Subs and Assorted audio questions

[fct]

I would not recommend a 8 gauge kit. This is silly. Get it right the first time. A good 4 gauge wire should be usable for 100-150amps of current. This is an important consideration if you want to run good amount of power to subwoofers.

Regarding the kits, I really like the "Street Wires" kits. For example, StreetWires ZN1K-04 (ZN1K04) 4 Gauge Amplifier Installation Kit. I have an older version of this kit that came with a lesser 4 gauge wire and a 100amp fuse. This kit comes with a 150 amp fuse.

Alternatively, build your own kit by buying the necessary bits and pieces from knukonceptz.com

[Blkfordtaurusman]

Ok too many good chefs in this kitchen so I'll be short. 1)use the right box for the right subs. The other chefs will break it down the physics. Wrong box your bass will SUCK. DO your big 3 in 0/1 gauge cable. Make sure each connection is bare metal reflection shine before you attach your terminals to ground. Buy a 0/1 amp kit. Trust me on this 4 gauge will do but you want to reduce the stress on your electrical system not fry it. Fuse 6" from the battery. Have your gain on your amp set by an experienced installer so you don't Blow your subs. My rear deck rattles at different frequencies so if you have the time and cash have it "dynamatted." Btw your stock alt is 110 amps so your amp depending on brand may demand anywhere from 60-80 amps max so You should be ok but if you upgrade over 1000 you may need a bigger alt. Now I exit the kitchen. Before I leave I am curious what is the brand name of the subs and the Amp make and model too.

[04 SEL]

^ SDX subs

[GoSloSho]

Originally Posted by glock20man

are the subs 1000 watts RMS or max..?? do you got aftermarket head unit?? I don't think you do cause your looking for some place to put your remote wire so you can turn your subs on and off. rear deck speakers to give your subs a signal???? you got me on that! make your own wire????? just buy the wire, 0 to 4 gage. as for buying a box and other info get it at SONICELECTRONIX.COM

In my opinion 0 gauge wiring is never needed unless your running like an 18,000 watt 18 inch jackhammer subwoofer. then maybe yes, it would be required

[aaroncgi]

Comments on the box design are spot on. Sealed box is your best and simplest bet for accurate sound in the car, and also results in the smallest box. I'd only go ported if maximum output was your goal. In a car, especially a sedan, cabin gain means you don't need super low extension from the woofer/box combination, to get super low extension overall. The gain of the enclosed car interior will extend the response for free. I tend to shoot for an F3 point (where response is 3dB down) for no lower than 40 Hz, which is extremely easy to achieve with most 10's or 12's in a sealed box. Even an F3 as high as 60 Hz can still have good low end extension when the box is placed in your car.

It's hard to determine the best wire gauge without knowing the current needs of the amplifier. '1000w' doesn't really tell us much. Is that RMS, is it a class AB amplifier or class D (latter much more efficient), is it 'Peak Maximum Power Output' (divide by 2-4 to get RMS), etc? A quick and dirty way to tell how large of wiring you need is simply look at the input fuse(s) rating on the amplifier, or combined totals if you have more than one amplifier. As long as your wire can carry that amount of current, you're fine. 4 gauge wire is rated to carry a minimum of 75A, and as much as 90A depending on the insulation temperature rating. Now that said, a larger wire will give you a smaller voltage drop from the alternator/battery to the amplifier, thus slightly more power. But 20 feet of 4 gauge wire is only 0.005 ohms (roughly). So worse case scenario, drawing 90A results in a voltage drop of about 0.45V using 4 gauge. And you probably won't need 20'. Even if so, that's a drop of only about 3% depending on alternator output (slightly more if the engine is off). But how often are you going to running full volume? Hardly ever - unless you plan to be deaf in short order. 4 gauge should be fine for any sane system. Given an alternator rating of only 110A, it doesn't seem reasonable to draw more than 90A from your car stereo on a regular basis, anyway.

For line output converters, I hear the Audio Control LC2i is the best. It's a little pricey at $70, but that's what I plan to get if I ever add a subwoofer and amplifier to my system. It has a feature that in theory should compensate for the 'Bass Nanny' in the Mach system, but I don't know if anyone here has actually used the LC2I?

[Breeves002]

Ironically, I'm a professional sound guy. I do sound for live concerts and other events. I'm great with sound, however not with car audio.

I have a great ear for sound and know how to adjust things accordingly.

Anyways, thanks for all of the input - I appreciate it! I'll let everyone know how it goes. While I'm in there I'm thinking about replacing my rear deck speakers with a pair of Pioneer TS-A6874R speakers. A few people around here have them. Any good?

[04 SEL]

I hear they are very good, but lacking a tad in the bass department compared to stock. That doesn't matter now that you have a sub though!

[Blkfordtaurusman]

Although I won't count this chart I use as gospel or but I find it helpful. Mobile Photobucket

I personally use 2/0 orange ultraflex welding cable since My fuses on my amps total 450 so I really need a second run of at least 0/1 gauge but I don't have the time.

[Breeves002]

That's a great chart, thanks!

The one thing I'm wondering is has anyone ever used a line output converter in these cars? I picked one up today and it has 6 wires. + and - for L and R and then two grounds.

I know where to connect the + and - too, but where should I put the ground to? Should I just connect them to the same ground as the amp? Each of the cables are only 3 inches long, so I'm going to have to get some more copper wire to lengthen it. Then it goes out of the line output converter into the amp via RCA.

Is there a way I could just jack into the RCU? It's in the trunk anyways, right? How hard would it be to find the right wire and splice in? I'm going to find the wiring connector diagrams for it on alldata when I get to MY computer.

[Breeves002]

I think I figured out how I'm going to do it for the line output converter. I'm going to place it next to the RCU and just use quick splice connectors to splice right from the speaker wires to the line output converter. Then RCA from output converter to amp. I'm going to mount the amp on the backseat.

This makes it nice and easy, don't have to have extra wire to splice in with from the speakers this way. Also can use both left and right. Some people just go one way. Still not sure where I will put the ground, but I'll figure that one out.

I also put in Panasonic 3 way speakers in the rear deck. They sound really good. I want to upgrade my front speakers as well. Should I go 2 way in the doors and then upgrade the tweeters, or are the stock tweeters pretty good? I have the Mach system now, keeping the stock head unit and RCU.