Stereo wizards, i beckon you.

[B 4 You]

i found a true 4awg kit on that site that svxcess told me about, for about $45, with all the wiring, the main fuse, and the rca cable that i need. i'll probably get that. as to the stuff about the alternator, i have a 700 watt sub, and it's not a superb woofer, i will never go over half way on that gain nob, i don't care about that much wattage. as for the amp, here is the website.

http://www.poweracoustik.com/pa2006/..._amp_stax.html

i didn't just type in "OMG LOL GIVE ME THE MOST WATTS OF MAXXX POWER POSSIBLE I WANT TO BREAK MY WINDOWS AMP AND SPEAKER." i got advice from a retired sound engineer from my church that ran a recording studio for years. he likes it loud. none of this is a joke, and i've only invested about $250 into this entire set up. the sub was $50, amp was $170. i don't want a new alternator and a new battery and all this crap i just want a subwoofer. i can't afford all of this now. the amp and sub were actually christmas presents.

but still, if i really need to be this careful about it i should probably return it and get a 700 watt amp.. i REALLY can't afford to hurt my car.

[icingdeath88]

FWIW, I am running one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-XMZR1252-.../dp/B0015AO8J8 (bridged) with one of these: http://www.polkaudio.com/caraudio/db...php?s=db840dvc and I find it plenty loud. I quite like the 8-inch sub, it's not as loud as the bigger ones but it sounds more precise. I've also got a second amp (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-XM-ZR604R...192328&sr=1-33) that drives these in the rear: http://www.polkaudio.com/caraudio/pr...recent/mmc690/ and these in the front: http://www.polkaudio.com/caraudio/pr...ecent/mmc6500/ Stock alternator. If I were to lose the alternator I'd upgrade it to the maniac one for sure though. I wouldn't have spend that much on the front and rear speakers though, they came with my white car. It also came with this headunit: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-ujTx2mH...n-DPX-701.html. I'm not crazy about it now, but I'm sure it must have been excellent back when it was new. I'd definitely go for a single din with a pocket if I were to replace it.

Sorry if this post is hard to read. It's late and I'm too tired to make it pretty.

[B 4 You]

i just like things looking stock and simple. i'd choose this car over a new car simply because it is simple, minimal, and easy. not 32571513 buttons everywhere and 34 dials to tell me how many bubbles are in my antifreeze and whathaveyou. i like it plain.

but i think i'm stuck. i still have 12 days left to return that amp. should i??? GUYS. SHOULD I GET A LESS POWERFUL AMP? SORRY FOR THE CAPS LOCK I'M OVER TIRED.

[icingdeath88]

You seem overwhelmed. Take a step back and first decide what your budget is and exactly what you want your audio setup to do. If you just want some more bass, then 1200W is probably way overkill. Especially considering that at like 1/3 power the bass will be far overpower the stock speakers. Get a little amp like the one I linked (doesn't have to be the same one, but that range) and the single sub you've got will probably be enough. The wiring for the amp is not bad at all, but most of the time the stock headunit is changed, so I'm not sure exactly what will be different because of that. I would go with an inexpensive aftermarket headunit just to make sure everything works like it ought to. Don't worry, we'll get it figured out for you. If you change the headunit you'll need the adapter thingy from svxdc (I can find a link if you need, but he's a member here).

What size and type of a sub are you using?

[B 4 You]

i already know all about the new head unit and adaptor thing, i did a lot of research on it. i do have all new speakers throughout the car, at about 70% volume i can't go louder because it hurts my ears. i simply liked this amp because it is extremely small, it's only 2 inches high, and i will only ever need about 25% of the volume. it's just a good feeling. it's like having a speedometer that goes to 110 vs. one that goes to 180. you'll feel like you have a faster car simply because of that number. :P the subwoofer i have is this:

http://www.bossaudio.com/main/1161

it's SO small mounting wise, which i needed for the type of box i have. i have the 10inch, which needs .38cu feet to properly perform. it's also 2ohm compatible, i believe. but i won't need that.

the only time i will ever have my amp actually cranking uncomfortable sound is to show it off to friends, but i'll only do that for a minute. i just want some really nice low end. i won't overkill the car's power system if i don't pull that much power will i? the amp can't do much damage at low power. correct me if i'm wrong though.

my sound engineer friend from my church thinks that i will never use the amp to it's full potential, and that i'll probably be using around 20-30 amps at the same volume as my speakers.

[B 4 You]

couldn't i also get a 100 or even less amp fuse to put near the battery so i can never suck more juice than that? or is that hard on the system?

[icingdeath88]

I'd go with a smaller amp then. Actually the one I linked would probably match up pretty good. It has a pretty wide footprint though (I have the two amps mounted in the spare tire well). You've got a '92, which means that you have the one piece back seat. I'd mount the amp to the back of the back seat (pretty easy if you've got a drill and the amp comes with a few screws). If I were in your shoes, I'd return the amp you got, since it is overkill and you can use the money from that to get a smaller amp like the one I linked and a cheap headunit.

I like that sub, should be able to make a pretty slim box for it that doesn't take up that much space in the trunk. The box I made is kinda big and oddly shaped, so it takes up a lot more room than I wish it had.

[B 4 You]

my box is sitting in the spare tire. i made it myself from fiberglass. i'll upload pictures to this post when i finish it

[Lookin4SVX]

Ok, which model? The stax4000/1D ??
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...AX4000-1D.html
That is the only model I can find with, 3 40amp fuses.
"RMS Power Rating:
4 ohms: 1200 watts x 1 chan.
2 ohms: 1700 watts x 1 chan.
1 ohm: 2200 watts x 1 chan.
Max power output: 4000 watts"

What ohm is your subs voice coil? is it a DVC model?
What make/model of subwoofer do you have?

[icingdeath88]

Look 3 posts up.

[James Scott]

Noticed you said your Subwoofer is not that good.. . I'm assuming it's 12 or 15". Your system is only as good AS THE WEAKEST PART! If your sub is not quality.. it will sound bad, even with 1200 WATTS! [Just Louder]. Some people love distorted bass sounds.. and confuse that with QuAlItY .. or CoOl.. !? I'm an audiophile. I can't stand distortion. It is noise.. NOT music.

My Little Story:

I was replacing an ancient stock (previously cool, circa 1970's) Becker Mexico car stereo in my 1975 Ferrari [kinda like playing a VHS tape now, it seemed cool in the 80's..right?]. I didn't want great.. just OK. The Ferrari is famous for beautiful engine noises. It's simply too loud to play music when driving.. especially after I put a Tubi tuned exhaust on that car! Great engine sounds.. but.. LOUD. Well, I replaced one piece of low-end equipment (Polk speakers, Kenwood head unit, etc.).. after another.. . It just sounded way crappy! .. . I ultimately decided to try an amp, using the Kenwood (Stealth) head unit preamp outs.. with an ADS (thru mail order) 40 x 4-channel (compact) amp.. bridged for a subwoofer. ADS low-end 6 1/2" door speakers with quality dash tweeters. The Ferrari was old enough to have space for both the amp and a 6-CD changer under the passenger seat. Like you, I built a custom enclosure under the driver seat for an 8" subwoofer (probably less than 1 cu foot!). I used a Cerwin-Vega 8" subwoofer I got from Crutchfield, thinking C-V was a recognizable name.

The system sounded great.. under the circumstances (small car, small sub). I discovered Alanis Morrissete at that time (1997); her Jagged Little Pill CD was great to use as test music! Quite ironic.

Took the Ferrari .. and new sound system to a local high-end stereo shop (where I had struck a friendship with the owner {a hard-core Christian - We used to chat bout God}). Took him around the block in the Ferrari .. He appreciated that, and said the system (when parked, of course) sounded pretty good.. with one suggestion. He thot the sub was muttled.. . He recommended swapping for a JL Audio 8" Sub. I bot it from him for $100. THE DIFFERENCE WAS PHENOMENAL.. . Period!

I subsequently (~1992) put JL Audio 6 1/2" bass + Tweeters up front .. with 6 x 9" in back. No amp, so not the same quality/power.. But, happy what my double-din used Pioneer head unit does.. . Getting mellower, intensity-wise, in my old age! Ha!

Jim

[B 4 You]

actually i'm going to use a 10 inch sub. i was going to use a 12inch, there's plenty of room for one, but i would consider myself an audiophile, so i went with a 10 inch. still loud, but also it should be smooth. i like my music loud, but loud as in you hear every minute detail. i have power acoustik tweeters in the dash ($11 from amazon, but sound amazing for the price) pioneer 6.5's 2 ways in the front, and pioneer 6x9's 3 ways in the back. i'm using the stock unit to power all of it, and i must say, this 19 year old panasonic stereo really delivers some nice sound. it doesn't get piercingly loud without a little distortion, but it does sound great up to about 70% volume. i just want some really nice low end to make this system complete. and i'm on a budget. i got the sub and amp for christmas, and the rest of the stereo added up to about $100. i guarantee you i will never use that amp at more than 20% volume, because it will overpower my speakers. i want a full range of sound. not bass bass bass more bass oh i heard the singer say an 'S'! i'll do that once in a blue moon to show it off, or maybe while driving through campus, but not on any normal day. i don't want competition sound. i want sound i like. i think my dad is jealous, even though he has a 2010 outback with the premium harmon kardon sound system, they come close. i just need a little low end. i think i'll stick with what i've got. :]

[Cam]

Running an amp at 20 percent power will not give you the same quality of a similar product running at 70 percent volume. The amp is not designed to perform it's best at that volume. You seriously may be better off matching the amp to the sub and/or volume level you are seeking.

I.E. If you have speakers that take 120 watts rms you want an amp with slightly more than that. The reason is "headroom". Headroom is how far you can turn the amp past the volume you operate it at before it distorts the signal. So, 150 watt rms amp would match nicely. Still in the same wattage range, but capable of pushing a little harder with no issues. This especially comes in handy when tuning your stereo. Maybe you like the head unit turned down and the amp pushing decently hard, or vise versa. Either way, headroom will allow you to accomplish that.

1200 watts is way overkill for what your trying to accomplish.

[Lookin4SVX]

Ok, Now that I see your sub is a boss, with dual 4 ohm voil coils..
Why would not use this stax amp? I mean if you plan to use a stax...
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...AX2000-1D.html
RMS Power Rating:
4 ohms: 600 watts x 1 chan.
2 ohms: 900 watts x 1 chan.
1 ohm: 1200 watts x 1 chan.
That sub has two 4 ohm voice coils.
When you wire them together you get a 2ohm load.
Then this amp would be running 900 "watts".
So you would be at 75% gain on the amp to power your 700 "watt" sub.
and its on sale for $140. lol.

"it's also 2ohm compatible, i believe. but i won't need that."
Why on earth would you want to keep it at a 4 ohm load?
The entire purpose for a dual voice coil is to drop the ohm load.
And the reasoning behind that is so that you can use an amplifier rated at half the wattage.
because when you run that same amp in 2 ohm, it doubles its output wattage.

[Lookin4SVX]

Lets compare this to my Orion 225HCCA I have in my SVX...
The 225HCCA is rated at 2x25 watts, so its a 50 watt amplifier.
I am running two old school rockford fosgate 10" subs with it.
how can I run two 10's off a 50watt amp? Ohm loads..
225HCCA specs:
Stereo: ---------------- Bridged MONO:
50x2@4ohms --------- 100x1@4ohms
100x2@2ohms -------- 200x1@2ohms
200x2@1ohm --------- 400x1@1ohm
400x2@.5ohm --------- 800x1@.5ohm
(yes, my 225 is .5ohm stable)

My Subs each have two, 2ohm, voice coils.
The voice coils are wired in parallel with each other, so the amp sees a 1 ohm load per sub.
I bridged the amplifier and then wired both subs together doubling that load down to .5ohm.
My amp's gain is on 3/4 and it makes the subs pound like mad.
I am running the stock alternator with a 1.2 farad stiffing cap, and my lights still dim.

My point is, do you really need an amp rated at 1200watt RMS?
Your sub would be more than happy running off a 500-600watt amp at 2 ohm mono.

Disclaimer: My amp is a competition amplifier.
Its wattage is underrated (it's rated at 8 ohm).
It is built specifically to run at these low ohm loads.
Most amplifiers will overheat eventually in a 1 ohm load.
Most would clip immediately at .5ohm load.
Don't go buy a 50 watt amp and try to run your 1000 watt subs.