10 replies to this topic

[JP4294]

Hey guys,
So I have a slight annoyance with my sound system (which is by no means quality). I have a Kenwood head unit which is about 6 months old and have recently (last few months) installed pioneer 6" coaxial speakers ($70ish) in my front doors and Pioneer 6x9's ($80ish) in the rear . This is all installed in my '98 TF Magna Wagon. The sound is a huge improvement over the old stock speakers and head unit but still not great obviously. I'm satisfied with the sound at about just under half of full volume but if i go any higher the bass starts to distort real bad. Obviously it doesn't help that I've bought possibly some of the cheapest speakers around but surely there's a way of making them sound a bit better?
I was thinking of buying a 4-channel amp and amping them all, do you guys think that would help? I have been looking at the Pioneer GM-6500F because of my low uni student budget of about $160-180.
http://www.soundmast...lifier/GM6500F/
Am I going about it in the right way?
Should I upgrade the speakers or wiring instead?
Any recommendations would be great!
Cheers
JP

[peaandham]

Amplifying the speakers is always a good way to fend off distortion as long as your not stressing the speakers out too much before they hit their thermal power limits.

So adding an amp will work, seeing as your are looking for something not too over the top have a chat to "Carbon Car Systems", "FHRX Studios" or "Frankies Auto Electrics" these 3 are in NSW and support this forum, so perhaps give them a call and see what they can offer you, that way if something does go wrong its alot easier to maintain a local warranty.

I would always recommend upgrading the wiring, as the stock wiring especially in a Magna (I own a TE) is tiny and will heat up rather quick if you try to run some extra power through its a safety issue.

If you get to a point where you do not like the quality of your sound system then thats when you would look at upgrading the headunit and this does alot of the reading and processing at times, but is ofter over looked, its probably the most effective upgrade that can be done.

[Tritty]

If you get to a point where you do not like the quality of your sound system then thats when you would look at upgrading the headunit and this does alot of the reading and processing at times, but is ofter over looked, its probably the most effective upgrade that can be done.

+1000000

I went from a decent stereo with the Alpine 117E to an amazing stereo with the Pioneer DEX-P99RS, difference was massive, I had no idea how much of an improvement a decent head unit could make

And yes, amplifying what you currently have will give you not only a louder sound, but clearer and more punchy with less distortion (to a point) Worthwile investment, especially for the price

Edited by Tritty, 16 May 2012 - 10:21 PM.

[VR028]

your definately going in the right direction. may i suggest the sony xm-gtx6040. its a little cheaper and ive had great success with it for a bit over 3 years now.
another good option would be the clarion XR2410 its on sale from the same shop

Edited by VR028, 16 May 2012 - 11:05 PM.

[JP4294]

Thanks heaps for the quick replies! I'm deffinately going to amp them then.. I'll look into those three shops, always good to support te right people.
Also, I did look at the clarion one, how does it compare with pioneer in terms of overall quality?
Also, do you guys have any recommendations on wiring kits? Preferably under $50..? I'd assume wire is wire but I'm sure I'm very wrong!
Cheers
JP

[peaandham]

Thanks heaps for the quick replies! I'm deffinately going to amp them then.. I'll look into those three shops, always good to support te right people.
Also, I did look at the clarion one, how does it compare with pioneer in terms of overall quality?
Also, do you guys have any recommendations on wiring kits? Preferably under $50..? I'd assume wire is wire but I'm sure I'm very wrong!
Cheers
JP

For that sort of budget just get what ever is on sale, you will need a 4 channel kit and 8 gauge would suffice.

As for that Clarion range, Ive always been a fan of it, really good bang for buck.

[VR028]

the clarion feels pretty solid compared to the other 2. im really not a fan of pioneers cheapo amp range. the clarion is much better than the sony due to its fully adjustable crossovers which is a big bonus when it comes to setting up a sub later on. its also a lot smaller than the sony so its nice and easy to hide away and i think its by far the best looking. for that price its a clear winner.

as for the wiring no particular is going to be that much better than the other. just see if you can find one that has everything you need. if you plan to put a sub in later on get 4 gauge otherwise 8 gauge is very cheap and would be fine

[Damon]

And turn the bass boost down.

[shiny_car]

And turn the bass boost down.

Indeed. The most likely cause of the distortion at higher volumes is too much bass, causing the speakers to go beyond mechanical limits (as opposed to thermal/power limits). That is, the cones are going beyond their max excursion limits, resulting in 'cone break-up' distortion. Simply, speakers cannot handle loud subbass. 6x9s can certainly do better than 6", but still not like a subwoofer.

Not only does an amplifier provide more power of lower distortion (these help with clarity and volume), they have highpass crossover filters. It means you can filter out/remove the subbass, allowing the speakers to go louder without distortion from cone break-up.

Thus, you can see that it's a compromise: louder and more clarity, but with less bass. If you want your 'fullrange' signal with subbass, then you can't expect as much loudness. If you want it all (!), then you must add a subwoofer to play the subbass.

[JP4294]

Thanks for all the help guys. I'be decided to get the Clarion one which should arrive in the next few days.
Now I just need the wiring. So I'm going to get a 4 gauge power wire just in case i get a sub in the future. What speaker wire gauge should I get, I was thinking 14 gauge(?), and how many sets of RCA cables do I need? I'm going to need about 30ft of speaker cable I think because I'm planning on replacing all the speaker wires. Does anyone know of any kits that include this much speaker wire or would I have to buy it separately?
Cheers

[shiny_car]

4awg should be fine; presuming the amplifier terminals are designed big enough to accept it easily.

14-16awg speakerwire is ideal.

4-channel amp? Then 2 sets of RCA cables (4 channels; or a single 4-channel set of RCAs). If there's a chance of adding a separate sub amplifier in the future, you may wish to install 3 sets of RCAs (and insulate the end of the unused set), to save having to pull the car apart again in the future.

Unsure about wiring kits.