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LloydDobler posted:I'm shopping for a 5 channel as well, thanks for the recommendation. I'm noticing that JL also has a 700w version that is $300 cheaper, so for those of us that don't quite need that much power and want to spend a little less, it has excellent reviews as well. I was looking at the alpine amps as well. I previously had a two channel alpine that I really liked. I was looking at them again and was comparing their PDX line to the MRX-v70 and MRX-v60. The v60 is the previous model to the v70, but the specs are pretty much the same. I found the v60 on Amazon for $210, but the v70 is going for around $300 - $400. The PDX-v9 is ~$500 everywhere I check, and crutchfield is throwing in 50% off a wiring kit with purchase and free 2 day shipping. I have never had a JL amp, but I absolutely loved my 12w3 until it died. I am not in a position to put out that kind of coin for an amp straight away though. The day care bill is looming on the horizon so I have clenched the fiscal sphincter.
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Jul 8, 2013 19:34
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I own three [older-generation] PDX amps: - 1.1000 (1000w RMS, mono, powering two 500w Alpine Type-R subs) - 4.100 (400w RMS, four channel, powering two sets of Alpine Type-X Ref. 6.5" components) - 2.150 (300w RMS, two channel, powering nothing at the moment; used to be an 8" free-flow sub). They're great. They're stackable and plenty of strong output. The fool-proof speaker connectors can be flipped around any way without accidentally mucking up your polarity, but it's not really a necessary feature. The amps can get pretty hot, but they seem to handle stuff just fine. There's an upper limit before they turn off, but I've never experienced that before. My dynamat starts to slop off the top of my inner trunk, but the amps were still going (we're talking very hot sun-baking, more than 40 degrees celcius kinda lovely hot weather). Fine-tuning or control is rather basic (nothing to complain about). The power and ground wire inputs can be quite large if you have low gauge wire, but you should use a distribution block or two for your own sanity sake, especially if you use two or more amps. One annoying thing to deal with is the angle that your power wires go into/out of the amps. If you're moving the amps a lot, take care to ensure that they, and the wires, remain completely fastened/inserted/secure. Check after moving the amps for any reason. It seems easy to slip out if your moving/tension is ever rough. Sound-wise, it's clean and very powerful gear, no complaints. It's more than my ears would comfortably take, so I can't comment on where things might distort. They aren't very cheap. And customs might take an interest in attempting to force one open for some dumb reason. Kachunkachunk fucked around with this message at 21:22 on Jul 8, 2013 |
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Jul 8, 2013 21:17
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I've been reading up on sound deadening, various techniques and materials. I'm looking at CLD mat and mass loaded vinyl, but I don't want to break the bank. What is the recommended here? How can I get reasonable results for the least amount of money?
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Jul 9, 2013 20:21
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jonathan posted:I can't believe luxury branded car companies use Bose. You would think they would stay away and go with a reputable high end audio company instead of a gimmick company. Bose, much like Monster Cable, is a masterpiece of marketing over quality.
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Jul 11, 2013 02:46
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So I know near nothing about car audio. If I want to drive 4 2-way speakers (2 in the door, 2 in the back) and a sub (do i need more than one sub? I have an extended cab truck so it would be sitting behind my center console) do I need to get a 4 channel amp for the speakers and a mono amp for the sub? Also, do I need caps or is that just something that car stereo shops put in to make extra money?
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Jul 11, 2013 07:17
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Godsavethefritos posted:do I need to get a 4 channel amp for the speakers and a mono amp for the sub?
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Jul 11, 2013 07:31
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Godsavethefritos posted:So I know near nothing about car audio. If I want to drive 4 2-way speakers (2 in the door, 2 in the back) and a sub (do i need more than one sub? I have an extended cab truck so it would be sitting behind my center console) do I need to get a 4 channel amp for the speakers and a mono amp for the sub? Also, do I need caps or is that just something that car stereo shops put in to make extra money? Typical recommendation is to get a two-channel to power the fronts, power the rears off of the amp in the deck (they're just rear-fill), and run a mono amp for the subwoofer. As far as subwoofers, there's a few manufacturers that make enclosures for specific truck models, they're designed to sit in space that would normally be unused, and a lot of them have the amp included in the enclosure.
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Jul 11, 2013 19:50
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Since it looks like I won't have the money to drop my old sub/amp into my current car anytime soon, and I'm not going to have money anytime soon, I think I might just sell my amp. How little is a Crunch GPV 1000.2 amp worth these days? (I know Crunch sucks, but it was cheap  - I'll probably sell locally unless some local goon is interested, too heavy to ship)Godsavethefritos posted:So I know near nothing about car audio. If I want to drive 4 2-way speakers (2 in the door, 2 in the back) and a sub (do i need more than one sub? I have an extended cab truck so it would be sitting behind my center console) do I need to get a 4 channel amp for the speakers and a mono amp for the sub? Also, do I need caps or is that just something that car stereo shops put in to make extra money? I'm gonna go against the grain on this one. In a pickup, the amp built into a decent head unit (i.e. Pioneer, Kenwood, Alpine, etc), coupled with good speakers, will be more than capable of causing hearing damage. It's a pretty small space, and running them from the head unit also keeps things a bit simpler - and all but the worst head units are capable of at least 20x4 RMS/50x4 peak these days. If this were anything bigger (crew cab truck or larger than a subcompact car) then I might argue for a small amp for the front speakers. Or if someone really picky was involved. Subs will always need amps. Being an extended cab, you have a few options though. Q-Logic or JL may make pre-formed sub enclosures that can either replace a panel or make it pretty obscure. If you have an oddball truck, a good stereo shop can make one that will either be hidden or blend into the interior. A good option, if it's a full size truck, is to bury a sub inside of the center console. A single sub should be plenty unless you primarily listen to hip hop or rap. No need for a cap for a single sub, IMO. If you see serious headlight flickering and have a known strong alternator + battery, then perhaps it's time to look at a cap.
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Jul 11, 2013 20:36
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Or a higher-output alternator, if that's feasible/not exorbitantly expensive. Caps can only do so much.
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Jul 11, 2013 23:37
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I'm having problems diagnosing a speaker issue.. About 5 months ago I got my rear 6x9s replaced and got a new deck installed. They've been working fine for the entire time until two weeks ago I parked and when I got back in the car the rear passenger 6x9 was static-ey. At first I thought it was pooched but I jiggled the wires to see if anything was loose and it was fine again for a while. Then it started happening again. So I took it to the guy who installed it and he was pretty much at a loss. He tried replacing the speaker but that made it worse, ran the speakers directly off the radio, rewired and resoldered the speakers and finally ended up bypassing the factory amp. But its still doing it, he is booked the rest of this week and I leave town on Sunday so I took it to the dealership to see if they could figure it out and they have no idea either. What could I try at this point to diagnose this? Could another speaker be causing a problem and the rear speaker is trying to compensate or something? Other fun fact, in the winter on very cold -25 to -30 days the rear speakers won't fire until the car warms up, usually 10 minutes of driving
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Jul 12, 2013 21:09
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If replacing the speaker resulted in the same problem (even if it's worse), then it'd be wires, the amp, or the head unit, if the speakers aren't separately amped. If they're components, then check/replace/bypass the crossover box.
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Jul 15, 2013 07:56
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So I just got done wiring my wrx with a 4 Channel alpine and a mono kicker amp. 8" ported sub and a set pc coaxial Focals up front. The weak link is now the HU. I hate to lose the steering wheel controls, but I have yet to see an adapter that saves the phone buttons. I also am lost in the gray area of phone control. I have an HTC One currently, but trade Android phones often. Mirrorlink seems great, but documented compatibility is lacking. How good is the appradio line from Pioneer? Other notable options out there that are double din?
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Jul 16, 2013 02:07
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I did a search for this that pointed to this thread but none of the posts it pointed me to were about this so here goes.. On crutchfield when I try to buy a head unit for a 2008 Cobalt it says I will need to get a PAC C2R-GM1 Factory Integration Adapter for an extra 100$ in order to get it to work and that they also can't offer me support if I don't buy it. Is it actually required if I'm going from factory head unit to a aftermarket? I could give two shits if my blinkers play through my speakers, they don't now anyways. They also say I need a single pole double throw relay to go with it that may go for free. I feel like since I really don't know all that much about car stereo's other than what I've done for myself a few times I really want to have the support if I need it but I'd really rather not spend an extra hundred dollars for the upgrade if I don't absolutely have to.. I guess I'm worried that without this thing the wiring behind the factory head unit will be completely different than what I'll have for the new head unit..
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Jul 16, 2013 19:25
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It says it might be 50% off if you get the right head unit, basically as long as you're not getting a super budget one. Did you add it to the cart and see what they really charge? It sounds like it might be the only source of illumination control, and if you don't use it you might have to hunt down an accessory power wire separately. Other than that, if you can live without the "radio stays on until you get out of the car" feature along with light dimming and audible chimes, you should be okay without it.
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Jul 16, 2013 19:55
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MikeyTsi posted:Bose, much like Monster Cable, is a masterpiece of marketing over quality. I thought Bose was more of a case of "hey we used to be good in the mid 90s and are just riding on our name at this point," whereas Monster Cable has always been full of poo poo.
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Jul 16, 2013 20:35
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Freakboy2000 posted:I did a search for this that pointed to this thread but none of the posts it pointed me to were about this so here goes.. I have a 06 Cobalt SS. I believe 08+ you need a harness to keep the door chimes, a harness to keep the steering wheel controls and the regular harness. Are you going double DIN?
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Jul 16, 2013 20:38
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Geoj posted:I thought Bose was more of a case of "hey we used to be good in the mid 90s and are just riding on our name at this point," whereas Monster Cable has always been full of poo poo. I believe it is, although they never got high marks from the snobbiest of audiophiles in their time. But a set of 901 still hold up as pretty awesome speakers to this day. No, they aren't stark rendering studio monitors - they aren't meant to be.
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Jul 16, 2013 21:20
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Aflicted posted:So I just got done wiring my wrx with a 4 Channel alpine and a mono kicker amp. 8" ported sub and a set pc coaxial Focals up front. The weak link is now the HU. I hate to lose the steering wheel controls, but I have yet to see an adapter that saves the phone buttons. I also am lost in the gray area of phone control. I have an HTC One currently, but trade Android phones often. Mirrorlink seems great, but documented compatibility is lacking. How good is the appradio line from Pioneer? Other notable options out there that are double din? Which adapters have you looked at? Axxess, iDatalink and PAC all have steering wheel modules that should allow you to use or remap all OE controls. I can't download the Mirrorlink app but it could just be my phone/Canadia. Appradio is lacklustre unless you root your phone and use ARliberator but your phone has to be compatible with the headunit natively in order to work as far as I know. What are you looking to do with your phone? Freakboy2000 posted:I did a search for this that pointed to this thread but none of the posts it pointed me to were about this so here goes.. http://www.cobaltss.net/forums/electronics-audio-video-49/updated-general-stereo-faq-read-96094/ Accessory wire is accessible from the ignition harness or the fusebox. I've never done an installation without a module so I can't vouch for it personally. Steering wheel controls require it's own interface module. Bulk Vanderhuge fucked around with this message at 03:09 on Jul 17, 2013 |
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Jul 17, 2013 03:02
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Bulk Vanderhuge posted:Which adapters have you looked at? Axxess, iDatalink and PAC all have steering wheel modules that should allow you to use or remap all OE controls. I looked at the Axxess and iDatalink, but my concern comes mostly from what I have been able to glean from NASIOC. According to anecdotal reports there, the actual radio controls work, but the answer/hangup/voice control buttons do not work. Most remapped them to another function. Granted the voice control button I would not expect to work outside of an HU that supports voice control, but the answer and hangup buttons would be nice to make use of. I could use a touch display to control them, but I know where the buttons are on the wheel from muscle memory and I can use them without removing my hand. As for the HU itself, I would like to be able to stream pandora and winamp (or other non lovely audio player) through the HU and see what is playing and the song time if possible. Album art and all of that fluff is not necessary. I also like the idea of being able to display google maps and navigation with traffic. I would prefer not to buy some other nav app for my phone just to do this, the lack of support for the most widely used and native map app just seems stupid. If it came down to buying Motion-X or Garmin etc, I would prefer to get a less equipped HU that meets the audio needs. Of course I would like to have F/R and SUB preouts with decent EQ controls and independent SUB volume control. If it was F/R preouts and the rears could be set to non-fading SUB out, that would work too. I am only planning on running the Focal coaxials in the front now anyway. Bluetooth is a must, HD radio would be a perk, SXM not really needed. I was looking at the Alpine CDE-W235BT since it seems to meet most of my needs sans google nav, but then realized that it only had one set of pre-outs. Nice Alpine, nice. I briefly looked at the JVC KW-NSX1 but w/o mirrorlink it doesn't offer me much over the Alpine other than a touch screen and some more pre-outs. Also, I'm looking at double DIN units since my car fits them natively and Subaru sells a new trim face for DDIN units.
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Jul 17, 2013 12:22
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Geoj posted:I thought Bose was more of a case of "hey we used to be good in the mid 90s and are just riding on our name at this point," whereas Monster Cable has always been full of poo poo. No, they've pretty much always been poorly designed poo poo that looks pretty (and costs a lot).
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Jul 17, 2013 19:35
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Anyone ever install a stereo that has a ford mach 460/1000 audio system? I bought my 2004 mustang used and from what I can tell my speakers and amps are from a mach 460 but the receiver was upgraded to the 6-cd mach 1000. The only difference I think is a few extra subs. Anyway, from what Ive read the system is kind of a mess with sending mono signals to the back speakers or something. I usually like to upgrade my speakers along with the receiver but with this car I just want to save the headache and only replace the receiver to get aux in functionality. Im looking at this Pioneer FH-X700BTand crutchfield will throw me a special wiring harness to connect the amps and a 12-volt to 5-volt converter so that they dont pop when you turn it on. This should sound and work about the same as the stock radio, correct?
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Jul 18, 2013 17:46
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Kachunkachunk posted:If replacing the speaker resulted in the same problem (even if it's worse), then it'd be wires, the amp, or the head unit, if the speakers aren't separately amped. If they're components, then check/replace/bypass the crossover box. (I know nothing about wiring/car audio) But disconnected the amp and it still happened, reconnecting the amp problem still occurs. There's 2 metal-ish wires coming down from the speaker that are soldered onto the speaker enclosure, manipulating those makes the problem stop, what are those wires and does that make any sense?
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Jul 19, 2013 05:42
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dahkren posted:(I know nothing about wiring/car audio) Metal-ish? Are you talking about the braided wires like in this picture?  If so, those are the ends of the coil wire, they're what make the cone move towards/away from the magnet. If they're doing that, you've probably a loose connection on the speaker itself. At most you could try re-soldering those joints and see if that fixes it, but if not you're looking at a replacement speaker.
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Jul 19, 2013 14:32
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Yeh, those wires. Moving those around fixes the problem, but it comes back after the speaker fires for a bit. I'll try to get my hands on a soldering gun and see if that helps.
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Jul 19, 2013 21:05
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You may also have a bad connector (on the wire end). You may try snipping off the end of the wires and crimping new connectors on, if that hasn't been done already.
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Jul 19, 2013 23:52
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The Wonder Weapon posted:
The poster mentions exactly my problem (popping when changing sources) and says I would need "Floating ground adapter(s)." Is this what he is referring to? http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_34321_Scosche-FGAB.html Does his suggestion sound like total crap, or is it reasonable? [/quote] Several weeks later, and I am continuing to battle with this. I just today installed that linked Floating Ground Adapter, which apparently did nothing to solve my popping problem. (And also for some reason instructed me to connect White to White/Black, and White/Black to White, Gray to Gray/Black, etc etc. Odd.) It did add so much additional wiring bulk that my HU can't fit completely into the bay, though. My HU has normal speaker wires as output, but it also uses 2 RCA plugs to power "Rear/subwoofer." I've got the front speakers and all the additional wires (power, ground, etc) coming out of the normal HU wiring, and then the two RCA jacks also running into one of the wire harnesses. In my re-wiring and double checking, I noticed that I have no sound at all when I unplug the two rear/subwoofer RCAs, so apparently the front speaker wiring does nothing? I put my hand over the front speakers in the door when the music is actually on, and it feels like sound is coming out of them, so I'm slightly confused. My primary goal here is to make sure I'm not going to blow up my HU, and my secondary goal is to get this drat pop to stop. I'm also 99% that my car has the Bose amplifier inside, for what that's worth. HU wiring guide in question: 
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Jul 27, 2013 21:47
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I have a 2013 WRX and other owners recommend replacing the head unit before doing anything else. Apparently it's just under powered. I'd prefer to keep the car looking stock and I just got a powered sub as a gift. Will that help improve the overall sound (not just the bass)?
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Jul 29, 2013 14:44
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The Wonder Weapon posted:The Bose system in my MB had a separate amplifier. It was using line level inputs and amplifying them. The speakers were also a non-standard impedance. If there is a separate amp it could be causing the pop when it is powered on/off. If there is not an amp and the speakers are very low impedance like mine were, it is really not good for the internal amp in the HU. Did you get polarity reversed on your speakers or something?
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Jul 30, 2013 18:58
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Im looking to order either Kenwood KDC-HD455U or a Pioneer DEH-6400BT to replace the stock radio in my NA Miata. It would be a used unit. Mostly Im looking for bluetooth and ability to work with an iphone 5 for the least amount of money. It looks like the used HU will run me about $50. I will probably put Polk DB651s in later. Right now its the factory speakers with a JL 500/1 pushing a JL 10W7 in the trunk. So I guess I want the head unit to also be able to offer more control over the sub vs my factory unit. Audio quality is only semi important as its a loud rear end soft top so I wont be able to hear the sound quality difference between bluetooth streaming and digital in with a crazy high quality DAC. Sadi fucked around with this message at 21:46 on Jul 30, 2013 |
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Jul 30, 2013 20:25
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Man, its amazing what $150 will buy you these days. Ive been using the same aftermarket Pioneer radio for 10 years but I just bought a nice car and wanted something less ugly. I went with the Pioneer FHX700BT and its been great so far. I bought it mostly because I wanted aux in, turns out I dont even need that feature because it streams music from both my ipod and windows phone. I like that its double din, too.
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Jul 30, 2013 22:12
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Sadi posted:Im looking to order either Kenwood KDC-HD455U or a Pioneer DEH-6400BT I used to have the DEH-6400BT. It's not a bad stereo at all. My gripes were: no dimmer wire (you can manually dim it through the menus, but it won't dim when you turn on your headlights), and everything is buried in menus. Once it's setup it's just fine aside from the dimmer issue. It also has 2 sets of RCA outputs, if you care to put an amp on the front speakers later. One of them can be switched between rear and sub, and you can control the sub level and crossover from the head unit.
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Jul 30, 2013 23:51
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some texas redneck posted:I used to have the DEH-6400BT. It's not a bad stereo at all. Looking at used prices, I think im probably going with the 6500BT. Its about the same price or a few dollars more than the 6400BT on the used market.
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Jul 31, 2013 00:18
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I just got my first car, and first job, and I really like bass. I want everyone else outside of my car to hear my bass too. Thing is, I'm not making much money at my job, considering it pays minimum wage. What subwoofers would you recommend?
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Jul 31, 2013 01:40
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Turn the treble all the way down, the bass all the way up. Then click the 'Co2/Normal' button. It'll reduce hiss enough to blast the entire 200 feet around you with the musical stylings of Harold Faltermeyer with PIZZAZ.
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Jul 31, 2013 01:44
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numbs posted:I just got my first car, and first job, and I really like bass. I want everyone else outside of my car to hear my bass too. Thing is, I'm not making much money at my job, considering it pays minimum wage. What subwoofers would you recommend? Kill yourself.
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Jul 31, 2013 02:19
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numbs posted:I want everyone else outside of my car to hear my bass too. Thing is, I'm not making much money at my job These two things go together.
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Jul 31, 2013 02:28
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Geirskogul posted:Kill yourself. I LOVE Cars, but I **LOVE** seeing dogs f*ck way more.
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Jul 31, 2013 02:35
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I called a dog rapist a dog rapist (the "things you did as a kid you regret" thread in GBS). Then I learned to stay out of GBS.
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Jul 31, 2013 02:36
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numbs posted:I want everyone else outside of my car to hear my bass too. Don't do this. I like, love bass. I really really do. I hate douchebags that do that though.
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Jul 31, 2013 02:41
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JackRabbitStorm posted:Don't do this. I like, love bass. I really really do. Hmm, alrighty man.
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Jul 31, 2013 02:47
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