Mid-Range System

[Axxe]

Ok guys, I'm completely fed up with my 100% stock "premium sound" system (yes, tape deck) and now have the funds to buy something much better. I can get a deal on Alpine equipment because a good friend of mine at school (his dad) is a Alpine rep for the KWC region. Anyway, onto the goods:

HU: CDA-9827

Speakers (front and rear): SPR-136A (5-1/4" Type-R Component 2-Way Speaker). I want to go bigger, but frankly I can live with sacrfice (I'm not a hardcore audiophile).

Sub & Amp: RIght now I'm torn up on what to do. I'm thinking a 10" Type R sub or if they really suck I will spring for a JL. I will be running it in a sealed box for now, since I want it on my backseat in the winter when I go snowboarding (pass-through ski boot is used a lot). I want to have my speakers powered by and amp, but can't afford a 4 or 5 channel amp right now. So I figured I would power the fronts and sub with either a three channel amp or a 2 channel for the fronts and the mono for the sub. Which brings me to my next question: Does a 2 channel amp power two seperate channels (left, right) or only two speakers? I find this to be a bit vague.

Any input on the system is appreciated. I want something with good highs and mids, and some bass aswell. If I'm completely out to lunch then can you guys recommend something good but not to expensive?

[Mystikal]

Well, here we go...

Good deck.

I have the Alpine SPR-136A components in the front of my car, too bad you didn't take a listen to them at the meet when you bought the caps. I love them, great performance for the price. I wouldn't really recommend getting the rears though, our interiors are so small rear fill isn't very needed. Just disconnect the stock rear tweeters and use the mids to add warmth. Or leave the tweeters, your choice.

I have a 10" Type-R sub in the E46, and I've tried it in my car. Sounds awesome, very sweet sound expecially for the price. You could go JL, but after listening to 10" Type-R's and W3V2's extensively, I don't think the extra money is worth it. The snobs here will bash, but fuck that.

I have a 3-channel Kicker for my front components and Phoenix 12". 75rms x 2 (4ohms), 420rms x 1 (2ohms). This is a shit load of bass BTW, I don't think an E30, especially one with the pass-through open, needs more than 300rms. I listen to hip hop and reggae mostly too, bass heavy stuff. The 2-channel amp can power both front and rear setups, but it has to be 2-ohm stable. I recommend going 1-channel front and 1 channel rear, this way you can maintain a fader control.

I personally like the setup you have in mind, but there are guys here that will say "this ultra-rare brand is the tightest!" or "Alpine sucks!" or "I have 2 15's and I have balanced sound!", but trust me, it is a good plan.

[Axxe]

Cool. I might have to drop by next Friday. I was in town last night, but decided to go for some brews with friends from school. Next week I'll give your system a listen if it's alright with you.

Now on to some more questions: If I go 1 channel front, 1 channel rear will I still have stereo sound? I might just go with the Type-R comps in the front and some type-S coaxials for rear fill, since there is rarely someone on the back seat (lets face it, it's tiny when the front seats are all the way back). Which Alpine amp should I use then? I can get them @ wholesale price so I prefer to stick to Alpine for that reason.

[StereoInstaller1]

If you do 1 channel front and 1 rear, you will not have stereo. You must use 1 left and 1 right channel...make sense?

The best way to powe your system on the cheap is to use a 4 channel...2 channels powering the front (in high pass), 2 on the sub (in low pass).. Make certain your sub is appropriate for that application, impedance wise. In other words, get a single voice coil 4 ohm woofer.

You will be amazed how good it sounds!
Luke

[Axxe]

If you do 1 channel front and 1 rear, you will not have stereo. You must use 1 left and 1 right channel...make sense?

The best way to powe your system on the cheap is to use a 4 channel...2 channels powering the front (in high pass), 2 on the sub (in low pass).. Make certain your sub is appropriate for that application, impedance wise. In other words, get a single voice coil 4 ohm woofer.

You will be amazed how good it sounds!
Luke

What if I get the DVC TypeR sub with 2ohm coils wired in series? Will that work?

I don't quite understand the high/low pass, or running one sub of two channels. For the amount of $$ that a 4-channel is I may just go for a 5-channel amp.

One more question: If I go Type-R comps in front and type-s coaxial in the back will that be big compromise in quality (mis-matched speakers)? Or should I just go components alround?

Thanks for the responses guys.

[Mystikal]

The 4-channel Alpine you want is the MRP-F240. 40wattsx4 at 4ohms. Use that to power the interior. I like your idea of Type-R components in the front and Type-S coaxials in the rear. Get 6.5" coaxials for good measure. The 6.5" Type-R components are just too deep for our kick panels, so just stay 5.25 down there.

I don't really recommend getting a 5-channel, it just makes upgrading later on more work. Stay with the dedicated 4-channel for the interior, and get another mono amp for the sub. The MRP-M350 is a great value, 350watts at 2ohms (though I've seen tests of it making 456rms). Get a dual 4ohm Type-R sub and you're set.

To sum it all up:
SPR-136A - Front Type-R components
SPS-170A - Rear Type-S coaxials
SWR-1041D - Type-R 10" DVC 4-ohm subwoofer
MRP-F240 - 4 channel amp for interior
MRP-M350 - 1 channel amp for sub

That's how I'd do it. :up:

[Axxe]

Head Unit: CDA-9831. I was in a stereo shop today and decided that I like the features/functions/looks of the 9831 over that of the CDA-9327. Mainly the much more comprehensive equalizer on it.

What should I do for a box? I'm thinking sealed for now, since I don't understand port tuning now and I need a relatively small box. Which brings me to my next question: should I make my own sealed box or buy a ready-made one? I mean a 4' by 8' sheet of MDF is $22 @ home depot which is a lot cheaper than $130 at a shop. Any special tricks to make it sound and look nice (other than countersinking screwes and carpeting it)? I understand that I will need to install some connectors on the box, and I will probably mount the amp right to the box unless it's a bad thing to do (interference wise).

Now, what kind of wires will I need? 18 guage for speakers? 12 guage for sub? 8 guage for power/ground?

Thanks for the help Mystikal.

[Axxe]

Basically here is how I think I need to wire the system up:



Is this right? Or do I send two channels to the crossover? Also, what guage/type wiring that I need to connect everything?

[StereoInstaller1]

bad link on the pic, Axxe.

You seem to have the technology down.

I personally do not like the sound of a monoblock on a 2 ohm driver compared to a 2 channel on a 4 ohm driver...but that is personal preference.

If you did a dual 2 ohm woof, I would just run it in stereo...your deck's sub out is mono anyway, so no cancellation issues will arise.
Luke

[Axxe]

Stupid Photobucket.

Thanks for the input guys. I'm going to do the install in stages for financial reasons, so for now I'm going with the deck and the speakers running off the deck. However I'm going to wire everything through the trunk so the amp will be an easy install in the future.

[Mystikal]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm going to do the install in stages for financial reasons, so for now I'm going with the deck and the speakers running off the deck. However I'm going to wire everything through the trunk so the amp will be an easy install in the future.

Actually, if you're powering them off the deck there would be no wires to run through the trunk, your would be using the speaker outputs and not the pre-amp.

Measure what room you have to work with, look up the recommended ported volume from Alpine, and see if it will work out.

[Axxe]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm going to do the install in stages for financial reasons, so for now I'm going with the deck and the speakers running off the deck. However I'm going to wire everything through the trunk so the amp will be an easy install in the future.

Actually, if you're powering them off the deck there would be no wires to run through the trunk, your would be using the speaker outputs and not the pre-amp.

Measure what room you have to work with, look up the recommended ported volume from Alpine, and see if it will work out.

I understand that, however I am going to wire the whole car in one shot while it is still warm, so then I can just put the amp in at a later time in the winter.

[BMW BMXER]

Ya wire while its warm. Wiring in the cold is just a piss off.

I really wish I ran more than one rca cable when I wired my car, oh well.

Are you going to be building the box yourself? Or having it buit? (Pre-fab sucks)

I just read you post before. Building a sealed box isn't to hard. I suck at math and I did it with my neighbour so it was not too bad, I could do it myself if I had the tools. Just remember to seal the seams of the box properly (wood glue and silly cone) and don't put the sub in the box till its all good and dry. Rumour as it silicone fucks up surrounds, some people disagree but its better safe than sorry.

Counter sinking is pretty simple to do just get that bit thing. I only have vinyl on the viseable surfaces of my box so I can't really help you with covering it.

[Axxe]

Quick question: Do RCA's go from the amp to speakers or from the deck to amp? I'm thinking it's amp-speakers, but I'm not 100% sure. Also, what size wiring should I use and how much should I buy to wire the whole car? Thanks in advance.

[Mystikal]

RCA's are to the amp. Speakers use bare wire. The gauge to use depends on power, try to find a guide online.