Just bought a bunch of stuff and want some help

[genesis]

to answer your question, my PERSONAL opinion is-out of the 2 you listed.. jl audio.

[BboyTaktix]

aiden, curious what you are debating on doing for power. I THINK your alt only puts out like 75A (least the older WRX's did) and my STI alt only puts like 90A (or the older ones did) but can't find concrete info on newer WRX/STI alternators, assuming they are the same since engine hasn't changed in years. If this is the case, and I'm only putting out 90A with my alt, I feel like I may need to do something since I'll be running around 1200-1400RMS with this. I was thinking either a second battery in the trunk or a slight alternator upgrade but nothing too expensive. Also would much rather not weight the car down!!

[l8apx]

aiden, curious what you are debating on doing for power. I THINK your alt only puts out like 75A (least the older WRX's did) and my STI alt only puts like 90A (or the older ones did) but can't find concrete info on newer WRX/STI alternators, assuming they are the same since engine hasn't changed in years. If this is the case, and I'm only putting out 90A with my alt, I feel like I may need to do something since I'll be running around 1200-1400RMS with this. I was thinking either a second battery in the trunk or a slight alternator upgrade but nothing too expensive. Also would much rather not weight the car down!!

I'm with you on not wanting to weigh the car down, but I also have to remember that I'm going be driving this car all year round in northern Alberta! You're right about my OEM alt putting out 75A (and your STi has another 15A on top), so upgrading to something like a DC amp is something I'll have to consider (I do like all things billet!) My WRX sedan has a curb weight of 3,208 lb with (58/42%) weight distribution (176 lbs lighter than the STi), so 1861 lb (front) and 1347 lb (rear). To make it a perfect 50/50, I'd need to spread 514 lbs *evenly* throughout the rear (but I ain't planning on that!) A Kinetik KHC1400 power cell will add 39 lbs and will bolt into the space where the spare donut was (the sub box weighs ~ 62 lbs and will be attached to the trunk side of the back seats with L brackets). Depending on where I place things, I could probably achieve something close to a 50/50 weight distribution with the ~128 lbs of audio and electrical kit I'll probably end up with ... and if all goes well, I'll never see the lights fade at night, at idle when it's 40 below!

The only thing I'd caution you on is upgrading the components of your OEM alternator and having it rewound is that the core is small and wasn't designed for that much copper so the alternator can overheat (even in the middle of winter) ... not good.

For me, first thing today -- I'm going to pick up what I need to do the big 3 (well, big 4 actually because it's a unibody) upgrade (adding grounds from each shock tower back to the body and rear frame to trunk where I eventually plan to ground the power cell). I'm going to make up a diagram and have my mechanic buddy look it over before I cut and bolt.

[BoomZoom808]

You definitely want an amp with a subsonic filter if you are using a ported box

[l8apx]

You definitely want an amp with a subsonic filter if you are using a ported box

I already went with a new JL Audio JX1000/1D and, of course, it doesn't have a high pass filter :-( As they say "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing", so thanks! Since I read your post (and read about ssf's) I've been trying to find out what the tuning (port) frequency the enclosure of my (JL Audio H0210G-W3v3) box is so I know what ssf I need. My best guess is 25.81 Hz (and F3 = 23.74 Hz) using the following info from this information:

Vas = 32.23 L

Fs = 31.49 Hz

Qts = 0.49

D = 9 in *just a guess* (but if I use D = 18, or 20 I get the same result)

... using this calculator.

Can you let me know if I'm right and, if so, should I go ahead and get something like this? TIA

[Skullz]

The jl would be the better of those 2 choices, and if you go to sell it the jl will sell for more and faster.

[l8apx]

You definitely want an amp with a subsonic filter if you are using a ported box

I already went with a new JL Audio JX1000/1D and, of course, it doesn't have a high pass filter :-( As they say "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing", so thanks! Since I read your post (and read about ssf's) I've been trying to find out what the tuning (port) frequency the enclosure of my (JL Audio H0210G-W3v3) box is so I know what ssf I need. My best guess is 25.81 Hz (and F3 = 23.74 Hz) using the following info from this information:

Vas = 32.23 L

Fs = 31.49 Hz

Qts = 0.49

D = 9 in *just a guess* (but if I use D = 18, or 20 I get the same result)

... using this calculator.

Can you let me know if I'm right and, if so, should I go ahead and get something like this? TIA

Anyone know the port freq. of a JL Audio H0210G-W3v3? I've exhausted my mediocre googling skills on this one ...

[BoomZoom808]

I doubt its below 28hz, on my Rockford amp it is fixed at 26hz and I can still play songs that go down to the low 20'z

[l8apx]

I doubt its below 28hz, on my Rockford amp it is fixed at 26hz and I can still play songs that go down to the low 20'z

Hi BoomZoom808. It surprises me (now, knowing what I learned from doing some reading after your last post about needing a ssf) that the information about the resonant freq. isn't readily available for the pre-fab box I have. At least it doesn't seem like it's readily available, yet it seems to be pretty important. I'm impatient so I bought a pair of 30Hz in-line high pass "electronic crossovers" (ones that go in-line with an RCA patch cable between the HU and amp) to be safe and just got a low frequency test CD in the mailbox. Last week, I would have unknowingly popped it in and damaged (or killed) my box out of ignorance playing some of the tracks so anyway, thanks again for your help! I needed it!

[BboyTaktix]

aiden, curious what you are debating on doing for power. I THINK your alt only puts out like 75A (least the older WRX's did) and my STI alt only puts like 90A (or the older ones did) but can't find concrete info on newer WRX/STI alternators, assuming they are the same since engine hasn't changed in years. If this is the case, and I'm only putting out 90A with my alt, I feel like I may need to do something since I'll be running around 1200-1400RMS with this. I was thinking either a second battery in the trunk or a slight alternator upgrade but nothing too expensive. Also would much rather not weight the car down!!

I'm with you on not wanting to weigh the car down, but I also have to remember that I'm going be driving this car all year round in northern Alberta! You're right about my OEM alt putting out 75A (and your STi has another 15A on top), so upgrading to something like a DC amp is something I'll have to consider (I do like all things billet!) My WRX sedan has a curb weight of 3,208 lb with (58/42%) weight distribution (176 lbs lighter than the STi), so 1861 lb (front) and 1347 lb (rear). To make it a perfect 50/50, I'd need to spread 514 lbs *evenly* throughout the rear (but I ain't planning on that!) A Kinetik KHC1400 power cell will add 39 lbs and will bolt into the space where the spare donut was (the sub box weighs ~ 62 lbs and will be attached to the trunk side of the back seats with L brackets). Depending on where I place things, I could probably achieve something close to a 50/50 weight distribution with the ~128 lbs of audio and electrical kit I'll probably end up with ... and if all goes well, I'll never see the lights fade at night, at idle when it's 40 below!

The only thing I'd caution you on is upgrading the components of your OEM alternator and having it rewound is that the core is small and wasn't designed for that much copper so the alternator can overheat (even in the middle of winter) ... not good.

For me, first thing today -- I'm going to pick up what I need to do the big 3 (well, big 4 actually because it's a unibody) upgrade (adding grounds from each shock tower back to the body and rear frame to trunk where I eventually plan to ground the power cell). I'm going to make up a diagram and have my mechanic buddy look it over before I cut and bolt.

cool. I have decided to go with a single KHC1400 to replace my stock battery, and do the big 3 as well. My stock alt should hold up fine with the big 3 done and a battery to make up for any lacking power IF (and that is a big if) I crank my system for extended periods of time (like...over 10 mins) but I usually listen at 50-60% of full power when on longer trips and if others are in my car I turn it down quite a bit. Never planned on playing with the stock alt though, I would just replace it. Only direct fit for our years so far are the DC alts that run $449 or more, IMO not worth it for the 1200-1300RMS MAX I plan on putting out.

However I have pretty much everything I need fo rmy build, sub comes in tonight or tomorror (yay) and then I need to pick up the kinetik battery. Then issue is finding time to do the install Fucking UPS told me customs duties etc totalled like $170 or $117 or some crap, but of course I always clear items myself and so this time is no different, will only cost me about $50 tax and 30 minutes of my time to go clear it at the CBSA

Glad to see your planning is going well, also glad to be able to have another subie of the same year and doing his build same time as I am, we can share our findings