Well guys up until now i've mainly focused on body kits and performance parts... I haven't really been thinking about sound much. Well, all that has changed and I kind of need some help and support on getting a proper setup. I've tried reading many threads but I guess it'll be easier if I can just get a directed answer. I know little to none on audio parts so this thread will help me as well as other sound newbies greatly As of now I have decided on the following parts:

2 JL 10w6v2 subs
1 JL 1000/1 Amp for the subs
Custom sub enclosure for both subs (I already have this so I have no choice but to get 2 10s)
I'm going to be keeping my stock head unit (due to cost)

Now that I got the basics down, I have a couple of questions:
1)I want to upgrade my speakers as well and would like some recommendations. And i'm assuming a seperate amp will be needed to power the extra speakers right?
2)Will I need to get a new battery? I've read that people replace the stock battery and also add an additional one in the trunk. Is that really necessary?
3)What gauge wire should I be using for the entire setup?
4)Is a capacitor needed in my setup? From what i've heard from friends and such, a capacitor helps limit headlight dimming from hard bass hits?
5)My last setup had some severe rattles so i'm assuming I should be getting dynomat and fatmat (i think thats what its called.) Any comments on this or can I just leave this out. I don't want to go overboard..

I think that is most of my questions. I've had a setup earlier which consisted of a 12 inch kicker sub and 1000 watt amp but I thought that setup sounded pretty horribly so I got rid of it. I just want to do it right this time and not just add a big box with a sub in it. I guess I have a spending limit of 1500..

thanks in advance.

 

Welcome to the hellish world of having the "audio bug." It only gets worse from here. Congrats

You will not be able to power aftermarket speakers off of your 1000/1 that is powering the subs. You also cannot run them off of your stock Bose amp (if you have the premium system) or the stock HU's internal amp (if you do not have the premium system). So yes, you need another amp. As for recommendations, it's all about preference and what sounds good to you. I would recommend going to some reputable audio shops in your area and ask for an in-car demo (as speakers sound much different in the car than on a sound board). A lot of people on here are partial to DLS. Other popular names on the boards are A/D/S, Dynaudio. You will find Focal, MB Quartz and Diamond Audio in a lot of local shops, unfortunately.

most likely not. Often times such robust power systems are only necessary for systems where owners are looking to run their system for an extended period of time with the car off- such as at an audio show. The only reason you would necessarily be interested in this area is if your audio setup is over-taxing your electrical system, in which case you would want to look at upgrading your alternator and grounding system before adding second batteries with isolaters, etc.

The larger the better, but the larger the harder it is to run it and work with it. As a general rule people often use 4ga. for their main power run to their trunk, at which point they split it into multiple 8ga. runs to their amps. I like to match my ground wire ga. to my power ga. so I usually go with 8ga. ground wires too. Because I have a 5 channel amp in my current setup, I run the 4ga. wire straight into the amp, and use a 4ga. wire for grounding.

Read my description of the electrical system above. Caps are highly over-rated. They have a place in car audio but are more of a band-aid than a fix. If you are looking for long-term stability and reliability, a cap may or may not be the way to go.

It's not overboard. I'd say it's necessary. Here is a link to my recent experience with sound deadening vs. not sound deadening. It really is night and day, and you will not realize the actual potential of any system without sound deadening properly. https://g35driver.com/forums/audio-video-electronics/84655-comps-come-alive.html

 

You'd be better off dropping down to a 500/1 and doing a lot of damping. Makes a huge diff.

well said, amthar.

 

I agree, a 500/1 could run the 10s at a lower cost, but I don't know how you will stay under $1,500 for all the equipment. Ballpark, the 10's will run you about $300 each, the 500/1 about $400, capacitor $100-200, another amp to run components $>300, wiring & damping at least $150. You'll aslo want new components as the bass you're putting in will surely over power the stock speakers. It adds up fast.

 

Thanks for all the replies! Ok so let me get a couple of things straight. You guys are recommending a 500/1 amp instead of the 1000/1. That is interesting because I asked a friend of mine what kind of amp I would need to power two 10 inch subs carying 400 watts each. And he told me straight out that since the total is 800 you would need a amp capable of 800 watts. I knew it wasnt as easy as that but I figured since he knew more audio than me to give him the benefit of the doubt. So i'm guessing he's wrong.

Also, I got a deal for the 2 10s and the 1000/1 amp for 800 so I figured I might as well get that. But i'd like to learn the reasoning behind being able to use the 500/1 amp instead of the 1000/1.

The person that is selling me the setup told me that he used 0 guage from the battery to the amp. He told me it was necessary for this amp. What I was thinking was to just use 4 gauge all around. You mentioned that u use 8 gauge as well as 4 gauge. So you use both? The way I see it is Power --> Amp = 4 gauge. Grounding wire = 4 gauge as well. And everything else can be split to 8 gauge? What about the speaker wire? Maybe someone can just give me a breakdown of what gauges to use for what part.. lol

 

My reasoning was simply that you'd be better off buying less bass amp and taking that money and applying it to damping - in a budgeting situation.

If you get a screaming deal on the bass amp, then maybe that's a moot suggestion - but you still need to damp the car.

 

the thing with wire gauge is in direct relation to the distance it needs to run, as well as the amount of power it needs to carry. i have 4ga running from my battery for power, to a distribution block, and then a short 8ga running to my JL 500/1, and have had no problems whatsoever.

when i add my second amp for the components, i will probably just use a 2nd short 8ga to the other amp. over a very short distance, i don't think 8ga will be a problem unless you're pulling ALOT of power. someone please correct me if i'm wrong though.

as for the 500/1 vs 1000/1... i don't think you can simply just say a 400w + 400w = 800w so i need an amp that can do at least 800. the 10w6v2's are dual voice coil subs, and with 2 of them, they can be setup in several different ways to give you different combinations of impedance. i don't think that matters much with the JL amps b/c their output is constant between 1.5ohms and 4ohms. again, duderino or somebody else, please correct me if i'm wrong.

 

JL subs are generally under-rated. I used to (in my former mustang loud exhaust louder sound system redneck days) run 2 250watt JL subs at 600 with no problem at all.

The JL "slash" series amps have a variable power supply, allowing for the same wattage output across a range of impedance (1.5 to 4 as you stated). So as long as your voice coils are wired in such a way as the total load appears to the amp between 1.5 and 4 ohms, you can demand any wattage (within spec) you'd like from the amp.

The variable power supply makes the "slash" series amps attractive for OEM integrated installs (along with the acceptance of balanced-differential inputs on the RCAs) because OEM speakers (especially speakers in "Bose" systems) generally have bizzare impedance.

I ran my car with stock speakers and a JL 10w3v2d4 (or is it d4v2?) for about two weeks before my heavenly DLS UP6s came in from duderino After fabricating some mounting rings for the new comps, it was a simple drop it and the variable power supply took care of the rest.

 

JL's site does say that the power wedge can take 800w RMS. They will still be able to manage just fine with the 500/1 amp. Just because the speakers can run at 400w/speaker does not mean that it has to have that to perform. You will have to adjust your range to suit your needs and equipment capabilities. I would get the 1000/1 if it were an option, especially if I was getting the deal that you are getting.

 

Ok guys a little quick update on my system. I have decided against speakers for now (gotta do one thing at a time) but I intend on getting some in the future. So as of right now, i'm going to just focus on getting the amp and subs installed. So far I have just received both 10w6v2's and my 1000/1 amp. As far as the gauges go, I have decided to go with this kit http://www.cardomain.com/item/STISWK0 which is basically a 1/0 gauge for my power and ground cable. I'm not really sure what is really involved in a car audio installation, so i'm assuming i'm going to need alot more wiring than just the power and ground cables correct? So what other wires am I required to get?(try to be specific) I do intend on getting this professionally installed but i want to learn as much as I can so I can rely less on the shop.

And my next question is.. since I do intend on getting speakers in the future which would evidentally require another amp, should I go ahead and get a distribution block? So what I was planning to do is to use that wiring kit I mentioned earlier to connect everything up to the distribution block. And then from the distribution block, I was going to get a different wiring kit to connect my 1 amp. I was thinking like maybe another 4 gauge wiring kit? I wish there was like a little schematics of all the wires involved ..

thanks for the help guys.. keep em comin!

 

Wow i guess not much of a response. Well during this time i was able to answer my own question about the wiring.

Well during this time, i have done some more research. I decided that since im already spending so much money on my amp and sub, i might as well just go all the way.

So as a reminder, i have:
2 JL 10w6v2
1 JL 1000/1 amp

what I wanted to add is the following:
Diamond audio s600s 6.5 components for the front
diamond audio d361i 6.5 coaxials for the rear
and a JL 300/4 Amp to power those speakers (is this enough?)

please comment on this setup beacause i'm pretty close to ordering.. i want this system installed before the end of the month!

 

this is actually good set up, very similar to my future system except I will probably go with dvd player then speakers. keep in mind, I have premium bose system. Diamond audio speakers are high quality product but I probably go with DLS brand speakers since high positive feed back. here is what I will go with:

Head unit: Kenwood DDX-7017 with Double din finish
woofers: JL 2 10w6v2s
woofers box : (Zenclosure)***** http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Infin...QQcmdZViewItem

amp: JL 500/1
wiring : monster cable 1000w kit **** http://cgi.ebay.com/Monster-Cable-HPBAP-1000-Watt-Multi-Amp-Kit-4-GAUGE_W0QQitemZ5867451826QQcategoryZ32808QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Depending on if i want to spend more money:

amp: JL 300/4
speakers: DLS UR6S - 2-Way Component (front)
DLS any coaxials speakers
cable: monster RCA cables

 

thanks that kenwood looks sweet. I may get a new headunit instead of speakers since my bose headunit keeps messing up!!! where are u planning to purchase your double din fom?

 

I probably get it from ebay since the product itself has 1 years manufacture warranty. Go with head unit bro!! you won't reget it and plus, you can always change out the speakers if you aren't satify with bose.

For double din, I got a friend in the military that stationed in japan is looking for parts now. I am expected to hear it from him with a week or two, but you can always go to www.grubbsperformance.com.

here it is:
double din: http://www.grubbsperformance.com/Mer...doubledinCoupe

A/c Controller: http://www.grubbsperformance.com/Mer...doubledinCoupe
you only need a/c controller if you have Dual zone temp. controller. search around on this subforum. you will see what I am talking about.

 

yea im going to call grubbs tomorrow to see if they actually have it in stock. It looks like i will be getting a headunit afterall.. i'll probably just do everything to avoid hassle and just kill my bank account all at once instead of slowly and painfully