Sub/Amp Setup

[First Car...P5]

I'm planning on getting a system for my car soon and after wandering around the net for the past couple days, I finally came across a setup which I like. The thing is, this is my first system and I'm not 100% positive as to what I'm doing. So I was looking at 2 Infinity Kappa Perfect 12.1D subs with a Hifonics ZX1000 amp. Good? Bad?
Subs- http://www.cardomain.com/item/INFPERFECT121D
Amp- http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=14801

 

[AznXstazy]

ya i can recommend the infinity subs, great stuff i have those in 12in. alot of bass. shook up my whole car mostly lol. and i had a really crappy box instead of the recommended box. also a crapy amp. only 200 rms watts i was using if i can remember correctly.

 

[tsunami]

RMS Power Range : 250-1000 Watts

that doesn't look like a good amp to push 2 12s... i would spend a bit more cash and get a reputable amp... may not have the 1000 watts flashing at you, but the rms is what matters and 250rms is low... how about something like this... or this

you may not have the peak power of the hifonics, but they are both good brands and the rms at 2ohms is at 600w... should be plenty to push those two subs... and the pricing is close to what you were lookin at already...someone else may say otherwise... but the claim of 250-1000rms seems a bit steep to me...

 

[1sty]

I'm planning on getting a system for my car soon and after wandering around the net for the past couple days, I finally came across a setup which I like. The thing is, this is my first system and I'm not 100% positive as to what I'm doing.

These two sentances go all to well together.
You should NEVER shop or do audio research on the NET, maybe once you know what you want but otherwise not.
Its audio, you have to hear it! All the text in the world can not accuratley describe how somehting will sound to you. Go listen to some subs and amps. Go to a show and see what people are running. Talk to them about it. Stop into a few stores and listen to what they have. Your eyes are a totaly useless organ when it comes to audio. Go with what your ears tell you.

Running 2 subs with a bajesus of power does alot of things that no one tends to point out on the net.

1st, I hope you didn't like listening to music, becuase if you are running that sub setup and factory speakers or even just non-amplified speakers, then you will not be hearing much actual music any longer. You should be matching the subs to the rest of the system and your eventaul goals. Remeber, the only people subwoofers impress, are the people that want to steal them.

2nd, Your car is going to rattle like crazy. People think dyaomat or a sound deadener will stop this. It won't and it can't. Everything from the tail lights to the dash panels will rattle.

I was looking at 2 Infinity Kappa Perfect 12.1D subs with a Hifonics ZX1000 amp. Good? Bad?
Subs- http://www.cardomain.com/item/INFPERFECT121D
Amp- http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=14801

Infinitly makes a decnet product, but its not for everyone. Nothing in audio is. Hifonics seem to be holding together well these days but I find there power ratings highly exagerated. They are not as they once were and now they are whored on the net....never a good trend.

THe product you linked to will work together and work rather well, they are a good match. However, being a class AB amplifier, the amp will draw a TON of power from the car. Expect alot of head light dimming. Also, the wiring for the amp will not be cheap. Anything smaller then 4 guage power/ground is unacceptable.

If you can, buy the single voice coil versions of those subs and a mono subwoofer amplifier. It should put out the same or more power while drawing less current from the car.

 

[First Car...P5]

Thanks for all the help everyone. 1sty, you seem to know A LOT about car audio. I will probably be messaging you in the future. I hope you don't mind. Thanks!

 

[TeamPlayers]

I think with a hatch all you need is one sub. I recently installed one JL W6 with an audiobahn 500w amp running the sub. The sound is crazy. I have my head unit on -10 and it still drounds out my stock hi's. I recomend to anyone that they get a decent set of component speakers and along with any sub.

 

[1sty]

I think with a hatch all you need is one sub. I recently installed one JL W6 with an audiobahn 500w amp running the sub. The sound is crazy. I have my head unit on -10 and it still drounds out my stock hi's. I recomend to anyone that they get a decent set of component speakers and along with any sub.

Turn the gain on the amplifier down. It will allow the front speakers to be louder then they are now in relation to the sub.

 

[TeamPlayers]

Turn the gain on the amplifier down. It will allow the front speakers to be louder then they are now in relation to the sub.

I did. The gain on the amp is below half. Its all good I'm looking as a set of JL component speakers. I already have 400w amp to run my hi's. I love bass to much to turn it down too far. That JL knocks so hard it makes my hatch cover bounce up and down.

 

[1sty]

I did. The gain on the amp is below half. Its all good I'm looking as a set of JL component speakers. I already have 400w amp to run my hi's. I love bass to much to turn it down too far. That JL knocks so hard it makes my hatch cover bounce up and down.

Are you using a factory head unit?

 

[First Car...P5]

1sty, after hearing about your option of getting momo amps to conserve on some electrical current, I looked at different Hifonics amps. Would 2 Hifonics BX1000D amps be a good choice? What guage wiring would I need?

 

[1sty]

1sty, after hearing about your option of getting momo amps to conserve on some electrical current, I looked at different Hifonics amps. Would 2 Hifonics BX1000D amps be a good choice? What guage wiring would I need?

Why in the holy hopping hell would you need 2?

Acutaly, that amp is one ohm stable so it will give you same power as the s channel but will draw less current. It will work with the 2 subs you original linked to. They each being a dual 4 ohm sub can be wired down to a 4 ohm load.

 

[TeamPlayers]

Are you using a factory head unit?

Nope....Kenwood Excelon with factory speakers soon to be upgraded

 

[1sty]

Nope....Kenwood Excelon with factory speakers soon to be upgraded

YOu should have a subwoofer level control then, so you can tweak the volume of the sub seperatly from the other speakers.

 

[TeamPlayers]

YOu should have a subwoofer level control then, so you can tweak the volume of the sub seperatly from the other speakers.

I do...its on -10

 

[First Car...P5]

Heh, I forgot that subs can be wired together into one (I'm such a dumb ass, and total noob still) (maybe (drunk) (drunk)). I guess I convinced my brain that since it was a mono amp, I'd have to get 2...... Well, in that case, I'll look for a more powerful amp.

 

[1sty]

I do...its on -10

What about the bass setting and any booster circuits on the amp?

Typicly, the best way to balance in the gain on the amp is as fallows:

1. Turn the subwoofer amps gain all the way down.
2. Put on some of your typical music that is bass heavy.
3. Since you have an excelon head unit, you may have high pass crossovers built into the speaker outputs of the deck, if so, now is the time to set them.
4. Turn the head unit up until the speakers are distorting then back off a few spaces so that they are loud but happy.
5. Turn the NF level (subwoofer output level of the head unit) to max.
6. Start turning up the gain on the sub amp until it starts distorting, then back it down some.

Your good to go and should have the most possible adjustability on the fly of your subwoofer in comparison to the rest of the system.

7. BEER! (cheers)

 

[1sty]

Why, the hifonics BX1000D and the infinity subs you chose should prove a nice match.

 

[First Car...P5]

I think one of my replies disappeared.