL216 6.5" 2-Way Premium Component/Coaxial | eBay
NEW BOSTON ACOUSTICS SC60 6.5" COMPONENT CAR SPEAKERS (0690283478193) | eBay
Rear Speakers:
(NOTE these will require Slight fabrication to mount tweeter)
MB Quart FSB 213 (FSB213) 5.25" 2-Way Formula Component Stereo Speaker (806576217671) | eBay
PAIR NEW BOSTON ACOUSTICS SC55 5.25" 2 WAY CAR SPEAKERS | eBay
Speaker Amp:
MB Quart ONX4.80 640 Watt RMS 4 Channel Amplifier Car Audio Amp ONX480 | eBay
NEW ALPINE MRX-F30 75WATTS RMS X 4-CHANNEL CAR STEREO AMPLIFIER MRXF30 | eBay
Sub Amp:
KICKER 2010 DX500.1 CLASS D AMPLIFIER MONO CAR AMP 500W | eBay
MRP-M500 ALPINE AMP MONOBLOCK 1000 W MAX SUB SUBWOOFER SPEAKER BASS AMPLIFIER | eBay
Subwoofer:
Kicker S10L5-4 10" L5 Solo-Baric Car Subwoofer 08S10L5 | eBay
NEW ALPINE SWR-1043D 10" TYPE-R CAR SUB WOOFER SWR1043D (793276601551) | eBay
All of this together keeps you slightly above your $500 mark (and this was without searching for better prices) and will give you a great sounding system and an even better sounding if you get a good deck.
Hope this helps a little
My experience in car audio, 13 1st place and 3 2nd place competition trophys in both sql and spl competitions as well as designing winning competition systems for others.
First things first, head unit. This is the absolute KEY to a great sounding system. You can have a great head unit that will make low quality speakers sound great and at the same time, a low quality head unit that will make amazing speakers sound like crap.
To be 100% honest, your deck is on the low end of the spectrum. If you are truely wanting pure sql (sound quality) the first thing I would reccomend is to replace the headunit, preferably one that does NOT have an internal amplifier (I will discuss this later)
The next thing I will tell you before going any further is DO NOT BELIEVE the power ratings you read on ANYTHING. Example: I had an spl system in my 95 VW jetta. The amp was a kicker SX-400.2 and the subs were 2004 model kicker comp vr dvc (dual voice coil) 12"s. The subs were "rated" at 500rms and 1000max each. The amp was rated at 150watts rms per channel at 2ohms and 400 watts rms bridged at 1ohm. The build sheet from kicker showed it at 432 watts rms at 1 ohm.
So, according to the "rated" power of the amp and subs, I would be short 68 watts per sub just to hit rms "ratings" however, the amp had more than enough power to run BOTH subs until they started distorting while never getting anywhere near thermal shutdown. With the custom tuned box, I was able to hit 152.6db with a smooth spread in the 18-75hz range. This was just one of my many systems.
Newayz, back to your system now that ive warned you about trusting what they say on the box.
If you are not wanting to change decks, here is what I would suggest to stay in your budget and provide the best quality with what you are working with.
First off, at this point, do not worry about your rear speakers. The will always be drowned out by the fronts and are just a futher expense that can be changed later on.
I would personally go with a set of Boston Acoustics or MB Quart component sets for your fronts. I have also heard (never owned or listened) that the Focals and Alpine Type R components are good but the focals are CRAZY priced. The other current problem I see is after looking up your deck, you only have a rear and sub preamp outputs. This causes a problem because whatever you decide to get for the fronts are going to have to be powered by the deck insted of an external amplifier. This is the reason I am suggesting Boston Or MB Quarts as they have some of the highest S/N ratios and therefore will make the best use of the underpowered signal from the deck.
Your signal to noise ratio is simply the amount of sound that a speaker creates with 1 watt at a 1 foot distance. To be honest, I am not entirely sure how they test and come to the ratings but I do know that the higher the S/N ratio is, the more efficently the speaker will make use of the power and signal being fed from whatever the source.
If you do decide to replace the rears as well, you need to find a set of speakers thats frequency response and rolloff are similar to your fronts. This proves tricky in the 4 runner because the fronts and rears are different sizes and the smaller you go, the harder it is to produce lower frequencys and prevent peaks in higher frequencys. You need to match the fronts and rears as close as possible to create as much harmonic balance as possible. If your fronts are going to lower frequencys the rears cant match and the rears are "shreaking" at higher frequencys, you will be able to hear a noticable difference and the reproduction will sound unnatural.
Ok on to your amps. Ditch the pioneer. Do it now, dont think about it, just put it on cl and be done with it. Pioneers car audio has gone off the deep end over the past 5-6 years. They used to have some very nice competition decks and speakers however those days are long gone.
Alpine makes some very nice 4 channel amps (again, you would need to get a different deck). Stay away from any of the "off brands" such as boss, lanzar, legacy, coustic etc. Also stay away from fosgate, kicker and kenwood for anything other than sub amps. They make great sub amps but are not well known for their clarity on speakers.
Ok, subs. I hate talking subs. There is so much out there and when it comes to subs, its really down to how loud you want to go. Quality isnt as much of an issue since all a subwoofer has to do is move large amouts of air. Again however, stay away from off brands.
For the type of sound you are looking for along with they type of music you will be playing, I would reccomend a single 10" in a sealed .8-1.2 cubic foot box. This will give you very tight, punchy bass without the massive "boom" you hear from most systems.
Here is a list of what I would get if I were you for your $500 range.
Front Speakers:
MB Quart PVL216 6.5" 2-Way Premium Component/Coaxial | eBay
NEW BOSTON ACOUSTICS SC60 6.5" COMPONENT CAR SPEAKERS (0690283478193) | eBay
Rear Speakers:
(NOTE these will require Slight fabrication to mount tweeter)
MB Quart FSB 213 (FSB213) 5.25" 2-Way Formula Component Stereo Speaker (806576217671) | eBay
PAIR NEW BOSTON ACOUSTICS SC55 5.25" 2 WAY CAR SPEAKERS | eBay
Speaker Amp:
MB Quart ONX4.80 640 Watt RMS 4 Channel Amplifier Car Audio Amp ONX480 | eBay
NEW ALPINE MRX-F30 75WATTS RMS X 4-CHANNEL CAR STEREO AMPLIFIER MRXF30 | eBay
Sub Amp:
KICKER 2010 DX500.1 CLASS D AMPLIFIER MONO CAR AMP 500W | eBay
MRP-M500 ALPINE AMP MONOBLOCK 1000 W MAX SUB SUBWOOFER SPEAKER BASS AMPLIFIER | eBay
Subwoofer:
Kicker S10L5-4 10" L5 Solo-Baric Car Subwoofer 08S10L5 | eBay
NEW ALPINE SWR-1043D 10" TYPE-R CAR SUB WOOFER SWR1043D (793276601551) | eBay
All of this together keeps you slightly above your $500 mark (and this was without searching for better prices) and will give you a great sounding system and an even better sounding if you get a good deck.
Hope this helps a little
Last edited:
tbst
New member
Your insight is very informative.
I am going to go with an Alpine amp for sure.
I am already stuck with the Polk components up front.
And the Pioneer amp. I think I will use that for a subwoofer, and then upgrade to a mono alpine in the future.
So you're saying my hu cannot let the amp power the front speakers? Just want to make sure I am right.
Also, you feel that MB quart is good stuff?
tbst
New member
Yeah, I am going to go with a 10" DVC and build the box.
MDF is expensive as hell here! $32 a sheet.
tbst
New member
I cannot decide if I should go with the MRP or the MRX. $15 dollar difference. One digital, one not.
I think for my very limited setup, the efficiency savings from using digital is not worth it?
The foot print difference is 107.7 in^2 for the MRP and 88.9 in^2 for the MRX. If it is going under the seat, I think it is minimal at best.
What do you guys think? Gonna pull the trigger once I get affirmation either way.
Also, there are a few used on ebay for $100. Worth it over new?
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BrianSD_42
New member
I have the MRX-F30 paired with a set of Kappas and 2004 Apline CDA-9835 and it sounds really great.
My only weak point is the subs. They do not sound that clean. I am thinking of switching to a single 10/12.
Does anyone have any suggestions for performance test tracks? What exact music do you listen to in order to go wow?
For rock music testing I sometimes pump in these artists because their recordings are SO clean: Queen, Tool anything Trent Renzor.
Vicarious by Tool
I want it All by Queen
The Day The World Went Away by NIN
99 Problems by Jay-Z
I bring this up because a lot of artist's recordings actually sound sh$ttier the louder you play them while some artists made the investment of a top notch recording studio.
:bat:
My only weak point is the subs. They do not sound that clean. I am thinking of switching to a single 10/12.
Does anyone have any suggestions for performance test tracks? What exact music do you listen to in order to go wow?
For rock music testing I sometimes pump in these artists because their recordings are SO clean: Queen, Tool anything Trent Renzor.
Vicarious by Tool
I want it All by Queen
The Day The World Went Away by NIN
99 Problems by Jay-Z
I bring this up because a lot of artist's recordings actually sound sh$ttier the louder you play them while some artists made the investment of a top notch recording studio.
:bat:
Last edited:
tbst
New member
I think when first jumping into the audio thing it is really easy to get caught up in power. Specifically RMS ratings.
But if you are listening to music at a normal level most of the time, it is generally irrelevant (to a point), no?
tbst
New member
Sonic Sub Boxes 1SL10-1.0-GRAY (1sl1010-gray) Single 10" Sealed
I have been building stuff since I was real youn. In the 12 years since then it seems more and more it is cheaper to buy Chinese made stuff than do anything yourself anymore.
Raw goods have gone up in price, premade have flooded the market, hence downward trend.
But yeah, I will buy a box from there. Less headache.
BrianSD_42
New member
Well the Alpine amp I have almost too loud for my needs. When doing a test at 21/30 volume with the gain set to normal and x-over at 80 the (4) Kappas have no distortion and are perfectly clean but it is SO f#ucking loud it makes my ears hurt so I turn it down.
I don't mean "hear you do the block loud" I mean sitting inside the car. I layered the entire enterior a few years ago with poor mans dynamat so very little sound escapes unless I roll down all the windows.
I don't mean "hear you do the block loud" I mean sitting inside the car. I layered the entire enterior a few years ago with poor mans dynamat so very little sound escapes unless I roll down all the windows.
tbst
New member
A little peel and seal? I think I may be going that route as well. Mainly because I want to do it this weekend and Lowes is close.
You ever get any smell?
BrianSD_42
New member
I used roofing mat from a supply store. I did this several years ago and pulled out the whole enterior. The smell only lasted 3 days. I live in San Diego and its perfect weather for this application. If you live in death valley or Canada then maybe you should consider something else.
tbst
New member
brianemc2_42, this is for you.
I would of had to drive from Morgantown to Pittsburgh to buy an amp off a kid that "couldn't get it to work when hooked up to his system" but is new in the box, apparently. And a Pioneer amp.
Would have been 4 hours of my time and $125 with amp and fuel.
Not worth it. This is delivered to my door brand new.
The reviews I have read on the Pioneer were never epic. Of course it has good reviews on sonicelectronixs and Amazon. However searching forums, like DIYaudiomobile never found anything saying the Pioneer is a BAMF.
So what I have so far:
Pioneer 5400T
Alpine MRP300
Kicker CVR 10" DVC 2 Ohm
Polk Db6501 Speakers
DB Link Wiring kit (the speaker wire is a joke that comes with it, going to buy better)
Looking for a box for the sub, gonna take up Nelsonmd and get one from sonicelectronix.
I would of had to drive from Morgantown to Pittsburgh to buy an amp off a kid that "couldn't get it to work when hooked up to his system" but is new in the box, apparently. And a Pioneer amp.
Would have been 4 hours of my time and $125 with amp and fuel.
Not worth it. This is delivered to my door brand new.
The reviews I have read on the Pioneer were never epic. Of course it has good reviews on sonicelectronixs and Amazon. However searching forums, like DIYaudiomobile never found anything saying the Pioneer is a BAMF.
So what I have so far:
Pioneer 5400T
Alpine MRP300
Kicker CVR 10" DVC 2 Ohm
Polk Db6501 Speakers
DB Link Wiring kit (the speaker wire is a joke that comes with it, going to buy better)
Looking for a box for the sub, gonna take up Nelsonmd and get one from sonicelectronix.
Last edited:
tbst
New member
I guess you can from my last post what I have going on.
Maybe some info as to how to properly "tune" the amp would be good, if you are willing.
Is this the best way to do it?
How to Set your Gains with a Multimeter - YouTube
BrianSD_42
New member
I am sure those Polk will sound very nice. I think Polk makes pretty good speakers. It is the same company: Polk / Infinity / Harmon Kardon but each product line is different.
:roadkill:
:roadkill:
Sorry its so late in my response. Had a busy night at work. Still here tho 
Ok so I will answer the "what music" question first.
This can be a bit tricky because just like cars, every piece of equipment is different. Something that might work for some might not work for others, what some people think sounds right may not sound right to others etc.
When I am tuning a car audio system, I focus mainly on the kind of sound I want and the music I will be listening to mostly. Now I still use some other tracks of different genres but if your going to be listening to mostly rock, you dont want to use bass heavy rap to tune with.
I usually will do my first tune with a very broad ranged insturmental track of any genre. One track I have found that is a great starting point is called "Requiem For A Tower".(youtube it, you all have heard it, just may not have realized it) It has a very broad range of sound from low bass's, beating drums, violins, horns etc.
Start by turning off or disconecting any subwoofer, then turn the system to the maximum volume that you start to get distortion and then back down 1-2 "notches". Tune your bass frequencys first as they will be what will cause the most distortion. You will likely start to get distortion turning the bass up since you are so close to the threshold so simply tune, turn down, tune turn down etc. Also, if you are running a sub with your system, turn the bass down another notch or 2 from "what sounds right". You want to do this because again, the lower bass frequencys are what cause the most distortion and you will have a sub to "pick up the slack".
Next tune your midrange frequencys if you have this option on your deck. (most new ones do). Again follow the same logic, tune till you get distortion, volume down, etc. If you do not get distortion then you do not need to turn the volume down.
NOTE: You want to tune to where sounds blend and are crisp without overloading or overpowering other sounds. This can be a bit tricky for the untrained ear. Just as a general reference point, I find that with most decks if you are running a sub as a good starting point, set the bass to minus 2-3, the mids to around positive 2-3 and the treble to positive 2-3. Frequency range that is good for 6.5" fronts and 5.25" rears that we have in the 4 runner are between 90-120 hz bass, 500-800hz mid range and 7khz to 12khz for your treble frequencys. Again, its going to come down to blending your sounds for the type of music you listen to.
The next step is to change tracks to a more bass heavy track that utilizes the type of bass you will be listening to. If that is punchy rock type bass, find a good insturmental track that has a good double bass drum "riff" in it. Turn your sub back on and play this track a few times while adjusting gain and eq settings on your amp. Turn the gain/bassboost all the way down on your amp, turn your system till you get distortion, then back down a notch or 2. Now adjust your gain on your sub until it is creating a decent amount of bass but not that it is close to distorting. Around 50-75% of what your sub can handle. Tune your frequency to the desired sound. (Rock tracks around 55-65hz, boomy rap 35-50hz etc. This will also vary greatly on they type of box you have "ported or sealed" the box tune, the size of your woofer, vehicle size etc so again you will have to listen closely to what sounds right for your tastes.)
Once you have found the proper frequency for you, adjust the gain up until you start to hear a slight distortion. This can be very hard with a sub because distortion can be confused with air movement. There isnt a great way to distinguish distortion from air movement and box resonation however, if you listen closely, you will hear almost a "buzzing" from the center of the sub if it is distorting.
When you reach your distortion point, turn it back down slightly. One thing to remember is that subs need to be "broken in". The proper way to do this is on a test bench in an open air enviroment doing frequency cycles however most people dont have the time or equipment to do this. To break in a sub in car, in box, the most efficent way is to play a very bass rich track that ranges in low end frequencys. Play this for around 1-2 hours straigh if possible at around 75% volume. Alot of older blues/bluegrass/funk tracks work well for this because they focus alot on the bass guitar and use many notes on it. (think of the bass rift's in "Play That Funky Music White Boy" or "Low Rider".(the focus of breaking in a sub is to get the voice coils hot enough to "burn off" any contaminates, foregin matter etc, as well as to "loosen up the surround and cone so that they are flexible) again, a subs entire purpose is to move air so the further the cone can travel and the more it can "conform" to different frequenctys, the louder and cleaner it will be.
Lastly, place in the music you will be listening to most commenly. Turn it up to around 75-90% volume and make slight tweaks to accomidate vocals. You should at this point however be very close to where you need to be so if it sounds way off, you missed something somewhere.
Well that actually looks like I covered both questions at once lol.
2 things to remember, if you are using an external amp for your fronts and rears, turn the gain all the way down, the deck to around 75% of maximum, then the gain up on the amp.
Also on your sub amp, if you are having to turn your gain more than around 70-80%, you need to look into a larger amp. Turning the gain to the max to get the sub to peak will cause the amp to work harder than it should and create excess heat and electrical interference/distortion.
If there are any other questions, I will gladly do my best to answer them.
And yes, those polks will do fine also. Didnt see those originaly otherwise I would have stated the should be ok. The only problem with polk is they have 2 "lines" of their products. There average consumer line for you everyday consumer who wants the polk name (they are still good speakers though) and then their audiophile line. They dont tell you there is a difference but walk into any true home theater store and you will see and hear the difference between the ones they have there vs the ones at best buy for half the cost.
Ok so I will answer the "what music" question first.
This can be a bit tricky because just like cars, every piece of equipment is different. Something that might work for some might not work for others, what some people think sounds right may not sound right to others etc.
When I am tuning a car audio system, I focus mainly on the kind of sound I want and the music I will be listening to mostly. Now I still use some other tracks of different genres but if your going to be listening to mostly rock, you dont want to use bass heavy rap to tune with.
I usually will do my first tune with a very broad ranged insturmental track of any genre. One track I have found that is a great starting point is called "Requiem For A Tower".(youtube it, you all have heard it, just may not have realized it) It has a very broad range of sound from low bass's, beating drums, violins, horns etc.
Start by turning off or disconecting any subwoofer, then turn the system to the maximum volume that you start to get distortion and then back down 1-2 "notches". Tune your bass frequencys first as they will be what will cause the most distortion. You will likely start to get distortion turning the bass up since you are so close to the threshold so simply tune, turn down, tune turn down etc. Also, if you are running a sub with your system, turn the bass down another notch or 2 from "what sounds right". You want to do this because again, the lower bass frequencys are what cause the most distortion and you will have a sub to "pick up the slack".
Next tune your midrange frequencys if you have this option on your deck. (most new ones do). Again follow the same logic, tune till you get distortion, volume down, etc. If you do not get distortion then you do not need to turn the volume down.
NOTE: You want to tune to where sounds blend and are crisp without overloading or overpowering other sounds. This can be a bit tricky for the untrained ear. Just as a general reference point, I find that with most decks if you are running a sub as a good starting point, set the bass to minus 2-3, the mids to around positive 2-3 and the treble to positive 2-3. Frequency range that is good for 6.5" fronts and 5.25" rears that we have in the 4 runner are between 90-120 hz bass, 500-800hz mid range and 7khz to 12khz for your treble frequencys. Again, its going to come down to blending your sounds for the type of music you listen to.
The next step is to change tracks to a more bass heavy track that utilizes the type of bass you will be listening to. If that is punchy rock type bass, find a good insturmental track that has a good double bass drum "riff" in it. Turn your sub back on and play this track a few times while adjusting gain and eq settings on your amp. Turn the gain/bassboost all the way down on your amp, turn your system till you get distortion, then back down a notch or 2. Now adjust your gain on your sub until it is creating a decent amount of bass but not that it is close to distorting. Around 50-75% of what your sub can handle. Tune your frequency to the desired sound. (Rock tracks around 55-65hz, boomy rap 35-50hz etc. This will also vary greatly on they type of box you have "ported or sealed" the box tune, the size of your woofer, vehicle size etc so again you will have to listen closely to what sounds right for your tastes.)
Once you have found the proper frequency for you, adjust the gain up until you start to hear a slight distortion. This can be very hard with a sub because distortion can be confused with air movement. There isnt a great way to distinguish distortion from air movement and box resonation however, if you listen closely, you will hear almost a "buzzing" from the center of the sub if it is distorting.
When you reach your distortion point, turn it back down slightly. One thing to remember is that subs need to be "broken in". The proper way to do this is on a test bench in an open air enviroment doing frequency cycles however most people dont have the time or equipment to do this. To break in a sub in car, in box, the most efficent way is to play a very bass rich track that ranges in low end frequencys. Play this for around 1-2 hours straigh if possible at around 75% volume. Alot of older blues/bluegrass/funk tracks work well for this because they focus alot on the bass guitar and use many notes on it. (think of the bass rift's in "Play That Funky Music White Boy" or "Low Rider".(the focus of breaking in a sub is to get the voice coils hot enough to "burn off" any contaminates, foregin matter etc, as well as to "loosen up the surround and cone so that they are flexible) again, a subs entire purpose is to move air so the further the cone can travel and the more it can "conform" to different frequenctys, the louder and cleaner it will be.
Lastly, place in the music you will be listening to most commenly. Turn it up to around 75-90% volume and make slight tweaks to accomidate vocals. You should at this point however be very close to where you need to be so if it sounds way off, you missed something somewhere.
Well that actually looks like I covered both questions at once lol.
2 things to remember, if you are using an external amp for your fronts and rears, turn the gain all the way down, the deck to around 75% of maximum, then the gain up on the amp.
Also on your sub amp, if you are having to turn your gain more than around 70-80%, you need to look into a larger amp. Turning the gain to the max to get the sub to peak will cause the amp to work harder than it should and create excess heat and electrical interference/distortion.
If there are any other questions, I will gladly do my best to answer them.
And yes, those polks will do fine also. Didnt see those originaly otherwise I would have stated the should be ok. The only problem with polk is they have 2 "lines" of their products. There average consumer line for you everyday consumer who wants the polk name (they are still good speakers though) and then their audiophile line. They dont tell you there is a difference but walk into any true home theater store and you will see and hear the difference between the ones they have there vs the ones at best buy for half the cost.
Last edited:
cordrayj1
New member
man yall posted some long responses. best thing you can do is follow your spec sheet: 
and build the box to the EXACT specified volume. it will sounds great. im a JBL/INFINITY/H-K guy, always sound great, and usually pretty cheap for what you get.
Take your time on wiring, solder your connections, use proper heat shrink/insulation. it will pay off down the road.
and build the box to the EXACT specified volume. it will sounds great. im a JBL/INFINITY/H-K guy, always sound great, and usually pretty cheap for what you get.
Take your time on wiring, solder your connections, use proper heat shrink/insulation. it will pay off down the road.
tbst
New member
Updates and to cut or not to cut.
Updates first.
Got this stuff in the mail over the last couple days.
Now, to cut or not to cut? I was thinking that I would have A LOT cleaner install if I had both the amps either under the driver seat or in the jack area. To do this I would need to do some cutting. What do you guys think about making the cut? I don't think I will need to cut all of the "beam" in the picture below to fit a Alpine MRP down there, just 3/4 to 2/3 of it.
First, to give reference.
And the cut area.
Updates first.
Got this stuff in the mail over the last couple days.
Now, to cut or not to cut? I was thinking that I would have A LOT cleaner install if I had both the amps either under the driver seat or in the jack area. To do this I would need to do some cutting. What do you guys think about making the cut? I don't think I will need to cut all of the "beam" in the picture below to fit a Alpine MRP down there, just 3/4 to 2/3 of it.
First, to give reference.
And the cut area.
