Silvia Club of NSW

Why drive when you can drift?
It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 4:45 am

All times are UTC + 10 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 26 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 2:08 am 
Offline
Banned
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2004 12:12 am
Posts: 3561
Location: 127.0.0.1
Car: 1991 RPS13 180SX
gday all,
Ive now sorted both braking and suspension departments of my sil, so all there is left to do is DET manual myself... BUT thats a hell of alot of money and will take me a good 6 months min. to save up.
Ive been thinking that 6 months is a pretty long time to have no braaAAApsshhht AND no la la la doof la la la doof, so i want to do something with my sound system.
I will be on the track with the car, so that pretty much instantly rules out subwoofers - if they were to go in, theyd be permanently mounted (street driving can be hard too).

Ive currently got:
- Sony CDX-MP50 headunit (MP3)
- Sony 6" 2-way front speakers (30w rms, 170w peak)
- JBL 6.5" 3-way rear speakers (gto636e, 60w rms, 180w peak)

The system doesnt go very loud before distorting (which im told is because the headunits signal is flatlining, not the speakers giving up), but im not keen on hooking up an amp to the sony shoit ive got - im not happy with sony.. it just doesnt scream quality to me.
Theres not much sound quality in my system; very little bass and average midrange, teamed with annoying high range... I definitely want to ditch the sony speakers ive got in the front, and would prefer a different headunit too..

I was thinking of replacing the headunit with a decent alpine unit (mates selling one - dont know the model but its MP3 and around $500 retail), and getting some splits for the front. I dont know much at all about splits; just that my mate has some in the front of his swift and theyve got a midrange speaker, a crossover box and a separate tweeter. They seem to sound great (good bass for a 6" speaker, good high range too).

Id like some decent bass (im a part-time pimp) but unless I can get subs mounted good enough to not piss me off on the track, they arent an option. Is it possible to get good bass from 6 - 6.5" speakers?

Do I need an amp? Im too pussy to run new wiring all through the car, and if I got an amp, where the hell would I mount it? I wouldnt want to find it.. if that makes sense :oops:

Also, I dont want to cut any metal in my car :wink:

Thanks all.

PS: if this thread pisses people off, feel free to delete it - i had a search but didnt see anything very helpful :oops:


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 7:59 am 
Offline
Quad T88
User avatar

Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2004 3:23 pm
Posts: 3701
Location: West-Sideeee
Car: Nissan 180SX
okie dokie ark...

1. if u want AWESOME headunits, go alpine. They have superior sound quality when it comes to head units. You would be suprised how much different a good head unit makes. Sony is exactly as you said, SHIT. same goes for pioneer - you can do so much better with your $$$

2. As for front splits, if you want awesome sound clarity, awesome modrange, and bass, i reccomend focal speakers. A fair amount of bass comes out fo my focal fron splits, and the tweeters also just add that extra punch. I wind up the volume all the way and it does not distort for 1 second. I love em. I use and reccomend FOCAL! however, these splits are fairly pricey, the ones i have in my car are like the middle spec (they have 3 specs, entry level, medium, and UTOPIA ranges) and they set me back $500 at the time, i think they might be a tad cheaper now.

3. An amp also improves the sound quality and plays a huge difference. If you want to mount an amp somewhere, mount in under the passanger if you do not want it to be seen. Good amps can be picked up for good prices these days. I dont know too much about amps, but i recommend you go see a specialist in car audio to find out exactly what you need and can get if you are on a budget.

Ark, if you want, if my car is ready by SNSW BBQ day, and i am driving it of course, come and see me and i will show you what the Focal Splits are like. Or if anyone else has focal splits here, they can show him if my car aint ready yet.

Cheers, hope this helps you a tad,

-Mark

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 12:49 pm 
Offline
Banned
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2004 12:12 am
Posts: 3561
Location: 127.0.0.1
Car: 1991 RPS13 180SX
thanks mate! ive heard the word focal being thrown about a fair bit so I guess theyre the shiznit 8)

My dad has an alpine headunit in his commodore ute ( :o ) and its amazing what a difference it made - even with the stock speakers.

Ill hunt you down at the BBQ cruise; I might not have my car (going to jail soon for murder if the smash repairers dont fix my car...) but if im not in my sil ill bloody well take my mums lanos! im not missing this event...

what would the system sound like with alpine headunit, focal splits (whatever yours are), and my JBL 6.5"ers in the rear, with no amp? Id definitely be broke after getting headunit+splits, and amp will cost a bit i guess because ill probably have to get someone to put it in for me :oops:


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:44 pm 
Offline
T78 Hybrid
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2004 8:52 pm
Posts: 651
Location: Far South Coast
Car: R32 Skyline 4 door
Firstly theres nothing wrong with Pioneer headunits, spent a bit on a good unit.
If you want an amp contact Fhrx, I got a Audison sr2 2x60wrms and the amp size is reaaaally small it might even fit under your seat. Id recomend.
As for speakers, imo i would get 6.5 inch splits off the above amp, try staying with american brands they tend to be better in sound, speacially with doofers.
But mainly, listen to a range of speakers to see wat you like best because in the end your the one thats gotta listen to it all the time. :)

_________________
When I grow up I wanna win the lotto...


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 4:59 pm 
Offline
Quad T88
User avatar

Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2004 3:23 pm
Posts: 3701
Location: West-Sideeee
Car: Nissan 180SX
your system should sound sweet

i have no rear splits in my car...

ive got an earthquake amp powering the sub and just weird brand powering the splits and it sound hot

im going to replace my weird amp soon with another earthquake one

american brands are good in amps etc. (earthquake is american)

pioneer headunits are NOT as good, theey are OK, but nowhere near as good as alpine headunits imo

-mark

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 5:04 pm 
Offline
TO4
User avatar

Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 5:10 pm
Posts: 248
Location: Northern Beaches
IMO, i suggest (and i want to shoot myself for saying this) head over to Hot4s and ask them.. there are about 10 guru car stereo guys there i think its MrCharisma, BamBamBoy, FHRX and some other people, they are regularly on and can help you out.. but i recommend you shoot an email FHRX's way and he will defnately help you out. 100% customer satisfaction, listens to everything you say, gives you the BEST products and gives you quality advice. All you need to tell him, is what music you listen to, what you are into, what you are thinking of, what design you want, and he can even make a 8" sub blur your vision. Speak to FHRX about this.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 9:26 pm 
Offline
T88
User avatar

Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2003 8:11 pm
Posts: 782
Location: Sydney - Northern Suburbs - Northbridge
Car: 1996 BMW 318is
Alpine is definately the way to go for your headunit choice

As for front speakers, I too own Focal speakers (165K2) and they are very nice. They were $869 but should be around $600 now. The lower ranges of focal also offer great sound quality. Other brands to check out are:

- Boston Accoustics
- Diamond Audio
- Pheonix Gold
- Xtant
- Morel
- Dynaudio

As for amplifiers, it all depends on your budget (read the same for speakers). There is almost no point buying a quality SQ head unit, and front speakers, only to not splurge on buying a suitable amp. My old stereo ran off the head unit, and after buying the new one it makes a huge difference! Brands to look out for include:

- Audison SRx series
- Boston Accoustics
- Diamond Audio
- Zapco (bit more expensive)
- Alpine (if your on a tighter budget)

As for a sub, if space and weight are an issue, maybe look at getting a smaller sub that can fit in tight spaces and weighs alot less than their 10/12 inch equivalent. Digital Designs make a 6.5" sub, and Focal make 5 and 6 inch subs! I've seen installs where people have put 2 of the focal subs (5") in the glove box, taking up no space at all.

FOr all your questions about brands/prices/system design, go to www.fhrxstudios.com and contact Marty. He installed my system, as well as many other peoples systems on this forum, and is extremely helpful. He also uses his car for track use so can probably share alot of good ideas.

_________________
DTMPower.net

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist"


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Dec 18, 2004 12:48 pm 
Offline
T28

Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 6:11 pm
Posts: 49
Car: S12 coupe
Ok, basically the cornerstone of a good sound system is an amplifier. No matter how good your speakers are, they have no control over how low in the volume range they will distort. Speakers distort when an amplifier doesn't have the power to drive them at the volume which you have selected.
There are some very good cheap amps around, namely Alpine and Response. Response for those who don't already know is the Jaycar in-house brand. Always buy a four channel amp, 4x50 should suffice because then you can run two channels into your front splits and either bridge two into a sub (if that's the path you choose) or send them to some rear splits.
As for splits, somebody already mentioned Focals, they're awesome. Another brand to look at if you want some serious sounds quality is Dynaudio, pretty much the best car speakers in the world.
Onto head units; we don't get Denon in Australia but Clarion is a very good substitute, however you need to spend a fair bit in Clarion these days because they've started to bring in a crappy lower range of products that you really want to avoid. Just make sure you get a head unit with full pre-outs. That means front, rear and sub RCA outs, this is what you run into your amp and a crappy bottom of the range head unit will not have these. If you want something cheap that does all the pre-outs, grab a Panasonic, they're not bad. Basically with the head unit as long as you have the pre-outs you need then you can pretty much make your decision based on the features you want (eg. MP3 playback) because - once you have an amp - the quality of the head unit is not going to have such a heavy impact on the sound quality.
If you don't want a sub, get two pairs of identical 6.5" splits (if you can't afford Focals or Dynaudios, top level Blaupunkt are awesome and Alpine splits aren't bad at all - avoid Pioneer), a 4x50w Alpine or Response amp with a headunit with five-channel pre-outs and she will sound beautiful. Trust me with a good amp and two sets of good quality splits you will get all the bass and midrange you need.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Dec 18, 2004 4:51 pm 
Offline
T51 Hybrid
User avatar

Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2003 6:33 pm
Posts: 388
Car: Carless :'(
have you thought of putting in a sub+amp and have it easy to remove so that you can pull it out for track days ?? That's what I do I have 2x12inch Clarion subs in a sealed enclosure that I unplug and pull out when I take the car to a track day or onto the strip.

If not what about putting a pair of 6x9's or 7x10's in the parcel shelf and amping them just to give a little more bass ??

_________________
Do Unto Others, Before They Do Unto You
- Hobzta


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2004 10:14 am 
Offline
Banned
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2004 12:12 am
Posts: 3561
Location: 127.0.0.1
Car: 1991 RPS13 180SX
ive thought about a removable sub, as thats what a few of my mates are doing, but I often go for a hard blat down mcquarie pass of a night, and I also think that a sub might be a bit of overkill for my non-pimping needs :P

6x9 or 7x10 is an option, but I refuse to cut any metal away from the parcel shelf. How well can they be fitted without cutting the metal?

Ive just bought an Alpine 9835 (26w rms x4!!) which SHOULD arrive here today :roll: , and after that ill look at some good splits.. then itll either be amp or 6x9+ id imagine.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2004 12:15 pm 
Offline
Twin T66
User avatar

Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2003 12:57 am
Posts: 1289
Location: Shibuya
Car: S15
headunit should be fixed now you have the alpine, dont worry about too much about the rear stage as the cabin is so small. if your looking for bass, a small sub in the boot would be sufficent, running that off an amp getting as much power as you can would be good..... but otherwise, i suggest you getting a set of 6.5" response splits, for the price, they are simply amazing! run them off an amp and you'll be laughing.... for splits, since you want sq, i suggest you get a good brand name amp :)

just my 2c.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2004 1:42 pm 
Offline
Quad T66
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2003 3:36 pm
Posts: 2938
Car: 200sx
if your only using the head decks pre outs to drive speakers through an external amp, then as said just look at the features when choosing a deck

obviously to a degree you get what you pay for, but a decent sony deck will sound the same as an alpine one because if your using the pre amps, your bypassing the on-board head deck amplifier, (which is what determines the quality of the sound if you were running it off the deck), and sending a pure signal to the amps which then amplify it for the speakers
so more or less the amps will determine sound quality in that case


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 8:53 pm 
Offline
Banned

Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:28 pm
Posts: 309
Car: s13 silvia
i got kicker splits up front and kenwood 7x10s and 2x12s dual voice coil (oversized) and it absolutly pumps, custom box, the box was made so that the subs are like sitting on a couch so far pulled 130.7 db


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 11:15 am 
Offline
Quad T78
User avatar

Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:43 pm
Posts: 3124
Location: Sydeny
Car: S14a
Fully sick...

I have no head unit and no speakers :P

_________________
Disclaimer: If you have'nt worked it out by now I CANT SPELL FOR SHIT.
Image


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 10:54 pm 
Offline
Banned

Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:28 pm
Posts: 309
Car: s13 silvia
hahah sure is!!!!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 26 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC + 10 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group