Moving to SQ...updating everything. Advice?

[B&R Innovation2 10+ year member]

This is mostly a paste over from WTB, but to get the attention of the rest of you..

I'm going to be replacing my car in a few years and I want to be able to pick up and transfer without trying to squeeze a DD into a hybrid or something inevitably smaller.

So currently my malibu is equipped with a 9515eD2, a 1550w/rms amp, 0/1, and a nice but quite out of date premiere headunit. Along with a nice power system, good distribution and lots of high-quality dampening on all interior plates.

It's well built and extraordinarily loud but my taste is music has changed and I have different needs I believe. I never mind opening up my system as it is now but I won't do it unless I'm on an open highway and these days that's rare. Really all it's good for is the occasional, holy hell...that's loud.

I want to move in direction of a strong bottom end but with very thoughtful and well powered components. I'll probably keep this malibu for at least a few more years so building it to match this car isn't overly important but I'm not really in the mood for molding glass or doing too much more dampening.

So what do I want?

Sub

I like single drivers living ported near my vehicles ~ resonating frequency, 37hz. The DD has great output but it's very power hungry and has a smidgen of flutter outside it's happy zone. I'd like to go a bit smaller in airspace/portspace while maintaining a pleasant curve for my interior.

A W7 seems like it'd be a good fit but I know I can do better for less. I'm not going for show here and will most likely build a very good cabinet but it won't see a coat of paint or a layer of carpet.

~~~

Amps

I dream of zapco. I could probably afford a nice used zapco but if I can get a nicer amp for similar price I'll certainly go for it. Looking for something like 1000rms at 2ohms.

For components...any nice name a/b amp offers will be considered.

~~~

HU

High-end with just enough expandability. I certainly won't invest in satellite but HD perhaps. I'll have to look up NYC coverage around where I live. But I want 24 bit DACs, mp3/wma playback, 3x high-volt rms (~5+) preouts, auxiliary inputs. Much like what I have now but with an updated metal look.

Or someone can sell me a mcintosh for almost nothing and I'll just buy a car worthy of holding it.

~~~

Components

My current CDTs are not bad but I'd like more mid-range ability.

Rainbow/Morel/etc.

I can squeeze in 5 1/4's but 4" plates would be fine. The thinner the tweeter the better for my A-Pillar.

The rears are 6x9s but I haven't used them for years due to the DD being an unbearable air monster. I'd like to baffles these down to 5 1/4's with a 2" or so tweet/mid that will sit on that plate with it.

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Thank folks.

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[headshok 10+ year member]

whats your budget man?

for a mini SQ setup,

i would go with the following

a good head unit, maybe a P880 RS or a 9887.

why? cos these 2 can go active and you can have hours of fun tuning your system to just how u like it!

now for amps.

you said u like zapco, then go for it! i'm sure u can find some good zapco amps

get a 4 channel for the front stage, thats all u'll need. OR u can get 2 2 channel amps ( give ur spkrs more juice)

now for the woofer, why not try the W7! they sound great! get urself a nice 1000/1 and u'll be in business. who said u have to " be loud" all day, tune it properly ( with your headunit)

if not, then try a W6 off the 500/1?

now for speakers, there's quite a lot to choose from, its all in how u tune the your system.

I'm experienced with Morels and they sound pretty good,

or if ur on a budget, try the Atomic QT6.5 component kits. On an active setup, they will kick some ass.

anyway, hope this helps man. all the best in your journey!

cheers

 

[B&R Innovation2 10+ year member]

Also I'm pretty sure I wouldn't mind building a mobile pc unit.

If I could get a mac mini with a 3g card in it, that'd be a neat little platform if I could mold in a large touch screen display. But I wouldn't mind putting a nice little mint Linux microATX with a 3g card and digital outputs...if my HU could accept fiber. I know some of them out there do that, or at least there are some preamps with fiber inputs.

 

[B&R Innovation2 10+ year member]

headshok:

why am I avoiding the w7's...they have a stigma to me. I've installed a few sets shortly after they came out and they were impressive. If this forum is anything like it used to be, I have a feeling I may have a flood of random multiple lettered name-brands to check out.

The w7 being a good standard I'd like something better in sq and equal to or slightly less than in loudness.

We'll see if anyone has a zapco up in the next week that spikes my interest. There are plenty of player in that arena though and I'll have to re-familiarize myself.

Every set of Morel's i've put in I've fallen in love with. They're like smooth butter cupping my geni.... nevermind this. I like them.

 

[B&R Innovation2 10+ year member]

and budget? somewhat depends on what I unload my sub/amp for...but it's comfortable enough.

 

[B&R Innovation2 10+ year member]

Wow that deh-p800prs is hot. Anyone seen a good price on this unit?

 

[faiz23 10+ year member]

buy the deh-p880prs same thing different color cheaper in price by 100 bucks

 

[viscid240 10+ year member]

Look into the dotechs, with a arc ks 300.4

How about ID max, or even A hertz mille. off a Arc ks 1000.1

my .02

 

[headshok 10+ year member]

headshok:
why am I avoiding the w7's...they have a stigma to me. I've installed a few sets shortly after they came out and they were impressive. If this forum is anything like it used to be, I have a feeling I may have a flood of random multiple lettered name-brands to check out.

The w7 being a good standard I'd like something better in sq and equal to or slightly less than in loudness.

We'll see if anyone has a zapco up in the next week that spikes my interest. There are plenty of player in that arena though and I'll have to re-familiarize myself.

Every set of Morel's i've put in I've fallen in love with. They're like smooth butter cupping my geni.... nevermind this. I like them.

Personally, i'm pretty open,

i've heard the W7 in SQ applications,

it has the nice low rumbles, only problem is that it resonates at certain frequencies which can get quite irritating.

ARC audio, from what i've heard, is pretty good! how about some stuff from ZED audio?

my say is, go for a good head unit, run an active setup, and fiddle with the Xovers and time alignmnet.

then maybe have an aux out to your mobile com! then u'll be in action! hahaha

cheers man

 

[headshok 10+ year member]

Look into the dotechs, with a arc ks 300.4
How about ID max, or even A hertz mille. off a Arc ks 1000.1

my .02

i would say go for the Elates and call it a day. heheh

from what i'm been fiddling with, dotechs sound awesome, but don really like power, ( if u get what i mean)..

 

[viscid240 10+ year member]

I have only had my tempos a couple months, and want them dotech, maybe even up it to the hybrids.. Elates are evil.

 

[hornedfrog1985 5,000+ posts]

The IDMAX can hit that brown note.

 

[DidUHearThat? 10+ year member]

Keep the sub set up you have and spend the money/time on a great set of componets like dynaudios or high end morels. 6 1/2" are worth the effort to make them fit. Forget about the rear. Throw some coaxials back there for the passengers if you feel the need, but I wouldn't spend more than $50 on 'em.

Front stage components is where SQ comes from. Give them plenty of decent power, but I would rather buy a cheaper big amp and spend the $$$ on the best componets you can afford.

 

[hornedfrog1985 5,000+ posts]

Keep the sub set up you have and spend the money/time on a great set of componets like dynaudios or high end morels. 6 1/2" are worth the effort to make them fit. Forget about the rear. Throw some coaxials back there for the passengers if you feel the need, but I wouldn't spend more than $50 on 'em. Front stage components is where SQ comes from. Give them plenty of decent power, but I would rather buy a cheaper big amp and spend the $$$ on the best componets you can afford.

x2. That is a fairly good assesment.

 

[systemdesignz]

I agree with viscid240 on product, I still have a work in progress, still rounding up all the gear and such. But I've been researching car audio on here (recently) and other car audio forums forever before I decided on my gear. I would suggest for strictly sq an eclipse 7200 or Pioneer 880 deck, hertz speakers(possibly mlk 165's) subs, and zapco, arc audio, or audison amps, whichever you could get cheaper. Morel I've heard is solid for speakers, as well as focal but for bang for buck I would recommend hertz. As far as subs the hertz mille series, hx series like viscid240 has or the idmax would be my choice. I would however like previously mentioned, concentrate on your front stage and head unit before doing the sub and sub amp.