sound system progression

[mrbacardi]

here's the situation:
- pioneer DEH-3400 22x4 RMS deck with ONE pre-out
- rockford 4" in the front 40watt RMS max
- rockford 6x9 in the back 75watt RMS max

What should i do with this system, i would like to add subs in the future, but also would like to power my full range speakers with an amp, how would i do this in a economical way?

[Phi]

First off, you should consider investing in a headunit that offers more pre-out channels in order to accomodate the addition of a sub and allow you to control your other speakers independently aswell. Unfortunetly these things don't come cheap. Something like a Pioneer 7xxx series decks will run you about CDN$400-500.

[mrbacardi]

well i just bought this deck and thought it was good enough, dammit, my parents won't let me buy another deck
does this seem like a logical setup?:
4 channel amp to power the front speakers and two future subs, would that work, and what 4 channel amp is a good brand?

[tmanana]

Well one way you can solve your preamp output situation and also boost your signal out is to purchase a 1/2 din EQ with RCA outputs for both the full range amps and the one for the subs....I paid a little over $200 for my clarion...but it came with all the bells and whisles....I have seen some for as low as $80.

When it comes to economical....some times 5 channel amps end up being more pricy and much less power efficent than purchasing 2 individual amps. I would say don't even worry about powering your rear 6x9s....solely concentrate pushing your front stage and your subs. Just remember, with car audio you only really have right and left...you are not using a true surround-sound receiver unless you purchase a receiver made for auto AV....and pushing your rear 6x9s will take much away from whatever subs you have running in the trunk. Just see if you can find a decent amp for your subs and a small 50x2 amp for your from speakers...which you can hide under your seats or even under the dash.

That's what I think would work IMO.

BTW Phi....love the "bling-bling"

_________________

2002 National Sound Pressure League Record Holder
17" Enkei w/ TRD springs, TRD filter, muffler
DIY audio: 2 JL 12W3s, 3 amps, cap, TV/DVD, Sony M600, Clarion EQ.....

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tmanana on 2002-06-11 01:36 ]</font>

[mrbacardi]

hey man that sounds like a good idea, then can u control all your speakers independantly with that equilizer?
like can u control the subs, the fronts and the rears independantly?

[tmanana]

Exactly....my Sony deck came with a sub output...but for SPL competitions the manual knobs really come in handy. Basically it takes the place of the receiver for all output controls....besides volume. However, your volume can be increased as well with the EQ. The best part of the EQ is that it sends a stronger signal than your aftermarket radio...so you have to turn up your radio less to produce the same volume...thus less distortion...which your speakers will like :smile:


_________________

2002 National Sound Pressure League Record Holder
17&quot; Enkei w/ TRD springs, TRD filter, muffler
DIY audio: 2 JL 12W3s, 3 amps, cap, TV/DVD, Sony M600, Clarion EQ.....

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tmanana on 2002-06-11 01:42 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tmanana on 2002-06-11 01:42 ]</font>

[mrbacardi]

ok this sounds like a good idea, and since my car has double-din i can just put it in under the deck, sweeeeet, ok thanks for that advice, i think i will look into that, just a couple more questions.
The equalizer hooks into the deck via pre-out?
Also, how many pre-outs does the equal. have? I need at least 2. Thanks for the info again man.

[tmanana]

Here is what mine came with:
4 Band Parametric Equalizer
- Variable Center Frequency
- Selectable Main &amp; Aux. Inputs
- Subwoofer Level Control
- Adjustable Subwoofer Low-Pass Frequency 50Hz~250Hz
- 7 Volt Output
- 6 Channel Line-Level Output
- Retractable Controls

Basically it has 2 sets of preamp outputs plus the sub output....and also has a main and aux. input so you can also add a MP3 player, or in my case my DVD audio so you will not need to buy a FM modulator if you want to add another input.

For the sub it has both a volume control and a crossover, so you can cut off your sub at certain frequences which is nice towards reducing distortion and tuning your subs to play your best frequencies. For the full-range speakers....it has low..mid..and high range controls.

Looks like the price has gone down a bit since I bought it....maybe can get it for $125 USD...if so definately jump on it...it has been an awsome investment...plus my DB level jumped 2 DBs with solely this addition.

_________________

2002 National Sound Pressure League Record Holder
17&quot; Enkei w/ TRD springs, TRD filter, muffler
DIY audio: 2 JL 12W3s, 3 amps, cap, TV/DVD, Sony M600, Clarion EQ.....

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tmanana on 2002-06-11 02:08 ]</font>

[mrbacardi]

what's the model number for your clarion eq?

[tmanana]

Clarion PEQ 460

[mrbacardi]

ok i can't find this equalizer anywhere in the city, i think i will go for this one, is it worth it?
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&amp;langid=EN&amp;dept=9&amp ;WLBS=fs%2Dweb6&amp;biasid=9F5777C3C50B4E97B308CDA A469F20DC&amp;sku_id=0665000FS48633001&amp;catid=& amp;newdeptid=9

and also, if i connect this eq to my deck, does i HAVE to use amps to power the full range speakers, or can the speakers just run through the eq?

[tmanana]

Well if you have a credit card....I found a ton of online shops selling my EQ....and most were like $80 USD below what I payed for it. I would say since you have an open DIN...go for the DIN style EQ since it will be more accessable then that style. Although I it doesn't really describe it's functions, I think the MTX is a 2 channel, which gives you a bit less control over the output. Here is a link to e-tronics..which I think is a safe site. They have it for 119.99 (I bought mine for 195.00)...grrr.

http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=clapeq460&amp;SVBName=30

As for your question about amped speakers....yes the only output you can control with this is to those speakers that are amped.

_________________

2002 National Sound Pressure League Record Holder
17&quot; Enkei w/ TRD springs, TRD filter, muffler
DIY audio: 2 JL 12W3s, 3 amps, cap, TV/DVD, Sony M600, Clarion EQ.....

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tmanana on 2002-06-11 16:32 ]</font>

[mrbacardi]

so is this what the final setup would be?:
- deck hooked to equalizer
- equalizer hooked to amps
- 4 channel amp to full range speakers
- 2 channel amp to subs

Then the equalizer would control all the both amps right at the front?

[tmanana]

You got it :smile: Here is the skinny.....

-The first dial is for front/back control to control fade on the front and rear stage
-The second dial is for the subs's frequency
-The third is for the full range speakers' low frequency
-The forth is for the full range medium freq.
-the fifth is for the full range high freq.
-the sixth is for the subs' crossover
-the seventh is for the subs' volume

Each band also has another tuining screw to set each band's peak frequency....so basically you set the peak...and then use the dials to either fade or strengthen those areas in your front, back, and subs. It's a lot of working geting it set to your perfered settings....but once it is set....boy it sounds awsome.

[mrbacardi]

how many pre-out are one this clarion equalizer?