I want to keep my parcel tray 6 1/2 Inch

[_Matt_ 42]

a previous owner has changed the 4x6 holes to 6 1/2.

I am giving my sounds an overhall. Amp+Sub, speakers, head unit.

Simple question, I want the 6 1/2 giving me my mids and highs. What are the best speakers out there? I can't find any decent ones that aren't speaker+tweeter packages. What RMS should I look for? 60+watt?

Cheers.

[cliffdunedin 8]

I really rate the Pioneer Kevlar series and have used them in several of my cars but have upgraded my e36 to midrange Blaupunkt and they sound really good!

[rogan 1]

They're only rears so any set of half decent 6.5 coaxials will suit, only thing would be to check magnet diameter just in case the mounts are a tight fit.

You sorted for the rest of the gear (amp, subs etc)?

[_Matt_ 42]

Trying to find an amp is proving difficult.

Sub - Pioneer TSW309D4

Speakers - Some decent 60w+ rms like the ones mentioned above

Amp - needs to power the sub sufficiently so 400w+ rms and I would like it to power the two rears as well

So either a really expensive 4 channel amp or a standard monoblock + a duel for the rears and fronts

Probably go for a good panasonic head unit.

[antil33t 90]

I have Alpine TypeS 6.5" Coaxials, seem good.

What are you gonna run in the front?

I assume E28's have stupid kickpanel speakers too?

Edited April 9, 2011 by antil33t

[_Matt_ 42]

Yip, kick panels are 4x6's :/ The last owner put some fail fusions in there and I'm not sure what to do with them at the moment.

[antil33t 90]

Door speakers?

[_Matt_ 42]

what's the problem with kick panel? (they sound sh*t i know) but is it because of the speakers or because there is no room to move? i installed new ones in Marks e30 and they lost depth after I installed them. (sounded tinny)

Id rather not cut holes in my door cards. My aim is to keep it original and just fix it up.

[Denz 0]

Try get some splits for up front, you can normaly find a place to mount the tweeter, get a decent head unit and it will have enough power to run the fronts and rears and then an ok monoblock amp to run the sub.

there is a particular monoblock amp that phat sounds here in hamilton sounds thats cheap as chips, is small and goes really really well, but I cant remember what they call it.

Im running a JVC 416 ( I think the KD-R526 is the new version) with stock bmw speakers (splits in the front and rear) with a sub and amp in the rear and it sounds almost as good as id want it, it can go very loud and quite clear. Im very happy with it for the small outlay I spent and I sell home audio for a living so im fussy.

[rogan 1]

presume your sub is a D4 which means it won't suit most bridged multi channel amps. Really means a mono is about your only option (unless you can find a Boston GT42 for sale).

As luck would have it http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/C...n-367414406.htm That would do a great job on your sub, one of the few amps that is 2 ohm stable when bridged.

I would run the rears off the headunit, and amp whatever front speakers you buy

[_Matt_ 42]

presume your sub is a D4 which means it won't suit most bridged multi channel amps. Really means a mono is about your only option (unless you can find a Boston GT42 for sale).

wont suit bridged multi channel amps? I thought the whole point of the DVC was to be able to bridge at the sub end and keep the 2 ohm load on the amp.

thats what D4 model is right? the DVC version...

[_Matt_ 42]

how about this for a sub/amp combo?

Sub - Pioneer TSW309D4

Amp - Soundstream TRX-2.440 (or that GT22)

Wired like this:

Thoughts?

Edited April 10, 2011 by _Matt_

[rogan 1]

That diagram is for a d2 sub.

Dual 2 voice coils can be wired to 1 or 4 ohms.

Dual 4 VCs can be 2 or 8 ohms (8 ohms is pretty impractical so ignore series wiring on a d4)

To power a single sub that is 2+2 ohms, you can either use a monoblock that's stable to 1 ohm, or bridge 2 channels of a multi channel amp

To power a single sub that is 4+4 ohms, you can either use a monoblock that's stable to 2 ohms, or bridge 2 channels of a multi channel amp only if the amp is stable at 2 ohm bridged (95% of amps aren't 2 ohm stable bridged).

Boston is one of the very few manufacturers who make their amps 2 ohm stable when bridged. $100 for a GT22 is also stupid cheap. I think the seller is the Boston distributor so guessing it's genuine new stock. Another benefiot is boston amps are designed so they can be mounted upside down (handy for mounting on bottom of parcel shelf).

Have a look at your sub and confirm it is dual 4ohm before buying an amp. I'm assuming from the model number it is 4+4 but check just in case the d4 in the model number means something else completely.

If it's dual 4 then that soundstream amp you listed is completely unsuitable.

[_Matt_ 42]

I see, yes it's dual 4

so to confirm, this is what you are suggesting? I need to get me head around this. If only i did electronics at school haha

[rogan 1]

yep, that's it exactly.

[_Matt_ 42]

Wicked. Thanks for the help.

one more question. what do these specs mean?

RMS Power Rating @ 14.4VDC

and

RMS Power Rating @ 12.6VDC

[rogan 1]

with your engine on, your electrical system is around 14.4v. Turn the engine off and it drops back to your battery power which is around 12.6v

[_Matt_ 42]

genius, cheers.

[_Matt_ 42]

May as well keep all my questions in this thread

Q: I now have the boston GT22, it will be pushing 500w RMS. Is 8 gauge power & earth cable sufficient? or should I go 4 guage? Also, what is a recommended fuse size?

edit:

A: 8 gauge is probably fine since ill only be running a 40a fuse.

Edited April 17, 2011 by _Matt_

[rogan 1]

That was an absolute bargain. 8ga is good but if multiple amps are going to be used then go 4ga to futureproof

[_Matt_ 42]

how crucial is enclosure volume?

the sub recommends 24.1 liters. The sealed enclosure I have designed is 22.2 liters. What effect will that have?

[rogan 1]

how crucial is enclosure volume?

the sub recommends 24.1 liters. The sealed enclosure I have designed is 22.2 liters. What effect will that have?

Will have minimal effect. Yes you may lose some bottom end but most likely it wouldn't be noticeable. Easiest way to get around this is to loosely add dacron fill into the enclosure, fools the sub into thinking there's ~10-15% more volume. You get dacron from places like Spotlight, it's pillow stuffing. Just make sure the back of your sub has free air space behind it cos the voice coils can get quite warm and you need airspace for the heat to dissipate.

Edited April 30, 2011 by rogan

[_Matt_ 42]

sweet, I am actually modifying a pre-made sub box. Is the one layer of dacron enough you think?

[rogan 1]

You need to loosely fill to 2/3 volume to get a 10-15% increase but it's guess work how much you put in. Throw the sub in as is, see what it sounds like. If it lacks bottom end then throw some dacron in , if not leave it as is.

[_Matt_ 42]

Funny, I spent all this time finding an amp that will produce an RMS higher than the nominal input of my sub because I thought it was best to have head room.

I got my sub today and under CAUTION! it says:

Pioneer recommends that this speaker be used in conjunction with amps whose continuous (RMS) output is lower than the nominal input power of this speaker.

thoughts?

Edited May 2, 2011 by _Matt_