Car Audio

Discussion in 'General' started by nst, Apr 27, 2008.

  1. What should I pay attention to and look for in the following:

    - Speakers
    - Sub
    - Amp
    - Deck
     
  2. Make sure you are basing all decisions on the RMS power listed on things...not max or peak or whatever else. Nothing matters but RMS. Think of it like "average safe power" as opposed to "the most this pos can take/put out" :D

    Speakers are personal preference. Different sets sound different (go figure) but not everyone likes the same things. Bring in your own music to demo things in the store, so you get the full picture.

    As far as subs, bigger is not always better and two is not always better than one. Sub-bass frequencies are pretty much non-directional and they are definately monophonic. One sub that can use more power can be far better than two that can't.

    Amps can be confusing (subs too really) as there are a lot of different ways you can wire the two up that lead to drastically different results. I would reccomend some research done to complement the 50/50 mix of helpfulness and BS you'll get from the sales staff.

    Look for a deck that has the features you want. It needs enough pre-outs to run your amplifiers. An auxilliary in jack is nice too, if you use an mp3 player. The power rating on most head units (ex: 53WX4) is the peak rating, and most will put out ~15W RMS per channel. If you cannot get the volume/sound you want from the speakers without them distorting you may need a speaker amp as well. Of course you will have to have speakers good enough to handle whatever larger power number that puts out.

    Too much of a stereo though, and you'll start burning up alternators. I went through 3 or 4 on my civic back in the day. A high-amp alternator and a deep cycle battery go a long way at that point. Capacitors are quite nearly useless in most people setups, unless all other power upgrades have been done first. Don't forget the Big 3 (Alternator to battery, battery to ground, engine to ground) should be upgraded to larger cables as well. Most vehicles will benefit from this, stereo or not.

    Anyway...Everything kind of ties in/works together so if you have any specific questions, ask away. Also, www.the12volt.com has a great forum. I learned everything I know from the folks there and from working(and/or fucking up ;) ) on the stereos themselves.
     
  3. i just got a new head unit.. and with my old one my rca cables from my amp ran to an adapter.. my new head unit has 3 outputs(one seperate for the sub) but the sub option on the radio doesnt turn it up... is it because of that rca adapter? should i just go ahead and plug it directly into the subwoofer output?
     
  4. i have a hu i didn't install yet that has this option too. If that doesn't work, consider getting a gain control. I have one for my JL 1000/1.
     
  5. The adapter is likely a line level converter. If you're head has a sub preout I would definately use that. If it is a line level converter, it's taking the signal from a set of speaker out and moving that into your amp. The sub control on the deck will have no effect in this case. The preout sends a non-amplified signal out to your sub amp. The converter utilizes already amplified output signals and tunes them down for the external amp.

    You wanna be careful with a gain knob, as a careless wrist can destroy equipment pretty quick.
     
  6. max ratings are just a bullshit figure, it doesn't mean anything. Its a made up number and 9/10 times its used by companies who's product isn't CEA certified.

    Only go by RMS. If the product doesn't have an RMS rating, dont buy it.
     
  7. learned everything i know from them

    like everyone else said - look for RMS power

    and stay away from any brands that are sold at wal-mart - especially sony xplode
     
  8. one thing people never really remember is to not be afraid to look at out dated systems. for instance, my 2 channel PPI art series benches around 500 RMS and knocks ur head in with my two 12" Infinity Reference's, both were made around '94-'95.

    DO NOT BUY SQUARE SPEAKERS. they look dumb and sound shitty, ie, Kickers. their just not where your money should go.

    find a head unit thats easy to navigate and controls the settings of the subs nicely (find one with built in crossover, lots of Pioneers have em (highly recommend Pioneer for head unit).

    if u notice ur shit bumps loud enough to dim ur head lights, get a capacitor, it will go easy on ur battery and give the subs more bumb at the same time.

    if u have a hatchback, dont be afraid to get just one sub, it does the job (depending on th sub. my buddy has one 12" Alpine type R in his couger and it does the job.

    if u can find a spot in ur car to hookup some tweetersget some nice component speakers. and dont worry about getting better rears, unless your factory rears just suck, cause they only matter to the people in the back seat, obviously.
     
  9. Pheignux, I have to disagree on one thing. If you're headlights are dimming you need to upgrade the big 3 wires first. Then consider a more powerful alternator. If you're alt already cannot put out enough power to run your stereo and your headlights properly adding a capacitor will only be a larger drain on the system. A cap does not produce current, it just stores it. Once it is discharged, it must recharge from your power system in addition to your headlights, stereo, ignition, heater etc.

    Adding a cap without the proper energy to supply it is just a bandaid solution that will cause your alternator to fail even faster than it's heading for. In a large majority of stereos a capacitor is completely unnecessary. If you were a big competitor you might need it to clean up the power going into your amps, but on the street it's just a gimmick to pad a salesmans pocket.
     
  10. Sorry took so long to respond, didn;t have a computer for a few days..
    Thanks a lot for the replies, they really helped.
     
  11. I keep my system stock. Moving all that weight is wasted power. Im a speed freak :)
     
  12. forum.realmofexcursion.com
     
  13. I have infinity kappa's all the way around, with components in the front.

    A Alpine 9885 deck, an Alpine F450 4 channel amp pushin the speakers, a Alpine M500 mono block pushing a Alpine Type R 10 inch, and that is more than enough for me. Good bass inside the car, moderately noticeable outside the car, go with the 12 if you're trying to make the fucking neighborhood rock.

    For me, I wouldn't worry about going for a 24,000 watt or some dumb shit. Just get something that sounds good for whatever type of music.

    :smoking:

    EDIT:: I also have a Q-Logic type 2 sealed/vented box that I have sealed up, good stuff for rap.
     

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