Help on choosing a amp and subwoofer

[bobobob]

Hello all,

In my 96 honda civic i'm running a Kenwood KDC-W6527 head unit, some 6x9's MMC690 in the back , and a set of DB6500 in the doors.
I use to have a 5-channel Hifonics zx8000 and a 10" Alpine type-r woofer, and since the last 2 got stolen i am looking for a new setup.

Now i'm looking for a new amp(s) and a subwoofer.

I know the speakers should get about a 100 watt each. And could someone recommend a good subwoofer. Looking for a nice clean sound. It doesnt have to be obnoxious loud, as long as i'm getting a precise, clean, and loud base i'm set. It probably going to be another 10" or even 8" to save some room in my trunk

Thanks for your help!

[MacLeod]

http://www.polkaudio.com/caraudio/products/subs/10inch/

[bobobob]

yes i was thinking about getting the db series but i can't find a shop overhere that hass them in stock.... soi don't know how they sound

[Polkemon]

I have heard the DB subs and they sound OUTSTANDING for the price. How much are you wanting to spend on amp/sub? This will help as to what would be good for your $'s.
Donny

[DSkip]

I used to have two gnx104's, older polk entry level models, and was happy with them up until they were stolen. After they were stolen, I caught a deal at Fry's to get two db124's for 20 dollars a piece, same price I paid for the gnx's new from Fry's. The build quality and sound quality are far greater than that of the gnx model and the improvements show that Polk audio is making great strides in car audio. Using only 100 watts for the sub and wanting to save space, the db104 is a great reccomendation.

Check Outpost.com every couple of days to see their prices. This is Fry's website and if it goes on sale, it will probably be dirt cheap. Does CC not carry the subs? I know they carry the speakers but I don't ever look past head units.

[bobobob]

I have heard the DB subs and they sound OUTSTANDING for the price. How much are you wanting to spend on amp/sub? This will help as to what would be good for your $'s.
Donny

Well my last setup was a Hifonics zx8000 and a 10" Alpine type-r, i think that was about $750

I am willing to spend that again since i'm leaning towards getting 2 amps now, i've read somewhere overhere that the mmc690 can even hold 200 watts rms. But finding an amp that produces 4x100+ AND a strong enough fifth channel for a sub is impossible.

So i'm probably looking for 2 amps a 10" sub for around $750!

[1996blackmax]

And could someone recommend a good subwoofer. Looking for a nice clean sound. It doesnt have to be obnoxious loud, as long as i'm getting a precise, clean, and loud base i'm set. It probably going to be another 10" or even 8" to save some room in my trunk

Thanks for your help!


The Soundsplinter RL-i10 sounds like what you are after. I owned one of these in the past and was very satisfied with both the SQ and output that it provided. For that price, I don't think that you'll find anything comparable.

RL-i10:
http://www.soundsplinter.com/rli_ignition_series_8_inch_and_10_inch_diy_subwoof er_drivers.html

http://www.soundsplinter.com/rli_series/rli_10_inch_DIY_car_and_home_subwoofer_driver_info rmation.html

[bobobob]

1996blackmax, those subs look great and ive read great things about it. Only problem for me is that i'm from europe, and shipping on a sub would probably cost as much the woofer itself....

did you ever heard a Alpine type-r and the RL-i10 ??

[1996blackmax]

I've heard the Type-R's, but in a different setup.


I've heard good things about Rainbow subs, and I know you guys have those over there :). I do not know how they compare to the Type-R's price wise though. Might be worth listeting to them.

Why don't you want to go with the Alpine sub again? I am assuming you liked them.

[bobobob]

yeah i really liked the alpine, but wanted to try something else....

who makes the rainbow subs?

[MacLeod]

who makes the rainbow subs?

Raindow.

But do you really want a panzy name like Rainbow. I mean, only a real girlie man would run Rainbow speakers.







:p :D

[Bill Ayotte]

Those subs sound mighty not straight:D

[1996blackmax]

Well, if you guys do not enjoy listening to music that is produced faithfully, these products may not be for you .........;)

[1996blackmax]

yeah i really liked the alpine, but wanted to try something else....

who makes the rainbow subs?


These guys make very high quality products. I am very happy with my German handmade speakers.... have tested very well in Europe and can hang with speakers costing much more.


Here is their site.....

http://car.rainbow-audio.de/home/home.php?lan=2


http://car.rainbow-audio.de/products/introduction.php?lan=2&pro=2

[bobobob]

ok, thanks.... i'll have a look see

[bobobob]

does anyone has any advice on an amp? the mmc690 and the DB6500 are rated 100W rms so i was looking for a amp with at least 100w p/c @ 4 ohm.. @ 4 channels

the Polk C400.4 is rated at 75 w p/c but i've read a lot of reviews that it is way underestimated, is this so??
And how about the mmc690 crossovers, i dont need these anymore??

[deepinya]

Polk gives you a birth sheet of the actual RMS since the 75w is a conservative number. Mine said 94w per channel.

[bobobob]

hmm ok, that would be good enough, since my last amp gave 55w p/c this would be a big improvement

so these would work with the mentioned speakers right (RMS 100w)?

[MacLeod]

The 400.4 would be a great match for those speakers.

[bobobob]

ok, so the 400.4 it will be for the speakers. I'm also thinking about getting the 500.1 for a sub, since those two would look great together.

Now i'm just thinking about which sub to go with..... Alpine type-r, a Soundsplinter, or a Polk :confused:

I can listen to a Alpine and a Polk in a shop probably but not the soundsplinter.....Does anyone has some more info about these?

Oh well have to wait a while for the pay check any way, got mail from the insurance company today that they wont give me money for my stolen amp and sub because i never let them know i had these....:o

And also i was thinking about purchasing the amps at www.sonicelectronix.com, does anybody know if this is a reputable company? Since i'm in europe and only for the 400.4 the asking price is $657.-

[bobobob]

Ok to bring this back up, i'm still in the market for another amp. The polk
c400.4 is just a little to pricey over here. And some online shops in the US which i emailed do not ship to europe because of the agreement they signed with polk.

Are there any (affordable $300.-) amps out there that put at least 4x100 watt rms?
Recently a audio store has opened close to me who has brands like Power Acoustik, Boschmann, Earthquake, Soundstream,
some of these brands sound kinda familiar, is there anybody here who has some real experience with some of these brands?

[eloplayspolo]

does cardomain not ship to europe? if not do u have somone u can trust that they can ship to in the US and then have that person ship it to u in europe?

[bobobob]

does cardomain not ship to europe? if not do u have somone u can trust that they can ship to in the US and then have that person ship it to u in europe?

yeah that was my second option, just shipping it to a friend of mine in the states, and let him ship it to me...

Anyone have some experience with the brands mentioned above?

[JoshParsons84]

What about MB Quart? I have some MB Quart Q-Series components on layaway and I'm also looking for an SQ sub, but will also need a nice sub amp. Not too worried about the amp right this minute, but wanting a nice SQ sub that will put out some nice deep bass if the situation calls for it.

[MacLeod]

While I love MB Quart speakers, I never was a big fan of their subs.

[cam5860]

Theres only a few companies that make all products lines top notch. For instance alpine and pioneer have solid product lines. But take a company like polk while I have always be a fan of the way there full range speakers sound. I have never been sold on the subwoofers they are weak will not hold up and don't get that loud. They have sorry xmax always have and the spiders come apart on the momo's after 6 months of use.

[MacLeod]

Well mine is 3 years old and has been working just fine. Itll reproduce the 18 Hz note on the IASCA disc with authority all day long. And nothing has ever come apart on it despite the fact that the amp Im using is slightly more powerful than its rated for.

Polk subs are excellent.

[eloplayspolo]

to say that pioneer is all good stuff is a joke... their low end stuff is a joke in itself.

[cam5860]

I don't see any negative reviews on pioneers 60 dollar subwoofer over at crutchfield. Besides what I was saying is companys capable of making top notch stuff across all lines.

Now Mac don't get me wrong polk subs sound good they have good sound quality at moderate levels but polk subs cannot stand to be pushed very hard. They work good for you because you are a heavy metal guy.

[JoshParsons84]

Hey I am a heavy metal guy myself. Maybe I should be looking into Polk for my SQ subs as well?

[exalted512]

Polk subs do well for what theyre designed to do. Theyre designed to provide good SQ, theyre not designed to get loud.

What youre saying is comparable to saying, a Honda Civic isnt great because they cant tow a trailer...well no shit, theyre not designed to...
-Cody

[JoshParsons84]

Well I'm wanting a really great SQ sub but can also get very loud if it wants to.

[cam5860]

Any company that is worth a damn can design one to do both. Have good sound quality and get loud without sounding like shit. Anybody on this forum that thinks DB subs are good is stupid. They are like any other sub with a small xmax. They sound like shit when you turn them up. Damn cone popping, distorting, etc.... Anybody can design a sub to sound good with the volume level at 15 out of 30.

Thats just like the DB series components. Yeah they sound decent for the money but the passive crossovers screw them up. They use cheap shit in them to save money and the result is the tweeters cutting out on you time you try to raise the volume. Any speaker that can't play loud without cutting out and distorting is trash to me no matter how good they sound.

[cam5860]

Here is a pic of the new DB subs coming out soon.

[exalted512]

Any company that is worth a damn can design one to do both. Have good sound quality and get loud without sounding like shit. Anybody on this forum that thinks DB subs are good is stupid. They are like any other sub with a small xmax. They sound like shit when you turn them up. Damn cone popping, distorting, etc.... Anybody can design a sub to sound good with the volume level at 15 out of 30.

Thats just like the DB series components. Yeah they sound decent for the money but the passive crossovers screw them up. They use cheap shit in them to save money and the result is the tweeters cutting out on you time you try to raise the volume. Any speaker that can't play loud without cutting out and distorting is trash to me no matter how good they sound.

Ahh...one with little experience, let me explain to you the ways of the world.

Have you heard the DB loaded box? Those things get plenty loud for what they are, a budget minded sub.

Cone popping and distortion are NOT products of a bad sub, they are products of a shitty installer, nothing more, nothing less.

In fact, not all companies can design a sub that sounds good on level 15 out of 30, take Pyle for example.

They use cheap shit in passive crossovers for budget minded speakers?!?! Say it isnt so!:rolleyes:

Fact of the matter is, Ive put 3 RF T6002s on 3 sets Polk DB 6.5 components and NEVER had one cut out on me. The amps were gained with a multimeter to put out 175wrms at 3/4 volume on the radio to ensure that the speakers would reach their limit before the radio sent a clipped signal to the amplifiers.

I would check the install before I cried wolf.
-Cody

[cam5860]

Yes ive heard the db box at circuit city. It sounds good for what it's worth nothing more nothing less. Cone popping and distortion is a sorry product when you have it in a .66 cubic box and 250 rms watts on it and you can't get no volume out of it without bottoming out. I ain't no rookie cuz. I know how to install. The tweeters on the DB component can't handle the power. I could turn the volume up to 26 out of 35 and the tweeter protection would trip on the bitches. I won't ever own anything else DB you can believe that. I have JBL components on the same setup and they can handle everything I throw at them without distorting or cutting out. So I know it's a sorry product and not my install.

[exalted512]

You heard the box at Circuit City therefore you know what it sounds like?

Interesting.
-Cody

[cam5860]

yes it sounds good in that box. But put them in a sealed box and you will see what I'm talking about.

[cam5860]

By the way what brands are yall pushing at your car audio shop right now?

[exalted512]

The difference between hearing a box in a store and hearing it in a car is substantial.

We carry Pioneer, RF, Kenwood, DB Drive, Clarion, MTX, Ample, Memphis, and Kicker.
-Cody

[cam5860]

Hey cody whats going on with pioneer these days? From what I'm understanding they are cutting off most of the small dealers. They are saying they don't sell enough gear a year to meet there standards.

[exalted512]

We have several stores so we sell a lot of pioneer so we havent had any problems, havent heard much about other stores.

I do know, the markup on their lower models is not much and we sell them below our markup percentage.
-Cody

[1996blackmax]

Heavy Metal and SQ do not go together......



:)







:p

[JoshParsons84]

Heavy Metal and SQ do not go together......



:)







:p


Why would you say that? That's the kind of music I listen to. Nothing else. I don't like crap, or pop or country. The only kind of music I listen to Rock & Roll, period. I like more of today's Metal. But then again I like Rock from the 70's also. It's all good to me as long as it's Rock & Roll.

[black magic]

have you looked into any Audison amps? They provide some good, clean power... kind of pricey, though.

[bobobob]

No didn't look into audison amps, yet. I also have to ship the amps from the US to the netherlands, so i think i'm looking in about the $200/250 price range, ex shipping.

[eloplayspolo]

great amps great deals...
http://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-Excelon-KAC-X40-4-channel-amplifier/dp/B000O570B8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1197394503&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-Excelon-KAC-X10D-subwoofer-amplifier/dp/B000O52RES/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1197394503&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/JL-Audio-12W3v2-D2-2-ohm-Subwoofers/dp/B000178NCE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1197394973&sr=1-2

[bobobob]

ok thanks, i've already made a decision on the subwoofer, gonna be a 8" Soundsplinter.

anyone familiar with these amps: http://www.earthquakesound.com/tnt.htm

and especcially the T2000W/4 model?

[1996blackmax]

Why would you say that? That's the kind of music I listen to. Nothing else. I don't like crap, or pop or country. The only kind of music I listen to Rock & Roll, period. I like more of today's Metal. But then again I like Rock from the 70's also. It's all good to me as long as it's Rock & Roll.


It's not really my cup of tea.....and just giving you a little bit of a hard time ;).

[1996blackmax]

ok thanks, i've already made a decision on the subwoofer, gonna be a 8" Soundsplinter.

anyone familiar with these amps: http://www.earthquakesound.com/tnt.htm

and especcially the T2000W/4 model?


Good choice in the sub :cool:.

[MacLeod]

Yeah, Max works for them. He could use the commission.


:D

[1996blackmax]

ummmhhhh....kind sir, have you lost your ability to read sigs :D. Not one item in my car is from them......at least not at the moment ;).

[1996blackmax]

I guess I am now fanboy x2....Alpine and JL :D

[MacLeod]

Holy smokes! You completely revamped your gear. I hadnt even noticed.

Still using those panzy Rainbow speakers tho I see.

:p

[1996blackmax]

You got it :)


I may go a little higher up the line next ;).

[bobobob]

Good choice in the sub :cool:.

Thanks, just have to wait until they're back in stock.

Looking into sundown amps right now...