Need advice on stereo setup

[agteacher]

Anytime.......I prefer sealed boxes, so a R&T 326-12 would work fine. If you like louder boomier bass go slot ported. Or you can build a custom box. Custom boxes always sound a little better if built right. But most shops charge quite a bit more to build them. If you want to build a box yourself, I can get you the air space dimensions for the W0's. Did you find a good source to purchase the products from? Let me know how things go

My students(one class) went with all Rockford Fosgate Audio System, except for the inside/cabin Infinity Speakers and then built a ported box. I spent "way to much", but it kept them busy for 3 months AND they learned a great-deal of math designing the box!!!

 

[sugarandopium]

Did some ear shopping too, am happy with the JL sound.

Since im way over the budget I was trying to work with, should I add in 3.5s in the dash, as well as the 050 tweeters elsewhere?

So far I have, but not installed anything yet.... the 6x9s, 5.25s, .5" tweets, 2x 12" w0's and a box.

Just have to get an amp, dynamat, 6x9 adapters (this thing still has the stock delco in the rear!!!) and wiring this week.

Should I get the 3.5's for the dash also if budget is not an issue?

 

[Dabigguy]

If you're mounting the 5.25's down low on the door or kick panel, it may be a good idea to mount 3.5's in the dash to bring the lower freq. highs out. The higher freq. mid-bass signals will be absorbed by the seats, carpet and your legs.

 

[souljasmooth]

Did some ear shopping too, am happy with the JL sound.

Since im way over the budget I was trying to work with, should I add in 3.5s in the dash, as well as the 050 tweeters elsewhere?

So far I have, but not installed anything yet.... the 6x9s, 5.25s, .5" tweets, 2x 12" w0's and a box.

Just have to get an amp, dynamat, 6x9 adapters (this thing still has the stock delco in the rear!!!) and wiring this week.

Should I get the 3.5's for the dash also if budget is not an issue?

I wouldnt recommend it if you are putting the tweets up there. You dont really need 4 sets of tweeters in the car.

 

[sugarandopium]

thanks again to all for the advice.

last question....
what amp to power two 12w0's?
500/1 or 250/1?

 

[souljasmooth]

thanks again to all for the advice.

last question....
what amp to power two 12w0's?
500/1 or 250/1?

Are you talking about the Slash amps, or the TMA amps?

 

[sugarandopium]

slash, sorry.

 

[datant69]

audio

kickpanels may help if you want to try some 6.5's and tweets, also if you put in some dash speakers please remember to use a capsule crossover. easy to install and will save the speaker from being blown. woofers can vary and 2 8 inch aren't going to do much but if you put several sets in and wire then properly you'd be surprised at what you can get. the smaller the speaker the less distortion, when the speaker is playing the bigger speaker will be coming back from the last note compared to the one who's already back ready to do again. i had a buddy who's 4 8's sounded better and deeper then my 2 12's. now he had a camaro and i had a truck but still you'd think 12's would rock better then the 8's but those 8's sounded great. back when incredible universe was around ( not sure if that's the right name but they are now fry's elect ) they had a car audio competition and bazooka had a truck named desert storm ( that's how long ago it was ) and it had over 25 6 inch subs in there. that system sounded awesome and changed my mind on 6 inch subs. just food for thought. also if your tight on money sony's sub that looks like a house is a great speaker and can take a hell of a pounding. just my 02 cents.

 

[souljasmooth]

slash, sorry.

250/1 is all you need, but if you have some extra cash the 500/1 would be better. Orginally I was trying to hit the $700 range for everthing, but it seems like you went over budget. Since you already went over budget, and are considering the 500/1, you should maybe think about going with the W1 or maybe W3's.

 

[sugarandopium]

trying to install this myself, got almost everything done, all speakers are in,

thanx for all the guidance SS, sounds WORLDS better than stock.

could be happier, but for the little i spent on the entire system, am very happy.

lot of good info here if you don't know where to begin upgrading a stock CSII system.

anyways, so i got all the wires ran, subs in the box.
just unsure of one thing....

working with the JL Slash 500/1 and two 12w0 (4ohm) subs

the amp has 2 positive and 2 negative connections for the speaker wire.....
am i correct to assume it's as simple as:

subwoofer 1..
positive to postive,
negative to negative.

subwoofer 2..
positive to other positive on the amp,
negative to other negative on the amp.


Or is there more to it?? Need to wire the subs together or anything?

 

[datant69]

wiring

every jl i see has that, they are mono block amps which means all the outputs go to the same place regardless. nice setup that amp slams. pics of the setup please.

 

[sugarandopium]

every jl i see has that, they are mono block amps which means all the outputs go to the same place regardless. nice setup that amp slams. pics of the setup please.

Cool thanx!
Going to finish it tomorrow, killed my back today doing the wiring, trying to get the rear seat off the car did me in!!

Yeah, can't wait to turn it on and compliment it with some bass.
The amp looks sweet with all the filters, eq's, and bass controls, can't wait to hear how it sounds!!

Will get some pics of the setup, unfortunately i lost alot of trunk space b/c the box is a little too big to fit on the shelve, if i had to do it all over again i'd go with a custom box, but whatever, it works!
wanna try to mount the amp on one side of the shelf, if i can do so without drilling into the trunk, and save the other side of the shelf for a 4 channel amp for up front.
A work in progress!

This car was a blast to drive before a stereo, now it's just fvcking heaven!!!

 

[souljasmooth]

IM glad everything worked out, and that you like the system. Adding the subs will make a huge difference. And yeah the wiring for the amp/subs is correct. Let us know what you think after the subs are hooked up and playing.

 

[datant69]

sub

why did you throw your back out no need to remove the back seat unless your real maticilous and need it out to mount it right. you can actually reach around the side of the seat and then pull it through. i've always done that on monte carlo's, cutlasses, and buicks. you can run some split loom to clean it up so there isn't just bare wire.

 

[sugarandopium]

i could not get the wires through the side/bottom/top/anywhere, even tried coat hangers, i think that (fabric/insulation?) piece was blocking anything....


well i got the subs in...
maybe i was expecting too much??

maybe my head unit just sucks? (cheap pioneer from circuit city, 2005 model)

maybe i shouldve got the w3's? (but the cat decided to use the cardboard boxes of the W0s as scratching posts and totally destroyed them,
and didn't feel like fighting with the vendor to take them back after i went over budget and was at a point to say, F it, go with better subs.)

maybe i should've got a 1000/1 and an amp for the front speakers too?

maybe i wired something wrong?

but i just don't hear a huge huge difference,

when the stereo is cranked up fairly loud (close to max volume), yes can hear the subs pounding good,

but at mid/low volume levels, not hearing too much of a difference between today (with subs/amp) compared to yesterday (no subs/amp)

i still gotta tweak the settings on the amp, tried every possible setting on the head so far.

don't get me wrong,
overall im very happy with the sound compared to what it was before,
it's a joy to listen to music when driving the buick now, the stock radio was unlistenable as far as im concerned,
but thought it would be more bassy and powerful through the entire volume range after adding the subs/amp.

 

[souljasmooth]

i could not get the wires through the side/bottom/top/anywhere, even tried coat hangers, i think that (fabric/insulation?) piece was blocking anything....


well i got the subs in...
maybe i was expecting too much??

maybe my head unit just sucks? (cheap pioneer from circuit city, 2005 model)

maybe i shouldve got the w3's? (but the cat decided to use the cardboard boxes of the W0s as scratching posts and totally destroyed them,
and didn't feel like fighting with the vendor to take them back after i went over budget and was at a point to say, F it, go with better subs.)

maybe i should've got a 1000/1 and an amp for the front speakers too?

maybe i wired something wrong?

but i just don't hear a huge huge difference,

when the stereo is cranked up fairly loud (close to max volume), yes can hear the subs pounding good,

but at mid/low volume levels, not hearing too much of a difference between today (with subs/amp) compared to yesterday (no subs/amp)

i still gotta tweak the settings on the amp, tried every possible setting on the head so far.

don't get me wrong,
overall im very happy with the sound compared to what it was before,
it's a joy to listen to music when driving the buick now, the stock radio was unlistenable as far as im concerned,
but thought it would be more bassy and powerful through the entire volume range after adding the subs/amp.

Something is wrong with your system. You should have a ton of bass, and it should have been a world of difference after you added the subs. Where is your gains at? Also make sure you are getting enough voltage to the amp.

 

[datant69]

move your box

since your trunk is so large you may turn the subs toward the back, they normally sound better bouncing off something. if you cut corners or get sub par equipment your the only one that you can blame. sure a JL1000/1 would really beat the crap out of some subs but can your subs handle it? it may even be the box, alot of people put subs in a box too small, port is wrong or something. use a 9 volt battery and check the polarity on the speakers. use a small piece of wire and put + to + and - to - and when you touch the speaker will move depending on polarity. if it pops out ward your wired right if it pops inward 1st then you got your wires crossed.

 

[sugarandopium]

finally got around to playing with the stereo again today.

all is well.

something had to be going on with the wiring.

i replaced the main power wire from the battery,
the one that came with the amp install kit was a bit too short for where i want it mounted,
put a new one in.

also, rewired the speaker connections to both subs.

turned it on....
GODDAMN
what a difference.
this is the night and day difference i was expecting.
just wow, slams like crazy even with the gain only half up.

sounds great, thanx again for the advice on everything SS.
going to get a new head unit and dynamat the whole car,
then getting back into the suspension.

but even asis now, sounds just awesome, very happy.
the added weight deff seems worth it now

 

[souljasmooth]

finally got around to playing with the stereo again today.

all is well.

something had to be going on with the wiring.

i replaced the main power wire from the battery,
the one that came with the amp install kit was a bit too short for where i want it mounted,
put a new one in.

also, rewired the speaker connections to both subs.

turned it on....
GODDAMN
what a difference.
this is the night and day difference i was expecting.
just wow, slams like crazy even with the gain only half up.

sounds great, thanx again for the advice on everything SS.
going to get a new head unit and dynamat the whole car,
then getting back into the suspension.

but even asis now, sounds just awesome, very happy.
the added weight deff seems worth it now

Anytime.............I knew something was wrong. Glad everything worked out though!!!