J4mie Posted April 7, 2014 Report Posted April 7, 2014 Hey, So I will be getting a car this year and I am all about a good sound system. I have searched online some questions I had but nowhere could I see the answers I was looking for so I guess here is my best bet, I need a simple run down of actual car audio such as what makes the actual sound for my car for example in a home audio you have your speakers and maybe a little woofer ect. I will be spending quite a bit on my cars system but as it'll be my first I don't want to go too overboard on it. What will I need for a standard system? How can I ensure my system won't be all bass and not enough sound ect, if anyone can offer me advice (not certain brands ect) on what i'll need would be great as in if i had 2 12's running at 2k watts peak what else would I want to make it a well rounded system? thanks guys.
rockFord_Expedition Posted April 7, 2014 Report Posted April 7, 2014 General beginner advice: Safety first. don't pay attention to max ratings on amps or speakers. They mean nothing. RMS/continuous power is what you go by. And make sure whatever brand you do go with, makes or handles rated power. DO NOT SKIMP ON ELECTRICAL. This doesn't just mean your battery and alternator if you decide to run more than your stock electrical can handle. This means your connections, wire quality, size and length. Fuse any wire that touches the positive terminal of your battery(ies) according to the size of wire that you are running. Always remember that it TAKES POWER TO MAKE POWER. Don't go buy a 2kw sub amp, 800w 4channel and expect your stock electrical to handle it. Read SNAFU's thread on the big 3 and do it right. Old School/New School RF Build March 2015 SOTM Winner How to crimp large wire
rockFord_Expedition Posted April 7, 2014 Report Posted April 7, 2014 Oh, and welcome to the forum btw. Read the rules, follow them and have fun. Old School/New School RF Build March 2015 SOTM Winner How to crimp large wire
gr8handogoatness Posted April 7, 2014 Report Posted April 7, 2014 In my opinion you will want to get either some good coaxial speakers or some decent component speakers and run them off an amp. Spend money on electrical and second skin. It is money well spent. Then add a sub and amp for it as money allows. You can have all the bass in the world and still sound terrible. The sub fills out the sound but isn't where you should start. Many people disagree with me but I like music more than bass. Every now and then I want to crank up the bass and get a good massage, but the front stage is more important to me.
john253a Posted April 7, 2014 Report Posted April 7, 2014 My order of thinks would be H/u with 3 sets of 4v pre out (pioneer make some good ones at entry level price) 0g wire and big 3 75rms x 4 @4ohm (4ch amp anything 75-100rms is good) Either 2 set if comp the same or A set if comps for the front and some 2or 3 ways coaxel in the rear(stick with round speakers) Now on to the sub This is where it all get tricky Do you want to upgrade alt and add batteries If none if above Depending on what you stock alt is will determine what size amp you can run Stick alt with no extra batteries Stick to under 800-1200rms Stock alt with 1-2 extra bat 12-1500rms (May even push it to 18-2k) Size if sub or how many is entirely up to space available and box design
jarrius Posted April 7, 2014 Report Posted April 7, 2014 Brands to look at Soundqubed Fi Dc Acendent Audio Ct Sounds C2 Audio Rockford Fosgate(for amps only IMO) Crasendo Audio For wire Knu Koncepts Sky High Car Audio Execution Audio Brands to stay away from Boss Audio Audio pipe JL audio(good company cost way to much) Kicker subs Hifonics Crunch Pyle Really any brand they sell at Walmart or places like that. Advice Take your time and do things correctly. If you have questions please ask them. Just because something is cheap does not mean it's good. Also just because something costs a lot also does not mean it's good. Sub size really means shit. You can have 1 12 and be louder and sound better then a lot of other set ups. Quility of gear does not make the system it help but the install is what makes a system sound good. Also always plan your system around your electrical. Weather you want to upgrade it and how much you need to electrical is the heart of your system. This one is a big IMO but works for me DO NOT go to a shop for a install do it your self. Many shops do pretty bad work and can make your car catch fire. If you do find a shop you like ask them if you need help and also ask here. Most shops (not all but most) don't care about you they just want your money. They will do what you want even tho it's wrong and some really don't know what there doing. I just went to a shop the other day and they had a DD-1 and did not know how to use it. When I offered to show them the owner just about kicked me out. 2012 Chevy sonic1xSQ HDC3 12 D2RF R1200d 140 square foot of Q-Mat(soon to be installed) 140.2Db sealed on the dash with TL 142 DB sealed on the dash with another meter (was dead on with the TL at a show i was at) 141 on music. strangeduck,on 02 Jan 2014 - 01:39 AM, said: when my car spins out i just put the car in neutral, turn in the direction i want to go and pucker my asshole
J4mie Posted April 7, 2014 Author Report Posted April 7, 2014 alright guys, I knew people over on steve's forums would know what the fuck they are talking about! may be dropping a few of you guys PM's and annoy you a bit for more in-depth questions as i am a complete noob when it comes to car audio
Krakin Posted April 7, 2014 Report Posted April 7, 2014 Annoy the hell out of them man, better have someone annoyed than your vehicle in flames. Krakin's Home Dipole Project http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/186153-krakins-dipole-project-new-reciever-in-rockford-science/#entry2772370 Krakin, are you some sort of mad scientist? I would have replied earlier, but I was measuring the output of my amp with a yardstick . . . What you hear is not the air pressure variation in itself but what has drawn your attention in the two streams of superimposed air pressure variations at your eardrums An acoustic event has dimensions of Time, Tone, Loudness and Space Everyone learns to render the 3-dimensional localization of sound based on the individual shape of their ears, thus no formula can achieve a definite effect for every listener.
gr8handogoatness Posted April 8, 2014 Report Posted April 8, 2014 Yeah man hit us up. I joined this forum to learn and help others do the same. If you are willing to learn I'm willing to help. I know I speak for many of us too. As far as I can tell everyone who has posted in this thread has something good to offer and some experience to back it up.
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