So, my stock HU is glitching out on me, cutting out the AC controls.

This gives me the opportunity to replace the system that I have grown to loathe, and the ability to justify it to my wife.

I am working on a budget of approximately 1500, and this is what I have pieced together for components so far:

Pioneer AVH-P4200DVD Head unit (~400@buy.com)
Polk Audio MM6501 in front (~$200@Sonicelectronix, compuplus, amazon)
Polk Audio MM521 in rear ($105@amazon)
Alpine PDX-5 - 5 channel amp ($350@amazon)
JDM Kit ($350)
Metra Harness ($10)
Antenna Adapter ($13)
Steering Wheel control interface ($40)
Trim Ring ($10)

Here are my questions:

Has anyone listened to the Polk MM6501s? I listened to some impressive Focals today, but I am not finding the ones I want at a price I like. These Polk speakers seem to fit the bill in all areas, with the exception of me hearing them first.

Obviously, I will need an amp wiring kit and some speaker wire to run to the doors. Is there anything else I need here? I believe I will need an amp wiring kit that includes a fuse block and will run a 6 gauge wire to the trunk.

Should I be looking at adding a cap?

What is the purpose of adding a distribution block for the amp wiring? Not sure I understand this.

I am going with the 5 channel amp so I can plug in a sub in the very near future without wiring up another amp. Has anyone used this particular Alpine? I was looking at a Kicker ZX700.5, but I like the Alpine a bit more, if even from just an aesthetic standpoint.

What do I need in the way of connectors? It's been a while since I have done an install, and any wire connectors currently in my house are geared towards home wiring. If you have any suggestions on good connectors to make my life easier, let me know.

I have had a blast perusing everyone's setups in this forum the last few days, and I am looking forward to this project of my own.

 

I can't claim to have heard those PA's myself, but they are well received by most users, so if you don't want to pay the premium for Focals, they're not bad.

#1 - You're missing something:
Speaker spacers - 2 pair (zenclosures.com) $40
Amp-wise you may want to look into the JL G6600 ($340), which I think is still available at woofersetc.com - 100w per channel and 6 channels. You'll be able to bridge two of them into enough for most mid-range woofers to sound good when you need to in the future.

#2 - 6 awg wiring kit should be just fine for that size amp.

#3 - Caps are a waste of money. They look cool though. There's no money spent on a cap that wouldn't be better spent towards a bigger alternator or better battery, both of which you don't need for the amount of amp you're putting in.

#4 - Distribution block is useful if you want to have some of your system removable, or are planning to add a second amp later. 0/1 gauge wire run to the trunk to a distribution block is a great way to "future proof" your wiring, as it's not really any more work to put a 0/1 gauge wire in vs. a 6 gauge, but re-running wire later could be a unwanted distraction. If you're never planning on changing your system, you can go without it.

#5 - You shouldn't need any special connectors. The amp wiring kit should have all the terminators necessary to get it to the amp, which bare wires just plug into the slots and get secured by the hardware built-in. The speakers will have the proper connectors for their terminals included, and the wires should be soldered to the existing wiring. So all you should really need is a soldering tool and electrical tape/heat shring wrap.

#6 - You should really invest a few bucks into CLD tiles from www.sounddeadenershowdown.com to reduce outside noise and keep sound inside.

 

Sorry - this is confusing to me. Shouldn't I be running all new wire to the new speakers from the amp?

Also, should I solder the wiring for the harness? This is something I don't have experience with. Is this difficult to pick up and learn?

 

I'd recommend the focal polyglass comps that are on sale right now over on amazon.


amp wise check out the soundstream rub series..best bang for bucks amps out right now

 

Those are the same focals I listened to the other day at a local car toys. I may have to spend the extra $50. They are impressive in person.

 

There you go.

Get an amp that does a true 140-160 to power them and you're golden.

like this
http://www.woofersetc.com/p7761/RUB2...-Amplifier.htm

 

I really like the idea of having one amp powering my whole system though. Will the 75 rms of the alpine be enough?

 

It'll get them moving.

I've always been an advocate of having headroom in a system.

If u just want one amp and won't mind the price jump, check out the soundstream ref 4.920

It'll give u 160 x 2 for the amps and 320 for a sub.

http://www.woofersetc.com/p7745/REF4...-Amplifier.htm

 

Thanks for the links eggy. I am probably going to start ordering components this weekend, so I will look at some different amp strategies in the meantime. I still need to power my rear speakers, but these seem like they might be able to be powered by the head unit if necessary. From what I have read, the rear soundstage is mainly filler, and the bulk of my speaker expense should be on the front speaker components.

 

Wrathernaut - Do you have any suggestions on placement? I checked out the site, and looked at a few other forums, and did not find any specific suggestions on how where to place them. (e.g. Outer door panel, inner door panel, where on the trunk lid, etc.) SDS has a list of panels to put them on which is a good starting point. I will keep searching.

 

Outer door panel, trunk lid, wheel wells and the rear deck are most important. You can do other panels, but those will give you the most return. Just 2 - 3 tiles per door, 3-4 for the trunk lid, a coulpe on the wheel wells and 2-3 on the rear deck. 25% coverage of a panel is all you need with the CLD tiles or any vibration dampener. After that, your returns are greatly diminished. If you need further dampening of noise, you need to go with closed-cell foam and thick vinyl.

 

Nope, waste of time to run new wire, but you can always do it if you're really bored.

Soldering's easy, and you can always just get some lengths of wire and practice soldering them together. The only thing to learn is how to not burn anything in the process.

 

Get some shrink tube as well and after you solder just heat up the shrink tube around the solder, works a lot better than electrical tape.

As far as the PDX 5 you're looking at, that's the older model you're looking at I'm assuming? I really like the look and form factor of the pdx series and was going to purchase one myself but apparently there is a common issue with these having a hissing noise through the speakers at low volume or on mute. Might want to do some further research on that before you purchase.

 

So I read up on the hissing issue with the PDX, and it appears to have been alleviated with the newly released models this year. I am going to have to check up on how to tell the difference between a v1 and v2.

On the soldering front, I checked out some sites and tutorials, and I feel fully confident I can handle that. I am going to get some wire to practice with. Also, my wife caught me watching a soldering tutorial video and proceeded to tell me how she used to work with her uncle over the summers soldering traffic light cabinet wiring and circuits, so I have an expert in the house...funny the things you learn when undertaking this particular project.

I can honestly say everyone has helped me out immensely, and this is just the prep phase. Thanks again.

 

any particular reason you want to say with 1 amp?