PostGrungeJunky

******hello. new ppl, this thread is VERRRY long, as of right now, most of my system is installed, but i'm having some problems. plz scroll down to end unless u enjoy reading just so u know, this is just a discussion for troubleshooting my system's problems, pics and stuffs will be here in the future but til then.... ******



Hey pplz. This will be my official discussion for my RSX system overhaul. For those who know whats going on, wassup again! For ppl unaquainted with whats going on with my car. my original thread can be found at the thread with this subject:

alpine 60w enuf power? and kappas vs. type r's, etc.

the long @$$ replies towards the end of that thread are the ones that are relevant with whats gonna be discussed in here.

currently, im researching everything there is to know about my setup and filtering out questions to ask in here.

whats up to moofoo, rcurley55, randy12vp, and everyone else! "i'd like to thank the academy... and sorry for anyone i forgot to thank..."

curley, do you have any amp brand/model recommendations for my ID's? i think i said my budget was set at 1000-1500, i can stretch that tho if it's gonna be worthwhile.

ebay is a safe place to get an amp right? if i'm not mistaken, the only way to abuse them is to blow the fuse right?

watch out with those painkillerz...they can be quite addictive... thanks. laterz

moofoo

Alright fill this form for others who want to know about you RSX project:

Headunit: ______________________

External EQ and/or line driver?: ___________________

front stage amp?: _____________________

rear amp?: ____________________

Front speaker set?: _____________________

rear fill?: ____________________

size & type sub box?: ____________________

Sub(s)?: _________________________

Sub amp?: __________________________

Total budget: _____________

Hours working the streets to earn the money for the budget?: ________ :fawk:

Randy12vp

Good first reply moofoo. Maybe I'll decide to play ball again on this thread. The reason I say maybe is because the last damn near melted my brain after awhile.

PostGrungeJunky

Headunit: /////ALPINE mp3 deck TBA

External EQ and/or line driver?: _do i need one guys?_

front stage amp?: _going for something to nicely complement my ID's in terms of..uh..fidelity..ARC's or PPI's...dazed n confused about powering these ID bad boys...

rear amp?: ____N/A_____________

Front speaker set?: __ID CSX6 Chameleons 6.5"(2 or 4 ohms?)

rear fill?: __N/A_NONE NADA ZIP__

size & type sub box?: __SEALED ________

Sub(s)?: ____IDQ 10"_V2 (v3?)_____________

Sub amp?: ___depends on the front amp and what not__

Total budget: ___1500 (more if necessary)__

(moofoo, 1 nights wortha street walkin. :fawk: )


*** i must emphasize this once again, just in case i get any outlandish suggestions down the thread. my car is a STOCK BASE model RSX with the 5 spd AUTO. it's SOLE purpose is to be a PRACTICAL daily driver that can be somewhat (i know u type s ppl are gonna rofl-ing at this) cut loose on occasion. a clean, PRACTICAL, stealth install is my ultimate goal. plz keep that in mind (no horns sorry curley). sorry for being so commanding but this aspect of my stereo is very important to me. thanks.ok here are my first wave of questions:

PostGrungeJunky

ok here are my first wave of questions:

1. is sound domain a reputable dealer? or should i get the ID's elsewhere? what are the cheapest reputable places to get ID's?

2. 2 or 4 ohm chameleons? (pros/cons for either or?)

4. are the chameleons sold in pairs on sounddomain?? PLZ SAY YES!

5. the IDQ calls for a .5in sealed box, the smallest Subzone MDF sealed box is avaliable in .66... (sorry curley, i am not nor am i willing to be a carpenter jk...i really would butcher my enclosure if i did it myself ) so the question is: will that .16 make a diff in SQ? or is it negligible?

5b. curley, sounddomain offers a Q-logic .61 ported PARTICLE board box...

6. where will my amp(s) go? according to curley, under the front seat(s) it won't dissapate enuf heat...so... is it ok to bolt it onto my sub box??...remember..IN COGNITO PLZ! trying to keep my stereo parts from interfering with my cars normal function (as a daily driver, ppl mover, luggage carrier; no im not a taxi service. u know what i mean ) as much as possible

considering no one will ever WANT to sit in the back of an rsx, i was thinking of going as far as just laying it on the floor...but that will just scream "jack me!"

7. do i need one of them nifty EQ dsp time correcto phazer aligner tri-corder deflector shield thingys under my HU? (no im not a nerd! my sad attempt at humor ) or will my ALP do all the work?

moofoo

1. Sounddomain is a very reputable dealer as well as carmdia1.com both sell ID products and I have bought from both of them timely shipping and shipped "responsibly".

2.
Depends on the amp you get if it can fulfill the suggested watts to the chams at 4ohms, this will reduce the THD distortion of the amp vs an amp running at 2ohms. But of course it would be very very hard nearly impossible to hear it... I would say go for the 2ohm version!

4. The chameleons can be bought as just a woofer pair set or a set of just the tweeters or the entire component set with crossovers. Just read carefully on the description.

5. 0.5, 0.66... wont make that much of a difference.. I personally love IDQs in 0.85 - 1.0cu feet sealed boxes... just the right amount of low end and tight SQ I havent heard them ported as curly recommended..

5b. particle is a no no... get a box that is made from MDF or HDF.... thezeb.com sells subzone there , I saw some subzone boxes on ebay and luckily the deler was in central jersey. Always ALways rememebr the seal the inner seams with either caulk.. or silicone... just in case the box has some minor leaks from the factory... you never know.

6. ... if you have about 2-3 inches of space between the heatsinks of the amp and the underbody of the seat that the amp can be placed under the seat with no problem... I have my PPI under my seat... in my accord.. no problems whatsoever... shorter RCAa/power/ground wires to deal with typical installation is both amps on a MDF board attached to the backseat. Please no amp installation on the subbox itself.. ugh please?

considering no one will ever WANT to sit in the back of an rsx, i was thinking of going as far as just laying it on the floor...but that will just scream "jack me!"

7.
I have a simple Nakamichi CD-45z that doesnt have all that fancy stuff... some people use time allignment, HU eq yada yada yada.. I do have the output of the nak going to a audiocontrol three.1 which was bought from carmedia1.com... I bypass it's EQ settings and use it soley as a crossover to my component set andmy sub in the back.. I also use it as a balanced line driver to the PPI and JL 250/1 sub amp. In addition it was easier for me to have up front a way to control my sub volume level as well as a master volume level... I dont bother with the EQ bands because I want the signak from the HU to come as clean as possible (no processing involved) to my speakers.

rcurley55

I agree with what's going on above ^

You can get better prices on ID equipment, but right now you will have a tough time finding it. Make sure that you call and verify that it's in stock and that it will ship right away.

I would take a tape measure, and see what you have for room under the seats. If you have 3"+ of clearance under your seats, then I would say that you could squeeze on in there. Most amps are 2" high, leave 1" around, and you should be cool.

But keep in mind that if you are running a 4 ohm sub and 2 ohm drivers on the same 4 channel, you will be making more heat then if you had a 4 ohm comp set.

Some amps are more notorious (*cough*RF*cough*) for making more heat then your average amp. Also keep in mind that in a hatch back, you probably don't want to have to use any forced cooling (you will hear the fans).

My other concerns with amps under the seats comes from people kicking them, or wires getting tugged on, switches getting hit.

PostGrungeJunky

1. i got moofoos amp suggestions in the other thread. i haven't gotten curley's tho. i set my budget at around 1500 give or take. sooo...i remember you suggested one 4ch amp that puts out around 75w/ch. were u implying for me to get a mono sub amp too curley? what amp(s) brands/models that go hand n hand would u suggest curley, with my given budget?

i was considering a stereo amp for comps and mono sub amp for back...i've been looking at their dimensions and they seem quite compact incomparison to the 4chs. what do u guys think?

2. where do the crossovers go? what will keep them fastened down?

3. this is probly a stupid question but...where does the amp draw its power? from the 4v outputs on my alpine? battery...? as much as i think i know stuff, im still a major noob :fawk:

4. what kinda dynamat (they seem to have diff kinds that get exponentially more expensive in price) for my doors? i hope my hatch doesnt rattle too....oh and sugegstion for best sound deadening dealer...or are there other brands/solutions?

5. i know this is probly explained elsewhere but...dual voice and 2/4 ohms on the sub..the IDQ says 250/500w... i still don't undertsnad that concept in relation to amps...???

6. i think i'm gonna skip any sound processing/eq. the alpine has like a mile long list of features to handle all that...plus, an Eq under my HU will probly scream out hi-end system to whever loox into my car right?

7. on which side (driver or passenger) will the sub sit? i know it will fire backwards sitting against the rear seat.

7b. what will keep the sub sitting still? or will that carpeted mdf surface have enuf grip to hold onto my car?


irrelevant talk:
moofoo...you're a garden stater huh? my cousin and i made a pilgrimage to the Quick Stop/RST Video (if you're not familiar with it, the convenience store made famous by kevin smith) while road trippin' the mid-atlantic. u guys call your beaches "shores." culture clash

Randy12vp

First wave reply...

1.Sound Domain has always been known to be a great place to do business with that offers competitive prices.

2.I would have to agree with the others and say to go with the 2 ohm ID chameleons. You'll be able to get more power to them no matter what amp you decide to go with and the distortion difference between 4 ohm stereo and 2 ohm stereo should not be audible.

4.Yes, chameleons can be purchased as a complete set or broken up into individual componentsand purchased that way.

5.A little variation between what the manfacturer recommends for a sealed enclosure and what you actually decide you are going to use is usually fine. In your case, you're fine. Please!!! Stay away from the particleboard. Stick with the MDF.

6.Underseat amp mounting is an ok thing as long as you have enough clearence for heat dissipation or you have an amp with a built in fan. On a personal note, I have never been a fan of such and I would recommend mounting them on a board to the back of the rear seat. Just my .02 of course.

7.If you're unsure whether you need or don't need a complex hu then don't travel down that path. Keep your source simple and then if down the road you feel you need more processing features...add them on.


Wave two...

1.Hmmmm...choosing the correct amp(s) for the job. Have you ever considered using a five channel amp to power everything? Just some food for thought.

2.As far as the crossovers go, some people mount them within the door, some mount them under the dash and some mount them near their amp(s) to show them off. It's all a matter of personal preference. Me personally, I have never had the urge to show off a passive crossover so I have always tried to keep it as close to the components as possible.

3.Battery for power...preouts for signal

4.if you're going with Dynamat as you brand of choice for sound deadening...I prefer the extreme because it does its job well and more importantly, it's easy to work with. There are tons of places on the net to get deadening material...just look around. Also there are many different kinds as well. All of which work in a similar manner.

5.Dual voice coil= two 4 ohm coils I believe is what you are referring to . 250/500 I believe is referring to the power handling of the subwoofer. 250rms or continuous and 500peak. If you were looking for a refernce point to go by, use the rms wattage when matching amps. Most amps will rate their amps at rms wattage.

6.Good idea on the hu for now...like I said earlier, you can always add it down the road and it doesn't have to necessarily added up front.

7.Bass is omnidirectional it doesn't necessarily fire in a certain direction. So it really doesn't matter on which side you place the sub. When you find out where you'd like to have your enclosure sit you can attach it to the trunk floor with industrial strength velcro if you'd like or eve better yet...before you load the sub, position the box where you'd like it and run a bolt which attaches the sub box to the chassis of the vehicle.

Have I finally caught up with the group?

PostGrungeJunky

thanx for the prompt responses guys! i'm sorry but this whole concept of wattage, channels, bridging, ohms, and dual voice coils is TOTALLY throwing me off. i am royally

heres the juice (no pun intended):
1. 150w rms @ 2 ohms for the chams
2. 250w rms for the idq @ 2 ohms (if i understand this correctly the "/500" in its specs are referring to it's max power acceptance.) the idq has 2 voice coils

SO....

how would i go about powering these???

can someone give me a theoretical setup (using real amps as examples) specifying the channels, what gets bridged,ohms, all that in regards to dual voice? (powering the chams seems really straightforward. add that idq in the mix and im lost) or perhaps explain...or refer me to a good resource explaining this concept?...

more specifically, can someone give be an "ideal" single and two amp setup in regards to my cams/idq? (unlimited budget for the example setup. i can then take these specs and find more suitable amps.)

thanks!