Car Audio: Idiot seeks help

[Seraphim]

Hello,

I've just bought a Kenwood head unit, and I'm thinking of what the next step will be in my quest for a well set-up system. But I don't know much, and have lots of questions floating around my noggin.

1) I'm pretty set on going for quality door + rear speakers combined with a sub and amp tucked away in the boot - can't be bothered with the hassle of parcel shelf 6x9s. But what should I go for first?
2) On the subject of amplifiers, should I amp my front speakers? If so, is it possible/a good idea to get a 4-channel amp and use it for both the sub and front speakers?
3) Speaking of front speakers, I understand component speakers give the best sound quality, but is it worth the effort of installing them in a Rover 214 which has no built-in provision for the tweeters? Are they that much better than decent 2-ways?
4) Does anyone know off-hand the size of speakers for the doors + rears of a Rover 214?
5) Are custom sub enclosures too much work and too hard to get right? Should I stick to a pre-made enclosure?

Thank you all!

 

[Morba]

Its one of those areas where money and quality go hand in hand.
Depending on the power of your HU you may be able to run the front speakers off of the HU, however it maybe best getting a multichannel amp anyway.

When you say rear speakers, do you mean in the doors or replacements for the stock?
most of the time rear speakers arent needed if you have a good HU and front speakers, can just have sub and amp(s) in boot.

components are better as you can direct the sound better, iirc tweeters need to be higher up than the footwell / door pod, so as much as it can be a pain to locate them it is worth the effort.

It all depends on what you want really, a good sound can be achieved from running front 2 ways off HU and a sub off an amp, but if you want really good sound then you cant go wrong with compo's.

sub box - im sure there is a website somewhere that will tell you the cc of the box needed for each sub on the market, no harm in making one that has the right cc and fits better in your boot :]

 

[Vanilla]

Some of this has already been covered by Morba.

Hello,

1) I'm pretty set on going for quality door + rear speakers combined with a sub and amp tucked away in the boot - can't be bothered with the hassle of parcel shelf 6x9s. But what should I go for first?

Get quality front's, general concensus is don't bother with rear speakers.

Later on add the Sub and amp if you're strapped for cash.

2) On the subject of amplifiers, should I amp my front speakers? If so, is it possible/a good idea to get a 4-channel amp and use it for both the sub and front speakers?

YES! You must amp them! must must must!

Yes you can do that with a 4ch amp. 1/2 for front speakers 3/4 bridged for sub.

3) Speaking of front speakers, I understand component speakers give the best sound quality, but is it worth the effort of installing them in a Rover 214 which has no built-in provision for the tweeters? Are they that much better than decent 2-ways?

They are, but look into the costs and effort of puttingtweeters in. It might be easy. Only you can decide!

5) Are custom sub enclosures too much work and too hard to get right? Should I stick to a pre-made enclosure?

Thank you all!

Custom are the best, subs have cuft needs and you can build a box to those needs. Box info - http://www.bcae1.com/spboxnew2.htm




What is your budget in total?
Budget for each area?
Have you made cost allowances for some sound deadening?
Ported or sealed box? what size sub?
what kind of music do you like?

 

[Seraphim]

Awesome, thanks for the advice so far fellas.

What is your budget in total?
Excluding the HU, I'd say £300-£400 all in (including wiring, sound deadening etc.)
Budget for each area?
£200-£250 on sub + amp, £100-£150 on fronts, whatever's left for misc bits.
Have you made cost allowances for some sound deadening?
Not exactly, but I'm aware there'll be costs extra to the hardware. I'm not planning on deadening the entire boot/doors (unless rattles develop) - maybe a little in vital places, but nothing extreme
Ported or sealed box? what size sub?
Ported. Nothing extreme size-wise, 12" at the absolute maximum.
what kind of music do you like?
In the car it'd be mostly electronic music - I am somewhat in love with basslines, so having good quality and range of bass, not necessarily sheer volume is important to me. Drum and bass sounds like rising and falling sine wave bass could really highlight a bad install, I suppose. But in general it's a little bit of everything.

 

[Morba]

thats a good budget :]

vibe black air2 12" sub/box/amp
fronts - find the link to the USA ebay seller, he has some excellent fronts at a very very good price, will be in a thread on page 1 or 2 (should be)

should leave you some spare change for wiring and maybe some sound deadening for boot / doors :]

 

[Gav]

Vibe are no good for that type of music. Great for noise not good for quality.

Go for a decent brand 10 or 12" sub in a sealed enclosure. Look at around 200-250w rms of power for a decent level.

My fav brand at the moment is Orion. The front ends sound fantastic and the subs are a work of art as well as sounding good.

 

[Morba]

the twin 12" ive heard playing house / trance sounded fantastic at a good volume :/

 

[bmh.01]

Hello,
4) Does anyone know off-hand the size of speakers for the doors + rears of a Rover 214?
Thank you all!

When I did all the audio in my mates rover coupe the front speakers were 6 1/2", don't know if they'll be the same in the 214 but its possible.

 

[Vanilla]

Who is installing it all?

Price breakdown looks good. Only use a single mat on each door

Quite unlike Vibe, the vibe Black Air II is a fantastic sub for the price. Good reviews all round from experienced audiophiles.