Speaker recommendations?

[behrozec34]

Im installing a real high-end subwoofer and I dont want my speakers to get faded out with all the bass. I plan on leaving the rear speakers alone and getting a set of components in the front and fading most of the power up there. So since I dont want to run another amp, what should be a good power rating for these components?


What i'm looking at right now:
http://bostonacoustics.com/car/car_product.aspx?category_id=14&family_id=123&product_id=338

[theprodigy79]

What is the real high-end subwoofer that you will be getting?

Also, please clarify... are you asking what kind of amp to get to run your sub and front speakers?

Will you be using an aftermarket headunit, or the factory unit?

[BadAngel]

If you have the JBL system then just leave it... i added a 600 RMS watt alpine amp and a 300 watt sub... the balance is amazing... it sounds fine and nothing is drowned out.... Just save the money and keep the original system. Don't knock JBL they make hi-end components ...

[behrozec34]

i plan on getting a 10w7 from jl audio and pairing it with their 500/1 v2 amp. I do not have the factory jbl system so that is why i wanted to upgrade my fronts. I will be keeping the factory headunit.

[theprodigy79]

I'd definitely advise upgrading your headunit if you plan to run such a sub and swap your fronts. I would honestly say that it would be a large mistake to do otherwise...

Let me explain a few things:

First, that is going to be a very overpowering sub/amp combo for ANY stock setup.

Second, in order to run that amp / sub off your stock setup you will have to use a line-level adapter, basically splicing into your rear speakers... It's fine for some setups (BadAngel is using this setup), however when you're putting in a $500 sub running on a decently high end amp you will lose immense amounts of output / quality.

Regarding what you initially said:

Im installing a real high-end subwoofer and I dont want my speakers to get faded out with all the bass.

The only true way to avoid this is to get a decent set of fronts and amp them... I know you mention those components below, but I'm a bit confused about a couple things that I'll get to later... When it all comes down to it, it's not worth amping mids / highs off any factory headunit... It's difficult to do properly, it's sloppy, and it defeats many of the purposes of doing so (it's inefficient.. you lose a lot of output and clarity).

I plan on leaving the rear speakers alone and getting a set of components in the front and fading most of the power up there.

Ok, I always support the idea of focusing on high quality fronts and removing / toning down the rears, however in your case it poses at least one large issue (more depending on other potential situations)...

As I mentioned earlier, in order to amp your sub you'll have to wire them in line-level with a pair of speakers... The fronts would be a bitter pain in the ass to work with (considering the amp/sub will be located in the rear), so your best bet would be the rears... Fading to the front would greatly reduce the signal to the amp in this case, and thus you would lose even more output.

So since I dont want to run another amp, what should be a good power rating for these components?

What i'm looking at right now:
http://bostonacoustics.com/car/car_prod ... uct_id=338

I'm very confused about this question / statement... In one sense it appears you will only be running the 500/1, however you then ask about a good "power rating" for those components. Please clarify this so that I can give you a better answer...

The 500/1 is a mono amp, so you will ONLY be powering your sub off of it.

Those components you linked to (or any components really) pretty much REQUIRE a decent amplifier to run properly.

Your best bet would be to get a decent 2 channel amp (perhaps the JL 300/2 to go along with your 500/1) and amp the front pair, leaving the rears alone as you stated. But this, once again, poses the problem of the stock headunit... There is no good way to do this running mids / highs off a line-out converter...

Here are a couple recommendations:

#1 Do it right... If you plan to run that sub / amp combo, run it properly off a good headunit and amp your component fronts properly.

#2 Do it to suffice... If you really don't want to swap out your headunit and are set on that amp / sub combo, step your fronts down to decent mid-line coaxials and power them straight off your headunit with no amp. Swap out your rears as well to match the quality of your fronts, because fading won't be much of an option...

#3 Do it and be miserable (and you'll have paid substantial $$$ to be this way)... Buy components and either run them straight off your factory headunit, or amp them off a line-level running off your stock headunit... Trust me, It'll sound like crap...

[blaK]

I will be keeping the factory headunit.

Omg,

[Jakecallun20]

I will be keeping the factory headunit.

Omg,

x2! Alpine, Kenwood or Pioneer FTW!

[unbalancedwood]

what is your reason to keep the stock hu? You can take it out and put it in if you decide to sell the car...or sell it on ebay for $80/100.

I would listen to prodigy for some advice...

[QuickSEV6]

I will be keeping the factory headunit.

This is your first mistake. I highly recommend getting an Alpine deck.

Many people on here have their own favorites for speaker selection.
My personal favorite is Diamond Audio. I can't say enough good things about it.
http://www.diamondaudio.com/

[behrozec34]

I came here with the inital concern of having average speakers paired with a nice subwoofer. I just wanted a nice clean medium-power sound upfront without buying a 2 channel amp, so i figured i'd just fade most of the power from the head unit to the front. (I was planning on changing the front speakers a while after I got done installing the subwoofer).

As far as my first project goes (the subwoofer):
I dont understand how i would get terrible sound quality by using the line output adapter, could somebody please explain?

Ive checked with several professional installers and they all use the adapter for these types of installations.

Talking to a advisor from Crutchfield, he said JL makes a cable that i could also use with the slash series amps. Heres the link:
http://store.jlaudio.com/product.php?productid=16222&cat=256&page=2

[theprodigy79]

Ok... and that's exactly why I gave you the second option...

#2 Do it to suffice... If you really don't want to swap out your headunit and are set on that amp / sub combo, step your fronts down to decent mid-line coaxials and power them straight off your headunit with no amp. Swap out your rears as well to match the quality of your fronts, because fading won't be much of an option...

The adapter that you refer to is called a Line Out Converter (also known by many other names, line level adapter, speaker level adapter, etc...) Yes, installers HAVE to use them when doing THIS TYPE of configuration... This doesn't mean it's necessarily the best way of going about things... It's simply sufficient, it does the trick... no more, no less...

You can hook up the sub and amp using your factory headunit... that's not the issue... the issue I see is that you're hooking up a LOUD sub to a low-end factory stereo system, and expecting components run off the factory head to balance them out... As I stated above, buy two pairs of Alpine Type S, Infinity Reference or similar, middle end, COAXIAL speakers, replace your stock speakers with them and call it a day. I say two pairs because, unless you go through the torment of connecting the line-out through your front speakers (which by then you may as well have replaced your headunit anyways), you CANNOT use your fade function or you will lose the power to your sub.

Hooking a sub through line-out is usually fine for those who want a bit of bump from a stock system, however it's not the best method... What I was saying to NOT do is try to amp your mids / highs off a line-out running from your stock deck...

You would be ill advised to run components, or even high end coaxials straight off your stock deck... They would be under powered and receiving relatively poor signal quality... let alone a full range signal...

For me, it all comes down to this...

Why bother with that subwoofer / amp combo if you aren't going to maximize its benefit? It's like going out and buying a 65" 1080P HD Plasma tv and watching it using rabbit ears... Sure, it works... but it'll look like crap... You would be better off going for a setup that cost half as much with a decent set of coaxials all around... It would definitely be more balanced and the sub would probably sound just as good (depending on what you wound up with).

[behrozec34]

Well its not like i cant add a deck in the future...

Prodigy: did u make that trim piece for ur flip screen?

[theprodigy79]

I had it made (there were no trim kits available back in May of '04, and I don't do much fiberglass / plastic work personally) but you can actually find very similar ones on the market now.

[PXLpainter]

If I only had a Gen 1, then I'd probably consider swapping out the OEM HU - but the JBL in the Gen 2 with all the features and steering controls, etc... is more than adequate unless you're looking for HUGE sound or flashing lights or a Nav/DVD player.

Not everybody wants/needs that - I know I don't. I just want a good full sound and I don't need to rattle windows or set off car alarms to prove I've got a big dick either.

My advice is to do what YOU want to do - everyone has priorities and some are into audio, as you've seen by the responses here. You can put a lot of $$ into it so make sure you've got a good budget before you start or you'll be throwing more money away than if you planned big in the first place!

For me - I'm just going to upgrade my speakers and amp them but keeping my stock HU as well and keep it "stealth". A lot less likely getting my top cut open or windows smashed to yank out a 3rd party HU too!

[theprodigy79]

Jeffe, he doesn't have a JBL headunit, and thus he doesn't have a split-off amp... he has the base line stocker...

I, along with many others, have/had functional steering wheel controls with our aftermarket decks.

With the setup he's speaking of, all it WILL be is bass...

He can literally destroy higher end speakers by running them straight off that headunit, as he was speaking of doing (he does not plan to run an amp to them)....

Yes, he can do whatever he wants, but he came here for recommendations and advice... We gave it to him, whether he likes it or not, or chooses to follow it.

Finally, for behroze (and any others who I don't have much experience with); since I don't really know you, I'd like to make something clear... I know I come across as straight forward cuz, simply put, I am (I hate bullshitting around and candy coating crap, and I don't have the time nor patience for people who do it to me), but I'm rarely trying to attack anyone, even if it may seem as I am (I don't know why some people feel that way, but it's happened a few times, or more)... I'm here to help, and I'm generally a pretty patient dude, so please don't feel like I'm beating you down with my ideology... There are many other people on this site who offer input just as valid as mine, if not more so at times. I have a good amount of experience (around 13 years) with car audio / mobile electronics, however that does not mean that my word's the bible - and you should definitely listen to a wide array and learn as much as you can from everyone before making any decisions, especially ones that will be potentially costly...

This is my style, whether writing in these forums or speaking in person, and it's intended to be as clear cut and detailed as possible about these types of things.

Anyhow, I really don't know why I felt like going into that, but there it is... Perhaps it's because I'm delirious right now due to being medded up in prep for the potential on-comings of a nasty cold...

Peace,

-James