SVX audio speakers

[pavanbabut]

Hi all,

This is my first posting in this forum. I recently bought a SVX and I'm in a dilema whether to use my present speakers for my amplifier or to replace them. I am having an amplifier of 1600w (4x400/2x800) and i want to set it up in my SVX and I am not able to decide upon my speakers. The present one is a 250w 6 speaker audio system.

I appreciate any advices/ suggestions from you.

thanks in advance,
Pavan.

[ensteele]

Have you tried a search. There have been lots of discussions on speakers and upgraded systems in the past. It may give you some information quickly. Good luck.

[UberRoo]

Originally posted by pavanbabut
1600w (4x400/2x800)

Holy smokes! That'll pound the piss out just about anything. Your stock speakers will absolutely sing with that much juice. You won't be able to crank it up very high without letting the magic smoke out. That amp is overkill for stock speakers. Don't get me wrong, they will sound amazing, but low frequency reproduction will be fairly limited - though much, much, much better than stock.

With that sort of power, a major speaker upgrade would be in order. I'd run a mid-bass driver component set, as you've got more than enough umph to get a mid-driver to work it's magic. Regular speakers will still be impressive, but won't have the bass. Good mid drivers can hit 45Hz, (that's subwoofer territory,) and exceed 4000Hz, (right up there with conventional speakers.)

What sort of amp is this? Make/Model?

[pavanbabut]

UberRoo,

thanks for your advice and I understood wht u r telling.
my amplifier is Legacy brand and the model is

Legacy Red #LA870

Can you give me a detailed description on wht I have to do inorder to set it up in my SVX for some best audio output tht can be possible. Like wht min rating speakers should I have to use inorder to get some good output and whtels I have to change. I appreciate your help in any form.

thanks,
Pavan.

[lee]

Dayton is large enough to have several good stereo stores, what with Wright-Patterson AFB close by. I think you should go take a listen to several different mid-level (in dollars) speakers, then either buy at the store or go online to save a few $$.

BTW, The wattage quoted is a max power rating. In RMS terms the rating at 4 ohms is 50 Watts per channel. That's why I suggested mid-level speakers. Most of the high-end speakers would require a more powerful amplifier. That said, you could bridge the amp down to 2-channels and move up in speakers; however, that means you have to give up the rear speakers...it all comes down to listening and deciding what YOU like best.

[SVXRide]

Yeah, what Lee said!
Seriously, get rid of the stock speakers as soon as possible. If the flexure around the cones of each speaker hasn't already gone (started to crumble away...), it definitely will as soon as you start hitting it with serious power...
-Bill

[UberRoo]

Knowing what sort of amplifier you have helps a lot. Based solely on the price tag, the Legacy brand is one of those brands. It's one of those brands that talks the talk, but doesn't walk the walk. Audio snobs like to refer to the ratings on this equipment as the ILS rating. (If Lightning Strikes.) Lee is absolutely right; 400x4 watts is a [highly optimistic] max power rating. Sorry to burst your bubble.

...but that isn't all bad. Even equipment with bogus power ratings can work very well, (even if it ticks me off that they'd so blatantly lie about their output.) If we go with the RMS ratings which are realistically about 50 watts per channel, that gives you room to work with. This amp will never happily power a mid-bass driver, but can get a conventional speaker to hoot and holler just fine. Fifty watts, as long as they're honest watts, are quite adequate to make noise.

You may find that the factory speakers are well suited to the amp you have. Having more amp than you need is always a good thing. If you overload the amp with power-hungry speakers, it will reduce the quality of the sound. Paper speakers, like the factory SVX ones, are usually quite efficient and will make good use of the power available. If the foam diaphragms are any good, I'd continue using the stock speakers unless you have problems with them. For stock speakers, they're actually very nice. If they blow up, then you know it's time to buy some aftermarket ones. If you've ever stood close to the big PA speakers at a rock concert, you know how loud they can get. They're just cheap paper speakers, but very efficient because they're paper.

With inexpensive equipment, you take a risk that something will not work right. Many amps will whine when you rev the engine. Others will click and pop when they turn on or off. Sometimes they'll hiss all the time, or at high volumes. Some just distort very easily. Generally however, they do none of these things. If you have problems, be warned that the amp may be the source.

To get the best from the amp, run an fairly large power cable to it directly from the battery - say 8 gauge. (Don't forget to use a fuse at the battery!) If the amp really put out 1600 watts, you'd be running 2 gauge. Also very important is a good ground. Make sure you ground to bare metal, and not just a bolt. This means scraping away the paint before screwing it down. These measures will reduce the chance of any of the aforementioned bugs that arise from some amplifiers. Running larger speaker wire can help, but usually not, especially at only 50 watts per channel.

I strongly recommend you avoid using speaker-level inputs. This means you must use RCA cables between your head unit and the amplifier. Line-level converters rarely work well, and can make a small noise problem worse.

Lastly, if you want to get a rocking system, pull out the pocketbook. Quality amplifiers cost about $1 per watt. Figure about $1500 for just a basic deck, amp, speakers, and all the connecting hardware. Yikes! Add a subwoofer and the price goes up. ...and that's just mid-grade equipment for ya. What I'm trying to say is that although there may be an overtone of me knocking your equipment, I'm not. This stuff is way too expensive, and low-end equipment is not always bad. Just don't get bummed out when it doesn't measure up to $5000 worth of gluttonous sound in the pimped Escalade that thumps down your street. Your amp should do just fine. Amplifier watts always sound better than deck watts. (Don't ask.) Seriously, try the factory speakers first. I think you'll be pleased.

I highly recommend this site for more information:
http://www.mobileaudio.com/rac-faq/

[pavanbabut]

lee,

Thanks for your advice and I will try to visit WPAFB and have a look at those ...actually i've seen them displayed during Airshow days...

SVXRide,

thanks for your advice too....

UberRoo,

Once again I am thankful for you having your time in writing me a detailed information.

[I]Originally Posted By UberRoo,[/I/
Sorry to burst your bubble.

you are always welcome with your valuable suggestions. I am totally a new bee for car audio segment though I have a good bose surround system in my home, i know tht car audio is totally different from them...yeah, as you told I bought tht (amp) seeing the max power rating only... . Can you tell me how much it will cost for me to get all the wiring package to complete my setup....can you provide me with a wiring diagram (if you have sometime, with some step by step procedure too), what other parts that i need and i really appreciate your help in it.

i'm planning for fixing two subs also in near future...i think for tht i must go for some quality amps...and i will surely take your suggestions at tht time too... .

thanks,
Pavan.

[Earthworm]

It's hard to give an accurate cost for this as it all comes down to personal taste and pocket depth. ($$$)

When you decide to go with subs you will have to have a box custom made. I have yet to see a pre-made sub box fit in the SVX trunk. (Bazooka's don't count)

Probably the safest thing to do is start with a specific dollar amount and maximize the stereo with the available money. Ask lots of questions and shop around.