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Help wiring/setting up Audio system
Topic Started: Jun 3 2015, 01:07 PM (890 Views)
45MPGWHAT
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I recently finally plopped down the cash to upgrade my audio system. I've gone full JVC with head, speakers and an amp. I think I may not have ordered the most ideal amp for what I'm trying to accomplish though, I'm not sure...

I plan on running the 2 4" speakers in the dash, I've upgraded the rear speakers behind the seats to 6.5" speakers thanks to the Metra adapters, I've added 4x6's to the cargo trays, and I also have the 2 4" speakers in the hatch.

I've purchased (on the advice of a friend) a 2 channel 400 watt amp, with the intention of running some of the rear speakers off of it. (I was initially intending on running the bigger speakers like the 6.5's and maybe the 4x6's... figuring those would perform better or be able to handle the power more sufficiently than if I powered the 4's by it).

Call me an audio idiot, but I'm not sure this is going to pan out like I thought. My concern is each speaker getting it's desired power and to be setup correctly in the scheme of stereo (i.e: front left, front right, rear left, rear right...). If I run 4 speakers off the head unit (like a factory setup which obviously allows true stereo functions), will I be able to achieve similar control over the stereo effect of the 4 speakers run off of a 2 channel amp? I guess I'm confused on whether or not I should be running a 2 or 4 channel amp to achieve this.

I'm also not entirely sure which speakers to power by the amp... It's an odd setup really, if you think about it, the front 4 speakers are the 2 4's in the dash, and the 6.5's behind the seats (which are obviously the biggest, and which in most cars are usually in the back of the car).... while the rear 4 are the 2 4x6's and 4's. Does it really matter which speakers are where or which ones are run off of the amp? I would just like this to be as close to a factory setup as possible, to achieve the best performance out of everything as I can.

Thanks in advance for the help!
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banginmetro64
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by getting a 2ch amp rather than a 4ch amp you are limited on what speakers you can run on the amp due to the tuning needed for proper sound. i would run the 4" speakers off the radio and the 6.5" speakers off the amp. if you had a 4ch amp then you could run the 6.5" and the 4x6 speakers off that amp.
better speakers in better locations with proper power will get you better sound than having multiple speakers and multiple sizes.
Edited by banginmetro64, Jun 4 2015, 11:24 AM.
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Bjetmech
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I am no audio expert, but in my limited experience if your going to run an amp you will need another to drive the other speakers. Say your deck will put our 4 chanels at 25 watts maybe 50 watts. You will not be able to hear the speakers running off your deck over the amp. I was running some 6X9's off my amp and 4 inch and 6.5 off my deck. All I could hear were the 6X9's.
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evmetro


The best sound is a front sound stage For the best sound, focus on the front. Rear speakers should not be as loud as the front, unless they are meant to entertain rear passengers. Your amp is meant to run one pair of speakers, so I would run it on the front. The rear speakers can still be run from the deck. I would not worry about how many watts the amp is, since it is most likely not much more than the deck. Probably around 60 or 70 real watts (RMS watts @ 4ohms)
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t3ragtop
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Turbo3 and Twincam Tweaker

:gp

front sound stage is what you want to shoot for. anything else behind the dash is just low level fill or subwoofer which is largely non-directional.

i use component type speakers in the front paying attention to time alignment, mounting the tweeters as close to the mid drivers as possible to limit sibilance (time smear that plays havoc with a tap on high hat cymbals or turns an "s" sound into "sshhhhh.")

a good set of component speakers will come with a matching passive crossover. use the amp to drive the crossover and it will split the frequencies into bands to drive the mids and tweeters at the correct levels.

i'd spend more on the front speakers and ditch the rear speakers unless you run those 6.5" speakers as low frequency drivers. ;)
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45MPGWHAT
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After talking to another friend and someone at Crutchfield, they both recommended buying a 4 channel amp, and then basically "bridging" or putting 2 speakers per channel on the amp... they said it would be the simplest and best performing way of doing it... so i went ahead and bought a 4 channel amp. Like you all have suggested, I'll have 4's (which somehow seem to be (overall, subjectively) better sounding than 4x6's from what I've read?) and 6.5's up front as the "front sound stage".
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evmetro


45MPGWHAT
Jun 4 2015, 10:17 PM
After talking to another friend and someone at Crutchfield, they both recommended buying a 4 channel amp, and then basically "bridging" or putting 2 speakers per channel on the amp... they said it would be the simplest and best performing way of doing it... so i went ahead and bought a 4 channel amp. Like you all have suggested, I'll have 4's (which somehow seem to be (overall, subjectively) better sounding than 4x6's from what I've read?) and 6.5's up front as the "front sound stage".
If your friend and that guy at Crutchfield did not try to direct your attention to the importance of having your music coming from a front soundstage, they may not be the best people to consult with. If you feel convinced that you need all of this sound behind you and multi speakers per channel, you might consider making sure that both speakers on the shared channel are the same size and model number. You may also find that if you maintain a 4 ohm load for a 4 ohm amp, it will sound nicer and run more efficiently.
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