Bored? Throw some input on my sound system plan!

[kowboydmac]

Thought I'd post here, as well as PZ32, about what my sound system components are shaping up to be. Some things I already have, some I'm going to get, and as always, I'd love some input!

The rundown: Relatively low RMS system, amp'ed speakers and a 10" sub in a 1990 Z32 with prior Bose system.

Have:
Rockford Fosgate 4" T142 (Hefty little 4's!)

Ordered:
FLI Audio 5 Channel amp

Going to order:
-MTX Audio 6.5" TN653 (Don't care to "match" the rears so much, I just love the specs of the MTX 3 ways)
-JBL 10" CS1014

Plan on ordering, but open to suggestions!
Knuconceptz 4ga Amp kit
Knukonceptz RCA cables
Deoxit audio cleaner/enhancers kit

In my mind, this seems to cover everything to produce quality sound. I'm not trying to win any competitions, rattle any windows, or annoy people with excessive....noise lol

[XX7R]

If your going for sound quality dont go with Mtx.. Get crescendo, they make really nice stuff for cheap

Code: Select all

store.crescendoaudio.com/pwx-6-5-mid-range/

Fli is okay stuff. Knuconceptz is really good that's what i run for wiring (I use their 0 gauge power wire)

[300ZXttZMAN]

Ehh I think you should just go with an 8" sub that way it doesn't take up much space and its not as heavy.

When I do audio in my Z I'm not going to have a sub at all. I'll just have some fancy door speakers and rear speakers.

[kowboydmac]

Never heard an MTX speaker I didn't like, odd to read that they don't have good sound quality?

Cadence only has mid drivers, and I definitely want to hear some highs.

--

Mark,

I'm actually the guinea pig for a fella making sub boxes. He's finished with the sub box, but the amp rack is still in R&D lol He sent me a few pictures, and wow, this thing looks stock.

Won't take up any excessive room Might be heavier than an 8", but that JBL isn't a massive subwoofer anyway. Haven't compared weights though. I figure if I end up relocating my battery in the trunk, it'll help offset the unbalanced weight.

FLI seems to be relatively new to the States. Seems to have done well in the UK though, as well as their counterpart Vibe. I had good luck with my Vizonik amp, so I figure I may as well give the FLI a shot. Love the specs, and can't beat the price.

I'm more keen on making sure I use good wire and use Deoxit to help everything sound clear and crisp.

[XX7R]

I'm not talking about cadence. Crescendo mids and crescendo tweeters on a sundown audio amp or zapco amp will literally be the clearest, crispest sound you'll ever hear... Nobody knows about this stuff cause its not mainstream.. But they literally knock everything else out.. (JL, alpine, mtx, kenwood..)

[Mike951]

The guy I bought my Z from had a system already installed. Sounds Effin fantastic. Great Sub too. I got the receipt right here. Kinda expensive, but thats with the deck, sub, amp, speakers and alarm, and a radar? wtf? I don't know a lot about car audio so maybe someone else can explain this...

But my system sounds AWESOME. The hatch space in the back of the 2+2 makes for a great tube sub environment.
Annnd yea the receipt.

[Mike951]

i don't know who wrote "1998" on the year for the car but I assure you it is a red 1990 300zx

[BigTDogg (MA)]

My two cents:

Get 6.5" up front in OEM non-Bose metal brackets, get those Crecendo mid-woofers for the rear boxes, sell the 4" Fosgates or use them in another car. You want your front soundstage to be the strongest.

1 10" sub is plenty, but driving it with 140 questionable quality Watts is not. Get a dual voice coil sub, so you can run it at 2 ohms, then look at a different amp. Something like this:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_438 ... 580.5.html

or this

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_238 ... 0-500.html

or this:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_445 ... 700-5.html

You will be gravely disappointed with 160 WRMS on a sub channel.

Deaden the doors with some Dynamat or equivalent and some foam to reduce/eliminate rattles. Run new speaker wires to your 4 main channels, you can get 14 AWG or 16AWG wire pretty cheap, like here:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_174 ... 16-25.html

[XX7R]

If you want to wire a sub at 2 ohms with dual voice coils get a sub with either dual 1 ohm or dual 4 ohm coils. For decent budget amps look at the mb quart onx series for a bigger sub amp. Ive had their onx 1500 and loved it. As he ^^ said 160 watts isnt going to get you very far. 500 watts rms is the average for a decent system.
$2k for only that!? I just put together a 3000 watt rms system for only about $600. I'm a little into bass

[kowboydmac]

My two cents:

Get 6.5" up front in OEM non-Bose metal brackets, get those Crecendo mid-woofers for the rear boxes, sell the 4" Fosgates or use them in another car. You want your front soundstage to be the strongest.

1 10" sub is plenty, but driving it with 140 questionable quality Watts is not. Get a dual voice coil sub, so you can run it at 2 ohms, then look at a different amp. Something like this:

You will be gravely disappointed with 160 WRMS on a sub channel.

Deaden the doors with some Dynamat or equivalent and some foam to reduce/eliminate rattles. Run new speaker wires to your 4 main channels, you can get 14 AWG or 16AWG wire pretty cheap, like here:

*Took out your links because they were copying funny when I clicked "Quote"

I know the rms seems weak, but I had a 500 rms system I put together in my old Jeep Grand Cherokee, and I rarely cranked it up to it's potential.

- HiFonics 6.5" ZEUS series components up front
- Soundstream 6.5" .. blue? lol in the rear
- Vizonik 4ch amp sending 100 RMS to the doors
- Kenwood 10" in a Scosche box from Walmart
- Kenwood mono amp sending 175 rms

As cheap as that build was (roughly $500 or so) it was still overkill for my personal taste.

I'm going with this build based on my previous experience. Even though I like dubstep and all that, I really only like listening to LOUD music at clubs or concerts, not so much throughout my daily driving lol Shoot, for the last month or two, I've been okay listening to ONE 4" speaker in the Bose enclosure on my driver side. Definitely want more, but that should give you an idea of how "old tyme" my volume preference is

If this build does turn out to be too weak, I am definitely interested in the Precision Power and MB quart amps.

I'm not talking about cadence. Crescendo mids and crescendo tweeters on a sundown audio amp or zapco amp will literally be the clearest, crispest sound you'll ever hear... Nobody knows about this stuff cause its not mainstream.. But they literally knock everything else out.. (JL, alpine, mtx, kenwood..)

I meant to type Crescendo lol I was reading something that mentioned Cadence wiring, and I guess it got stuck in my head.

Those mid drivers are appealing, and I'm thinking they may fare well, but I also like the idea of resonating as many high notes in the music I listen too. I also don't want to deal with component speakers, so I think the Crescendo equipment may not be a good choice for me personally. Although I am (at least initially) using 4" speakers up front, I could tune them to handle the high notes, so the Crescendo mids would then only serve as ambiance. Hmm.

Edit* XX7R, do you know if the Crescendo 6.5" fit in the rear Bose enclosures? They seem to have a pretty deep mounting depth.

[BigTDogg (MA)]

If you like a lot of highs, then that's your personal preference. In general, it's preferable to have the full range (20-20K) info coming from in front of you, especially with no rear seat passengers. Just look at what direction your ears face

Typically the rear speakers are rear fill, running from 300Hz to about 5-6kHz. You should definitely high pass the rear 6.5" above 250-300Hz so they don't hit the grills and trim once installed. Ask me how I know

RMS power isn't only suited to thump, but to protection of the driver/speaker. If you ever did want to crank it, you couldn't do so without risking damage to the sub.

[kowboydmac]

If you like a lot of highs, then that's your personal preference. In general, it's preferable to have the full range (20-20K) info coming from in front of you, especially with no rear seat passengers. Just look at what direction your ears face

I like more mids I guess lol I listen to 40% modern rock, 30% techno/dubstep/electronica/whateveryouwannacallit, 20% classic rock, 5% hip hop (Eminem/Outkast is about the extent of it lol) and 5% misc.

Typically the rear speakers are rear fill, running from 300Hz to about 5-6kHz. You should definitely high pass the rear 6.5" above 250-300Hz so they don't hit the grills and trim once installed. Ask me how I know

Bahaha. That's good to know Did the grill/trim muffle the sound like the speaker had a pillow over it?

RMS power isn't only suited to thump, but to protection of the driver/speaker. If you ever did want to crank it, you couldn't do so without risking damage to the sub.

In terms of the speaker, I chose that particular JBL because it seems to be built to run on the low end. Not enough punch to rattle/shake things, but enough to get the bass effect.

[kowboydmac]

Also, any heads up on how I should go about running new wire through the doors?

[XX7R]

To tell if a speaker/subwoofer can play low you wanna look at the specs of it. Generally, the lower the Fs and Qts a speaker has the lower it will be able to play hertz wise depending on the subwoofer enclosure. Anything below 20 hz is where the human ear can't pick up the sound. Are you gonna build a box for the subwoofer or just buy one?

I can measure if they'll fit but I haven't actually put any in my zx yet.

I usually just run the wire through the rubber door grommets and into the cabin of the vehicle

Sometime soon I'm going to be doing a really nice sound quality build for my zx. I'll post a build on here

[Z31toZ32]

i would put my cash towards a SZ exhaust.

[kowboydmac]

i would put my cash towards a SZ exhaust.

Well, that doesn't help this topic .. lol

Part of why I'm keeping this budget oriented is to put money toward my interior/exterior renovations. In terms of performance, my next projects will include BDE VTC gears and associating parts/upgrades, as well as a Selin or DVD_Burn dual translator to run a dual pop setup. Trying to limit my performance upgrades to swappable TT parts.

Sound system can go under swappable lol

[Z31toZ32]

ha i know. i rarely jam tunes in my car, i guess i just have more fun listening to the turbos and playing with the gears and gas.

[kowboydmac]

To tell if a speaker/subwoofer can play low you wanna look at the specs of it. Generally, the lower the Fs and Qts a speaker has the lower it will be able to play hertz wise depending on the subwoofer enclosure. Anything below 20 hz is where the human ear can't pick up the sound. Are you gonna build a box for the subwoofer or just buy one?

I can measure if they'll fit but I haven't actually put any in my zx yet.

I usually just run the wire through the rubber door grommets and into the cabin of the vehicle

Sometime soon I'm going to be doing a really nice sound quality build for my zx. I'll post a build on here

It looks to me like the Bose enclosures depth maxes out around 1 3/4 inch.

The sub box is being custom built, and from the pictures being sent to my phone from the guy constructing it (it's a prototype) it looks fantastic. He built it with the JBL sub in mind, so it's built to those specifications.

[BigTDogg (MA)]

ha i know. i rarely jam tunes in my car, i guess i just have more fun listening to the turbos and playing with the gears and gas.

Way to pour salt in the wound, he's NA budaaaaayyyy!!!

Running speaker wire through the doors, fish it through the OEM opening/boots. Not fun, but doable.

[kowboydmac]

ha i know. i rarely jam tunes in my car, i guess i just have more fun listening to the turbos and playing with the gears and gas.

Way to pour salt in the wound, he's NA budaaaaayyyy!!!

Running speaker wire through the doors, fish it through the OEM opening/boots. Not fun, but doable.

*Sniffles..no turbos..sniffles*



Well as long as it's doable. Hopefully it's not more tedious than installing headers or removing the EGR system... when the motor is IN the car. Yeesh.

[kowboydmac]

Copying this from ... eh hm... another forum lol

Well I went ahead and ordered the 180amp BNR Alternator. Once again, after I parked the Z when I got home, the idle fluctuated according to what I had on; HID's, A/C, etc. With everything off, the idle stayed steady. Otherwise it drives fine, like during the day. That observation combined with my lackluster parts counter alternator led me to just go all out

SO... I'm thinking of gettting Knukonceptz wiring for my sound system install, and may as well throw in some "Big 3" wiring. Off the top of my head, this is what I'd assume would be good:

- 5 ft Kolossus Fleks Kable 1/0 Gauge Blue Power Wire
- 3 ft Kolossus Fleks Kable 1/0 Black Ground Wire
- New Positive Batter terminal KonFused Positive Battery Terminal * Would move my current Kicker positive terminal to handle the negative wiring.

And this is what I'm thinking for my amp kit, just in case you're wondering :P
KCA Complete 4 Gauge Amplifier Installation Kit
I'll also get a couple more RCA's, but I have a TON of leftover wires from previous projects. Could use some more crimp connectors.

My system is REALLY low RMS, relatively speaking. I'm looking at 70x4 to speakers, and 125x1 to the Sub, via an FLI 5 Channel amp. I know the big 3 and 180 amp alternator is overkill for this particular setup, but I may as well do it right the first time, in case I decide to go with a more powerful amp/speaker combination down the road. I already have an Optima Blue Top, which seems to be holding up nicely. I read the Yellow and Red tops have been the victims of lackluster build quality, but nothing negative seemed to come about when discussing the blue top. Strange.

[BigTDogg (MA)]

Are you the guy with the dead alt on the FB group?

If you're not going big RMS, a rebuilt OEM alternator is just fine. My system is a total of 640WRMS and with a DieHard Platinum and an OEM rebuilt alternator, everything is solid. New 1995 harness as well, and a full 8AWG grounding kit, 4AWG power and ground wires.

[kowboydmac]

Well, mine isn't dead exactly lol but yeah I'm Dustin.

The current alternator is a Worldwide unit from Advance, and I turned in my OEM Alt. for a core. Otherwise I'd consider having this one rebuilt, but by the time all is said and done, the BNR seems to be the best route to take.

I'm sure a TT 90 Amp Alt would be more than enough, but I am interested in things like an electric fan setup, so I'd rather have the power already on hand. May also get some more powerful HID's, as I can barely see anything at night until I turn my highs on.

Tony, it might help if you had some pictures of your setup to post on here

[BigTDogg (MA)]

I would tell you to SEARCH N00B, but when I found the post, all the links were dead. I'll edit that later.

post5819437.html











And the "schematic" so to speak of it all:

[BigTDogg (MA)]

I'm sure a TT 90 Amp Alt would be more than enough, but I am interested in things like an electric fan setup, so I'd rather have the power already on hand. May also get some more powerful HID's, as I can barely see anything at night until I turn my highs on.

I wouldn't bother with 55W HID kit. Did you clean the inside of your lenses before installing? What color temp are the bulbs? A projector retrofit would serve you much better than higher wattage HIDs.

[kowboydmac]

HID's - Didn't clean the ,lenses on the inside, they really weren't that dirty. Maybe they are dirtier than they look though. Are you talking about baking them and parting the lens from the housing? I don't have an oven, so I can't do that

I appreciate the pictures! I remember your schematic picture from Facebook? I think it was. Nice to see the way you ran the wires through that fender grommet. That's a stock location, correct? I don't remember seeing that when I pulled my AIV's, but I also wasn't looking for it. /

[BigTDogg (MA)]

There is a rubber plug in the place of that hole. You can get a grommet from a HW store. I think it's 1" panel cutout size. If there's any room left once you get the wires pulled through, use some silicone to seal it up good.

It takes 5 minutes and makes a world of difference in light output

[XX7R]

Mmmmmm nice focals! And yeah a rebuilt alternator wouldn't hurt if your also going with electric fans later on